Formula 1’s best drivers - The Economist, October 2020

Engineers during this hybrid era have been more influential than any previous era.

F1 would be a stronger sport if they allowed greater driver input and driver improvisation.
Engineers telling the driver how to drive is quite frankly ridiculous.

Cars are also more refined now than ever before.

 

It's true about the refinement. But a simplicity formula will never fly when most of the big money comes from the engine manufacturers. The aerodynamicists are clever is hell, and that may influence Ferrari buyers, but that's about it.

 

I think young hybrid drivers (Leclerc - Verstappen) already knew how to "drive" before they came to F1

 

In my opinion, we can not compare different eras...but if I had to choose : 1 Fangio 2 Clark 3 Alonso

 

For the same reasons this is not possible in high performance fighter jets--you adapt the jet not the driver not the other way around. When a pilot gets on board of a F15, F16, F18, F22, F35, they punch up their name and the jet configures itself to the pilot. Certain pilots can take more Gs, and control the craft at higher rates of pitch, roll, and yaw, but the team back home wants the craft to return in one piece. Thus the plane limits capabilities to those demonstrated by the pilot on board, and the pilot on oard does not always get the maximum the plane is capable of.......

 

More uneducated fools making more uneducated analysis.

 

Unpopular opinion: I really don't care about F1 in the Sixties, I think it was the most boring, amateurish era with sketchy looking shed-built cars that already look like coffins because they are more unsafe than they are fast. As such, I would not think as Jim Clark being one of the best pilots in a million years.

Meaning to say: every comparison of drivers from different eras is inherently flawed and pointless. It's not economics where you compensate for inflation. It's a sport albeit very technical, but ruled by emotion!

 

Big thumb down here !!!

 

I used to spend some time with the SU27 Flanker. Not sure if it had a similar system, but if it did the pilot Anotoli must've switched it OFF, as his moves were outrageous and defied belief

 

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