Who will be #1 and #2 - BBC Greatest F1 Drivers
Discussion
I've been enjoying the BBC Greatest F1 Drivers series on the website - and there are only two spaces left. Senna hasn't been one of the top 20, so he will be there, but who else?
The 18 so far are:
Number 3 - Jim Clark
Number 4 - Michael Schumacher
Number 5 - Alain Prost
Number 6 - Sir Stirling Moss
Number 7 - Sir Jackie Stewart
Number 8 - Sebastian Vettel
Number 9 - Niki Lauda
Number 10 - Fernando Alonso
Number 11 - Alberto Ascari
Number 12 - Gilles Villeneuve
Number 13 - Nigel Mansell
Number 14 - Mika Hakkinen
Number 15 - Lewis Hamilton
Number 16 - Nelson Piquet
Number 17 - Emerson Fittipaldi
Number 18 - Jack Brabham
Number 19 - Graham Hill
Number 20 - Jochen Rindt
The 18 so far are:
Number 3 - Jim Clark
Number 4 - Michael Schumacher
Number 5 - Alain Prost
Number 6 - Sir Stirling Moss
Number 7 - Sir Jackie Stewart
Number 8 - Sebastian Vettel
Number 9 - Niki Lauda
Number 10 - Fernando Alonso
Number 11 - Alberto Ascari
Number 12 - Gilles Villeneuve
Number 13 - Nigel Mansell
Number 14 - Mika Hakkinen
Number 15 - Lewis Hamilton
Number 16 - Nelson Piquet
Number 17 - Emerson Fittipaldi
Number 18 - Jack Brabham
Number 19 - Graham Hill
Number 20 - Jochen Rindt
Bedazzled said:
Just imagine a race with that starting line-up, that would be worth watching. What car would we put them in to sort the men from the boys?
Porsche 917/30: race-trim output of 1100 BHP (1580 BHP qually trim) and weighing just 820kg. The most powerful racing car ever. 
I pick Spa for the circuit.
As for the OP question, it's a no-brainer. Fangio, of course!
'Greatest' is a nonsense word in this context. There is no accepted definition of what makes the greatest. It should be specific.
The most entertaining driver to watch, for instance, would be better in many ways and give rise to perhaps some sensible arguments. Or the best one-lap specialist. One of the most talented drivers I've ever seen was Piquet yet for some years, when he had #1 on his car, he didn't seem to bother.
The best car control for me would be Clark.
But greatest? It's silly.
The most entertaining driver to watch, for instance, would be better in many ways and give rise to perhaps some sensible arguments. Or the best one-lap specialist. One of the most talented drivers I've ever seen was Piquet yet for some years, when he had #1 on his car, he didn't seem to bother.
The best car control for me would be Clark.
But greatest? It's silly.
rubystone said:
No Hunt? But Clark ought to be number 1.
What about Amon or Nuvolari?
Why isn't Mansell higher?
Precisely. Tazio Nuvolari has to be a candidate for greatest ever.What about Amon or Nuvolari?
Why isn't Mansell higher?
Quote from Wikipedia: Dr Ferdinand Porsche called Nuvolari "The greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future.".[1]
He won the Mille Miglia, Targo Florio, Le Mans, Monaco, Nuburgring etc often in inferior cars.
His 1935 German Grand Prix victory is considered to be the greatest of all time and was called The Impossible Victory.
Article: http://www.grandprixhistory.org/ger1935.htm
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATWZgxlCknw
Better than Senna? No doubt!
Derek Smith said:
'Greatest' is a nonsense word in this context. There is no accepted definition of what makes the greatest. It should be specific.
The most entertaining driver to watch, for instance, would be better in many ways and give rise to perhaps some sensible arguments. Or the best one-lap specialist. One of the most talented drivers I've ever seen was Piquet yet for some years, when he had #1 on his car, he didn't seem to bother.
The best car control for me would be Clark.
But greatest? It's silly.
Precisely ... the most entertaining? No contest:~The most entertaining driver to watch, for instance, would be better in many ways and give rise to perhaps some sensible arguments. Or the best one-lap specialist. One of the most talented drivers I've ever seen was Piquet yet for some years, when he had #1 on his car, he didn't seem to bother.
The best car control for me would be Clark.
But greatest? It's silly.
Nigel Mansell.
But as it's the BBC F1 coverage, it's about the greatest F1 driver. Not racing driver.
Whilst Nouvalari won Grand Prix, it was the European Championship back then, and certainly not 'F1'.
I agree Nouvalari is one of the greats, if not THE great. You would also argue that they have missed out Derek Bell, Tom Kristiensen, Bernd Rosemeyer, Rudolph Carraciola etc etc - but they haven't as that would be out of context!
(Though going for a greatest ever across multiple disciplines and eras is even more of a mugs game than just spanning eras)
Whilst Nouvalari won Grand Prix, it was the European Championship back then, and certainly not 'F1'.
I agree Nouvalari is one of the greats, if not THE great. You would also argue that they have missed out Derek Bell, Tom Kristiensen, Bernd Rosemeyer, Rudolph Carraciola etc etc - but they haven't as that would be out of context!
(Though going for a greatest ever across multiple disciplines and eras is even more of a mugs game than just spanning eras)
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