Talking point: Greatest Lotus driver?
Eurosport - Mon, 29 Dec 17:01:00 2008
Who is the greatest Lotus driver of all time? Every week in the off-season Eurosport will offer a point of discussion for F1 fans, in conjunction with our online poll. So let us know what you think.
Note: Drivers are considered only for their achievements at Lotus, meaning all-time greats such as Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet are not included on the shortlist.
Mario Andretti
One of only two drivers to win races in the four major motor racing categories: Formula One, IndyCar (USAC), World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR, Andretti joined Lotus in 1968 after a successful spell in IndyCar. The Italian-American only raced sporadically in F1 for Lotus over the next four years, before a full season in the sport with the American Parnelli team. However, he returned to Lotus in 1976 and played a major role in their rejuvination, going on to claim the 1978 world championship with six wins, clinching the title on Lotus home soil in Italy.
Jim Clark
There can be little doubt that Clark was the dominant driver of his era, winning two world championships, in 1963 and 1965, and at the time of his death, he had won more grands prix (25) than any other driver - and all the legendary Scot's performances came in a Lotus. His first world title in 1963 also sealed Lotus their first constructors' world championship. After a lean spell in the mid-1960s, Clark took a second world title when the manufacturer began a profitable partnership with Ford-Cosworth. His life ended prematurely in a crash in April 1968 when, during a Formula Two race at Hockenheimring he had only entered to fulfil contractual obligations, his Lotus 48 veered off the track and crashed into the trees.
Emerson Fittipaldi
Like Andretti, Fittipaldi was a versatile and ambitious driver who had success on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the world championships in both Formula One and CART, and the Indianapolis 500 twice. Fittipaldi was somewhat thrust into the limelight at Lotus but, armed with what was arguably the greatest F1 design of all time, the Lotus 72D, Fittipaldi proved unstoppable in 1972 as he won five of 11 races to claim the Drivers' Championship to become the then-youngest champion in F1 history at just 25 years-of-age.
Graham Hill
Father of Damon, Graham Hill is the only driver ever to win the so-called Triple Crown of Motorsport - winning the F1 World Championship, the Indy 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hour. His time with Lotus came from 1967 onwards, having previously won the world championship with BRM in 1962. He took over as leader of the team in 1968 after team-mates Jim Clark and Mike Spence were killed, going on to claim the title that same year. He returned from a bad crash in 1969 where he broke both his legs to race for Lotus for several more years, although he never repeated his success.
Ronnie Peterson
The Super Swede was loved by F1 fans, who appreciated the aggressive, attacking style that built him a reputation as being the fastest driver in all of F1 throughout the 1970s in terms of raw speed. He joined Lotus in 1973 as a partner for Fittipaldi, winning seven races over a three-year period, returning to the team after a spell with March. At the 1978 Italian GP at Monza, Peterson was involved in a crash at the opening bend, his Lotus crashing hard into the barriers and catching fire. Although his life did not appear in immediate danger, the Swede later died in hospital due to complications arising from surgery on the 10 fractures in his legs.
Jochen Rindt
Rindt is the only driver to win the F1 World drivers' championship posthumously, after being killed in practice for the Italian GP in 1970. It was during his second season for Lotus, the first having been a fourth-place finish in 1969. Before then, the German-Austrian had been noted for being an exceptionally fast driver with superb reflexes, but he had rarely had a car equal of his talent until he moved to the Italian team. Driving perhaps the greatest F1 car of all time, the Lotus 72, Rindt won five races on the way to building a huge lead with five races to spare - until he became the second Lotus team leader to be killed in two years when he crashed in practice at Monza.
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Comment 85 - 104 of 164
Bill Mac - Russia is producing Toyota - Ford - Hyundai - Suzuki - Chevy - all these are in the St Petersberg area. I think a couple more around moscow. TVR was stupid to sell the company to a rich kid from Russia. That car was never going to sell here with our weather (7 months snow and ice).
greyhoundpaul when was Lotus ever owned by an Italian car company and remember we are talking of the days when Lotus used to race, not today when it's owned by Koreans or Malasians or somesuch.
greyhoundpaul does that help though?
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I have owned 2 cars that were in fact made in Belgium but it's difficult to think of any Belgian car manufacturers. One was a Vauxhall and the other was a Volvo.
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Are TVR still making cars, I thought the Russians only owned the company for a little while before it all collapsed. I think the TVR was too reliable for the Russian market. Where were the Russian ones made btw.
So if you own a TVR it's probably British.
I think they just mean the name lotus. You know like these days if you own a TVR Its not british, its russian. Or you think you have a british car in the garrage in the form of a Mini cooper when realy you have a german BMW.
post 115. As it said in the article above. Jim clark didnt actualy win the world championship untill after his death, but he was still a Lotus ledgend. I would have thought Ayrton Senna would have been in this list too.
Jonny Herbert
Alex Sharratt you shold be ashamed of yourself. So many errors in the above! Lotus Italian (said or implied in several places)? Lotus-Cosworth in 1965? Jim Clark coming second in 1964 constitutes a lean spell? Graham Hill racing for Lotus for several years after his crash? He might have been driving a Lotus, but for Rob Walker, the last great privateer in F1. As for the people mentioning Stirling Moss, I think he was also driving for Rob Walker, and to quote: "Drivers are considered only for their achievements at Lotus" which to me does not include driving a non-works Lotus. Anyway, Jim Clark has to be the best ever, with honourable mentions for all the others.
See what you mean Mark T - "clinching the title on Lotus home soil in Italy". Mind you there are loads of Italians living in London, which is also NOT where Lotus were based.
What a list to choose from. How can you separate these guys?
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But I have to say I will vote for the guy I consider the greatest driver of all time - Jim Clark.
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But that makes me feel so disrespectful to the other giants in this list.
As a very young child on holiday in Austria I met the great Jochen Rindt and I still have the treasured photograph of me and Jochen that my dad took. Drivers were very different in those days.
Why the genius that writes these articles doesn't do a poll about the best F1 driver EVER? That way u get to choose ur champion
MARK T GOOD POINT
Since when was Lotus an Italian team? I don't remember Colin Chapman being Italian! Or am i wrong? As for the best Lotus driver, all of the above have their places in F1 history, but there have been a few others besides, like Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Johnny Herbert & Mika Hakkinen to name a few.
Very difficult to name the best one, but the 1st F1 Lotus win was with Stirling Moss in 1960 at Monaco. He's very worthy for a mention, probably the best driver never to win the F1 title.
In my humble opinion, any driver who can wrestle a speeding F1 car from the 60's with no aerodynamic aids, traction control or semi-automatic gearboxes was a true racer. I feel that's what's missing from F1 now, close racing, plenty of overtaking, drivers having to control the cars not a computer in the pits. Speed isn't everything, consistency of results matters more, as was evident from Lewis Hamilton's result for 2008, the records stand for themselves. Perhaps Lewis's detractors should consider that when slagging him off!!!
u cant say stirling was the best as he never was world champion????
McLaren Highlander, WELL SAID MATE
My memory is fuzzy now, but didn't Stirling Moss drive for Lotus? If he did, then he is unquestionably the best... but maybe he never drove for Lotus... only Vanwall etc. However, in any car, Moss was the best ever.
Jimmie Clark the rest a long way behind,had he lived he surely would have been champion
in '68 and poss '70 the next best has to be SuperSwede Ronnie Peterson,recall sitting in the stands at Silverstone in '73 watching him hurtle 'round the old woodcote his c control was astounding like seeing him go round North Tower at the much missed Cystal Palace completey sideways. Mention to Grahem Hill for picking the team up in '68 also.
i wasnt swearing in that last post. but to put it another way- a choice between.... bla bla. thats better.
Post 101. I think that would be a @#$% up between Mark Webber or Fernando Alonso for best Minardi Driver. lol
this is all a little before my time, but from what ive leaned and heard since becoming a f1 fan i think it would be either Mario Andretti or Graham Hill. But like i said im not the greatest person to judge this one.
The reporter of this article must be a die hard italian or must have had too much too drink for time and again referring to Lotus as an italian team. Lotus together with McLaren, Williams, Tyrrell, Brabham and BRM represented Britain's finest and proudest and still do. I long for the return of teams like Lotus.
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