Who is the G.O.A.T of Formula 1?
Shows (from left to right) Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet.
By Mungo Campbell
When watching a new sport, a natural question arises: who is the greatest of all time? So naturally, when several East Side students have recently taken an interest in Formula 1, they have brought with them said question.
First off, what makes someone the best? Is it total wins? Total championships? Or is it how far you can push until you hit the limit? This article will include each driver's biggest strengths and other aspects to make this a fair comparison. Formula 1 has changed so much over time with its technical regulations, point systems, and car designs, thus finding a driver who is definitely the best is more complex than it usually would be compared to other sports. These are who I believe to be the five drivers with the strongest argument for being the greatest of all time.
5. Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen is a Finnish Formula 1 driver probably best known for his cool demeanor, answering questions with as few words as possible, and refusing to warm his tires behind the safety car. His behavior earned Kimi the nickname “Iceman.” The Iceman raced in Formula 1 from 2001 to 2009, and from 2012 to 2021 for Lotus, McLaren, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo.
Kimi famously didn’t care about the politics, media, or showmanship of Formula 1 and was only there to race, immediately making Kimi one of the most beloved drivers. And race he did. Kimi could really put in a hot lap on Saturday, He also had incredible ability to squeeze every meter out of his tires on Sundays. Kimi is one of the most talented junior drivers of all time, winning two Formula Renault titles before entering Formula 1. During his stay on the Formula 1 paddock, Kimi won the 2007 championship, beating out some of the hardest competition in the history of the sport. 2007 was the year of the infamous Fernando Alonso vs Lewis Hamilton rivalry when they were both driving for McLaren. Fernando already cemented himself as one of the best of all time before joining McLaren, and Lewis Hamilton was one of the best young talents of all time. While the two McLaren’s were aggressively battling it out between themselves, with Hamilton making mistakes and blowing a 17 point lead in the final 2 races Kimi’s cool consistency throughout the season, Kimi beat them both by one single point. The Iceman finished his career with 21 wins and 103 podiums, so it’s safe to say he won a lot.
When thinking about some of his greatest races, Brazil 2007, Bahrain 2006, and Japan 2005 immediately come to mind. In Brazil, Kimi took the championship by the skin of his teeth in an action-packed race, which saw his championship rival Lewis Hamilton finish 3rd. Despite the sweltering heat of Bahrain, the Iceman didn’t melt under the pressure of qualifying dead last, mounting a legendary comeback to finish third, behind Alonso and Michael Schumacher. Japan 2005 was also home to another legendary comeback, where after qualifying 17th, he proceeded to overtake Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella on the final lap of the race.
Kimi Räikkönen will always be remembered as one of the best. Along with his nickname Iceman and his cool as ice attitude and world class driving. Going back and rewatching his comeback in the 2007 season will never be boring.
4. Alain Prost
Alain Prost is a French driver who made a name for himself with the nickname “The Professor”, which perfectly summarizes his racing approach. Prost was the embodiment of the phrase “Grand Prixs are won on Saturday” with his remarkable ability to work with his engineers to set up the car just right. Prost raced from 1980 to 1991 with a return in 1993. The Professor drove for McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, and Williams. Prost aimed to have a smooth, relaxed, and calculated driving style, which is why he preserved brakes and tires until the end of the race, where he could push flat out against cars that had worn out brakes and tires. Prost was one of, if not the smartest, drivers of all time; he deeply understood the nature of the sport, and his intelligence was one of his greatest assets and helped him secure many victories. Race strategy is an incredible part of Formula 1, and many people underestimate it. Knowing how to configure the car, when to pit and for what tires (and at that point, fuel) is the focal point of many highly paid people’s careers. In short, today’s Ferrari strategists should be taking notes. Prost would go on to win 4 world championships in 1985, 1986, 1989, and 1993. Prost is remembered for being one of the best due to his fierce competition. One of the most legendary driver rivalries was the battle between Prost and Ayrton Senna in the late 80s and early 90s, Prost has 51 career wins, which stood as a record until Michael Schumacher broke it in 2001.
Some of the Professor’s greatest races include Mexico 1990, Portugal 1988, and Great Britain 1993. In the 1990 Mexican Grand Prix, Prost qualified very poorly, ending up starting p13. However, he remained very patient and worked his way back up the grid. Prost eventually overtook both Nigel Mansell and Senna to take the win.
Portugal 1988 was a very tense race, with the Senna-Prost rivalry on full display. It started with Senna squeezing Prost towards the pit wall at the start of the race. Prost stayed composed and overtook Senna with an iconic overtake on the outside.
The 1993 British Grand Prix was much simpler but featured a full dominance from The Professor. He led the race from start to finish, showcasing his methodical, deliberate driving.
Alain Prost was one of the best Formula 1 drivers to ever step into a car. He will be remembered for his intelligence and for going toe to toe with some of the best drivers to ever race (such as Senna and Lauda). He isn’t the most popular, but Prost’s strategy will forever be elite in the world of motor sports.
3. Niki Lauda
An Austrian driver from Vienna, Niki Lauda, raced in Formula 1 between the years of 1971 and 1979, as well as from 1982 to 1985. In his career, Niki won 3 championships in 1975, 1977, and 1984. Niki was much like Prost in terms of his driving style. Niki favored a consistent race rather than being the fastest over a lap like Kimi was. Niki was not only a brilliant driver but also had a brilliant technical mind. He worked closely with engineers to squeeze every tenth of a second of performance from the car. Niki was also similar to Kimi in that he didn’t play the politics game of Formula 1, instead opting to be 100% honest about his and others' performance. There was no sugar coating from Niki Lauda.
One aspect of Niki’s career that cannot be ignored is his crash at the Nürburgring. Formula 1 no longer races at the Nürburgring because it is incredibly unsafe; however, at the time it raced there. Niki was involved in a large crash that set his Ferrari on fire and disfigured his face. That is why he wears a balaclava in the photo above. Niki was given his last rites in the hospital but somehow he survived, and a little over a month later he returned to Formula 1 in a little over a month.
Like Prost, Niki was a master strategist; they both valued calculated overtakes that would last and understood the sport to incredible degrees. Niki wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself even when his career would suffer. For example, he retired in the 1976 Fuji Grand Prix because of poor conditions, effectively giving the championship to his rival James Hunt. At one point in his career, Niki left Ferrari because he was disrespected even when he was winning the championship (his teammate Carlos Reutemann was favored in the team). Some of Lauda’s best races include his 1976 races in Monza and Spain, as well as the 1975 French Grand Prix.
In Monza, his first race back after his crash at the Nürburgring, Niki was still suffering from severe burns and pain. His eyelids were partially melted and everyone thought his season was over, but an astonishing fourth place meant he still finished the season in second. The 1975 French Grand Prix was the beginning of Niki’s dominance. He controlled the race from pole to the checkered flag, a story that would be repeated throughout his was the championship season. Niki Lauda sits alongside Prost as one of the smartest Formula 1 drivers. His sheer commitment and determination, and perseverance is world world-class, and he deserves to be remembered as one of the best.
2. Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is one of the most accomplished drivers in the history of the sport. He raced from 1991 to 2006 and from 2010 to 2012. In those years, the German driver managed to win an insane seven titles and 91 races, with championship victories in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. His title record is only tied by Lewis Hamilton, and his race wins were only surpassed by Hamilton. Unlike all of the previous drivers I have talked about so far, Michael Schumacher had an extremely aggressive driving style. Michael Schumacher was also uniquely good at racing in wet weather conditions, although his aggressive style was sometimes to his detriment. His rain mistakes were incredibly few and far between, with dominance in wet races in the later stages of his career earning him the nickname “Regenmeister”, German for rain master. The Regenmeister was one of the most dominant drivers of all time, showcasing just how much he could win during the 2002 season, 2004 season, and 1995 season. In 2002, he won 11 out of the 17 races on the calendar and placed second in the other six races. In 2004, he won 13 of the 18 races. However, he did a similar feat in 1995 with Benetton, winning 9 out of 17 races. This is arguably even more impressive than his dominance in Ferrari because Benetton had a much less impressive car. Michael Schumacher just couldn’t stop winning; he won 91 of his 306 grand prix entries, that’s nearly 30% of his races he won. He entered the sport at a time where many of the greatest of all time were still racing, and kept them on their toes. His debut season was one where he was competing with seven different world champions. Despite his world-class competition and his uncompetitive car, Michael Schumacher scored points in his debut season, placing P12 in the championship out of 24 drivers, and finishing in an impressive 5th place in his first career race at Monza. Some of his most incredible races include Belgium 1992, Brazil 1994, and Germany 1995. 1992 was Michael Schumacher’s first full season of Formula 1, yet he managed to get his first career win after only 12 races, a seriously impressive feat considering the skill that Belgium requires as well as Benetton’s slow car.
His 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix is one of the greatest performances in any motorsport competition. Despite the best efforts of legendary drivers Damon Hill and Ayrton Senna, Schumacher not only won comfortably, he lapped the entire grid!
In the 1995 German Grand Prix, at his home race, Michael Schumacher managed to make one of the most beautiful overtakes in the history of Formula 1. On lap 65 of the 67-lap race, Michael Schumacher made a beautiful overtake on the race leader, Jean Alesi. This was done at the very narrow final chicane of the track in the damp condition. Michael Schumacher took the outside line on the straight going into the chicane, and beautifully held his line without crashing or locking up, forcing Alesi to give him the space.
Michael Schumacher is and will always be a world-renowned driver. Its truly tragic that Michael was left in a vegetative state after a skiing accident, however he will always be remembered as one of the most statistically accomplished and best drivers to ever step into an F1 car.
1. Ayrton Senna
I personally believe Ayrton Senna is the greatest driver to ever step behind a wheel, and here’s why: When current drivers are asked who they think is the best of all time, his name is almost always the first that comes to their mind, but it’s not just driver’s opinions which make Senna the greatest, he also has the stats to back it up.
First off, before I discuss Senna’s stats, there is one thing you must understand, dear reader, and that’s the era of racing Senna was a part of. When discussing who the best is in any sport, the conversation often shifts to debating about how competitive that era was in that particular sport. There is no such debate when discussing Senna. Senna competed in one of, if not the most competitive eras of Formula 1. Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, and Nigel Mansell were all championship winners, some of the greatest of the sport, all of them were at the top of their game, in their prime during Senna’s era. But there’s a reason why people remember the late 80s and early 90s as Senna’s era, not Prost’s, Piquet’s, or Mansell’s. Senna has the highest ratio of race entries to pole positions at 40%, higher than Lewis Hamilton, Schumacher, or Prost. The only two drivers who beat Senna in this statistic are Jim Clark and Juan Manuel Fangio, both of whose statistics are altered by the fact they raced in less than half of the number of races Senna did.
In Monaco 1988, Senna qualified, in what has become one of, if not the best, qualifying laps in the history of F1, 1.4 seconds ahead of prime Alain Prost. Senna would continue that dominance on race day, lapping every single driver but Prost, coming within a few seconds. While his aggressiveness eventually got the best of him, as he crashed with eleven laps remaining, the incredible lead he had built highlighted the gap in skill between him and the rest of the field. It’s also even more incredible to think about when you note that Senna often raced around Monaco with only one hand on the wheel and so he could exclusively operate the gear shifter with his other hand?
Another famous race embedded in Senna’s legacy is the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix. Senna secured the pole but stalled when the race started. Senna dropped back to P14, but he made a legendary comeback to win the race, overtaking Prost on lap 28 and securing his first championship. Even though Senna was one of the most cutthroat drivers on the track, he was one of the most compassionate and caring people in the sport. In the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix, a driver named Eric Comas crashed and was knocked unconscious. Senna, without hesitation, parked his car and jumped out to the aid of his competitor, turning off the engine and making sure he was alright. He stood on a live racetrack to save his competitor’s life. One of Senna’s famous attributes was his philanthropy, donating 400 million dollars to help children in his home country of Brazil get an education. After his death, the Senna family continued this legacy by setting up the Senna Foundation, and when he died, over 3 million people attended his funeral.
Senna enjoyed a brief stint in Formula 1 for someone of his skill level when his career and life were tragically cut short by a fatal crash in the San Marino Grand Prix. It was a steering column failure that led to Senna colliding with the wall of Tamburello Corner at 300km/h (180 miles per hour). Another driver in the qualifying session of that race weekend, named Roland Ratzenberger, also tragically died. This was because of the design of the corner, an extremely fast flat-out left turn with no run-off, made it very dangerous. In the case of a mechanical issue or mistake, you would immediately end up in the wall. The run-off room could not be made because of a river on the other side of the wall. Senna even said that it was dangerous and that he believed it would end up killing someone when touring the track years earlier. Safety wasn’t as big of a priority as it is now, and Senna even helped start a driver union that partitioned the FIA for safer regulation, however, it took Senna’s death to influence them to take Safety seriously. These included pit lane speed limits and the HANS device, which keeps a driver’s head from being jerked around in a crash. Many drivers died before Senna did, but Senna’s death was the revolutionary spark needed for driver safety to become a priority for the sport.
Senna will always be the face of extreme competitiveness, compassion, dedication, skill, aggressiveness, cut-throat driving, precision, and fearlessness. His mastery of racecraft on the track and his philanthropy are his legacy, and he will remain an inspiration to the people of Brazil and the Formula 1 fans for as long as people race cars. His legacy is unmatched. He is the GOAT of Formula 1.