If both Schumacher and Senna were to drive at their extreme best then I think Schumacher would come out top. His ability for scarily fast lap times in a race is like nothing I've seen before or likely to see again. Senna was a miles better qualifier but Schumi was the man for the Grand Prix itself. In the modern era it's got to be Schumi for me. That said I feel out of the 60 years of F1 history Jim Clark is the finest driver to have ever driven in an f1 car. Also thank god xiglly isn't on this site (or is he?). I had enough ding dongs with him on the original 606 many a time which involved him calling Murray Walker senile and deluded and me calling the autosport poll he tugged out at every opportunity desperate and unrepresentative.
So McFerrari, you voted for Clark too? Quite right. - In spite of your view of Schumacher; underneath it all, I always thought you were the discerning type!
Actually cosicave I hastily voted Schumacher (he was a big idol of mine!) without reading the other options! I just thought "**** it he gets slated for his comeback but I'll help give him something to be happy about" so I ****ed up the poll and deceiving my real opinion. I am truly sorry! But no, at the end of the day it's a tough debate but because of the dangers the likes of Clark was surrounded by and many other things I have to change my vote. Whether it was Monza, Spa, Clark did the impossible too. Who knows what more he could have achieved in motorsport, let alone Formula One if he wasn't brutally taken away from us. Not only the greatest motor racing driver ever but the greatest Scottish sportsman of all time. I do believe Schumacher to be the best modern era f1 driver (sorry cosicave I know you hate him) though.
I know people will groan but seb does have similarities to Jim Clark, I didn't vote for Jim to boost Sebs profile since he would have very very big boots to fill. They don't like the media and quite quiet, they cope best with fragile cars, smooth drivers, like to be in front, qualifiying a strong point, had teams built around them, their strong point wasn't in the field fighting but would do so if put there, didn't like to be pressured from behind. -of course who doesn't?
It's true that Vettel and Clark tend(ed) to be at the front. But a more accurate comparison with drivers on today's grid would be a mixture of Hamilton and Button: Hamilton has a Clark-like ability to drive around problems and Button is really the only driver since Damon Hill to approach Clark's legendary smoothness. Hamilton and Button both have real fighting spirit; so if you have doubts about Clark as an fighter, please read this to complete the comparison: His ability when in traffic was unparalleled. In one of his races, a lap down after suffering an early puncture, he passed the whole field to unlap himself; and then passed them all again and would have won the race but for what I believe was a gearbox failure. Of course he had a quick car, but that feat has never been approached by any driver before or since and included his team mate - passing him twice! And all who witnessed it were utterly dumb-founded…
Straight out of a Boy's Own Annual eh Forza? It is an achievement which still defies any reasonable explanation, whether from onlooker at the time or professional driver of the present. I do not believe any person who has ever lived before or since, has been such an integrated part of a machine; whether Spitfire pilot, train driver or pin-ball player. This is why I believe he has the greatest claim to the unprovable and illusive: 'Greatest Driver of All Time'.
Quite right, the mans skills where literally beyond belief. almost as good as his grasp of the english language which in itself was legendary
And lets hear for Chanoch Nissany After taking up motor-racing as a hobby at the grand old age of 38, it should have been no surprise that Nissany was 13 seconds off the pace when he made his F1 debut with Minardi during practice for the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix. He reportedly said over the radio: "Guys, I'm coming in, I'm having too much grip." Well that will tend to happen in an F1 car⦠The worst drivers are far more interesting than the best in my View.
Nice one Mephisto. I didn't know he'd reported back with that, but it makes sense. "Too much grip" or "far more grip than I can exploit" is the most common feedback from an honest person with a good understanding of what he/she should be doing - but cannot. And the 'cannot' is the result of a fear to tread into the unknown. It is pre-requisite that a race driver is able to fully utilize available grip. Nowadays it is a 'given', meaning that the differences between drivers will be very small (in the order of just 1%) because they can all do it more or less consistently; indeed, most can do it in their sleep (as it were) - after all, living on the edge is the trade of a professional driver.
Been a close follower of F1 since 68, seen em all including JC and the very, very, best car controller, maybe not the best at tactics yet, in my opinion is Hamilton without question. Who needs tactics when you can outdrive the rest of the field.
I think that's a fair point Ernie. Ultimately it's impossible to compare eras of course; but in the modern era of ultra-responsive, high downforce cars, Hamilton is really out there standing alone. I have never seen a driver of the modern era with such a pure instinct at the very limit of adhesion. Simply stunning. I could do it a bit (and of course, secretly like to think I still can!) but this guy lives there! I have never seen another driver deliberately performing a four wheel drift in a modern day F1 car: with such a snap from grip to no grip even at just one end of the car, such a feat is virtually super-human! He has a racing instinct which is right up with the very best of them of all time, and to me that puts him well out of reach of (for instance) Schumacher at his best; Raikkonen is barely worth a mention here; Alonso but he's a lot closer than the previous two; Button who takes a long-term view; Villeneuve who was below Raikkonen; Hakkinen who was more than a match for Schumacher when the chips were down; etc. etc. Just my opinion folks. Please don't be angry at me!
If I was too choose who to to put behind Senna in a close second it would be Sir Jackie Stewart. He was an incredible ambassador for the sport a great racer and saved the lives of other F1 Drivers. Not only that a great person. Not a Raikkonen at all and a really admirable person. Hats off to Jackie Stewart as well. PS. I have noticed Michael Schumacher has gone into the lead with votes...
I don't think Hamilton will widely be regarded as "greatest of all time", but I think he is in the top 20. He has a long way to go in his career and we will see what happens yet.
