So... who is the greatest F1 driver of all time?

[brillomaster]

Seeing as the Hamilton debate rages on for some reason, according to the most vocal members of the z4 forum, who IS the greatest F1 driver of all time?

Obviously, you can use whatever metrics you like to decide who is the greatest - again, put them in the comments.

Personally, i suspect there are strong correlations between who you think is best, and how old you are - i was born in 1987.

I'll get the ball rolling - by voting for Hamilton.
I think he's number one because he has the most pole positions, race wins, and 7 world championships.

 

[BeeEmm]

Jim Clark of course, what a silly question. Read about him, he raced F2, sports cars and touring cars in the same season as F1. He skipped the Monaco Grand Prix to compete and win the Indianapolis 500 and still won the F1 title. Imagine todays Prima Dona's doing anything like that.

 

[BeeEmm]

Personally, i suspect there are strong correlations between who you think is best, and how old you are - i was born in 1987.

That is because you can only comment fairly on drivers you saw racing or read current reports about. In the early days the sports headlines usually started with who was killed and ended with whoever won the race. If you can understand the courage shown by fighter pilots (from any nation) during World War 2, you can get some idea of the of the skill and courage shown by the drivers of Clarks era.

I like your humour with Nikita Mazipin and Pastor Maldonaldo. What they and some other drivers have in common is that they brought millions of dollars with them into the sport. Guanyu Zhou has signed for Alpha Romeo next season. A talented driver with Millions of dollars behind him.

 

[sars]

[ref]BeeEmm[/ref], And it’s not just if you saw them race, it’s what impact they had on you, Jim Clark was indeed a very talented driver/rider and so are many on there and then again so was Graham Hill who isn’t. The point I’m trying to make, your favourite driver is not not necessarily the greatest driver. I absolutely adore Jenson Button, and he was an exceptionally smooth and capable racer, but he was in my mind not a complete driver, watching him win the championship that year was one of the most memorable and emotional of my life, that race in Canada is certainly another. I’m not sure you can pick one person to be the very best, a top five perhaps, but if I absolutely have to, then…

Hamilton, what makes him truly special, he has the talent of Senna but strategies the long game like Prost, I’ve not seen another that combines both so effectively, apart from Schumacher, who was just ruthless in everything he did and was poorer for doing it.

But Hamilton is not my favourite driver, my heart belongs to Jenson :wub:

oh and don’t forget our Nige, remember those charges

 

[Pondrew]

I went with another. James Hunt. I liked his playboy style. He was half p*ssed most of the time and could smoke a fag at 180mph!
Don't really think there can be an all-time greatest; eras of F1 are so different.
Drivers buying their seats should be stopped, it doesn't help racing IMO.
John Surtees was a real trooper. Raced F1 and bikes.
Stirling Moss presented me with a karting trophy once. He was a very nice man but not in the greatest league IMO.

 

[buzyg]

How can you miss off Graham Hill from such a list and include Stirling Moss. :?

Favourite driver is Jenson Button.

Ask the same question in Germany or Brazil or Holland and see what result you get. :wink:

 

[BeeEmm]

BeeEmm, And it’s not just if you saw them race, it’s what impact they had on you, Jim Clark was indeed a very talented driver/rider and so are many on there and then again so was Graham Hill who isn’t. The point I’m trying to make, your favourite driver is not not necessarily the greatest driver.

Hi SARS, Jim Clarke was not my favourite driver, Michael Schumacher is. I would get up at 0400 in the morning to see if he would win the world title at Suzuka in Japan. He was an exciting driver to watch and a wonderful talent. Lots of drivers have had 'oops, sorry' moments it comes with a competitive spirit.

 

[Ole gits rule]

I cant go for Lewis same as I won't pick Vettel or Schumacher, they may be the best in their era but quite a bit of that is based on the cars orbiting number one at team with no the second driver acting as support.

Senna or Fangio for me (Never saw Fangio though)

 

[buzyg]

Lots of drivers have had 'oops, sorry' moments.

:lol: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You just reminded me of a certain Nigel Manson and how he was just a bit to nice to survive the world of BTCC. :wink:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVvebZwmLKU

 

[Smartbear]

Lots of drivers have had 'oops, sorry' moments.

:lol: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You just reminded me of a certain Nigel Manson and how he was just a bit to nice to survive the world of BTC. :wink:

Nigel Manson was good, definitely better than his brother Marilyn

Rob

 

[enuff_zed]

Had to laugh to see you've included Niki Temazepam. :rofl:

What about that famous Irishman who raced for Jordan? Tim O'Glock. (Don't laugh, that is always how Edie Jordan referred to him.)

 

[biZ4rreMids]

For me it’s a toss up between Hamilton and Schumacher but went for Schumacher because IMHO there’s something special about Ferrari’s and I don’t think it was the best car on the grid in Schumacher’s first season with Ferrari but his talent got the best out of it.

 

[BeeEmm]

But Hamilton is not my favourite driver, my heart belongs to Jenson

Can I tempt you SARS, Jim Clark was a good looking bloke and Scottish too, which made him hugely desirable.

 

[Zedebee]

You just reminded me of a certain Nigel Mansell and how he was just a bit to nice to survive the world of BTCC. :wink:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVvebZwmLKU

I saw that on telly at the time. Tiff must have been bricking it, it was touch and go for Nigel for a while.

For me F1 (and the characters) got boring after Schuey stopped racing, so I can’t support any of the recent drivers. It would have great to see a genuine Senna - Schumacher rivalry but sadly it wasn’t to be. Just a few races after Senna was killed, I saw Schumacher drive the Spanish Grand Prix with his Benetton stuck in fifth gear for almost the whole race. Anyone else would have retired, but he ground out a second place - amazing. That’s when he won my vote.

 

[sars]

[ref]BeeEmm[/ref], We’re having a week near Duns next year, one of my reasons was to visit his museum

 

[BeeEmm]

BeeEmm, We’re having a week near Duns next year, one of my reasons was to visit his museum

That's excellent. Ayrton Senna regarded Jim Clark as one of the greatest drivers and said that he was an inspiration to him. In 1991, the year that Senna won his third world title with McLaren, he visited the “Jim Clark Room” at Duns which says a lot for his regard of Jimmy.

 

[Z4M-2006]

Jim Clark for me..

But where the hell is John Surtees on this list ??

By all accounts Ronnie Peterson was held in very high regard by all the F1 drivers before his death.

 

[Mr Tidy]

I was really torn between Jim Clark and Lewis Hamilton but voted for Lewis in the end, mainly because sadly Jim never got to finish his career.

 

[brillomaster]

No love for Fangio?

Jim Clark could have gone on and on, such a shame. i do wonder how things would have been different if Lewis or Schuey were racing in the 60s, or Jim Clark was racing in the 2000s.

 

[inkey$]

Agree with OP in that this will likely come down to forum age demographics. I'm a child of the 80s and watched the 'modern' F1 drivers since then and also appreciate the incredible pioneers and old guard (especially when it comes to risk/reward), but Hamilton gets my vote. Sensational.