Who is the Greatest driver never to be champion?

Pretty cool thread.

Moss qualifies.

My brain says Gilles Villeneuve, my heart says Eddie Irvine.

 

I can go along with Moss and Villeneuve, but Eddie Irvine? Gimme a break. There's no way he qualifies as one of the all time greats.

 

I never said my heart is terribly smart.


Of the guys who never got the title he is just the coolest in my book. Only second to Hunt, but Hunt got the title.

 

Ronnie Peterson ought to be in there.

 

I've felt that way since the day he retired from F1. He was very versatile and competitive with some very great drivers in what was arguably the most competitive era in the history of motorsports.

My favorite Sir Stirling story is about him winning the 1960 Goodwood sports car race and lapped the field in his 250GT/SWB, while listening to the radio on.

[Ironically Goodwood was the site of the 1962 crash that put him out of action.]

 

Eddie Irvine ?
That's Hilarous.
he had a chance handed to him on a silver platter in 1999 when M.S. broke his leg and he still f%^&ED IT UP.

 

Stirling Moss without a doubt in my book.

 

Unfortunately there were only three wheels on that silver platter.

 

Gilles Villeneuve. He would have won the title even if he only had three wheels; Zandvoort comes to mind.

 

GILLES VILLENEUVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Clever answer, but not quite true. It looked spectacularly, but it totaled the Ferrari in the process. Enzo liked it though.

 

That is why Enzo dubbed Gilles "The Crowned Prince of Destruction".

 

Moss is a favorite with the Press. He's definitely the most
famous non champion.

 

Gilles Villeneuve

 

Stefan Bellof perhaps.

 

Gilles Villeneuve absolutely, Peterson indeed...

Can't imagine Irvine in the same light. If it were talk Irvine WORLD CHAMPION by a tongue length...

 

.

 

I certainly think Moss tops the list along with the other's mentioned here. In addition I would add Jacky Ickx. I know he isn't considered an F1 great but he did well in an uncompetitive Ferrari and fought for the title.

He has won in everything else.

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

I almost said Ickx as well. He surely battled Jochen Rindt for the title in 1970. I saw a number of the F1 races in real life that year and Jacky was a heck of a driver.

I believe Moss was a great driver (and his Mille Miglia victory in 1955 proved it) but I always thought that one of the reasons for the Moss hype had more to do with the British press setting the standard for English language writing and thus any Brit that won was a great hero. Moss was very hard on equipment (like Andretti) and that more than anything cost him championships.

 

Francois Cevert

 

Gilles Villeneuve, Ronnie Peterson, and Carlos Reuteuman.

 

Most definitely Stirling Moss. If Moss wasn't such a pro-British fool he would have probably beaten Fangio's record ... instead he constantly chose to drive either privateer cars or some humble British piece of ****.

Ofcourse nowadays it wouldn't be such a bad thing but back then the Poms were miles behind but gaining fast.

The next on my list would be Gilles. Remember he could have won a WC if he did not dutifully follow team orders as the new kid on the block (Note: Imperial83, that was I think his first year driving for Ferrari and not like RB at all).

Pete's opinion

 

I believe you are reffering to the 1979 season where Gilles finished 2nd in Championship. You need to check up on your history, Gilles was not the new kid on the block. It was his second season (technically 3rd) at Ferrari. Jody Scheckter won that season fair and square. Stop it already with your conspiracy theories.