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The world of sports has really taken a liking to the word "GOAT" recently and even in F1, many drivers have laid the claim to be the best in their generation and to be the best ever as well. But the bigger question is usually to find who are the Mount Rushmore of Formula One?
Who were the greatest ever, the best of the best that ever raced and of course where they rank amongst them. I tried to break it down taking into account different factors like their achievements, their speed, their racecraft, their impact, their standing among their peers, their popularity and an important aspect, their ability to build a championship winning team.
So without waiting any further on this let's begin the countdown of the Top 5 Drivers of all time.
#5 Ayrton Senna
World Championships: 3
Entries: 161
Wins: 41
Poles:65
In the eyes of many Senna was the driver that put F1 on the world map. He was breathtakingly fast, maybe the fastest ever on a single lap. He drove with no fear, was emotional, was charismatic and in the eyes of many, one of the best(if not the best) drivers on the grid during his time but most importantly there haven't been many as popular as him. Some of his races in the wet were almost hard to fathom when you saw the gap he was able to have on the rest of the grid and his following in Brazil was almost mythical.
As he showed in Suzuka in 1990, he could go to any lengths to win and that was something that typified him. One blot on his career if there ever was any was when he did lose the championship to Alain Prost in 1988(who was at the end of his career while Senna was still in his prime). Maybe he could have ended up with more titles if it wasn't for the fatal crash he suffered but those are still speculations. Senna makes an entry into our list at No.4.
#4 Alain Prost
Races: 202
World Championships: 4
Wins: 51
Poles: 33
"The Professor" as he's often called, Alain Prost was the driver in his era that you needed to put in your car if you wanted to extract everything out of the machinery. One of the most astute drivers on the grid with a brain like a calculator where he knows exactly what to do in races and at what time. Prost was not only quick but what separated him and maybe made him a notch better than Ayrton was his ability to win races despite being what would look like a slower driver throughout the weekend.
He knew how to maximize the car at the right junctures and even though there were many occasions during his stint with Senna where he was the slower driver by some distance during qualifying, he would still go on to beat him in the races. He would hardly ever make mistakes, was cerebral in his approach and you knew what you got from him was the best the car could give. In terms of raw talent, it could be argued that Senna had his number but the glaring fact that's despite being at the fag end of his career he was able to beat Senna in a one on one battle really makes him stand out.
#3 Lewis Hamilton
Entries: 231
World Championships: 5
Wins:74
Poles: 84
If you have to ask who is currently the best driver on the grid then there won't be many who would argue against Lewis Hamilton. Lewis has really established himself in the last few years as the numero uno driver in Formula One, especially after the beating he's given Sebastien Vettel in the last few years(someone who was supposed to be going neck and neck against him for the world championship).
He's fast(sometimes breathtakingly fast), consistent and what he's been able to do is push himself in pressure situations and beat his competition. Lewis has had a great story as he's risen from a very humble background and grown on to become this huge celebrity in his own. One blot on his career if there is any is the fact that he's lost to two of his teammates Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg over a season and that is something that you just don't expect from a driver of his caliber.
#2 Juan Manuel Fangio
Entries: 53
World Championships: 5
Wins:24
Poles: 29
A driver who knew how to be at the right place at the right time and when he was part of the grid there was hardly ever a doubt as to whether who was the fastest driver on the grid and there was hardly ever a doubt as to who was the star attraction of the Grand Prix. Going back to the beginning of Formula One in a world where every race was unpredictable Fangio was able to predict the pecking order with such precision that he almost always ended up in a fast car compared to his competition.
Driving and winning for legendary and iconic brands like Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Mercedes, Fangio was the driver every team wanted in their team if they wanted to win. The fact that even till date his record of 5 world championships stands second in the list of the number of championships of all time is a testimony of the fact how good Fangio was.
#1 Michael Schumacher
Entries: 308
World Championships: 7
Wins:91
Poles: 68
Arguably, the "GOAT" of Formula One irrespective of the records and titles that he has in the bag. Other than Fangio, neither of Hamilton, Prost or Senna were ever the undisputed numero uno drivers on the grid as soon as they stepped on the grid and started making a mark. Schumacher, ever since he won his first title was pretty much the best driver on the grid by some distance and no one ever doubted that. He's the most complete driver to have ever stepped into an F1 car.
He was ruthless, he was fast, he never gave an inch and sometimes took two from the opponents. He was great at qualifying and the best when it came to races and something that really made him a legend of the sport was the metamorphosis Ferrari had under him where they transformed from perennial underperformers to an absolute Juggernaut of the sport. Michael Schumacher is truly the "GOAT" of Formula One.
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