F1 experts disagrees on who is the GOAT
Oct.8 - As Lewis Hamilton looks to match and beat Michael Schumacher's all time records, the jury is still out regarding the British driver's greatness.
F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart has caused a stir this week by suggesting Hamilton's achievements are clouded by the utter superiority of his car.
"Frankly, the car and the engine are now so superior that it's almost unfair on the rest of the field," he told the official Australian GP podcast.
Not everyone agrees.
"Jackie Stewart says that Lewis Hamilton is not in the top three best drivers of all time - I have to disagree," said 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter.
"Things are much more competitive and equal now than they ever were. I think Lewis is definitely in the top three of all time," he added.
However, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone agrees with Fernando Alonso, who recently said that seven time world champion Schumacher remains a step ahead of Hamilton's greatness.
That is despite the fact that Hamilton could match Schumacher's record tally of 91 wins this weekend, and also his record seven titles by the end of the year.
"Schumi was more or less on his own when he was in the car," Ecclestone told French news agency AFP.
"Hamilton has God knows who to help explain to him the tyre pressure or the cornering speeds.
"You can't say anything bad about Lewis - you can't say he's not good," the 89-year-old insisted. "That's not the point. Would Michael have been better in that car? I don't know."
Ecclestone thinks part of the issue for Hamilton's critics is his style.
"Just the way he dresses," he said. "If you didn't know he was a racing driver, you would never think so. Piquet or Schumacher, when you saw them, you knew they were racing drivers."
Finally, one of the architects of Schumacher's unprecedented success, former Ferrari boss Jean Todt, would not be drawn on whether the great German or Hamilton is better.
"They are two great champions, but they also represent two different eras," Todt, now FIA president, told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Hamilton drives the number one car and he has a great team behind him, which is all the conditions you need to make and break records."
Here you can see our view on the top 10 drivers of all time.
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Greatest was Fangio hands down. He won championship in 4 different brands. He also did his winning in fewer races when the cars required much more skill to drive.
Totally agree with Bernie and Fernando!!! Hamilton not in class of either Schumi or Fangio league.
and Also hate the way he dresses!!!
Dislike Hamilton - his attitude and his dress sense. He is not a superior driver and lags way behind Schumacher and Fangio
Schumacher and Fangio were the gods of racing and no one else can ever come close to their talents , very simple in particular Fangio .
Funny, since HAM's social justice outbursts, all of the fanboys are quiet. As for the GOAT, it's a fun debate over beers but Todt has it right, you just cannot accurately compare drivers from different eras.
Easiest question ever. Lewis Hamilton, and it is not even close.
It *does* deeply sadden me to see the racist comments here regularly, you know who you are and WHY you post the evil things that you do.
We are in the Era of Lewis, long may he reign!!
Keep politics out of sport.
At least 5 drivers in the field would easily win championships in that seat. That being said, I’m still a fan. However, I wish he would put himself out in public and condemn the tragic loss of black on black lives not to mention innocent children! Greatest of all time? Not even close not even in the top ten. I hope he uses some of his money to start a foundation that provides children in inner cities to have the same chances he’s had. When that happens I will raise a fist and cheer him on.
It never ceases to amaze me comparing drivers of the 50’s and 60’s to drivers in the modern era in the 50’s and 60’s cars didn’t pull 5g’s in the corners or 6G’s under braking those drivers were not in the condition today’s drivers are and these cars are so much faster things happen so much quicker! As for Hamilton he hasn’t been given races like Mick Schumacher was how many races did he actually win ? How many races did his teammates let him pass because of team orders? Hamilton has never been handed a race because of team orders and Hamilton isn’t a dirty driver unlike Schumacher who regularly drove people off the road shunted other drivers! Hamilton has driven his way to the top!
I must say that when Lewis finished the race the other week on a flat tire, The came one step closer to being one of the great drivers.
I saw Schumacher when every way you could win a race, One stop, and stretch the fuel and tires. 3 stop and make up the lost time. He was great in the rain. He put on racing clinics over the course of his career. The only person who edged him out (IMHO) was Fangio. He won almost half of his races! I never got to see one of his full races, but his reputation and his record speak volumes. GOAT discussions are kind of silly anyway. Once you reach a point of greatness, then your great. Greater than always seems like a crazy thing to quantify whether its guitar players or movies. But the Fangio/Schumacher people make the most sense to me.
Trouble with Schumacher's record is that he was handed so many races which his team mates would have won were it not for team orders. As far as I am aware Hamilton has been handed none. Because many of Schumacher's victories were not true victories you cannot really compare race wins. He was also a dirty driver winning at all costs which is not a bad trait as long as its done fairly. I'm reminded of the great sailor Paul Elvstrom's remark that "If in winning you lose the respect of your fellow competitors, you have won nothing".
I hate his politics but Hamilton, in my opinion, is a better race driver than Schumacher. But Fangio? And what of Senna?
Jody Scheckter, Jackie Stewart, Fernando Alonso and myself all seem to agree that Hamilton is a good driver in Formula 1, so you could say he is a great driver, not a Racer. He certainly is not among the best. My personal problem with Hamilton is that he is such a cry baby when everything doesn't go his way. Case in point, when he recieved a 10 second stop and go for breaking the rules, he did work his way back to a 3rd place on the Podium, but then pouted during interviews. Grow up and be a man Lewis.
David, it's a pleasure to see someone who differentiates between a competent DRIVER and a competent RACER.
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