F1 Fanatic

So the BBC are running a list of their Greatest Drivers of All Time. The list is of 20 drivers which the BBC thinks is best, and I thought it might be fun to follow it and discuss each of the entrants and whether we agree or not. It seems that they are releasing a driver per Race, so plenty of time to read the articles & videos they have (all done by Murray Walker)

Note of caution, and probably hot potato is 1 particular line which has me a tad worried….

The BBC list does not pretend to be a definitive all-time top 20 – all such things are in any case subjective, given the difficulty of comparing drivers from different eras.

But what it does is highlight just what a golden age F1 is going through at the moment. Four of the 20 drivers on the list are racing in 2012. Two other current drivers only just missed out, being ranked in 22nd and 23rd places overall when the lists were combined.

Say what?! 4 drivers? Really? Dont get me wrong, I think Alonso & Schumacher deserve it so far, but who the other 2 could be I have no idea.

Anyway, On with the lists thus far!

Number 20 – Jochen Rindt

Number 19 – Graham Hill

Number 18 – Jack Brabham

Number 17 – Emerson Fittipaldi

Number 16 – Nelson Piquet

Number 15 – Lewis Hamilton

Number 14 – Mika Häkkinen

Number 13 – Nigel Mansell

Number 12 – Gilles Villeneuve

Number 11 – Alberto Ascari

Number 10 – Fernando Alonso

No issues with Rindt on the list, none what-so-ever. Criminally forgotten by the BBC in 2010 when they could have made a good feature on the 40th anniversary of his death at Monza (being the only Posthumous WDC and all) but fast, really fast. Before there was Villeneuve & Peterson, there was Rindt.

Suprised Hills at #19 really, the only holder of the Triple Crown, 5 times Monaco GP winner & double WDC. I’d have had him a lot higher up.

Which brings me nicely onto Jack Brabham. #18… really? The man won the WDC 3 times, the only man ever likely to be a WDC in a car he made, in a team he owned and all that bore his own name. He raced for over a decade (and won plenty!) in a period when statistically he might not have lived for half of it. Should be up higher like Hill, but further so.

Thoughts?

I wonder how much accomplishments account for, or whether it’s based solely on skill.

@sam3110 yeah, Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel will most likely be the 4 current drivers in the top 20…

I guess Hamilton, Raikkonen or Vettel will be top 20 drivers then, more likely Hamilton I reckon (not that I necessarily think that’s fair). With a triple champion so low it’s very hard to predict, and very hard to believe that Hamilton or Raikkonen could be ahead of Brabham or Hill. Until they’ve completed a few more years racing I don’t think either deserves to be that high (and I’m a fan of both). Vettel makes more sense, but I’d hold judgement on him being above Brabham certainly until he’s completed this year. For instance, will Villeneuve (the good one) make it in and beat a load of great champions? If it’s Murray Walker, will he do something silly and put Damon Hill high up?

I’d have Both Brabham and G Hill looking around the top 10. As already mentioned they were competitive in the sports most competitive and dangerous era say 58-70. 12 years they were fighting at the front of the grid. Not many more drivers can put up a CV like there. Have a feeling we’ll disagree with alot of the 6-16 picks

Maybe the best way would be to take an average of a driver’s best years and imagine those racing each other for 6 seasons in the same car, each season with a different car most representative of each decade and on the tracks on which that car has raced. e.g:

50s: Mercedes W196, 1955 circuits
60s: Lotus 49, 1968 circuits
70s: Ferrari 312T, 1975 circuits
80s: Williams FW11, 1986 circuits
90s: Williams FW14B, 1992 circuits
00s: Ferrari F2004, 2004 circuits

Would be fascinating, I really have no idea who would come out on top.

I reckon Ayrton Senna will be number one as he’s always first on these lists. I personally think Michael Schumacher is the greatest of all time.

I agree that Brabham is far too low, his achievements were quite remarkable.

If there are four current drivers on the grid, I would be very disappointed if Hamilton makes the list, as I can’t place him above Kimi, Vettel, Schumacher and Alonso at least, and maybe even Button.