Which F1 Champion has been the best ambassador for the sport?

Your "key points" seem Schumacher-specific. You might as well have worded your question "Which F1 Champion other than Schumacher is the best ambassador for the sport".

Despite all the criticism of Michael against his occasional mistakes and errors of judgements, I think he is the best or close to the best ambassador that F1 ever had.

Why?
- He is widely acknowledged to be the best living racing driver by his peers in F1 and other auto racing sports.
- A poster with him in his Ferrari is what young boys put up on their walls more so than other drivers.
- He is a marketable commodity like no other
- He has done lots for charity w/o - witness his $10MM contribution to the Tsunami relief front
- In F1, there are only two names that really stand out over the others - Bernie Ecclestone and Michael Schumacher.

And anyway what exactly is an ambassador for the sport really mean? Drivers are selfish beasts looking out of their own interests - their main goal is to win races and eventually world championships and stay alive. There are no Mahatma Gandhis in racing.

Jackie Stewart's ceaseless efforts to boost safety is really commendable but he was trying to make his racing safer. I dont see how that that makes him a better ambassador for the sport.

 

The Flying Scot, Jackie Stewart.

As USA goes, to this day, he's still the only Car guy to be named Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Year" (1973, IIRC).

When he passes, he will be eulogized by News Anchors on Major Networks the world over.

 

Another vote for Sir Stewart.
His demand for safety was durring an Era when no-one really wanted to hear about it, and the other drivers were too afraid to make waves.
All in all I feel that Pro drivers are too self centered ( this is part of the make up of what it takes ) to be Ambassadors. Once again IMO.

 

Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna. Senna's foundation is doing more to help people than all the other champions combined.

 

Jackie Stewart, possibly Niki Lauda

 

stewart or lauda

 

Hands down... Jackie Stewart. My first F1 hero...

 

For me it's got to be James Hunt.......no wait stop laughing, non commercial, fun, human and a great driver.
Stewart's a credit to the sport apart from coming across about as charismaticaly as Kimi Raikonen(sp)

 

If charity is the standard, you can't ignore Schumaker and his $10MM from his pocket to the Tsunami relief fund. Otherwise, he and Ayrton occupy the same seat in this discussion; although different personalities, they are similar in how they handle(d) themselves on and off the track.

Sir Jackie fits the bill, regardless of some of his absurd musings about the sport now.

 

I'd say it would be JM Fangio. He was always accessible at the vintage races, a gentleman and probably the purest, best driver ever (which makes him the winner in my book anyway). I think Stewart has been somewhat critical of Formula 1 which doesn't do the sport any good.

 

How do you figure ?

So he gave 10 mill for the Tsunami relief effort, he makes 20 million a year (or more), you can't possibly compare dollar donations today to dollar donations from years ago when entire TEAMS were not even worth 2 million........ let alone $200,000.

'Most' drivers from yesteryear were not 'marketable commodities' because being
marketable' was an afterthought (IF that), and most could not afford to give money to charity because they didn't make that much, but they would put in appearances at many charity events, something we see LESS of today, when measuring drivers across the board.

You could make a poster of Ronald McDonald in a Ferrari, and young boys would put it up in their room regardless......

I vote for Prost, who meets all of your criteria, and who tried to run a team based in his homeland out of his own pocket.
I also vote for Stewart as well.

And we don't know what several of our favorite guys did back in the days, so it's hard to discount them because of that, I speak of folks like Graham Hill, Rindt, Peterson, Fittipaldi, Andretti, all genuine good folk. My experiences with being around Lauda.... he would not be on my list, if you follow ALL of the criteria above. He was a royal pain to be around off the track.

 

ur trying to say that he should have donated more?

 

its tough, but I must say that Schumacher, Senna, Stewart are all great F1 champions, as well as ambassadors to the sport. However nobody is responding with Mario Andretti!!! I find this crazy, because not only was he a great champion in F1, but also tons of other racing venues. He is a down to earth guy and if you are lucky you might meet him at a car show. Try getting Stewart, or Schumacher to do that!!

Michael is my favorite driver, but I have to say that he is almost like a superhero instead of an ambassador of the sport!

 

i'd say this almost comes down to "Who is your favorite driver?" lol

i just got into formula 1 a few years ago after never having speed channel etc etc...

so now i'm a hardcore fan and from watching old races and hearing what other people say i'd say aryton senna.


I WOULD NOT vote for anyone that is a current driver. i dont see any forumla 1 drivers doing charity events and doing things like lance armstrong with cancer research or anything else. i do not care if MS donated 10M to the tsunami funds. since he makes at least 2.5 times the amount of his donations without including his sponsorships i dont believe this 10,000,000 to be much coming from his pockets.

 

You might be right, he was a good commentator before he got sick.

 

Michael made $60 million last year, down from $80 million (his highest ever) in 2004. He tied Tiger Woods in 2004 as the highest paid sportsman ever. He has been making $40 million + every year since joining Ferrari back in 1996. His current net worth is over half a billion.

 

First off, we don't know what charities drivers support. They may choose to keep their causes private.

Secondly, regarding your point on Schumaker: So that I'm clear, you're saying that if you made, let's say, $500,000 a year, you SHOULD donate more than $200,000 of it in order for your contribution to be legitimate? That sounds a bit absurd.

Donating almost 40% of your annual salary to a tragedy like the tsunami cause is admirable regardless of any personal contempt for the individual donating it.

 

Sir Jackie YESSIREEEE

But THe First Car guy on SI Sportsman of the year was Carrol Shellby. pretty sure he was SI SOTY .. 1958or 59 i think, the year he won Le Mans in the Aston Martin with Roy Salvidori

 

Nope, I'm saying it 'appears' to me the main gist HERE is the 'driver' must donate money to be considered, and that's just wrong.
Besides, it cannot be MS as he fails on 3 of the 5 'key' areas to consider.

 

ok i was wrong

http://encarta.msn.com/media_701500050/Sports_Illustrated_Sportsman_of_the_Year.html
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let me get this straight. donations are made from the heart, not from the bank account, or from how much ur earning. it's ur heart that counts.

 

Sir Jackie Stewart, all the way. Have you seen him on last Top Gear episode? Priceless.
Ciao
Eugenio

 

It would be a different answer outside the US, but if you want one name that epitomizes "racing" for the average Yank:

Mario Andretti.

When the mirror-shaded southern cop pulls you over, does he say, "Who do you think you are? Tazio Nuvolari?"?

Okay, in France, the cop would say "Alain Prost" (which was funny the time that it was Prost he pulled over).
At one point, in England it was "Nigel Mansell" (which was hilarious when it was Senna).

 

i'd prob give the nod to the scot as well...plus he had a cool helmet!