- 10 Apr 09, 11:43#105605I cited Nuvolari because I feel that there can never be a list of Top 5 or Top 10 drivers ever. The conditions of which the decisions are based on are often flawed, as they are either decided merely on figures or hearsay.
What we have to remember is that Formula One is a very different beast today as to what it was 50, 40 even 5 years ago.
The cars change, the rules and regulations change, the length of the race and even the personality of the drivers all change.
I've been asked by a number of people "So who is the best of all time?" and I always give them the same answer. There isn't one.
As we know, the days of Moss and Fangio, where front engined machines with skinny tyres were the norm, was a completely different era to the slicks and V8 monsters we have in F1 today.
Would there have been a Hamilton or a Schumacher without a Senna or a Prost? No.
Would there have been a Senna or a Prost without a Lauda or a Stewart? Certainly not.
Would there have even been a Clark without a Fangio? A Fangio without a said Nuvolari? I don't even need to answer.
As Formula One evolves so does its drivers and its methods. Drivers of this era drove completely different cars to those in the past and also faced a very different environment where this "Gentleman Sport" has now transformed into a Multi-Billion Dollar Business.
Therefore you cannot determine who was the greatest of all time because each Generation is merely an evolution of before and is ever changing.
Forumula One: The World's Greatest Sport