You are kidding, right?...... He *may* turn out to be in about 10 years, but as I said above, I don't think he's fit to carry the jocks of the two "Sirs" + Jimmy. Cheers, Ian
Remember that we're talking about a nation that went from Winston Churchill to Tony Blair. Standards just ain't what they usta be.
Defiantly JIM CLARK, meet him personally at Hockenheim the day he lost his live so tragically. wolfman
For my buck, Jackie Stewart can't be beat. 3 WDC's 27 wins from 100 starts, not to mention his contributions to the sport after his retirement from driving. He also wrote a wonderful book on performance driving that most of us would benefit from reading. As for Lewis, way too soon to make the call, his fortune depends on how Mclaren holds up over the long run, he could be a one time Champion 10 years from now or he could be closing in on a few F1 records. Only time will tell.
The selection of Lewis Hamilton as the best ever is a classic case of DMDST -Dead Men Don't Sell Tickets- This is my own created term to describe the phenomenon first observed in The Hidden Game of Football by Bob Carroll, Pete Palmer, and John Thorn published in 1988. on pg. 283 "One Sunday last season, NBC entertained itself on its "NFL Live!" pregame show by asking viewers to call in and vote for the greatest running back of all time. The choices were Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, and OJ Simpson. Host Bob Costas apologized that those were the only choices, admitting that there were a few others worthy of mention. Each telephone vote cost the caller fifty cents. During the program all 4 candidates were interviewed. They and nearly everyone who spoke made it clear, without actually saying so, that a vote for anyone but Brown was like electing a pit bull as Easter Bunny. So the callers went right ahead and voted Walter Payton the greatest runner ever. Brown might be criticized for his blocking, his acting, or his penchant for punching women, but when it comes to running a football, nearly everyone who saw him in action came away breathless. So our guess is that there's the rub-a lot of callers voted who never saw Brown run. Well, it figures. Daddy pays the phone bill and thinks twice about investing 50 cents in his opinion; while Junior, who only started watching football games a couple of years ago, just votes and votes and lets Daddy pay for it. In electing Payton, the little tyke simply reinforces the view secretly held by all the young-that the world started when they were born. Ask them to vote which fighter had the best knockout punch and they'll skip over Dempsey to elect Sean Penn..." I believe this vote falls into the same category. My personal opinion is that the greatest driver was Jimmy Clark, but that the most historically significant was Jackie Stewart since he was so instrumental in transforming the sport from an extremely dangerous sport where it was possible for several drivers a year to die in accidents, to the safe sport we have today where only 3 drivers have died (Senna and Ratzenberger at Imola 94 and Elio de Angelis in testing at Paul Ricard in 86) since 1982... Just my opinion... Frank
theres plenty of other contenders Gerry Marshall Derek Bell Jim Clark John Surtees Stirling Moss Graham Hill Jackie Stewart Mike Hawthorn Vic Elford Richard Attwood the list goes on and whilst McNish is good, he wouldnt make my top 5 and nor indeed would Hamilton - yet
McNish is a really great driver. His resume of driving is amazing. President of the Scottish Motor Racing Club Twice Le Mans 24 Hours Winner Twice Sebring 12 Hours Winner Three times ALMS Champion Four times Petit Le Mans Winner 2009 Official Audi Sportscar Driver 2008 Official Audi Sportscar Driver in the European Le Mans Series Winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring, LMP1 class Winner of the 76th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Winner of the Autosport 1000km LMS Silverstone Winner of the ALMS Petit Le Mans race 3rd overall in the Le Mans Series Championship Drive of the Race Award - award created by SPEEDtv.com to honor the most stirring performance in an ALMS/LM24 race Voted Speed TV Driver of the race for Petit Le Mans Autosport Magazine Sportscar Driver of the Year Voted Driver of the Decade by ALMS fans Audi Driver Magazine Personality of the Year British Racing Drivers' Club ACO Award for the highest-placed British driver in the Le Mans 24 Hours race British Racing Drivers' Club Silverstone/Le Mans Challenge Award Awarded the British Competition Driver of the Year Award at the Autosport Awards 2007 Official Audi Sportscar Driver in the American Le Mans Series American Le Mans Series Champion Winner of the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg Winner of the ALMS Petit Le Mans race Winner of the ALMS Laguna Seca race 9 LMP1 Victories from 12 starts 5 pole positions, 5 fastest laps, 5 lap records Outright lap record at Le Mans in the 24 hours race Autosport Sportscar driver of the year William Lyons Trophy awarded by the Scottish Motor Racing Club Motors TV Most Popular Driver Award Audi Driver Magazine Personality of the Year 2006 Official Audi Sportscar Driver American Le Mans Series Champion 8 out of 10 wins in the American Le Mans Series Championship Winner of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Pole Position and lap record at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Winner of the ALMS Houston Lone Star Grand Prix 3rd place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Winner of the ALMS Lime Rock in the last ever race for the Audi R8 Winner of the ALMS Petit Le Mans ACO Awards received from the British Racing Driver's Club for Best British Driver at Le Mans William Lyons Trophy awarded by the Scottish Motor Racing Club Won the road racing category at AARWBA (American Motor Journalists) as well as voted (with teammate Dindo Capello) onto the All America Auto Racing Team - combination of best drivers of the year in all categories of motorsport competing in the US Autosport Sportscar driver of the year Audi Driver Magazine Personality of the Year 2005 Official Audi DTM Driver 2nd place in The 12 Hours of Sebring with Audi Sport Champion Racing 3rd place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi Sport Champion Racing Winner of the Silverstone LMES 1,000km race with Audi Playstation Team Oreca Winner Club Des Pilotes Eric Thompson Trophy John Romanes Trophy presented by Doris Romanes and William Lyons Trophy awarded by the Scottish Motor Racing Club Autosport Sportscar driver of the year 2004 Official Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx Driver at Le Mans and in the European Le Mans Series Winner of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Winner of the Nurburgring LMES 1,000km race Winner of the Silverstone LMES 1,000km race Fastest driver in Le Mans pre-qualifying Autosport Magazine Sportscar Driver of the Year Le Mans Magazine Sportscar Driver of the Year Stewart Medal Award presented by Sir Jackie Stewart for services to Scottish Motor Sport 2003 Official Renault Formula One Test Driver 2002 Official Toyota Formula One Driver 2001 Official Toyota Formula One Test Driver Daytona 24 Hours - Risi Ferrari - Fastest Lap. 2000 Official Audi Driver in Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series. American Le Mans Series - Overall Winner and Prototype Class Winner. 1st Overall Petit Le Mans, 1st Overall Adelaide Race of 1000 Years, 2nd Overall Sebring 12 Hours, 6 Wins, 10 Podium Positions, 4 Pole Positions, 7 Fastest Laps and 6 Lap Records. Le Mans 24 Hours - 2nd Overall, Pole Position and Fastest Lap. Fastest in Pre-Qualification. Voted onto the All-America Auto Racing Team - by the AARWBA. Winner - Horsepower Award by the AARWBA Winner - British Racing Drivers Club Silverstone/Le Mans Challenge Trophy. Winner - Scottish Motor racing Club William Lyons/Billy Smith Trophy. Official Toyota Formula One Test Driver. Winner Club Des Pilotes Eric Thompson Trophy 1999 Official Toyota Driver in the Le Mans 24 Hours. Official Porsche Driver. Rolex Daytona 24 Hours Risi Ferrari - 2nd Overall & Lap Record. 1998 Official Porsche Driver. Le Mans 24 Hours - Overall Winner & GT1 Class Winner. Fastest in Pre-Qualification. Rolex Daytona 24 Hours - GT1 Class Winner and 2nd Overall. FIA GT Championship - 5th Overall, 5 Podium Positions, 1 Pole positions and 1 Lap Record. Inaugural Petit Le Mans - Pole Position & Lap Record. Winner Jim Clark Memorial Award. Winner British Racing Drivers Club Fairfield Trophy. Winner Club Des Pilotes Eric Thompson Trophy. 1997 Official Porsche Driver. North American GT Championship - Winner of 3 races, 1 Pole position and 2 Lap records. 1996 Test driver for Benetton Formula One Team. 1995 International Formula 3000 with Paul Stewart Racing. Two pole positions and several podiums finishes. 1994 Selected races in International Formula 3000 and Test Driver Benetton Formula One Test Driver. 1993 Test Driver for Benetton Formula One team. 1992 & 1991 Test Driver for McLaren Formula One team and racing in International Formula 3000. 1990 4th Overall in the International Formula 3000 Championship with 2 wins, 1 Pole Position and Lap Record. Winner of the British Racing Drivers Club John Cobb Trophy for Best British Driver. Test driver for McLaren International Formula One team. 1989 2nd in the British Formula 3 Championship with 5 wins. Winner of the British Racing Drivers Club Graham Hill Trophy. Winner of the Autosport Magazine National Driver of the year award. 1988 Winner - Vauxhall Lotus Championship with 5 wins. 3rd Overall in the European Opel Lotus Championship with 1 win. Winner of the Cellnet Young Driver of the Year. Winner of the British Racing Drivers Club trophy for the Most Promising Young Driver. Winner of the Autosport Magazine Club Driver of the Year award. Winner of the Scottish Motor Racing Club trophy for Best Performance in International Racing. 1987 2nd in the Dunlop Autosport Formula Ford Championship. 3rd in the Townsend Thoreson Championship. 5th in the International Formula Ford Festival. 1981- 1986 Karting 3rd in the 1985 World Championships. 3rd in the 1985 Italian Grand Prix. 3 time British Champion. 6 time Scottish Champion
McNish is the living proof that you can be the best race car driver there is, yet still not have what it takes to be successful in F1. F1 is king.
