Talking point: Ferrari's greatest driver

Eurosport - Tue, 02 Dec 14:16:00 2008

Who is the greatest Ferrari driver of all time? Every week during the off-season Eurosport will offer a point of discussion for Formula One fans, in conjunction with our online poll. So let us know what you think.

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The shortlist:

Alberto Ascari

One of only two Italians to have won the drivers' championship (the other was inaugural Formula One champion Giuseppe Farina), Ascari was one of Formula One's true greats. After coming fifth and second for Ferrari in 1950 and 1951, he began 1952 with a retirement at the Indy 500, then part of the F1 calendar. Howeer, after that disappointment Ascari was unstoppable, and won the next six races to take the championship in style. Five wins out of eight the following year secured him consecutive titles before Fangio re-established his grip on the sport. Ascari was tragically killed a year later while testing for Ferrari, despite being a Lancia driver by then.

Juan Manuel Fangio

One of the great names in motorsport, Fangio is a Formula One legend, despite the fact he was in his 40s when the championship was first staged in 1950. The Argentine competed in 51 grands prix between 1950 and 1958, won 24 races and finished on the podium 35 times. In the process he won five drivers' championships and finished runner-up in another two. Yet most of his success came with other teams, notably Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Daimler Benz. Only in 1956 was Fangio a Ferrari driver, during which time he recorded three victories and two second places on his way to a fourth drivers' title.

Mike Hawthorn

Yorkshireman Hawthorn drove for Ferrari on and off throughout the 1950s, and with the Italian team never finished lower than fourth in the drivers' championship. His greatest season was his last, in 1958, when one victory, five second places and a third was enough to win the championship at the sixth time of asking.

Niki Lauda

The Austrian spent four seasons with Ferrari from 1974-77. He joined as an unproven driver and at a time when the team's glory days of the 1950s and 1960s had fizzled out into a title-less decade of underachievement. Lauda revitalised the team. During his time with Ferrari he won 14 races and registered 31 podium finishes, enough to win him the 1975 and 1977 titles. He also finished second in the 1976 championship, one point behind James Hunt, despite missing several races with injury. Bernie Ecclestone, then Brabham team boss, poached Lauda for the 1978 season by offering him a $1 million salary, and Lauda would never again race with the prancing horse on his car.

Kimi Raikkonen

The Finn arrived at Ferrari in 2007 having been one of a few drivers to run Schumacher close in his peak. Raikkonen lost the 2003 championship to the German by just two points. Yet after a flying start to the season with victory in Australia, the team struggled with reliability problems and Raikkonen was overshadowed by his McLaren rivals. Back-to-back victories in France and Britain got him back in the title race, and after winning three of the season's final four races Raikkonen did just enough to earn Ferrari their first championship since 2004.

Jody Scheckter

South African Schekter spent two years driving for Ferrari, and won the drivers' championship for them in 1979 before being plagued by problems in 1980 and retiring from the sport. He was the last man to win a title for the team for over two decades.

Michael Schumacher

What can you say about Michael Schumacher that hasn't already been said? The greatest driver of his era won titles in 1994 and 1995 with Benetton before moving to Ferrari, where he spent the remainder of his career. Despite having an inferior car, Schumacher also came close to winning the 1997 and 1998 titles. But when Ferrari's technology caught up with their rivals he was unstoppable. Five consecutive titles from 2000-2004 followed, making the German the most successful Formula One driver of all time. His finest hour is a toss-up between the 2002 season - 11 wins, five second places and a third - and the 2004 season, when he won 12 of the first 13 races of the season. Critics might point to a relative lack of competition when he was at the height of his powers, but the truth is that Schumacher had the strength of will and commitment to make great drivers look ordinary.

John Surtees

The only man to have won world championships on two wheels and four, Surtees moved to Ferrari three years after making the switch to Formula One. After a fourth-placed championship finish for the team in 1963, he had a stunning 1964 season in which he secured a podium place in every race he finished. The following season he remained with the team, but a crash robbed him of any championship aspirations.

So vote now in our online poll and let us know your thoughts on the discussion board below.

Eurosport

Comment 107 - 126 of 126

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  1. cheatin Schumacher

    From darren j, on Wed 17 Dec 8:00AM

  2. Cant see beyond the master german-Schummi!

    From Russell O, on Tue 16 Dec 10:52PM

  3. Schumacher clearly the best in terms of driving, not­ the nicest guy or the best attitude but as a driver you­ can't really fault him. It's a pity for Ferrari­ that they didn't pick up Hamilton who has the same­ no nonsense and win at any cost attitude.

    From Concerned, on Mon 15 Dec 5:34PM

  4. Schumacher is the most successfull but Kimi is my­ favourite. He definitly has more raw talent thatn­ Michael but he is surely not that good in technical­ field.

    From bekajikia, on Thu 4 Dec 3:31PM

  5. Personally i would vote Shummy, ferrari was on its Arse­ and between MS and RB and everyone else in the­ "dream team" ferrari is now the major­ strength it is today, like it was in previous glory­ years. As much as some people may hate ferrari there is­ no denying the sport wouldnt be the same without them­ up the front, what would all the McLaren fans have to­ complain about heehee.

    From vehiclefx, on Wed 3 Dec 4:31PM

  6. ASCARI and VILLENEUVE. Pity Schumacher dirtied his­ copy book by his driving style. Can you imagine Ascari­ or Villeneuve driving into people, blocking them, and­ putting winning before any shred of sportsmanship..

    From Wyn, on Wed 3 Dec 11:17AM

  7. elizabethb: Note I didn't even comment on your­ stupidity.

    From Bill Mac, on Wed 3 Dec 10:45AM

  8. Right OK let's get this all cleared up.
    If it's­ the record books that float your boat then it has to be­ schummy.
    If not, then just choose your­ favourite.
    However, it is wrong to state your­ preference as if it is a fact. It's not it's an­ opinion and please remember that.
    Statements­ like:
    "The greatest driver for Scuderia Ferrari­ was Tazio Nuvolari"
    "no other driver will­ compare to his talent in ferrari"
    "Come on­ guys, in our era there was one only,­ Schumi."
    These statements are flawed because the­ cannot be proved.
    "i think m shumacher is the­ best"
    This is the correct form.

    From Bill Mac, on Wed 3 Dec 10:43AM

  9. Michael Schumacher of course and he will be for the­ rest of time.

    From elizabethb, on Wed 3 Dec 6:48AM

  10. I think Ferrari was a truck during Alain Prost era but­ Lauda and Schumi are both great....Another thing to­ remember is when Nigel first win in Indy car.

    From ivanhyli2005, on Wed 3 Dec 6:31AM

  11. WHERE'S VILLENEUVE?

    From chrisrobson99, on Wed 3 Dec 4:12AM

  12. Come on guys, in our era there was one only, Schumi.­ There were many legends, and for all you haters,­ let's be real. In the past decades ( 20 years ) ­ there was no one like him in this new area of F1­ (including Senna). I loved Nigel and his­ accomplishments and the racing in the 80's, but­ those days are long gone. Give credit were it is due.­ We all like racing, what is it about the hate?

    From alex g, on Wed 3 Dec 2:27AM

  13. Lauda and Nigel Mansell

    From r.l.milligan, on Wed 3 Dec 1:33AM

  14. mauricechlela,
    you have got seven thumbs down, and not­ one up, so who's the a$$hole now. A true champion,­ is a true sportsman, so therefore, the greatest driver,­ is the sportsman, not the cheat. Why do you think so­ many people dislike him, if he was a gentleman and a­ true sportsman, nobody would have anything to say,­ would they

    From paul t, on Tue 2 Dec 11:54PM

  15. Difficult to call because the cars were all so­ different etc. but for me Lauda. Schumacher loses out­ because his brilliance was often overshadowed by his­ phsycotic desire to trash his opponents!! But Lauda and­ Schumacher are both poor seconds to Ayrton Senna

    From Rich T, on Tue 2 Dec 11:24PM

  16. whos cliff who the eddy

    From , on Tue 2 Dec 10:09PM

  17. whos cliff who the eddy

    From , on Tue 2 Dec 10:09PM

  18. Lorenzo Bandini-because he died trying to­ win............

    From richard belachek, on Tue 2 Dec 9:47PM

  19. schumacher the best maybe you cant argue with 5world­ championships for the scuderia but gilles villeneuve­ has to be the greatest just so fast and so so fearless­ jody schekter should not even be on the list

    From vstt, on Tue 2 Dec 8:49PM

  20. i think m shumacher is the best

    From alexfinlayson1, on Tue 2 Dec 8:39PM
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