The best driver in the history of F1

At a press conference at the 1993 Australian Grand Prix, when asked which driver he had the most satisfaction racing against, Senna cited Tony Fullerton.

 

+1

 

Jack was hopeless ....... obviously

 

I don't see the relation between breaking his back twice and being a whiner.

One is a medical condition, the other is a trait of character.

I merely relate what is well know in racing circle.

 

Better than he gets credit for.

 

Fangio. [/thread]

 

Nuvolari

Top 100

Jerry
DRG

 

Murray Walker himself mentions how Nelson was the #1 halfway thru this video of qualifying for the 86 British GP, mentions the disparity in salaries $3.3 mil for nelson much less for nigel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOU4A2J7PpA)

But here is the real sign, I have read that Honda "wanted" piquet at Williams and wanted him to win. It was Honda engines and Honda engineers that did all the work and from what I read favored Nelson. In further reading of the situation, when they were not as happy with the distinction of 1 vs 2 at Williams, both Nelson and Honda engines left after winning the championship in 87 and both #1 driver and engines moved to Lotus.

So yes you are wrong.

 

lol 2 british guys who don't like another one.


So you don't like the guy, who cares, but the fact remains he was the best of the best era and raced with more pain than anyone I can think of.

 

Senna never had the chance to race against Villeneuve...Villeneuve died in 82'

 

Murray walker was Nigel's nº1 fanboy, he would have said anything...of course Piquet had a much bigger salary, heck, he was 2 world champion when he joined williams vs what? Nigel had only won his first g.p the year before, what did you expect?
Williams favoured mansell all the way (don't get me wrong, i always prefered Mansell to Piquet) but i can separate things. Mansell was in a typical british team and had full suport from it...Piquet fought agains mansell and many times the rest of the team...in my opinion, mansell deserved a lot more to win the championship in 87 than piquet, but it´s also truth that after his accident at imola, Nelson lost a lot of speed, just like lauda did, and Berger too...

 

In an interview I saw recently (probably a repeat), Piquet explained that he didn't have an easy time being a Brazilian at Williams. Most of the team was rooting for Mansell who was British. Piquet had really to fight his corner in a team where Mansell wanted all the attention.

Piquet did everything to upset Mansell and there was a lot of psychological warfare between the 2. Piquet related he had noticed that the slightest change to his car, was also tried on Mansell's car. So he started using desinformation and arranged to "leak" wrong settings to the Mansell side. After a while Mansell got wind of that and was furious.
Piquet won and the championship too!!

Piquet was a very smart cookie...

 

Where did Piquet and the Honda engines go after winning the championship in 87? To lotus, that's where. Piquet was getting number 1 treatment. Mansell would have won in 86 if not for the tire explosion, he would have won in 87 if not for braking his back in japan. The 87 British GP showed who was better between Piquet and Mansell. The 1991 Italian GP showed who was better between Mansell and Senna. Mansell had the better record when he partnered with Piquet 11 wins to 7


I like Piquet, I like Prost, Rosberg, Berger, Alboreto, Johanson, Cheever, Tambay, Arnoux, others and even Senna a bit. It is not a question of liking one over another. It is factual. Most of these guys were great drivers, it was the best period of F1.

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I posted this months ago, from the horses' mouths

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AkKWJOpBR0]1/4 Entrevista/Interview Nelson Piquet e Nigel Mansell - YouTube[/ame]

 

I like Piquet, I like Prost, Rosberg, Berger, Alboreto, Johanson, Cheever, Tambay, Arnoux, others and even Senna a bit. It is not a question of liking one over another. It is factual. Most of these guys were great drivers, it was the best period of F1.

Not to me, it was an amazing time but not as good as a couple years back....to me the top was from 77 to 82....you can put Gilles, Sheckter, Lauda, watson, Rosberg, Piquet, mansell, prost, Arnoux, Tambay, lafitte, Depailler, Pironi, Jones, Reutman, Fittipaldi, Jaboille, De Angelis, Patrese, all in one grid!!!! You simply can't top this.

.

 

I couldn't agree more, however you neglected to include Mario, who won the WDC during that time period.

 

To quote Brain Redman from a recent historic motor racing event. He was asked "what's it like to be a living legend?" His response..."I don't know...go ask Mario Andretti"

 

Brian Redman was a brilliant sports car driver and a very modest man

 

My mistake, how could i forget him and Ronnie of course, even James ran untill mid 79 and Clay...those where the days!!! You know, not long ago i read an interview where Ickx (who incidently also run a couple of races for Ligier in that period) said mario was the most versatil driver he ever knew...i also thought he was very modest because to me he and Mario are precisly the most versatile drivers i can remenber, Ickx probably even more since he won the dakar rally...

 

My top 10 drivers
1 - Michael Schumacher
2 - Tazio Nuvolari
3 - Ayrton Senna
4 - Alberto Ascari
5 - Juan Manuel Fangio
6 - Jim Clark
7 - Alain Prost
8 - Gilles Villeneuve
9 - Nikki Lauda
10 - Fernando Alonso

I find it interesting to note the parochial support from Englishmen for one of their own and how it can blind them to the success or lack there-of. Ala Jenson Button, Nigel Mansell, Hambone and all of the other english drivers who/ are/ were the best ever. Jim Clark was an astounding driver due to the way he could make a car dance around him, aparently he was a terrible road driver but when he got the Lotus set just right was unbeatable. BUT others are just not that great, Hambone is quick when he has a good car but I would argue that for Hambone to be seen as one of the best then we need to see the fight race after race, even when he has a crappy car, not just when he feels he is going to win. Schumy always fought, even when he had a crap car and was back in 12th he would be looking to pass the guy that was 11th.
And I agree with everyone that has said about Schumys ability to devlope and set up a car, that is another sign of greatness.
Just my 2 cents

 

I like your list, although not necesserely on the same order.....i fully agree on Nuvolari, he was probably the best ever, but he was pre-f1, that´s why i didn´t mentioned him....as for Alonso, there is a number of other drivers i would put ahead of him, like Stewart, Ickx, Peterson, Alesi, Hakkinen, Kimi, Piquet, Moss and probably a few others...

 

I have trouble defining F1 drivers as 'the best' period. At Le Mans, a triple stint is about two times the distance of the Indy 500 and you need to do at least three of those in the course of 24 hours. Or try a stage at the Rally of Corsica. Go like crazy with nothing more than the pacenotes of your navigator. Go do that and do that well and perhaps than you can be considered a good driver. To me, racing a F1 car for about 90 minutes is not on the same level. Don't get me wrong, those F1 guys know a thing or two about racing a car, but I don't subsribe to that 'the best 20 drivers in the world'-BS.

 

"F1" is relatively young.

"Grand Prix" however . . .

Tazio Nuvolari


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Nice line up of drivers, mostly agree .... no wait, strongly agree after perusing the list again

 

You're very wise Wax old bean