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> My Top 50 Grand Prix Drivers
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Severin
post May 24 2020, 02:32 PM
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32 – Jean Alesi



Career – 1989-2001
Teams – Tyrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan
WC Starts – 201
WC Wins – 1
WC Poles – 2
Best Finish – 4th (1996, 1997)


Jean Alesi may have been officially French, but his Italian heritage shone through. His years at Ferrari endeared him to the Tifosi so much that he was frequently compared to Gilles Villeneuve, both for his use of the iconic number 27 and for his aggressive driving style. He was among the most skilled wet weather drivers to ever grace the Grand Prix circus – producing lap times on slicks that were comparable to the best cars on the right tyres - and his passionate and somewhat mercurial personality made him one of the most exciting drivers to watch. Sadly for all his brilliance, he was cursed with terrible luck - every time he moved to a new team it was right at the moment they entered a decline or produced a terrible car, and, like Gerhard Berger, he had the misfortune of racing against Mansell, Senna, Prost and Schumacher, but never in equal machinery, and subsequently the fact he claimed only a single victory is one of F1’s great travesties.
His career began with Tyrell in ’89 and he immediately impressed, securing a 2nd year with the team. In the 1990 USA GP he memorably duelled with Senna’s superior McLaren-Honda, leading for 25 laps. A 2nd place at the next race in Monaco saw the entire paddock fighting to sign him – at one point Tyrrell, Williams and Ferrari all claimed to have won his signature for ’91. It soon became clear he had signed for Williams – a contract that would have put him in a seat alongside Mansell just in time for their peak era of 1992 – 1997. However, Alesi instead went with his heart and opted for Maranello and Ferrari, who paid substantial compensation to Williams.
The 1991 Ferrari was an awful car. It was unreliable and not particularly quick. Senior driver Alain Prost would go so far as to describe it as like driving a truck, and Jean could only finish 7th in the title hunt.
1992 and 1993 saw Alesi with almost no hope of winning a race, given the Williams superiority and Senna’s brilliance. However he chose to remain despite other offers.
For 1994 the car was more competitive but severely compromised by unreliability and Alesi would earn a reputation to rival Chris Amon – hugely gifted but robbed by mechanical failures and circumstance. – as on several occasion his car failed when in race winning situations.
1995 was a similar story, with a pair of potential wins taken from him by failures on the car. Then, for a brief moment fate smiled on him, it was his 31st birthday at the Canadian GP that year and he took his one and only victory. Even then, the car ran out of fuel at the finishing line. He continued to lead races that year only to be denied by the car, and most heartbreakingly lead the entire European GP, in the wet whilst on slicks, only to see low fuel, traffic, and Schumacher at his best, take the win in the final moments. To make matters worse he was informed that Schumacher would replace him at Ferrari for 1996.
Alesi switched to the previously strong Benetton team for ’96 and ’97 but the team had entered terminal decline and results became even harder to achieve. Despite flashes of his previous form, the pressure to deliver was affecting him. The highlight came at Monza when he put the car on pole sending a still adoring Tifosi into ecstasy, unusual as the Tifosi rarely cheer anyone not in a Ferrari. However, normality resumed on race day yet again, bad luck in the form of a poor pit stop cost him a possible win.
There followed 2 years in a very ordinary Sauber, a year with Prost and a final year with Jordan in 2001 – all teams that were far from their best – and by this time age had caught up with him as he was outpaced by younger talent. He did, however, last long enough to enter his 200th GP, a major accomplishment back then, and despite an offer from Arrows he chose to retire.
To this day he remains adored by Ferrari fans in a way that few since have managed. All Ferrari drivers are loved by the Tifosi in some way but Jean Alesi was and is so loved because he epitomised the passion, flair and excitement that they have always coveted in their drivers.

The last word – ‘It wasn’t all frustration. I’ve had a lot of good times with Ferrari as well.’
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Mack.
post May 24 2020, 03:17 PM
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If he only he had stayed at Williams who knows what career he could have had. That car in the Prost in 2000 that was awful. He did start the season in 2001 at Prost then he swapped seats to Jordan. His last race was quite a big crash with Raikkonen.
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Severin
post May 25 2020, 12:44 PM
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31 – Bernd Rosemeyer



Career – 1935-1938
Teams – Auto Union
WC Starts – N/A
WC Wins – N/A (3 European Championship + 8 Non Championship)
Poles – N/A
Best Finish – European Champion (1936)


One of the great pre-war drivers, whose exploits remain legendary, and whose fearlessness knew no bounds.
Rosemeyer began his racing career on two wheels and was known as a skilled mechanic before he made the transition to cars. He had pestered the Auto Union boss Walter Walb for months before finally being given his opportunity. On the day of his first drive he arrived in a suit. When questioned why he explained it was a special day and he felt he should dress appropriately!
The car in question was the revolutionary Auto Union Type B, as designed by Ferdinand Porsche. For the time it was incredibly powerful and notoriously difficult to drive. Unsurprisingly, Rosemeyer spun the car several times, but with no prior experience of cars he assumed this was the norm. After having learned to respect the machine he set about taming it and soon his lap times were comparable with established team leader Hans Stuck and he was offered a drive for the 1935 season. However, Walb considered Rosemeyer too inexperienced to tackle the daunting, high speed Avus circuit. The driver had other ideas and left multiple notes in his office asking ‘why is Rosemeyer not driving?’ Walb essentially considered them suicide notes but relented. Rosemeyer qualified 3rd but was forced to retire.
The next race was the Eifelrennen at the Nurburgring. All his teamamtes had issues and he was allowed to go on the attack against the superior Mercedes in the hands of the great Rudolf Carraciola. To everyone’s amazement he caught and passed Carraciola but he responded and won the race by nearly 2 seconds. The rest of the year would see equally impressive duels with the likes of Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi. In Czechoslovkia he won his first Grand Prix finishing 6 full minutes ahead of Louis Chiron and Nuvolari.
In 1936, driving Auto Union’s Type C, he won the European Drivers Championship winning four of the five races. An accident prevented him from taking the lot.
1937 proved to be trickier as Mercedes produced the W125, a car largely funded by the Nazi party and with such a horsepower advantage that rules were put in place to limit it. Grand Prix cars would not match it for power until the early 80s! His final victory came at Donington where 50,000 fans turned out to see the legendary Silver Arrows of Auto Union and Mercedes utterly destroy all challengers as the German cars took the top 7 places. He did however, wind the Vanderbilt cup that year.
Prior to the 1938 season Rosemeyer and Carraciola faced off in a world land speed record attempt. It was to be held on the Darmstadt-Frankfurt autobahn. Earlier in the day Carraciola had set a top speed of 268mph.
Rosemeyer had been warned about high winds but went out again to try and improve his time. Traveling at over 270 mph a crosswind caught his car and caused the Auto Union to somersault flinging Rosemeyer to his death. Neubauer, Caracciola and von Brauchitsch, his Mercedes rivals, were stunned into silence and Germany had lost one of its greatest drivers.

The last word – ‘Bernd literally did not know fear, and sometimes that is not good. We actually feared for him in every race. Somehow I never thought a long life was on the cards for him. He was bound to get it sooner or later...’ – Rudolf Caracciola


This post has been edited by Severin: May 25 2020, 12:46 PM
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Mack.
post May 25 2020, 10:41 PM
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Another fascinating read there, Severin. In Bernd Rosemeyer. Fantastic thread this.
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Severin
post May 26 2020, 07:22 PM
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A quick re-cap of the first batch -


50 - Rubens Barrichello (BRA)
49 - Elio De Angelis (ITA)
48 - Jacques Villenueve (CAN)
47 - Juan Pablo Montoya (COL)
46 - Stefan Bellof (GER)
45 - Jean Pierre Wimille (FRA)
44 - Clay Regazzoni (SUI)
43 - Carlos Reutemann (ARG)
42 - Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)
41 - Didier Pironi (FRA)

40 - Francois Cevert (FRA)
39 - John Surtees (GB)
38 - Giuseppe Farina (ITA)
37 - Keke Rosberg (FIN)
36 - Gerhard Berger (AUT)
35 - Dan Gurney (USA)
34 - Jose Froilan Gonzalez (ARG)
33 - Jenson Button (GB)
32 - Jean Alesi (FRA)
31 - Bernd Rosemeyer (GER)


I meant to say at the start the totals for the nationalities but forgot.
Therefore, in total, and including those already named there are -

3 x Argentina
2 x Australia
3 x Austria
4 x Brazil
2 x Canada
1 x Colombia
3 x Finland
5 x France
5 x Germany
6 x Italy
1 x Monaco
1 x Netherlands
1 x Sweden
1 x Switzerland
1 x Spain
9 x UK
2 x USA

You may be able to work out a fair few from that info.


This post has been edited by Severin: May 26 2020, 07:24 PM
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Severin
post May 26 2020, 07:49 PM
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30 – Graham Hill



Career – 1958-1975
Teams – Lotus, BRM, Brabham, Hill
WC Starts – 176
WC Wins – 14 (+ 6 Non Championship Wins)
WC Poles – 13
Best Finish – World Champion (1962, 1968)


The former Royal Navy conscript and double World Champion came to represent the very definition of the British gentlemen racer and one that has become something of a stereotype in Hollywood movies with an English racing driver as a character.
As a man he was known for his dry sense of humour, his charm and his dashing appearance, qualities that made him something of a celebrity in an era where racing drivers hadn’t yet begun to embrace the media. He and Jackie Stewart formed something of a double act on UK TV for a while.
As a driver he had the reputation of being a hard worker, rather than a natural talent but he was more gifted than many gave him credit for and he remains to this day the only driver to complete the Triple Crown of Motorsport – Le Mans 24hrs, Indy 500 and Monaco GP (sometimes given as the F1 World title). He was the first World Champion who would have a child who would also win the title – son Damon. He only ever drove in British made cars and won the challenging Monaco GP 5 times – a record that would stand until Ayrton Senna claimed 6.
Hill didn’t pass his driving test until he was 24 years old, in 1953. Less than 12 months later he was a racing driver and by 1958 he had made his Grand Prix debut for Lotus but the team was yet to field a truly competitive car and after 2 years had moved to BRM but the team was then considered something of a joke. He finished in only 5 of the 16 races the team entered in 1960 and 1961, although he did claim a first podium at Zandvoort in 1960.
1962 would see Hill take 4 wins from 9 races and win his first World Championship in a year that would be a straight fight between him and Jim Clark. The Scotsman was leading the final race and in a title winning position when his Lotus developed an oil leak. Hill remained at BRM for another 4 years coming 2nd in the title race 3 times and 5th in his final year with the team.
In 1966 he became the second F1 driver in succession to win the Indy 500, his rookie year. He inherited the lead with a mere 10 laps to go after Jackie Stewart pulled off with an oil pressure problem and was surprised to hear he had won, believing Jim Clark was ahead of him. There remains some debate around the winner as some contend Clark had a lap miscounted and had actually won, but Hill was declared the winner and the result was never formally contested.
He returned to Lotus for 1967 but the team was in a period of upheaval that it only recovered from in 1968 as the sport endured a terrible year. Team mate and title favourite Jim Clark was killed after winning the opening round leaving Hill to battle upcoming Jackie Stewart for the championship. In the end Hill took his 2nd title.
In subsequent years Hill’s successes became fewer and spells with Brabham and his own team yielded little joy. In 1975, he finally saw the writing that had been on the wall for some time, when he failed to qualify at Monaco, a circuit of which he was the recognised king. He immediately retired to focus on running the team.
Tragically, the much loved Graham Hill, along with his 5 passengers, was killed whilst piloting his own light aircraft as he attempted to land in heavy fog outside of London in November of that year. The investigation suggested the likeliest cause was pilot error.
A corner is named in his honour at Brands Hatch - Graham Hill Bend


The last word – ‘I am an artist, the track is my canvas and the car is my brush’ – Graham Hill
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Severin
post May 26 2020, 08:06 PM
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29 – Max Verstappen



Career – 2015-Current
Teams – Toro Rosso, Red Bull
WC Starts – 102
WC Wins – 8
WC Poles – 2
Best Finish – 3rd (2019)

Coming (perhaps) surprisingly high in the all time countdown is Max Verstappen, a driver who in just a few more years may well feature much higher if he can sustain his current levels of performance. Many (myself included) consider him the best driver on the grid right now but one who is yet to be given a car that can consistently challenge at the front.
His quality has dramatically improved over time as well. His early races in Toro Rosso began in 2015 and whilst they showed plenty of promise it wasn’t obvious if he could make the step up to the front but he continue to show huge potential and the big break came in 2016 when the mistake prone Daniil Kvyat was demoted from Red Bull, leading to the young Dutchman taking his place. Verstappen seized his chance and promptly, although somewhat fortuitously, won the following race in Spain to become the youngest ever F1 winner.
However, as the season progressed he gained a reputation as tough competitor with a dangerously aggressive driving style and for making a number of errors. His driving was considered so borderline that the FIA, following a 2016 Belgian GP block on Kimi Raikkonen, outlawed drivers moving under braking. He would win a further 2 races in 2017 and continue to drive on the boundary of fair and reasonable behaviour. A notable incident came at Azerbaijan when he and team mate Daniel Ricciardo, embroiled in a race long duel, managed to take each other out. Both drivers were considered at fault but Verstappen’s defending was again brought in to question. Then at Monaco in 2018 a turning point came. Red Bull were in a great position to lock out the front row and dominate the race until Verstappen clipped the barrier and destroyed the car, enough that he would start from the back of the grid. He was once again criticised by the team bosses but something changed in his mindset and the unforced errors began to recede from his performances. He won 2 more races in 2018 and 2019 saw him finish 3rd in the championship with 3 wins. He ended the season above both Ferrari drivers and only behind the Mercedes pair of Hamilton and Bottas, whose car was utterly dominant for the first half of the year. He had established himself as the most exciting driver on the grid and a future championship feels inevitable. If the 2020 Red Bull is good from the season opener it could be his year. Even if not, we can expect him to be a major presence in the sport for many years.


The last word - 'The only place that matters is first' - Max Verstappen


This post has been edited by Severin: May 28 2020, 06:12 PM
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Mack.
post May 26 2020, 10:10 PM
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Graham Hill don't feel in my view he gets enough recognition for the career in Formula One.

Max Verstappen, I'll be amazed if he doesn't win a world title, he is one of the.most exciting drivers I've seen since Hamilton came on his debut season. Him and one Charles Leclerc could be a one almighty rivalry for years to come.
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Severin
post May 27 2020, 05:30 PM
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QUOTE(Mack. @ May 26 2020, 11:10 PM) *
Graham Hill don't feel in my view he gets enough recognition for the career in Formula One.

Absolutely. He is always overshadowed by Clark & Stewart but he was great in his own right too. Anyone who can rule Monaco in the way he did has real talent and the triple crown is unique for a reason, all three races are hard to win
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Dobbo
post May 28 2020, 11:59 AM
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There's little doubt in my mind Surtees will forever hold that unique honour of 2 & 4-wheel champion. I just can't see someone having enough time in their career to master both arts and be able to command contract talks to be in the best machinery at the right time each time! A lucky loophole in the points system at the time there to earn his F1 crown!

Farina holder of the enviable first ever official F1 title. I don't know much about him aside from that. Of course very impressive to beat Fangio over a season in the same car,

Rosberg was very much an interesting champion looking back through the records. With only 5 F1 victories I wouldn't rank him in the elites of the 1980s that's for sure. Plus that 1982 season was the most crazy season ever, with 11 different race winners or something like this? One of only two drivers (along with Hawthorn) to win the world championship with only winning a single race iirc. His most iconic moment in F1 is surely at the time record-breaking qualifying lap at Silverstone.

Berger was unfortunate to be racing at a time of so many other legends, he was a quality pilot. From watching old F1 season reviews he definitely had that little extra something to separate him from the good to the great drievrs.

I don't know a lot about Dan Gurney himself but know of that Gurney flap you mentioned. Good trivia there about the helmet too!

I've literally just watched the Fangio documentary on Netflix so was reminded of Gonzalez thru that. Of course he will always be in Fangio's shadow but wasn't aware of his lower enthusiasm to competing, for obvious reasons there.

Button had such an interesting career! Can also argue he was one of the luckiest ever title winners with that freak of a 2009 season but looking at his career one can't begrudge him a title with those stats. I'm always surprised to remember he outscored Hamilton over three seasons (although the 2011 season was Hamilton's worst by miles and he was clearly affected by off-track issues). I loved his BAR days too when he finally got that elusive victory in 2006. The contract tug-of-war between BAR & Williams was such a massive news story at the time too. A real "nice guy" drivers and shame his career petered out the way it did.

Maybe a bit of controversial opinion from me here but I've always considered Alesi a little overrated. Maybe swayed by his not too flattering stats but I probably just don't appreciate his talents as he retired shortly before I got into the Sport. It was great seeing how emotional he got over that sole victory!

Rosemeyer is a name I'm not familiar with at all so cheers for that piece on him.

Graham Hill only 30th? He'd be comfortably top 20 for me and not just because of that famous Triple Crown. He was the original King of Monaco and as mentioned really should have more titles (certainly 1964!)

Verstappen as high as 29th already? Think that's your "hottest take" so far. I really rate him and no doubt he's gonna get titles in the future (so long as RBR remain competitive, can't see the "golden child" leaving them anytime soon. But certainly not the best driver on the current grid (I'd put Hamilton, Leclerc & possibly Ricciardo above him altho he did beat him in their last season at RBR). Pretty crazy he's already got over 100 races under his belt before he's turned 23, well on course to break Barrichello's record especially with the number of races increasing each season. I want to see how he handles a genuine title challenge! Also you have his wins & poles stats the wrong way round.


Brilliant stuff here.
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Severin
post May 28 2020, 06:39 PM
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Cheers for the (very detailed) reply there. All great points well made.
I'll respond to a few -

I can see why a few eyebrows might be raised by Rosberg but I always felt he was underrated. Not to everyone's taste and in terms of the 80s drivers he wasn't the fastest, cleverest, bravest or the most skillful. He wasn't that technically gifted either but he had a brawlers mentality that I admired. For me there's a distinct gap between him and Berger and a sharp one between him and the elite of the 80s drivers but he was kind of 'best of the rest'.

As for Alesi, it's all about 1990-97, in particular any wet race. Bear in mind just how bad those Ferrari's were and how unlucky he was. But I agree I like him more than most seem to.


Graham Hill, if you adjust his placing to factor out pre-1950 drivers is much higher and I agree he was great. There's a significant quality gap for me between Alesi at 32 and Rosemeyer at 31. 31 is where the true greats begin.

Maybe I am a tad premature with Verstappen but I genuienly think he's right now the best driver on the grid. Hamilton has much brilliance in his past but to me seems on the decline, having lost a bit of pace but his consistency, experience and race craft, along with the car and Mercedes team are keeping him at the front. I did consider Leclerc for the list but his 2 seasons so far haven't shown quite enough for me.

As for Verstappen's stat error - oh bugger - corrected. Ta!
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Severin
post May 28 2020, 07:05 PM
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28 – Luigi Villoresi



Career – 1946-1956
Teams – Maserati, Ferrari, Lancia, Scuderia Centro Sud
WC Starts – 31
WC Wins – 0 (+22 Non Championship wins)
WC Poles – 0
Best Finish – 5th (1951, 1953)

Villoresi is a another of the great Italian drivers whose career was interrupted by WWII. Born in 1909 ‘Gigi’ was the elder brother of the equally promising Emilio Villoresi, the two had raced together for years in local rallies, competing in the Mille Miglia and many local events. Emilo was the more successful initially and even signed for Ferrari in 1937 before he was ultimately killed testing an Alfa Romeo in 1939.
Luigi’s career took longer to take off but did so in 1939 when Maserati’s impressive 4CL was introduced. Villoresi won the South African GP and then the Adriatic GP and looked set for a period of sustained success until Europe descended into war.
However, 1946 saw racing return to the continent and Villoresi resumed driving the 4CL for Maserati. Wins came quickly, one in 1946, six in 1947, six again in 1948, another two in 1949 before a switch to Ferrari and a debut win for the Scuderia.
1950 was to be a shot at the first ever Formula One World Championship as one of Ferrari’s stable of elite drivers alongside Alberto Ascari and Raymond Sommer. Excluding the Indy 500, in which no full time F1 driver competed, of the six races, Villoresi only entered three and found the car was not as competitive as he had hoped, he managed only one finish, a 6th in Belgium. Despite strong drives were he often bettered his team mates, the car let him down. Worse still came at the non championship Grand Prix des Nations Villoresi skidded on oil and broke through a barrier killing three spectators as well as suffering serious head injuries. His driving was never quite the same again but he did manage a further six wins in non championship races in the 1951 and 1952 seasons, his luck in the actual championship races being perpetually absent. By now he was 41 years old and nearing the end of his racing career. He became more of a mentor figure for Alberto Ascari and was profoundly affected by the latter’s death in 1955. That and a series of accidents, including one in 1954 that left him crushed beneath his car, once again with serious head injuries, saw his career go in to steep decline. He continued on with diminishing results until 1956.
Following his retirement he continued to regularly attend Grand Prix events but in his later years he found himself living in near poverty. Once this became known a fund was set up by Ferrari, Michael Schumacher and others so he could live out his final years in comfort at a prestigious retirement home near Maranello.
He died in 1997 aged 88 years old.
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Severin
post May 28 2020, 07:13 PM
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27 – Kimi Raikkonen



Career – 2001-Current
Teams – Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, Alfa Romeo
Starts – 315
Wins – 21
Poles – 18
Best Finish – World Champion (2007)


Nicknamed ‘the Iceman’ for his cool temperament at the wheel as much as his cold relationship with the media, team members and the press (and that sneaky ice cream in Malaysia), Raikkonen is a genuine fan favourite and has a star quality that has been rare in F1 since the early 2000s.
Raikkonen began his F1 career with the then midfield Sauber team in 2001 but impressed sufficiently to earn a deal with McLaren for the following year alongside title hopeful David Coulthard. He would finish 6th claiming 4 podium finishes despite frequent reliability issues. 2003 saw Kimi take the title fight to Michael Schumacher, eventually losing out by a mere 3 points despite Schumacher winning 6 races to the Finn’s single victory, his ability to finish on the podium or not at all kept him in the running but the retirements ultimately cost him in the end.
2004 was marred by a dog of a car but he did claim his first win at Spa in Belgium, a circuit at which he would come to be seen as the master.
He took a further 7 wins for McLaren in 2005 but an emergent Fernando Alonso matched him for wins and bettered him for podiums, Raikkonen came 2nd in the championship once more. By the next season it was clear that McLaren’s reliability problems were holding him back and the upcoming void at Ferrari caused by Schumacher’s retirement saw Kimi leave for the Scuderia for 2007, in a move that initially looked a mistake. McLaren had produced the best car that year, their drivers Alonso and Hamilton were locked in a bitter fight for the title for most of the season, and so it came as something of a fitting surprise when outside bet Kimi wound up champion by a single point.
He remained at Ferrari for the next 2 years, finishing 6th and 3rd and collecting a further 3 wins but despite having a contract in place for 2010 Ferrari opted to replace him with Alonso. He turned down offers from Mercedes, Toyota, and McLaren and spent 2 years in Rallying and flirted with NASCAR before his F1 comeback with Lotus in 2012. In his 2 years with the team he won their final 2 races in F1 (for now?).
A return to Ferrari beckoned in 2014 but by now the team had been underperforming for some time. He initially partnered Alonso who comprehensively beat him in their season together. When the Spaniard was replaced by Sebastian Vettel for 2015 he was again outperformed across the year by his younger teammate. A further 3 years with the Italian team appeared to see him largely accept a number 2 driver role and he could only rarely match Vettel for results, memorably taking a welcome and probable final win in Texas only 3 races before leaving the team.
He would stay in F1 with Alfa Romeo providing welcome experience and technical knowledge to his team and young teammate. As of the end of 2020 he will be out of contract, it’s likely the sport will lose one of its most engaging personalities, and he would certainly be missed. Should he ever want it though, a career in commentating would be glorious.

The last word – ‘Quite frankly, Kimi Raikkonen is the fastest driver in the world’ – Sir Stirling Moss
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Mack.
post May 28 2020, 10:18 PM
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Another fantastic piece there. Kimi Raikkonen I think he should have won more world titles, I'm glad he did back in 2007. I still think he should have won in Monaco 2017 until team orders played a part. On his day he is a great driver. This was from someone who I think that his super licence monitored when he joined Sauber in 2001 due to the lack of single seater races he had raced before in F1.
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Dobbo
post May 29 2020, 09:10 AM
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Yes you're right, there was a lot of question marks, heck even criticism when he got his Sauber seat in 2001 and again when he was promoted to Mclaren the very next season but he came very close to winning the 2002 French GP against dominant Ferraris but for slipping on oil at the hairpin.

Kimi will be remembered more for his persona when he retires but that shouldn't mask what a supremely talented driver he was. In his prime he was the best on grid, arguably moreso than Alonso and that 2005 title would have easily been his but for the terrible reliability.

You're right I can only imagine how vindicated he must have been when he switched to Ferrari despite Mclaren then becoming even more competitive but due to internal politics stole it from under their noses :') when he does retire he will be sorely missed like few other drivers.

Not heard of Villoresi!
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post May 29 2020, 06:39 PM
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26 – James Hunt



Career – 1973-1979
Teams – Hesketh, McLaren, Wolf
Starts – 92
Wins – 10 (+4 Non Championship)
Poles – 14
Best Finish – World Champion (1976)

‘Hunt the Shunt’ rose from a young pretender with a reputation for partying and spectacular crashes, to one known as the hardest charger on the grid, and finally the man who had simply had enough. In on 6 ˝ seasons he packed in more excitement and thrills than most can manage in a twice as long and helped to give F1 one of its most celebrated rivalries. There are many clips of him berating fellow drivers from the trackside and various altercations with marshals, he even punched one once, although he quickly apologised.
In 1973 Lord Hesketh launched his team into F1 bringing with them the young James Hunt. Seen by many in the paddock as a bunch of hooray Henry’s playing at race cars, they were largely ridiculed for their apparent frivolity and extravagance but raised many eyebrows by challenging at the front of the grid by the season’s end with Hunt taking 2 podiums in a self built chassis. The following 2 years (’74 and ’75) saw them add 3 and 4 more respectively, including a debut win in Holland. During this time Hunt had begun to be taken seriously as a tough competitor with natural speed and an aggressive style. Away from the track his playboy reptutation and party hard attitude had endeared him to large sections of the British public and he became both a celebrity and a sex symbol.
However, team Hesketh’s funding had all but run out and he looked to be without a drive for 1976. As luck would have it Emerson Fittipaldi unexpectedly left McLaren to join his brother’s outfit and Hunt was the only top rated driver available. It was a move that would set up one of the most memorable seasons ever in F1. It pitted Hunt against reigning World Champion and old friend Niki Lauda. The two men had become close in their F3 days and would often go out on the town together despite their markedly different personalities. The year saw the two go head to head frequently with Lauda on top in the early half but Hunt became to challenge more in the mid season. The German GP at the Nurburgring went ahead in controversial circumstances. Lauda had led an attempted boycott on safety grounds but drivers came out in favour of racing by a single vote. The Austrian ended up hitting the barrier and the car bursting into flames. His injuries were so bad that he was not expected to live. Hunt won the restarted race and closed the points gap over the next 2 races before Lauda made an astonishing comeback in Italy. By now Hunt was pressing his claim and momentum was with him. At the final race in Japan, Hunt’s chance was slim and required him to overturn a 3 point deficit with a maximum of 9 available. The race was to start in near monsoon conditions and many drivers (including Lauda) were unhappy about the decision. At the start Hunt took the lead. On the 2nd lap Lauda retired a healthy car, claiming ‘my life is worth more than a title’. Hunt therefore needed 4th place for the title but late on in drying conditions dropped to 5th. With 2 laps remaining he passed two cars and won the title by the a point. A fact he was unaware of until pulling in to Parc Ferme.
His title defence in 1977 was marred by unreliability and 1978 proved equally poor, and the death of Ronnie Peterson affected him deeply. He moved to Wolf racing for 1979 having rejected a move to Ferrari, wary of the complex politics in the Italian team and could only watch as his car failed time and again whilst Jody Scheckter won the title. By mid season he’d lost all interest in racing and retired after the Monaco GP.
He turned down subsequent comeback offers and embarked on a hugely successful and entertaining career in commentary alongside Murray Walker for the BBC. Walker was aghast when Hunt arrived to his first race carrying two bottles of wine. He alsi frequently kept talking just to keep the mic away from Hunt, weary of what he might say. The two eventually became firm friends. Hunt’s commentaries lasted until his sudden death from a heart attack in 1993 and the British TV commentary has been the poorer for it since.
Current F1 driver, Kimi Raikkonen, has cited Hunt as an inspiration and has even worn a helmet identical to Hunt’s at Monaco as well as entered a snowmobile race under the Brit’s name.

The last word – ‘We were big rivals, especially at the end of the [1976] season, but I respected him because you could drive next to him—2 centimetres, wheel-by-wheel, for 300 kilometres or more—and nothing would happen. He was a real top driver at the time’. – Niki Lauda
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post May 29 2020, 06:43 PM
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25 – Alberto Ascari



Career – 1947-1955
Teams – Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia
WC Starts – 32
WC Wins – 13 (+11 Non Championship)
WC Poles – 14
Best Finish – World Champion (1952, 1953)


The sport’s first double World Champion was the son of the renowned 1920’s driver Antonio Ascari who was killed during the 1925 French GP. A visceral, frenetic driver who attacked corners with sharp jerking movements and not appearing at all in control, he was incredibly fast.
When Grand Prix racing returned from its suspension during WWII Ascari was already pushing 30 and he was mere weeks from the milestone when he took his first victory at San Remo in 1948 driving for Maserati. In 1949 he would add another 5 GP victories but by now was in a Ferrari. Team boss Enzo had been a good friend and former team mate to his father and entered the future champion as part of his line up in the inaugural World Championship in 1950. Ascari finished in 2nd place twice, from 4 starts but the Alfa Romeo in the hands of the sublime Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio won every race they entered and he never really had a look in.
1951 was closer, he won 2 Grand Prix, staked his claim as top driver for the team and finished 2nd in the title fight to Fangio, but it was 1952 that made his name. He won the title and took 6 victories from 6 races in what will forever be the most dominant season in history, only missing out on the Indy 500, then counted as a World Championship race but not run to F1 rules (which were F2 rules that year). In 1953 he won a further 5 races outclassing all his rivals, including the great Fangio and winning a 2nd title.
The next year he switched to Lancia due to a dispute over his salary but the car wasn’t ready for the season opener. He drove for Maserati in the opening races but the car wasn’t a front runner and a solitary outing for Ferrari that yielded little. He consoled himself by winning the Mille Miglia instead. When the Lancia D50 arrived he took pole and led the race until a faulty clutch ended his day. The anticipation over an Ascari Vs Fangio battle was high for 1955.
The season began with high hopes as he took 2 non championship race wins, beating the formerly all conquering Mercedes. Unfortunately he retired from the Argentine GP, the 1st round of the title. At the 2nd race in Monaco, whilst chasing down Stirling Moss he saw the crowd frantically gesticulating at him. Unbeknownst to him Moss had retired but the distraction was enough for him to enter the chicane after the tunnel too fast and his only option was to aim for the harbour. He narrowly missed an an iron bollard hidden within a hay bale and plunged into the Mediterranean. He escaped with a broken nose.
Four days later he was at Monza to watch a test drive of the new Ferrari sports car. He took the opportunity for a drive wearing only his suit and a helmet. On his 3rd lap, at the Curva del Vialone, the car suddenly skidded, and flipped into a somersault. Ascari was thrown from the car and died minutes later. The corner is now the Variante Ascari chicane. The cause of the crash remains a great mystery. Lancia pulled out of F1 only 3 days after his funeral, handing the cars, team, drivers and parts to Ferrari.

The last word – ‘When leading, he could not easily be overtaken – indeed it was virtually impossible to overtake him’. —Enzo Ferrari


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post May 30 2020, 06:36 PM
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24 – Louis Chiron



Career – 1926-1958
Teams – Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Scuderia C.C., Ferrari, Mercedes, Maserati, Talbot-Lago, Lancia
WC Starts – 15
WC Wins – 0 (+26 Non Championship)
WC Poles – 0
Best Finish – 10th (1950)

A cursory glance at Louis Chiron’s World Championship stats would suggest an unimpressive career, but by the time the championship began he was already 49 years old. Indeed, his final entry was his home race at Monaco in 1958, at the age of 58! He remains the oldest ever entrant in the sport. However, he can comfortably be placed in the elite drivers of the first half of the 20th century. Were there a World Championship in 1928 he would have walked away with the title with ease. He won 26 Grand Prix in an era when legends like Varzi, Nuvolari, and Fagioli were at their peaks and continued to challenge when the Germans dominated the 1930s.
He began his Grand Prix career after leaving the French military, having served in WWI as an artillery man. He originally entered privately owned cars, scoring his first victory in a Bugatti owned by a local pharmaceutical company in 1926. It won him a drive with the works team and his many subsequent victories for them would see their names forever linked. 100 years after his birth Bugatti named a high performance sports car in his honour.
He dominated the year in 1928, his 7 wins more than doubling any other driver’s tally, and he used his popularity and influence at home to help found the first ever Monaco GP in 1929. At the start of the new decade, Bugatti found themselves increasingly struggle to keep pace with the upcoming Italian and German teams.
For the 1933 season the global recession saw two of the greatest drivers in the world without a drive. Chiron and the German ace Rudolf Caracciola formed their own team but Caracciola suffered a devastating accident that destroyed his right leg. Chiron scored some good results but the team folded at he signed with Ferrari for 1934, winning the French GP that year. It was one of only 2 championship races not won by a German team between 1934 -1939.
At Caracciola’s insistence he signed for Mercedes in 1936 but Bernd Rosemeyer’s Auto Union team won every race that year and Chiron crashed heavily at the Nurburgring, ending his season. He retired before the 1938 season began.
The outbreak of WWII saw him see active service once more. When France fell he escaped to Switzerland from where he spent the war helping to smuggle down Allied pilots to England.
After the war he and his great friend Achille Varzi returned to Grand Prix racing where showed his class by winning 2 GP in 1947 against drivers too young to know who they were. Varzi’s death at Switzerland in 1948 all but took the fight out of him, although he took a final win at the 1949 French GP in a Talbot. He entered 19 World Championship races in the 1950s, mostly for private teams, earning a final podium at Monaco in 1950.
Nicknamed the ‘wily fox’ he was famed as a smooth driver who preferred shorter circuits where he was always up close with his rivals.

The last word - "Before a race he used to walk round his car, stroke it, talk to it as if to a horse and then sit smilingly at the wheel. How many knew that behind this mask was a hard, earnest man who denied almost all pleasures in life to be fit for the contest?" – Rudolf Caracciola
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post May 30 2020, 07:00 PM
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23 – Jochen Rindt



Career – 1964-1970
Teams – Cooper, Brabham, Lotus
WC Starts – 60
WC Wins – 6
WC Poles – 10
Best Finish – World Champion (1970)



Jochen Rindt holds a unique place in the history of motor racing, and it is a tragic irony that a man who, alongside Jackie Stewart, spearheaded the drive for increased safety in F1 should become the only posthumous World Champion. Sadly, it appears that this sole fact is often the only detail many know about him. As a driver and a man, he was held in high regard by all of his contemporaries and his death ranks as one of the sport’s greatest ever tragedies (from a very long list).
Of the 60 GP Rindt entered, he finished only 24 of them, of which 11 were on the podium, 6 as a winner, and only 3 of which were outside the points despite being saddled with years of mediocre cars. He also won Le Mans in 1965.
The young Austrian began his F1 career in a one-off drive in 1964, as a private entry driving an outdated Brabham for his home Grand Prix. The car broke down, but he was signed by Cooper-Climax for the next year picking up 4 points and ending the championship in 13th. Cooper switched to a Maserati engine for the next 2 years during which time Rindt brought it home in the points every time he finished a race, coming 3rd and then 13th in the title race.
Brabham was his home for the next 2 years and again he finished in the points at every race the car made the chequered flag – a grand total of twice – both podiums.
Lotus came calling in 1969 and he finally had a competitive car. Although initially it had problems with reliability, he finished no lower than 4th if the car lasted and took his first win at Watkins Glen in the penultimate race of the year. He was all set up for a challenge for the title in 1970.
The opening race of the year was at South Africa where he qualified 4th but retired with engine failure – although classified 13th in the end. Lotus introduced one of the sports most iconic and groundbreaking cars for the following race in Spain, the Lotus 72. However, it had teething issues and broke after only 9 laps. Rindt was forced into using the old Lotus 49 for the Monaco GP. He won the race. Sticking with the 49 at Belgium he qualified 2nd but the engine blew early on. The 72 was back after this and Rindt despite hating the cars unstable handling, for which he insisted on modifications, took four wins in a row leaving him the possibility of taking the title on home soil. The engine failed and it would have to wait until the next race.
Monza was next and Ferrari was expected to be faster, especially in the hands of the talented Jacky Ickx. Therefore, Lotus decided to run with minimal wings and higher gear ratios. Common myth seems to prevail that this was the reason he lost control of the car during practice but the crash was a result of brake failure. As Rindt applied the brakes the car twitched right and then left and then right again before jerking violently to the right and slamming in to the guardrail so hard the barrier parted and the car hit and upright support head on. Rindt had left the crotch strap on his seat undone (for easy exit in the event of fire) and as a result slid under the belts suffering severe throat trauma that would be fatal. Had the barrier been properly installed he would likely have survived.
No other driver could overall his points total in the remaining races and his widow Nina received the trophy, on his behalf, from his great friend Jackie Stewart. The Scot incensed at losing yet another close friend would continue to push the campaign for improved safety in the sport.


The last word – ‘At Lotus, I can either be World Champion or die’ – Jochen Rindt
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post Jun 2 2020, 06:37 PM
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22 - Sebastian Vettel



Career – 2006-Present
Teams – BMW, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari
WC Starts – 240
WC Wins – 53
WC Poles – 57
Best Finish – World Champion (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)


Yep, four times World Champion Vettel only places 22nd in this list and I shall explain why shortly.
First, the facts – Vettel began his F1 career at BMW-Sauber in 2006 at Hungary and made waves when he set the fastest time in Friday’s 2nd practice session and set a record for youngest driver at a GP (19 years and 53 days old). He also collected his first fine before even making the track when he broke the pit lane speed limit on his way out.
The following year BMW’s highly promising Robert Kubica injured in an accident and Vettel got his first race chance at the US GP. He started 7th and finished a respectable 8th. It earned him a switch to Toro Rosso. Vettel showed the other side of his talents in Japan. Whilst running in 3rd he contrived to crash into Mark Webber under safety car conditions – he received a 10 place grid penalty (later lifted when Hamilton was deemed to be also at fault).
2008 saw him have an erratic year at Toro Rosso until lare on in the season when things began to click for him with the car. At Monza he won his first victory and took the record for youngest winner ever. Due to his driving style and nationality, comparison with Schumacher had begun already.
He was promoted to Red Bull for 2009 and duly took the team’s first pole and win in China. He would win 3 more races before the season was out with the Red Bull car becoming increasingly capable.
In 2010 5 more wins, some solid results and a lot of luck made him, to much surprise, the sports youngest ever World Champion. He was an outsider going in to the last race. Throughout the year however, there were hints of the team giving him preferential treatment compared to teammate Mark Webber. A rival it took him some time to assert himself over.
What followed was a period of team dominance by Red Bull that lasted until sweeping rule changes in 2014 handed the initiative to Mercedes. By this time Vettel had claimed a further 3 titles and numerous records. If he had retired there and then his legacy would be almost untouchable but the subsequent years have exposed him somewhat. Newcomer Daniel Ricciardo consistently outperformed him in 2014. Something many believe contributed to his departure for Ferrari for 2015.
The prospect of a Ferrari-German driver pairing once again ushering in an era of glory for the Italian team excited many but it remains unfulfilled. Lining up alongside a seemingly ‘happy just to be there’ Raikkonen, both Vettel and Ferrari have disappointed for years now, conspiring to throw away strong championship winning positions between them.
This brings us to his position in this countdown – in a car that he is comfortable with Vettel is a force to be reckoned with. If it’s fast enough he will stick it on pole and likely win lights-to-flag often. And yet if he’s under pressure or not totally at ease with the set up he will make mistakes. Often colliding with other drivers or spinning out all by himself. As the years have gone by these errors are becoming more and more glaring and the strong drives are rare these days. Additionally, whilst Raikkonen appeared happy to play second fiddle to Seb much of the time, Charles Leclerc is not and the inexperienced young Monegasque appears to have shown Vettel directions to the exit door at Ferrari. On his day Vettel is an impressive watch, and he remains a hugely likeable individual outside the car, but apart from the supremely dominant Red Bull cars those days are few and far between and we’re mainly left with his amusing angry radio messages.


The last word - 'I think Vettel is quite outstanding, but then he has got the best car, which is fair enough because normally the best driver gets the best car' -Stirling Moss
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