BBC: F1's Greatest Driver

[Red Schneider]

I think the list is about F1 drivers, so you won't see Nuvolari in there. The old guys are usually underrated anyway - I think Ascari shuld have been top seven.

You guys are forgetting about the Professor. I should guess Schumacher in third, Fangio in second and Senna at the top. Senna is a bit overrated.

[Richard]

Of course, I was struggling to think who was missing. So how about Fangio, Senna, Schumacher, Prost, Clark?

[FoxHound]

Interested to know why some people think Senna to be overrated?
My father is a huge Prost fan, for his methodical approach. And he tells me, despite having this affinity for the Proffesor, he felt fearful. Fearful because Senna could turn up big time and make Prost look mediocre. I wouldn't use the word hate, but my father had a deep disliking of Senna for it. But ask him who he thinks the greatest is, and Senna it is, then followed by Gilles Villenuve(ever so closely, "by a ball hair"), and then Schumacher.

[clipsy1H]

that's true .... senna is a bit overrated because he died on track.... but in these comparisons only results talk.
Even if some people don't like but Michael is the greatest f1 driver (not because i'm his fan)

[FoxHound]

Hmmm I don't think Senna is overated at all.
Drivers know what they see from other drivers, and almost to a man they all named Senna as the greatest. Even "der regenmeister" himself, Schumacher.
Personal preference will naturally decide each drivers ranking to the individual. But I honestly don't think Senna dying, made him a better driver in death.

[clipsy1H]

any ranking who doesn't include strict results is a personal one based on emotions ... and that's normally for humans !!

[FoxHound]

Results don't really tell the whole story though, do they?
For example, kimi raikkonen in the mid 2000s. He won zip, but still was the man Ferrari turned to replace Schumacher.
Results are one dimensional. The way those results where achieved and how, fleshes out a better picture than simply looking at a stat sheet in my view.

[SeijaKessen]

The 3 fastest drivers in F1 history were Villeneuve, Senna, and Peterson.

Ronnie was in another dimension with how fast he was.

[Red Schneider]

Interested to know why some people think Senna to be overrated?

Senna was really, really good - clearly on the shortlist of the greatest. However, a lot of people feel that he is clearly the greatest ever, which is very different from being clearly one of the greatest.

I'm just a bit of a contrarian, and all the Senna hero-worship kind of grates on my nerves sometimes. He was brilliant, no doubt, but as far as I'm concerned there is little to suggest he is head and shoulders above Clark, MSC, Fangio, Prost, and maybe a couple others.

[Red Schneider]

Any of you guys ever read that book that purports to be a comprehensive analysis of the greatest drivers ever? I can't remember what it's called, but it came out after the 2007 season, but before the 2008 season I think. Lots of pretty pictures and graphs in it.

I read most of it a few years ago. I can't remember the conclusion, but the 'podium' of all-time greats was MSC, Clark and Fangio I think.

[RB7ate9]

Mark my words:

Jim Clark will be #1. He had all of the hallmarks of the public image of an F1 driver in the 1960s. Even though he was fairly reserved in terms of the glitz and the glam, he raced all the time. F3, Austrailian Exhibition Races, Indy. Any chance he could get behind a wheel he would. He's British, was usually faster than his teammate. Conquered the Indy 500 and Formula 1. He had a legendary run facing down the likes of Stewart, Hulme, Brabham, Gurney, Ickx, Hill, and so on through the 1960s. He has had legendary drives that garnered respect and praise despite NOT winning (my favorite is the 1967 Italian GP). And, to morbidly top it off, he died before his time driving in an lower-formula car because he just loved driving. All the time.

Jim Clark. BBC F1's Greatest Driver.

[JimClarkFan]

Of course, I was struggling to think who was missing. So how about Fangio, Senna, Schumacher, Prost, Clark?

This is what it should be no question, if Damon Hill gets in there, I will wreck the place.

He can't, it must be the aforementioned.

[Nando]

Senna and Clark are the absolute greatest.

Why? Because when it rained they made the worlds greatest driver´s look like "idiots" to quote Berger.

that´s why. they were unreal when the rain came down.

[jdlive]

Interested to know why some people think Senna to be overrated?
My father is a huge Prost fan, for his methodical approach. And he tells me, despite having this affinity for the Proffesor, he felt fearful. Fearful because Senna could turn up big time and make Prost look mediocre. I wouldn't use the word hate, but my father had a deep disliking of Senna for it. But ask him who he thinks the greatest is, and Senna it is, then followed by Gilles Villenuve(ever so closely, "by a ball hair"), and then Schumacher.

Overrated may be the wrong word but he IS most definitely rated higher than he would have been had he not died. Drivers who have died get judged more favorably due to the emotion that enters judgement.

On the flip side: he may have very well been better than MSC (as in scored an even better palmares) if he hadn't died.

[FoxHound]

@jdlive

That kind of echoes what I think. Senna's Williams contract was for 3 years I believe. Now if hill could push Schumacher to the wire in 94/95 and win in 96, there is a reasonable proposition to say he could have been a 6 time champion. Ifs and buts once more. Imagine he signed on for a swansong year in 97....