BEST OF THE BEST
We tried science, but settled for TG maths. These are our 10 greatest ever F1 drivers in the years they were at their best
JIM CLARK, 1963, LOTUS 25
Won the F1 world championship twice, in 1963 and 1965. Both times utterly dominant, winning seven and six of the 10 races respectively. At the same time he was winning in Touring Cars, F2 and at the Indy 500. Would have won more championships given better reliability
JUAN MANUEL FANGIO 1954, MERC W196
A five-time world champion, 1954 was Fangio’s peak, winning six of the nine rounds, while managing a mid-season swap from Maserati to Mercedes. Won 24 of the 52 F1 races he took part in, giving him a win percentage of 46.15 that’s highly unlikely ever to be beaten
LEWIS HAMILTON 2014, MERC W05
The man to beat Schumacher’s records? Quite possibly. Six titles so far, but 2014 was his most impressive – apart from three retirements, he was never off the podium, winning outright 11 times. Relentless focus at odds with public persona. A true competitor
STIRLING MOSS 1958, VANWALL VW5
In 1958, Stirling finished first, second or he retired. He won four times, but retired five, allowing Hawthorn, with only a single win, to lift the championship. He finished second or third in the championship for seven years on the trot
TAZIO NUVOLARI 1935, ALFA ROMEO P3
Besides Stirling, the only other non-world champion here. But he did win perhaps the most famous Grand Prix of all time, his Alfa overcoming the Nazi-backed Mercedes and Auto Unions to win at the ’Ring in 1935. Also won Le Mans and two Mille Miglias
AYRTON SENNA, 1988, McLAREN MP4/4
Perhaps the most famous car/driver combination of all. In 1988, Senna won eight rounds, Prost seven. Lesser metal showed his true talent. Second in a Toleman at Monaco in 1984, or lapping the field for his first win in the Lotus 97T at a wet Estoril in 1985
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER 2004, FERRARI F2004
Driver, car and team in perfect harmony. That was Schumacher in 2004, when he won 13 of the 18 rounds. This was his seventh and final championship. To date, no one has won more races, been on the podium more often or set more fastest laps
ALAIN PROST 1986, McLAREN MP4/2C
Won four championships, always against talented team-mates – 1986 was his best, where he thrashed Keke Rosberg (as he had a waning Niki Lauda in 1985). Beat Mansell by two points, despite his McLaren being slower than Nige’s FW11
JACKIE STEWART 1971, TYRRELL 003
Of the 11 races that made up the 1971 world championship, Jackie won six. No one else won more than one. At the end of the season, his 63-point tally was almost double that of Ronnie Peterson in second. He had been similarly dominant for Matra in 1969
FERNANDO ALONSO 2005, RENAULT R25
More parallels with Stirling here – a master driver whose results don’t quite match his talent. Hit his peak in 2005, when he was F1’s youngest-ever champ. Only off the podium three times, the same number as team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella managed to get on it