Difficult one to answer. Of the current crop I’d say Alonso. I’ve been a fan of his since the Renault days, and in my opinion he’s equal in terms of ability to any of the greats of the sport’s history. If he wins this year’s championship it’ll be a masterclass on how to extract the maximum from what you’re given, and he’ll have used the tools available to him to devastating effect.
My childhood hero, when I started watching F1, has to be our Nige. The hype and following for lewis Hamilton is nothing compared to the mansell mania of yesteryear. He embodied everything that’s great about the british sportsman – dogged, determined, relentless, indefatigable. And he had a sweet ‘tache.
Favourite driver of all time? Probably james Hunt. The playboy image belied a talent which should have been able to shine much brighter than it did, and his witty, insightful commentary was among the best that F1 fans have ever enjoyed. What a guy.
