Who is the best Formula 1 driver ever? This is the old question that generates the discussion among fans of the premier motorsport race. Some say it was Michael Schumacher, others insist it was Ayrton Senna, others still say it was Juan Manual Fangio, well… there are preferences for all tastes.
But to decide once and for all who was truly the most talented pilot ever, based on facts and hard information, Andrew Bell of the University of Sheffield and James Smith, Clive Sabel and Kelvyn Jones of the University of Bristol teamed up up to draw up a list that brings together the 10 best drivers ever.
But how can you answer that question if race results also depend on the quality of the engine, tyres, dynamic balance and even the competence of the team?
British researchers have developed a statistical analysis system that allows comparisons to be made between the best drivers under the same circumstances, regardless of the technical characteristics of the car, the circuit, the weather conditions or the race calendar. For this, the group of researchers analyzed all the Formula 1 World Championship races held between 1950 (inaugural year) and 2014. These were the results:
The 10 best F1 drivers of all time
- Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina)
- Alain Prost (France)
- Jim Clark (UK)
- Ayrton Senna (Brazil)
- Fernando Alonso (Spain)
- Nelson Piquet (Brazil)
- Jackie Stewart (UK)
- Michael Schumacher (Germany)
- Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil)
- Sebastian Vettel (Germany)