Best F1 driver ever

Although I just confessed to knowing nothing about cars, I did follow the Grand Prix curcuit on and off from 1984 to around 2002 (Schuey fatigue!)

I thought Ayrton Senna was the best over that period ... very narrowly over Prost

Nelson Piquet was my favourite but the last couple of years he did look past it ...

ColonelClaypool wrote: How can it possibly be anyone other than Michael Schumacher?

Simple, Michael has for his entire carrier followd sennas rule of "if your faster than me im going to push you of the track at 200mph" and they both have tried it!

Nikki Lauda, cold as an ice and had the courage to come back after that terrible accident.

Iván

Tony R wrote: Ivan...Nikki Who?

Ouch, I hope that was a joke Nikki Lauda was 74 and 76 world champ and would have beaten James Hunt in 75 but crashed in Germany and almost burnt to death, he was even given the last rightes in hospital but was racing 6 weeks later.

I chose Villeneuve for one reason Dijon 79, anyone who has seen the video will know what I mean.

Atkingani wrote: sleeper wrote: Tony R wrote: Ivan...Nikki Who?   Ouch, I hope that was a joke Nikki Lauda was 74 and 76 world champ and would have beaten James Hunt in 75 but crashed in Germany and almost burnt to death, he was even given the last rightes in hospital but was racing 6 weeks later. I chose Villeneuve for one reason Dijon 79, anyone who has seen the video will know what I mean. Little adjustment... Lauda was champion in 75 and 77 (and also in 84). He lost to Hunt in 1976.

Sorry your right, Emerson Fittipaldi was champion in 74, i cant believe I did that

Atkingani wrote: sleeper wrote: Tony R wrote: Ivan...Nikki Who?   Ouch, I hope that was a joke Nikki Lauda was 74 and 76 world champ and would have beaten James Hunt in 75 but crashed in Germany and almost burnt to death, he was even given the last rightes in hospital but was racing 6 weeks later. I chose Villeneuve for one reason Dijon 79, anyone who has seen the video will know what I mean. Little adjustment... Lauda was champion in 75 and 77 (and also in 84). He lost to Hunt in 1976.

I only saw him in 1984 (Lauda was already a living legend with his half burned face), when he won the title by 1/2 point before Alain Prost without having any pole position!!!!

This describes Nikki, he only was fast on the race, what a dramatic season Prost won in the last race (Portugal) and Lauda reached second without trying to pass him at any moment, pure tactic, I was happy because Keke Rosberg was left far behind, that guy was a lunatic.

That season was the first of Ayrton Senna also.

Iván

Although not the fastest driver around, Prost was the smartest (but also the whienest around the last two years)

As being an excellent driver is not being about the fastest , but also the way you set up your car and avoid crashing it or abusing it (causing breakdown) he was clearly the best one around!!

Senna only became excellent after Prost showed him how to tune a car once they became teammates> then he became the better driver and thrived on his "hate "of Prost to beat him. He quickly became aimless once Prost retired.

However Prost did not manage to turn around Ferrari , unlike what Schumacher did (albeit with Todt and Barnhardt), I belive that Schumi is one of the better but he never faced any real competition

 

My favorite era of F1 racing was in the 70's with Stewart , Clark, Hill and later Lauda and Regazzoni.

Edited by Sean Trane

And Ivan, Lauda was the fastes qualifier as well as racer in the mid 70's

Yes you're right, but after the accident and specially in 1984, the guy became very careful and started driving with the brain, I remember he even left a race (Believe oit was Monaco, not sure though) because it was heavily raining.

In 1984 it was amazing, I'm almost sure that no other racer has ever won a year without a single pole position and having the best car, because he and Prost drove Mc. Laren and were far ahead of the rest.

But he was always among the most technical drivers ever.

Iván

PS: I know none of us has ever seen Fangio, but no votes?

 

Fangio is my second choice, I mean 4 straight titles AFTER he broke his neck in 52, amazing.

After his crash lauda did drive a lot more with his brain and pulled out of that years Japanese GP at Fuji when he thought it was raining to much. This cost him the title though when Hunt finished 3rd but to still be leading the title at that point is impressive.

Its the competative edge of man and machine

and why are they an ugly invention