Greatest F1 Driver ever

[G-HEVN]

We could have another poll: Who's the greatest British underdog? Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Jensen Button.......

We know that Perry McCarthy was Black Stig, and Damon Hill is certainly a contender for White Stig. Maybe one day all will be revealed!

[Charl]

BTW- I think Damian Hill, one of my other past favourite drivers is currently working as 'The Stig' on top gear B)

That would be Damon?
I always wondered about The Stig - had to be a famous Brit dinnit? Too small to be Our Nige, aye?

But the poll results point the way.
It's an absolute no-brainer if you are considering the all-round package of F1.
No one has ever come close to what M. Schumacher achieved in F1, both on and off the track.
We are lucky to have been alive to see it, really.
It will be a loong time before there is another phenomenon even approaching what we witnessed at the end of the milennium.

Michael Schumacher 7 times World Champion - An easily typed or spoken few words
But Michael did not win these titles because he simply had the fastest car - As apart from 2002 & 2004 He did not.
He won them because he has the ability to wring 150% out of what is available to work with, He also has the ability to get others around him to do the same. That is why Ferrari is "The Dream Team" TEAMWORK on a scale you never see from any of the other F1 teams - "We Win Together & We Fail Together" - and from 1996 to 2006 we have witnessed
at Ferrari something we may never see again...

Below are a few of the many Records & statistics from his fantastic career, Many of which may never be beaten.

Most World Titles 7 - 1994,/95, 2000,/01,/02,/03, & 04  Most Consecutive titles - 5 (2000 to 2004) 
Most Race Wins - 91  Most Race wins in 1 season - 13 (2004) 
Most consecutive wins in 1 season - 7 (2004) Most wins at same circuit - 8 (France, Magny Cours)
Most wins with 1 team - 72 (Ferarri) Most wins from pole - 40
Most pole positions - 68 Most front row starts - 115
Most podium finishes - 1541  Most second place finishes - 43
Most championship points scored - 1,369 Most points finishes - 190
Most points in a season - 148 (2004 from a max of 180) The only driver to have a podium finish every race in 2002
Most Fastest Laps - 76  Most Fastest laps in a season -10 (From 18 in 2004)
Most Races Led - 141  Most laps led - 5,108
Most consecutive podium finishes - 19 (USA 01 - Japan 02)  Most consecutive point finishes - 24 (Hgry 01- Mlysia 03)
Most Pole/win/fastest laps - 22 Earliest Title winner - 2002 (July with 6 races remaining)
Largest points gap between Champion & 2nd - 67 in 2002  Longest spell with one team - 11 years Ferarri '96 -'06

[Zöltuger]

BTW- I think Damian Hill, one of my other past favourite drivers is currently working as 'The Stig' on top gear B)

That would be Damon?
I always wondered about The Stig - had to be a famous Brit dinnit? Too small to be Our Nige, aye?

it's not Damon Hill because the Stig takes a different line into the first corner than Hill did in his lap. In any event, the Stig changes depending on the car. Like the F1 lap was a Renault test driver, and apparantly the person driving the Enzo was the owner.
I prefer to think of him as a mysterious being. Some say that his tears are adhesive, and that if he caught fire, he'd burn for a thousand days... all we know is, he's called the Stig.

By the way, I'm surprised no one has picked Nigel Mansell yet, seeing as he had the CART and F1 titles simultaneously.

[chopper_nut]

Interesting really, I dont like Schumacher at all. I just reckon he is the Greg Murphey of F1. Good driver but I dont like the guy.

[Riddlez]

My vote went for Ayrton Senna, sad what what happened 13 years ago.

BTW- I think Damian Hill, one of my other past favourite drivers is currently working as 'The Stig' on top gear B)

Damon isn't the stig, a guy called Ben Collins is. The A1gp manager David Sears told interviewer Clint Brown on Sky Sport 1 that Collins was the stig. I saw the show and he new for certain that Collins was the stig because Sears knew him.

[ashton]

been watching from 2003 but when TVNZ lost the rights to SKY for hosting the sport at the start of 2006 I wasnt able to watch.but got a friend two tape it some times.

favourtive driver JENSON BUTTOM
he just needs the team to build a faster car for him

i voted Bruce Mclaren who formed the Mclaren team which is still racing today
he and denny hulme were the greats of the KIWIS

that man in the red car wasnt that great just had a fast car ,look at when they had a slow car in 2005 ha!! they lost .

Now watch the A1GP on TV3 which the cars are only 250HP slower than a F1 car
but were awesome at taupo NZ

GO A1GP NZL

[Charl]

The poll title and description amount to a rhetorical question if you stick to the way they are actually framed - Schumacher M is the only candidate.
But it gets kinda interesting the way polls like this drift off into favouritism type drivel - mine is Sigourney Weaver in Alien 2, what's yours?

[Zöltuger]

favourtive driver JENSON BUTTOM
he just needs the team to build a faster car for him

more like, he needs to get his A into G

[victor_alpha_charlie]

BTW- I think Damian Hill, one of my other past favourite drivers is currently working as 'The Stig' on top gear B)

Well we wouldn't know, because bloody prime can't seem to show an episode that was made after 2003...

[chopper_nut]

Ok well how about we change the title to "Your Favourite F1 Driver Ever" would anybody change their votes?

[HardCorePawn]

hah... i just noticed that poll question mentioned personality....

F1 driver with personality?? I dont think I've ever seen one... they all seem to speak in monotone and are about the most boring people in the world...

but I think thats because you need to be cool calm and collected while hurtling around at 300+km/h... so when you're out of the car it must be so boring...

I think the closest I have seen to personality was eddie irving... I still remember his reply to Havoc and Newsboy when they wanted to see how he danced to pick up chicks:

"I'm a formula 1 race car driver... I dont have to dance to pick up chicks".... PRICELESS!

[chopper_nut]

I remember seeing some footage of Graham Hill a few years back. I dont recall the particulars but it was almost like watching stand up, bloody funny. I think that the drivers of old had far more personality than the current crop. The old drivers were just ordinary guys who got payed bugger all and just drove cars because they enjoyed it. On the weekend where there wasnt a Grand Prix on, they would be somewhere like Daytona or Mosport Park driving sports cars or mayby they would be driving in the Tasman Series if the month was right. Around the time of the Grand Prix at Levin, some of the drivers would go and play cricket on Chris Amons parents front lawn. During a weekend in March, most of them would be found at Le Mans.... It was a different time before major sponsorship, big egos and even bigger pay cheques. Formula 1 isnt a sport any more, its a business, its a very good business but its not a sport. I always look at things with rose tinted glasses or goggles

[Charl]

Formula 1 isnt a sport any more, its a business, its a very good business but its not a sport. I always look at things with rose tinted glasses or goggles

Holds for a number of "sports", starting with baseball and ending with rugby.
'tswot money does
The highest paid occupations in the world are those which entertain.