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sameerrao · 06-01-2004, 09:39 PM

This is a tough one ...

I guess the responses here would be by the best pilot that you have been exposed to - people watching racing in the 60s would plump for Clark while today's generation would give Schumacher the nod ... All worthy choices but extremely subjective to choose between...

For the fun of it, I would like to think about it from analyzing the parts as well as taking the whole...

Raw Speed - Qualifying
1. Ayrton Senna
2. Jim Clark
3. Mika Hakkinen

There will never be another Senna - the man was magic when it mattered - the dying minutes of qualifying when Senna would pop out for the final run and everyone would hold their breath waiting for the inevitable pole position. Jim Clark was also supremely fast frequently starting from Pole. Mika was dynamite when the car was supreme.. he was rarely out-qualified by David. Michael also deserves a place here for consistently fast qualifying

Raw Speed - Race
1. Jim Clark
2. Michael Schumacher
3. Bernd Rosemayer

Jim Clark would virtually lead his races unless there were car related problems. Michael has had several epic drives and has the most # of fastest laps ever. Bernd Rosemayer drove Auto Unions for a brief period in the 30s before his untimely death. His raw speed had an unearthly quality about it.

Wet weather Skills
1. Rudolf Caracciola
2. Ayrton Senna
3. Michael Schumacher

Caracciola (drove for Mercedes Benz in the 30s) was the original "regenmeister" (Rain master) - he had that special feel that made him truly special in wet conditions. Senna and Schumacher are also exemplary in the wet. Ranking Caracciola above these two masters just indicates the quality of Caracciola

Race Craft
1. Alain Prost
2. Michael Schumacher
3. Niki Lauda

Le Professor Alain Prost waas the consummate thinker - he would win at the slowest possible speeds like Jackie Stewart a decade before. And he was only a little bit slower than Ayrton was.. Michael was the master of thinking strategically while racing at ten-tenths - he could adapt to any problem or any strategy. Niki

Bravery
1. Gilles Villenueve
2. Ayrton Senna
3. Nigel Mansell

Villenueve demonstrated tremendous bravery in taking it to the 11/10s very often. He was always on the edge of disaster. Senna and Mansell were extremely brave drivers who drove with no fear and balls out always...

Car control
1. Gilles Villenueve
2. Tazio Nuvolari
3. Ayrton Senna

Villenueve could recover from slides like no one else .. perhaps his snowmobile racing helped hone his skills in this regard. Nuvolari was able to do stuff in cars that others could only dream about. Senna was famous for his throttle control and feel during the wet

Physical Fitness
1. Michael Schumacher
2. Ayrton Senna (in the 90s)
3. Juan Manuel Fangio

Michael comes out as fresh as a daisy while the opposition would look as if they ran the half-marathon. Senna was a weakling but worked himself into one of the fittest ever. Fangio raced in a time when the drivers were fat but the tyres thin - but the man was indefatigable - practice from endurance racing in south America before his GP career.

Determination/Will power
1. Ayrton Senna
2. Michael Schumacher
3. Tazio Nuvolari

Senna was the most intellectual of the lot and his determination to win at all costs was frightening to witness sometimes. While Senna could be classified as obsessive (aprticlurlarly w.r.t. Prost), Michael was determined and thoughtful - he works harder than the rest and does not just depend on his considerable driving talent

Best Driver - overall

I would give my vote to Tazio Nuvolari (Nivola)
- for his car control
- for his bravery
- for more than 30 years of racing at the top drawer level
- Epic Nurburgring and Mille Miglia drives - stuff of legends
- Rated by Enzo Ferrari as the best ever....

06-01-2004, 09:39 PM	#11
sameerrao Regular User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: TX Posts: 3,850	This is a tough one ... I guess the responses here would be by the best pilot that you have been exposed to - people watching racing in the 60s would plump for Clark while today's generation would give Schumacher the nod ... All worthy choices but extremely subjective to choose between... For the fun of it, I would like to think about it from analyzing the parts as well as taking the whole... Raw Speed - Qualifying 1. Ayrton Senna 2. Jim Clark 3. Mika Hakkinen There will never be another Senna - the man was magic when it mattered - the dying minutes of qualifying when Senna would pop out for the final run and everyone would hold their breath waiting for the inevitable pole position. Jim Clark was also supremely fast frequently starting from Pole. Mika was dynamite when the car was supreme.. he was rarely out-qualified by David. Michael also deserves a place here for consistently fast qualifying Raw Speed - Race 1. Jim Clark 2. Michael Schumacher 3. Bernd Rosemayer Jim Clark would virtually lead his races unless there were car related problems. Michael has had several epic drives and has the most # of fastest laps ever. Bernd Rosemayer drove Auto Unions for a brief period in the 30s before his untimely death. His raw speed had an unearthly quality about it. Wet weather Skills 1. Rudolf Caracciola 2. Ayrton Senna 3. Michael Schumacher Caracciola (drove for Mercedes Benz in the 30s) was the original "regenmeister" (Rain master) - he had that special feel that made him truly special in wet conditions. Senna and Schumacher are also exemplary in the wet. Ranking Caracciola above these two masters just indicates the quality of Caracciola Race Craft 1. Alain Prost 2. Michael Schumacher 3. Niki Lauda Le Professor Alain Prost waas the consummate thinker - he would win at the slowest possible speeds like Jackie Stewart a decade before. And he was only a little bit slower than Ayrton was.. Michael was the master of thinking strategically while racing at ten-tenths - he could adapt to any problem or any strategy. Niki Bravery 1. Gilles Villenueve 2. Ayrton Senna 3. Nigel Mansell Villenueve demonstrated tremendous bravery in taking it to the 11/10s very often. He was always on the edge of disaster. Senna and Mansell were extremely brave drivers who drove with no fear and balls out always... Car control 1. Gilles Villenueve 2. Tazio Nuvolari 3. Ayrton Senna Villenueve could recover from slides like no one else .. perhaps his snowmobile racing helped hone his skills in this regard. Nuvolari was able to do stuff in cars that others could only dream about. Senna was famous for his throttle control and feel during the wet Physical Fitness 1. Michael Schumacher 2. Ayrton Senna (in the 90s) 3. Juan Manuel Fangio Michael comes out as fresh as a daisy while the opposition would look as if they ran the half-marathon. Senna was a weakling but worked himself into one of the fittest ever. Fangio raced in a time when the drivers were fat but the tyres thin - but the man was indefatigable - practice from endurance racing in south America before his GP career. Determination/Will power 1. Ayrton Senna 2. Michael Schumacher 3. Tazio Nuvolari Senna was the most intellectual of the lot and his determination to win at all costs was frightening to witness sometimes. While Senna could be classified as obsessive (aprticlurlarly w.r.t. Prost), Michael was determined and thoughtful - he works harder than the rest and does not just depend on his considerable driving talent Best Driver - overall I would give my vote to Tazio Nuvolari (Nivola) - for his car control - for his bravery - for more than 30 years of racing at the top drawer level - Epic Nurburgring and Mille Miglia drives - stuff of legends - Rated by Enzo Ferrari as the best ever....