Have Your Say: Tell Us Who You Rate as the All Time Best British F1 Driver

[ears]

I started watching F1 around 1990 so can't really judge drivers from before then as I don't know enough about them.

My favourite two British drivers have without doubt been Mansell and Hamilton.

And there are some interesting similarities.

Inside the car, the most scintillating, exciting performers.

Outside?

Well Mansell must take regular deliveries from McDonalds in order to maintain all those chips on his shoulder. You don't need to look too deep to see the bitter scars of rejection, and it's a shame. I can't really listen to him nowadays.

And Hamilton? Well, different generation to me, different everything to me. I struggle to connect.

Most unlucky, most qualified to think he never got a fair crack at it, has to be Johnny Herbert for me. That accident, he just did well to do what he did after that. But without it, I think he could have been right up there.

 

[paracletus]

Only those over 70 who were there to watch all of these drivers will have any real idea about this question, the rest of us are just guessing.

I know murray walker will tell you jim clark is the greatest f1 driver of all time. An opinion based on knowledge rather than hear-say.

could nigel mansell or jim clark jump into the car tomorrow and beat hamilton to the win? who the hell knows...

 

[Zuffenhausen Weiss]

Having not been old enough to watch Moss, Surtees, Hill, Clark, Stewart or Hunt race, I'd take Mansell over Hamilton but I'll take him over the many of the others since 1995

 

[Kakusso]

The best British driver is the driver with the best stats. Just as the best student in a class is the one with the best marks. Why should it be otherwise. The best and the one someone likes the most are different things. Many people tend to think they are the same but they are not.

 

[El-ahrairah]

Clark, Surtees, Moss, Stewart, G.Hill and Hamilton are probably the British elite.

For me Clark is the top pick given the era and the accounts from other drivers at the time, even prior to his death.

 

[Rodent]

My heart says Mansell or Surtees if not only for their accomplishment but for their pure grit. Seeing as how one of my favorite swedish racers is Kenny Bräck I now realize I apparently always root for the ones surviving horrible accidents...

Mind says stats don't lie and while F1 is always changing, Hamilton has taken to modern F1 like Schumacher took to my own favorite v10 era and Senna no doubt would've continued to do before that had he not died.

 

[David Wright]

So hard to compare different eras - especially using stats. Back in the 60s there were about half the championship races in a season compared to today. Racing careers were shortened by death (Jim Clark) or the fear of death resulting in relatively early retirement (Jackie Stewart). And cars were far more unreliable - it was not unusual to have half the grid fail to finish, so racking up a high total of wins was difficult.

I'm a big Lewis fan but my vote goes to Jimmy Clark.

 

[Damage Inc]

Wow!....
The pole is not 'Who's the nicest gentleman?' or 'Who do you like most?'
It represents a difficult comparison... given the different era and types of machinery.
That said; Given that he has surpassed every other British driver's accomplishments, Hamilton has to be near... or at the top of that list.
You may not like him and that's certainly your prerogative..
I personally, have never met him...don't know if he's a nice guy or a total 'wanker' behind closed doors...don't care.
There is however, no denying that as a rookie, he completely up-ended the establishment by almost winning the WDC in his first year... and has stayed relevant ever since that time.
No one in the history of F1 has ever come remotely close to doing that.

I have to ask though what rookie was given a WDC capable car in their first year?

 

[Damage Inc]

Lewis Hamilton without question at this point. I
With these type of polls it seems nostalgia always carries the most weight and old time drivers seem to get the most votes but what Lewis has done the last few years is domination among some very high level of competition. Keep in mind Lewis most likely would have won the championship last year if it weren't for that late season engine failure and he's right on track to win this year too after today's qualifying session.

His car has dominated, just as in the preceeding years it was Red Bull. I rate Mansell highly but not for his championship because he could have won that year in his sleep in that car. A measure of a drivers quality is how they fair in a struggling car....Hamilton did bunk in that situation.

 

[Mr Snypes]

I love to drink, party and have fun so I'm going with James Hunt but it's not because of winning the most titles or any of that. Winning while hung over is a skill on its own

 

[Blkout]

His car has dominated, just as in the preceeding years it was Red Bull. I rate Mansell highly but not for his championship because he could have won that year in his sleep in that car. A measure of a drivers quality is how they fair in a struggling car....Hamilton did bunk in that situation.

Ferrari arguably has a better car than Mercedes this year and who's leading the championship? Whatever though, in 20 years Hamilton will get his due credit.

 

[LeSunTzu]

You can say a lot against Hamilton during his F1 career (in particular his very messy 2011 season), but he always got at least a pole and he always managed to win at least a race, even when his car was not dominating. And so he did before F1 in each and every series.
This year, he brought it to another level: he has driven like Senna on Saturday and like Prost on Sunday. At the end of the day, it has been Ferrari feeling the pressure even if they have the better car overall.Too bad Rosberg gave up, this could have been a truly exceptional year with him.

 

[michelforest]

Jim Clark.

 

[Richard Wilks]

The best British driver is the driver with the best stats. Just as the best student in a class is the one with the best marks. Why should it be otherwise. The best and the one someone likes the most are different things. Many people tend to think they are the same but they are not.

Hmm so It's Clark for you? Because Clark has the best win/gp ratios, the best triple ratios, etc etc.

"Stats" can mean many things, specially in an uneven playing field, and if we compare people who didn't even race against each other...

 

[Terry Rock]

I have to ask though what rookie was given a WDC capable car in their first year?

Seriously?
You could give any number of guys on the grid that opportunity and they'd and finish down the order.
A good car means nothing without a good driver.
Take it one step further... "What was his experience level in an F1 car at that time, other than a few test?"
He was going up against drivers with years of experience in machinery he hadn't really driven in anger..
Trying to say it was all about the "good" car is a bit disingenuous.
It took a great driver to put it within one point of a WDC in an entry year.
So you guys can dispense with this bull....now.
Stop lying to yourself. It doesn't look good.

 

[James Cook]

I love John Surtees for what he achieved on both two wheels and four. Unlikely to be surpassed.

I have huge respect for Hamilton and don't believe he deserves the stick he gets. A blisteringly quick, consistent driver whom has been at the sharp end of the grid for eleven years straight.

But I think I'll go for Jackie Stewart, not just for being a fantastic driver with three championships to his name, but for his (at the time) outspoken advocacy for improved safety. He was prepared to speak up, and gradually, others followed. His legacy has surely saved lives.

 

[GTSpeedster]

removed by user

 

[Andy_J]

Dear God! A monkey would have won the same amount of races and titles Hamilton has given the same equipment. Perhaps achieving a better ratio even.

I'm not sure I like where you are going with that silly statement.

 

[GTSpeedster]

removed by user

 

[Andy_J]

Really? You don't like it? I'm sorry I should change my mind then.

Maybe you should. I'll ignore the monkey reference (hopefully a bad choice of word but he has had similar names called him on social media) and ask you this: Do you remember 2007 when Hamilton pretty much trounced Alonso? Was that not the mark of a future champion? Same car, no experience.