Poll: Who do You Rate as the Greatest World Champion of All Time?

[ronniej]

Real tough, especially spanning the era's. Loved Senna, and was who we watched until his death, Shumacher was a true champion and deserves the vote imo, but mine went to Lauda as his machinery and peers were brutal, not to mention what he overcame and what could've been. Comes back in 84' and takes it....Nuff said.

 

[Patrik Marek]

I was torn between Schumacher and Senna, in the end went for Senna

 

[Enpassant]

Like to see so many votes for Lauda. Obviously Senna, Fangio and Schumacher holds the podium but very interesting is to watch fight for other positions of top of world champions. Outside of contempprary advertized figures are many great, heroic drivers. For me one of them is Lauda. I can't ever imagine how many determination this man must have, how many obstacles and pain he has to beat to fight for his three champion titles. Chapeau bas.

 

[Enpassant]

Ι was between Stewart and Lauda. Stewart did so much for the sport even when he retired. But my vote goes to Niki, only because of his courage to come back after 1976 and with so much success.

Manolis, totally agree with you but look at what to Lauda must achieve to enter in to F1, to fight with also great driver Humt. After that, of course, great was his fight to come back after Nordschleife injury.

 

[Andy 'Mars Bar' Graham]

Sure, you are right. But he got more votes yes? On a board with members who love racing, they love his racing more than they love his racing. Vettel might have scored more, but seems to have impressed less. Figures don't say what the fans love.

Fans only like Kimi because he's a meme, not because he is talented anymore.

 

[fortyfivekev]

Fans only like Kimi because he's a meme, not because he is talented anymore.

That's true but it just tells you that there is a lot more to this sport than being the fastest guy. Hamilton has Senna's speed but none of his personality or charisma. For me Vettel's failure to match Ricciardo in 2014 puts a serious dent in his claims for greatness.

 

[David Wright]

Can the greatest champion be an arsehole? Not IMO though looking at the pole results I'm in a minority.

 

[thatmotorfreak]

I voted for Schumi, probably because I grew up watching him kick some butt in the early 2000's.

 

[Erwin Greven]

Like to see so many votes for Lauda. Obviously Senna, Fangio and Schumacher holds the podium but very interesting is to watch fight for other positions of top of world champions. Outside of contempprary advertized figures are many great, heroic drivers. For me one of them is Lauda. I can't ever imagine how many determination this man must have, how many obstacles and pain he has to beat to fight for his three champion titles. Chapeau bas.

That is why i voted for Lauda too.

Niki Lauda: Before he came to Ferrari, this team had not won a single title for years.
The car in which he started was crap. He turned a non-winners team into a title contender.
He won two title with them (FULL ITALIAN team) and almost won in 1976 another title.

I looked up into history and it was not since 1964 Ferrari took one single title.
John Surtees and Ferrari took both the titles then. It would take another 11 years till Lauda and Ferrari both would take another titles.

 

[mopro]

For me it's Niki Lauda. The way he continue to race after he barely recover from previous horrific accident, shows his crazy, cold determination. A combination of a passionate and cold, methodical race driver is a rare thing.
2nd: Senna for his pure tallent
3rd: Schumacher: The last era that I can really enjoy watching F1. The most successful F1 race driver to date, and I think he's also both passionate and methodical like Lauda.

 

[TobiasR]

Jack Brabham... winning a championship in his own car is something that will never be repeated in Grand Prix history.

 

[Ole Andreasen]

Jackie Steward for me. Just because he was the coolest in my opinion, and the cars in his era were even cooler.

 

[seanlewis]

Jackie Stewart would be my 3rd choice, but because of what many already said: turning a mediocre team into a winning outfit, to me defines the best driver. So, 2nd spot has to go to Lauda, and 1st to Schuhmacher, just for that.
Ferrari made some mistakes during his tenure, one was letting go of Lauda after the accident (and while I really liked Hunt, Lauda would have been a quadruple WC if not for that accident and missing some races).
Imagine even now if Lauda would be in charge at Ferrari. Would be a different team for sure.

Regarding talent, it's hard to say. When you look at the legends about Senna's wet speed (and Schuhmacher's as well) then it is more determination and relentlessness what then becomes talent. And relentless Senna was, indeed.
I remember the interview Jackie Stewart did with Senna after his crash with Prost. He was absolutely stubborn, even telling Stewart off.

And talent: Berger just to name one had huge talent, but he was soft in the end.

oh, and I always had a soft spot for Mansell. One of my favorite drivers with his special left right fool you style.

 

[Angelo dos Santos]

Red 5 Nigel is in my heart also, I admit. And Im a brazilian!
But the guy was and is amazing. His courage and determination was contagious, aways racing giving his heart and soul.

 

[Terry Rock]

I voted for Clark based on his competition at the time he won his championships.
The outright performance of the cars was much closer, meaning the driver really had much more influence on the result.
Much as I respect Senna and Schumacher, they both had dominant machinery.
It'd be really difficult to choose one over the other.. but for very different reasons.
Senna had raw speed and talent... even with an underperforming car.
Schumacher 'rebuilt' Ferrari from the wreck it was when he arrived there.
Ferrari was really bad when he, Ross and Rory came aboard.
The cars broke down constantly. I actually remember his car throwing a driveshaft in the pit lane.

 

[Fadenkreuz]

If Stefan Beloff would be still alive he were the greatest driver of all time.

 

[Timmy UK]

Mr G Hill.
He was F1, style, cool, funny, fast, and a winner.
He did not cheat, he believed in fair play.
Very well dressed and,
Great facial hair..

 

[Erwin Greven]

If Stefan Beloff would be still alive he were the greatest driver of all time.

If....
We'll never know. To what team would he go? Would he be able to get more discipline into his driving? Remember back then it was said: "Stefan was too quick for his own good!"
If there is one driver Max Verstappen reminds me to it is Bellof. The trigger of retaliation.

 

[Dajonaga]

Juan Manuel Fangio without a shadow of a doubt, closely followed by M. Schumacher and then A. Senna. That's my all time podium.

 

[Knoxstar]

First of all, my pick was Jim Clark. Honourable mention to all the multiple WCs.. We can argue over which cars are harder to drive or which era had more competition but one area I think we'd all agree on is the speeding death traps the cars were in the earlier years. For that reason I give the Clarks, Stewarts, etc. the nod because they had a commitment to get in those cars day after day. Also it wasn't just the cars but horribly unsafe tracks, medical facilities, marshalling and more. If you get a chance read the book 'Faster' by Jackie Stewart. He probably more than any other driver influenced change in the landscape of F1.

Of a different list. The most fun to watch was Gilles Villeneuve hands down, drop the mic.