Taurus

April 20 – May 20

As the athlete of the lot, you can find a Taurus at the sharp end at any sport. Motorsport is no exception. In fact, motorsport is one of the few things in life that caters to all of the Taurus’ strengths. The subtle smoothness in motions required while in the car comes just as naturally to the Taurean driver as the outspoken, social demeanor that so readily attracts that necessary evil we call sponsorship. Engineers love them for their ability to subtly direct their car development. Team managers adore their willingness to turn around and take direction when necessary. It should really come to no surprise that there’s always a spot for a Taurus on any given grid.

Car control is the primary strength of the Taurus when he’s behind the wheel. Which makes sense – car control is essentially a complex application of the human sense of touch, and Taurus is the most tactile sign of the twelve. A Taurean driver will make firm and decisive inputs, whilst simultaneously exhibiting almost extrasensory sensitivity to feedback from the tyres. Though not a multitasking specialist by any means, a Taurus will readily accept information from every corner of the car at any time, in any situation. With proper education and experience, this is a trait that be exploited to an almost unfair advantage in the world of wheel to wheel.

There’s the caveat there. A rather annoying characteristic of motorsport is that the definition of what’s “proper” is constantly being redefined. It isn’t uncommon to see 50 years of engineering research turned on its head by a tiny privateer race team. While a driver won’t have to understand all of the intricate details, he will have to adapt to these new discoveries. As the standout stalwart amongst the generally conservative Earth signs, a Taurus is the most likely to struggle when this happens. The bull may spend weeks stubbornly resisting change. And by the time the realization sinks in he may find himself far behind the pack.

For the competitive Taurean driver, the solution could be as hard as keeping an open mind or as easy as finding a good coach to do so for him. To those sharing the track with said drivers, I suggest keeping a close eye and your guard up – for the raging bull has few real weaknesses.

Notable Tauruses in Motorsport:
- Phil Hill                         1961 F1 World Champion, 3-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner
- Felipe Massa                 Ferrari Joint #1, Schumacher Protégé
- Seiji Ara                       2004 24 Hours of Le Mans winner