Best ever racing drivers.
Discussion
This is always good for a laugh. I know the different ages/differnt cars stuff, but still........
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= John Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= John Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
Edited by loneranger on Tuesday 6th March 11:21
Interesting how your "best ever racing drivers" are limited to F1!
Not sure of order but obviously Senna, Schumacher, Prost and Mansell. But then I'd say Bellof, Clark, H J Stuck, Ludwig, Rodriguez, Siffert, Petterson, Aiello.
Top drivers outside of F1, still racing, in terms of speed - Minnasian, Alzen, Tomceyk (spell?),Green and Luhr.
Not sure of order but obviously Senna, Schumacher, Prost and Mansell. But then I'd say Bellof, Clark, H J Stuck, Ludwig, Rodriguez, Siffert, Petterson, Aiello.
Top drivers outside of F1, still racing, in terms of speed - Minnasian, Alzen, Tomceyk (spell?),Green and Luhr.
p490kvp said:
Not sure of order but obviously Senna, Schumacher, Prost and Mansell. But then I'd say Bellof, Clark, H J Stuck, Ludwig, Rodriguez, Siffert, Petterson, Aiello.
You can't be saying that Mansell is a lock for the top four, but Clark isn't, and Nuvolari, Fangio and Moss are not even in your top ten?
p490kvp said:
Interesting how your "best ever racing drivers" are limited to F1!
Not sure of order but obviously Senna, Schumacher, Prost and Mansell. But then I'd say Bellof, Clark, H J Stuck, Ludwig, Rodriguez, Siffert, Petterson, Aiello.
Top drivers outside of F1, still racing, in terms of speed - Minnasian, Alzen, Tomceyk (spell?),Green and Luhr.
Not sure of order but obviously Senna, Schumacher, Prost and Mansell. But then I'd say Bellof, Clark, H J Stuck, Ludwig, Rodriguez, Siffert, Petterson, Aiello.
Top drivers outside of F1, still racing, in terms of speed - Minnasian, Alzen, Tomceyk (spell?),Green and Luhr.
As in Laurent Aiello??
loneranger said:
This is always good for a laugh. I know the different ages/differnt cars stuff, but still........
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= Jim Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= Jim Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
flemke said:
loneranger said:
This is always good for a laugh. I know the different ages/differnt cars stuff, but still........
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= Jim Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= Jim Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
Well spotted
flemke said:
loneranger said:
This is always good for a laugh. I know the different ages/differnt cars stuff, but still........
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= Jim Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
2) Jim Clark.
3) Gilles Villeneuve.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna.
6) Michael Schumacher.
7) Alain Prost.
8) Nelson Piquet.
9) Jackie Stewart
10= Stirling Moss.
10= Nigel Mansell.
10= Jim Surtees.
10= Jochen Rindt.
Oops sorry, and I have his autogaph!
Now fixed.
Apologies to John.
flemke said:
One name that is conspicuous by its absence from your list is Mario Andretti.
Another is Walter Rohrl. I don't know enough about rallying to have an opinion on top rally drivers; Rohrl himself nominated Juha Kankkunen as the greatest-ever rally driver.
Another is Walter Rohrl. I don't know enough about rallying to have an opinion on top rally drivers; Rohrl himself nominated Juha Kankkunen as the greatest-ever rally driver.
And almost certainly the best current competetive driver is Sebastian Loeb. His split times on stages reveal that he is in a different world to the competition. His career record is outstanding and it isn't because he has the best car. Ford have that.
Seb is also very good in a Le Mans car.
This is virtually unanswerable as different drivers / races / cars etc. mean so many different things to different people not to mention at what point in history, if you actually got to see these drivers live or followed their progress from your arm chair.
Personally, I gauge such things by how exciting a particular race may have been and obviously some of the more prominent champions have been more often engaged in such types of races than others. I would also like to add that I have witnessed races with some relatively unknown drivers and have come away with a new set of personal heroes as a result.
Personally, I gauge such things by how exciting a particular race may have been and obviously some of the more prominent champions have been more often engaged in such types of races than others. I would also like to add that I have witnessed races with some relatively unknown drivers and have come away with a new set of personal heroes as a result.
James Hunt
OK, OK, only a nitwit would say that he was the best driver we've ever seen but for sheer entertainment, old school charisma and racer boy mentality, surely as a package he has to be considered? Depends what we are classing as best, I suppose.
Imagine an F1 grid packed full of characters/drivers like Hunt.. How good would the circus be then?
James Hunt - you are a legend. Edited by lazyitus on Tuesday 6th March 14:12
Boillot, Nuvolari, Caracciola, Rosemeyer, Wimille, Ascari, Fangio, Moss, Clark, Surtees, Brabham, Gurney, Stewart, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Lauda, Villeneuve, Prost, Senna, Schumacher.
Impossible to put in any order because of the profound differences in the sport.
Rallying would probably be - Makinen, Vatanen, Rohrl, Kankunnen and Loeb
Honourable mentions to Foyt, Fittipaldi, Mears, various Unsers, Ickx, Stuck, Earnhardt, Petty, Alonso, Mansell, Moll and Amon.
Impossible to put in any order because of the profound differences in the sport.
Rallying would probably be - Makinen, Vatanen, Rohrl, Kankunnen and Loeb
Honourable mentions to Foyt, Fittipaldi, Mears, various Unsers, Ickx, Stuck, Earnhardt, Petty, Alonso, Mansell, Moll and Amon.
flemke said:
p490kvp said:
Not sure of order but obviously Senna, Schumacher, Prost and Mansell. But then I'd say Bellof, Clark, H J Stuck, Ludwig, Rodriguez, Siffert, Petterson, Aiello.
You can't be saying that Mansell is a lock for the top four, but Clark isn't, and Nuvolari, Fangio and Moss are not even in your top ten?
Fair comment re Clark/Mansell although with the type of car of the day Mansell could give anyone a run for their money. Moss/Fangio/Nuvolari - I'm not sure I really like that era of racing given it was so far back to really know who really was a talent.
Like the thought addition of Rohrl and Andretti..
I can only go on drivers I have seen race as I grew up so on the track it has to be Senna without a doubt, at least he had to race against champions to win his three titles, where as a certain recent multi-winner never really had any true competitors to fight.
Off the track it has to be James Hunt - the ultimate racing driver and playboy, a character that this modern age of F1 would never be let loose in a car, let alone a post race press conference.
Both were masters of their craft in very different and entertaining ways
Off the track it has to be James Hunt - the ultimate racing driver and playboy, a character that this modern age of F1 would never be let loose in a car, let alone a post race press conference.
Both were masters of their craft in very different and entertaining ways

I think Innes Ireland might have given Hunt a good run for his money - off track.
As always, one major difference separates drivers from pre 1980s and post 1980s - mainly that pre-1980s, most top flight drivers competed in alternative forms of motor racing and didn't just limit themselves to F1 or sports cars or rallying only. For that reason, I hardly rate ANYONE post 1982 because it's impossible to tell how good they really were/are outside of the narrow range of classes they have raced in. Moss, Fangio, Clark, and all the earlier drivers competed in everything - and the great ones tended to be good in all classes.
As always, one major difference separates drivers from pre 1980s and post 1980s - mainly that pre-1980s, most top flight drivers competed in alternative forms of motor racing and didn't just limit themselves to F1 or sports cars or rallying only. For that reason, I hardly rate ANYONE post 1982 because it's impossible to tell how good they really were/are outside of the narrow range of classes they have raced in. Moss, Fangio, Clark, and all the earlier drivers competed in everything - and the great ones tended to be good in all classes.
loneranger said:
This is always good for a laugh. I know the different ages/differnt cars stuff, but still........
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
= Stirling Moss
3) Jim Clark.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna
6) Mightcheattoday Schumacher
1) Tazio Nuvolari.
= Stirling Moss
3) Jim Clark.
4) Juan Manuel Fangio.
5) Ayrton Senna
6) Mightcheattoday Schumacher
Edited by loneranger on Tuesday 6th March 11:21
I agree

With Villeneuve, Rodriguez, Ascari and many more
Actually not that fond of Senna or Schumacher but can't suggest that they were anything other than brilliant at times. Schumacher proved that in his last race.
Edited by TimmyArt on Tuesday 6th March 15:57
If its "racing drivers" Jim Clark, Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher, from "modern Formula 1".
Walter Rohl, Laurent Aiello, Sebastian Loeb, Gerry Marshall, Tom Kristiensen, Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Mario Andretti, Hans Joachim Stuck, Klauss Ludwig etc are all worth a mention as non-F1 people. Before you all jump on me, I know Mario Andretti, H-JS, Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell were in F1 but they are so much more than that!
Of course Tazio Nuvolari and Rudolf Carraciola were "racing gods".
Walter Rohl, Laurent Aiello, Sebastian Loeb, Gerry Marshall, Tom Kristiensen, Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Mario Andretti, Hans Joachim Stuck, Klauss Ludwig etc are all worth a mention as non-F1 people. Before you all jump on me, I know Mario Andretti, H-JS, Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell were in F1 but they are so much more than that!
Of course Tazio Nuvolari and Rudolf Carraciola were "racing gods".
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