The world’s premier motor sport has seen some truly remarkable men in the last century of all nationalities, many with different impacts—but whose record stacks up the best?
Statistically, German Michael Schumacher is the greatest F1 driver, with seven world championships, including most constructers (car makers) titles, race victories, pole positions, points scored and biggest title winning margins. He has won the most races in a single season—and remains the only F1 driver to have a full season of podium finishes in 2002.
While motor purists would argue that the German’s competition was not fierce—it was his turning around of Ferrari in the late nineties that began his legend. The traditional heavy v12 of the Ferrari struggled against the smaller more efficient v10’s of other cars, and the performance of the pit crews were inferior to the then big teams of Benetton (whom he won titles with in 1994 and 1995) and Williams.
He proclaimed that the new model Ferrari 412T would win championships—and in 1999 Ferrari won the constructers title before Michael began his remarkable run of five consecutive world titles.
If the German iceman had one weakness, it was his attitude at times—and his desire to push the code of racing to the limits; with numerous drivers belligerent with his driving style, which would often run illegal lines to dominate on the track.
The Brazilian Ayrton Senna had similar traits. The three time world champion was the charismatic and had a daunting presence on and off the field and brought Formula One racing to an entire new audience.
Like Michael, he was an incredible wet weather driver—an attribute more the impressive for the glass like handling of the Formula beasts, especially when taking 200 km/ph turns. His death at the San Marino 1994 Grand Prix further increased the impact of the great man, and dominated sports media unlike any other event the world had seen.
The only man to match the Brazilian race for race in this era was the great French driver Alain Prost, whom maintained the greatest single rivalry the sport has ever seen. Prost won four world titles, with his last coming in 1993 as Schumacher came into the scene. The first technical driving specialist of the sport—some argue he was unlucky not to win the titles from 1982 to 1984.
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