Greatest Racing Driver
Discussion
Now that Herr Schumacher has shocked the entire world by announcing his retirement I think it is time to open a thread to decide who was the greatest of them all. Not just in terms of World Championships but for all types of racing, for style, longevity, honour, courage and variety of racing wins.
I shall therefor open the batting with Tazio Nuvolari who raced, and won, particularly at a time when the Germany dominated most racing events. And was still winning races, post war, whilst very ill and slowly dying.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please start your forum engines.
I shall therefor open the batting with Tazio Nuvolari who raced, and won, particularly at a time when the Germany dominated most racing events. And was still winning races, post war, whilst very ill and slowly dying.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please start your forum engines.
Stirling Moss.
"The greatest driver never to win the World Championship, Sir Stirling Moss OBE is arguably the greatest all-round racing driver of all time. Known during his career as ‘Mr Motor Racing’ he began hillclimbing a Cooper 500 in 1948 at the age of 18. His early career was meteoric and soon he was driving works cars for Jaguar and HWM. In 1955 he was signed up by Mercedes-Benz to partner World Champion Fangio. That year Stirling shadowed the great Argentine in most Grands Prix, beating him to win the British GP. Famously, that year he won the incredible Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the Tourist Trophy – all legendary sports car races.
For four years he would finish runner-up in the World Championship and, after M-B retired, led the Maserati and Vanwall teams. He also continued to drive saloon and sports cars and during his remarkable career drove more 80 different types of car.
In the late 50s and early 60s, he led the changeover to rear-engined F1 cars, achieving the first victory for such a car at the 1958 Argentine GP and was in a class of his own during this period. A near-fatal accident ended it all in 1962 but he was to remain a superstar to this day. One of the original jet-setters, he still dashes round the world fulfilling engagements and competing in historic racing.
Moss, who raced from 1948 to 1962, won 194 of the 497 races he entered, including 16 Formula One Grands Prix. As many as 62 in a single year, in 84 different cars. Like many drivers of the era, he competed in several formulae - sometimes at the same time."
www.stirlingmoss.com/
"The greatest driver never to win the World Championship, Sir Stirling Moss OBE is arguably the greatest all-round racing driver of all time. Known during his career as ‘Mr Motor Racing’ he began hillclimbing a Cooper 500 in 1948 at the age of 18. His early career was meteoric and soon he was driving works cars for Jaguar and HWM. In 1955 he was signed up by Mercedes-Benz to partner World Champion Fangio. That year Stirling shadowed the great Argentine in most Grands Prix, beating him to win the British GP. Famously, that year he won the incredible Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the Tourist Trophy – all legendary sports car races.
For four years he would finish runner-up in the World Championship and, after M-B retired, led the Maserati and Vanwall teams. He also continued to drive saloon and sports cars and during his remarkable career drove more 80 different types of car.
In the late 50s and early 60s, he led the changeover to rear-engined F1 cars, achieving the first victory for such a car at the 1958 Argentine GP and was in a class of his own during this period. A near-fatal accident ended it all in 1962 but he was to remain a superstar to this day. One of the original jet-setters, he still dashes round the world fulfilling engagements and competing in historic racing.
Moss, who raced from 1948 to 1962, won 194 of the 497 races he entered, including 16 Formula One Grands Prix. As many as 62 in a single year, in 84 different cars. Like many drivers of the era, he competed in several formulae - sometimes at the same time."
www.stirlingmoss.com/
Edited by FourWheelDrift on Sunday 10th September 21:07
Fangio. Fantastic record for his day, with far less money/safety, and still a stableful of contenders to drive against.
And James Allen. Probably. In his dreams. Cock.
We apologise for the intrusion of the Stop the Cock thread into this thread. The author has been shot.
And James Allen. Probably. In his dreams. Cock.
We apologise for the intrusion of the Stop the Cock thread into this thread. The author has been shot.
Edited by Size Nine Elm on Sunday 10th September 18:34
Size Nine Elm said:
Fangio. Fantastic record for his day, with far less money/safety, and still a stableful of contenders to drive against.
And James Allen. Probably. In his dreams. Cock.
We apologise for the intrusion of the Stop the Cock thread into this thread. The author has been shot.
And James Allen. Probably. In his dreams. Cock.
We apologise for the intrusion of the Stop the Cock thread into this thread. The author has been shot.
Edited by Size Nine Elm on Sunday 10th September 18:34
1. No problem.
2. As I am probably the only person in the entire universe who does not possess a televison, will someone please enlighten as to who James Allen is and why he is such a cock.
To know all is to forgive all.
Senna, yes he was largely responsible for the current climate of the professional foul but it generally involved Prost, who gave as good as he got (Alain was, after all, the first to win a championship this way) and the two men were embroiled in a personal war, as intense and exciting as ever witnessed in the sport.
Senna was only too happy to be put against a comparable driver in the same team and could talk about his profession in the most articulate and charismatic way. In addition to all this he still had time in his life to dedicate to more important things, such as the problems faced by his countrymen.
Senna was only too happy to be put against a comparable driver in the same team and could talk about his profession in the most articulate and charismatic way. In addition to all this he still had time in his life to dedicate to more important things, such as the problems faced by his countrymen.
For me, its hard to say. I maean, if you're talking about who is the most sucessful, it Micheal Schumacher. You could also say he is the greatest driving talent there has ever been in F1.
I don't know enough about Fangios achievements, but I understand he was as good a sportsman as a racing driver. Thats probably not something M.S could claim to be. Although I have been a fan of Schumacher since his entry into F1 in the Jordan.
Micheal Schumacher did not project a profile that endeered him to 100% of the public.
But, he is the greatest driving talent in F1 to date IMHO.
I don't know enough about Fangios achievements, but I understand he was as good a sportsman as a racing driver. Thats probably not something M.S could claim to be. Although I have been a fan of Schumacher since his entry into F1 in the Jordan.
Micheal Schumacher did not project a profile that endeered him to 100% of the public.
But, he is the greatest driving talent in F1 to date IMHO.
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