Best F-1 Drivers Who Never Won Title

Gilles & Moss are no-brainers for the list. That said, I was always a fan of Depailler and Laffite, not that they're "the best", or anything. Just always liked them and think they would have been more than deserving Champs. I've heard witnesses of the 60's/70's say strong things about Jackie Ickx but I've never seen him race, so I can't say one way or the other. Dan Gurney deserves more credit, too. A pioneer before his time. I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but the story goes that after Jimmy Clark's funeral, his father approached Gurney and, in their conversation, told him that Jimmy had confided that the only driver he ever doubted about being able to beat was Gurney.

 

I don't believe there was a World Championship when Nuvolari competed. Agree with Rosberg and Hawthorn, disagree about Hunt. Though he arguably won due to Lauda's tragic accident(that was part of the equation in those years) he drove brilliantly that season to the very end. Don't forget the many protests lodged by both Ferrari and McLaren that season.

 

OF course I will jump in to add Rubens. The question from the OP was not if he was world championship material but who were the best that were never world champs.

My list would be:
1. Stirling Moss
2. Jackie Ickx
3. G Vill
4. Rubens
5. Alesi

Too bad Alesi can't get an Indy car up to speed like Rubens! LOL

 

Based on talent: Francois Cevert.

Based on brains: Bruce McLaren.

 

Bellof: Correct about him at Monaco chasing and catching both Prost & Senna. It would
have been interesting to see him compete against Senna in better equipment. Too
bad he thought he could go two wide through Eau Rouge (sp?) at Spa!

 

I'm too young...but i guess Gilles Villeneuve..

 

Agree...plenty of good French drivers in the 70s and 80s who could have won it in the right equipment.

 

it took 54 posts! yes, cevert.

 

barichello, like many of the drivers on this list, did not make it to wc because they were driving as #2. barrichello could have won at least one of the years he was seconding schumi. and the year he drove with button at brawn he nearly had it too.[/QUOTE]

Please!!! Barichelo had a title wining car for 6 years, six!!!!! The best he was able to do was 2 second places!!!! This is miserable!!!

2000-shumi 1-108 rubens 4-62!!!
2001-shumi 1-123 rubens 3-56!!!
2002-shumi 1-144 rubens 2-77!!!
2003-shumi 1-93 rubens 4-65
2004-shumi 1-148 rubens 2-114
2005-shumi 3-62 rubens 8-38 !!!!(i know, this was a non title year)
2009-Button 1-95 rubens 3-77

Now, when do you think Rubens could have been a champion?

 

Rubens had his chance in 2009 and couldn't deliver.

 

I think Keke is very underrated, he was very, very fast and had a huge talent....it´s true that in 82 his win was a fluke but he did it, Mclaren also had a chnace and they blew it.
In the folowing years he did miracles with a Williams that was crap, and he lost the joy of driving when he had to look at fuel consumption....by the way, did you guys knew Ferrari aproached him (if not mistaken for 1988)...Piero Lardi called him and said ferrari was interested in signing him, but he had to show up at fiorano to make a test drive, because he had been out for a couple of years...he simply replyed. " If you wan´t, i´ll drive for you but i won´t do a test drive, either you sign me or you don´t"...and they didn´t!!!

 

By the way..best video about Rubens i ever saw!!!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpkIZBMQ5rM[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UD-ZrXVqkU&feature=related[/ame]

If anyone needs translation just ask.

 

someone who agrees with me...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MUzG-2qq98&feature=related[/ame]

 

Massa

 

Maybe Revson if he had hooked on with a better team ealier in his career. Too bad
he was in his mid-30's before joining the Mclaren F-1 team and he didn't live long
enough to find out what the UOP Shadow Team could provide.

 

Gerhard Berger

 

Francois Cevert

 

+1

 

Drivers I think may have won the title are: Cervert, Peterson, Donohue, Pironi

Drivers who were great that didn't win: Moss, Collins, Ickx, G. Villeneuve

I left Gurney out because, although he gave 3 manufacturers their first win, he never had a truly great season. Mechanical failures were his major downfall. But, I may be wrong since Jim Clark stated he was the only driver that he feared.

 

Hunt was good, but really he was a flash in the pan - he was somewhat successful in 74 & 75 and had luck in 76... 77 he was around a bit, and then went nowhere after that.

I agree that 76 had alot of back and forth with the rules - and Hunt did get screwed at the Italian GP, but he also was alowed to restart at Brands Hatch, etc... so in my mind Lauda had that year completely in the bag - if not for his accident.... and had Ferrari actually raced in Austria in the race after Lauda could have kept the championship.

Francois Cevert- I remember seeing him race, nice guy, I was there at the race he won... but there is no guarantee he would have been able to sustain any success in 74 with out JYS as the team leader.

 

Amen brother.

 

Gurney just never went with a team when it was winning. Had he been with Lotus or Brabham and stayed - he would have been a champion. The Eagle was a great looking car, and sounded fantastic but was not a success.... I agree he was a fantastic driver, super nice guy as well, but not sure he ranks right up there. if anything i think he was too distracted.

 

Nouvalari was first in the championship in 1932.

As for those who didn't win, Gilles is an obvious choice, and I would throw Jacques on the list as well because even though he did win one, he should have won or at least been in contention for several more, completely wasted career.

Sterling Moss sadly got to be the second best driver in the world for his whole career.

I think Berger and Alesi both could have been champions and both regularly put otherwise uncompetitive cars in very good standing.

 

Stirling Moss and Gilles Villeneuve.

I also think many are being way too hard on Damon Hill. Remember he was driving for Frank Williams (if Frank rang me up today and offered me a F1 drive I would say no) and against a cheating MS and Senna died in the same team. Yes, like his father he was not naturally talented, but heck you have to give him credit for his mental strength and plain old guts!

Hunt also was a lot faster than most people realise. In IROC where they all drove Camaros, in his first event he stuck the car second on the grid, and in a later meeting got pole: http://www.turbosracingphotos.com/IROC/hunt75.htm
Pete