- 21 Sep 11, 10:08#276243My signature includes a list of drivers that I've enjoyed watching through my time following F1, so I'll just pick a couple of them. What I won't do is add a further list of drivers that I don't support / dislike. We only see a small snippet of the true overall picture in F1. We don't see private team meetings, discussions with suppliers, talks with sponsors, contract negotiations. We don't see the full telemetry and don't see the true skills of individual engineers and mechanics over and above the most prominant of figures. We don't know the full lives of ANY of the drivers and as such I don't feel ANY of us are in a position to judge that we actively dislike a driver. Not actively support is one thing, but actively dislike / disrespect is something else. So with that said:
Niki Lauda: A fantastic talent. Even when he came back with McLaren and it was obvious that some of his out and out speed had not fully returned, he was so tactically aware with such great racecraft that he could still win. I have massive respect for Alain Prost, and he will be another of my picks, but something many people often forget is that Lauda is the one man that actually beat Prost at his own game. The 1984 championship was a classic nip and tuck battle between the two, but unlike Senna / Prost where the dynamic was completely different, at this stage in their careers Prost and Lauda were VERY similar in their approaches to racing. A true great in the sport.
Alain Prost: One of the greatest 'intelligent' racers in history. Could put together wins in all types of cars - the McLaren when it was the bast car on the grid, but also the Ferrari when it wasn't. He was blisteringly fast when he had to be, but criminally this is often overlooked because of his (true) reputation for being more of a strategist. The reality is that in combination with this strategical competence he was also faster on pure pace than 95% of those he raced against. I've continued to follow his career post-F1, and watched regularly every single race that has been televised in the Trophee Andros for the past 5 years, where even in his mid-50's now he's still faster than every single competitor with the exception of Jean Philippe Dayraut, whom he can still often beat regardless.
Ayrton Senna: See - it IS possible to support rivals!! In my opinion the most naturally skilled racer I have ever watched. Also in my opinion possibly the most hardened negotiater and mentally tough people I've known of in or out of F1.
Alex Zanardi: Never got the breaks in F1 he deserved. Was never going to go anywhere with Lotus at the stage they were at, then when he came back to Williams, not only was it a couple of years too late, but also Williams as a team completely screwed up in terms of personnel on his side of the garage. It was only once he stood up for himself late in the season at Williams that his potential became obvious to the casual onlooker who wasn't aware of what was going on behind the scenes. Was able to show his true speed in the US with his championships there. Post-horrific accident, his comeback with the World Touring Cars was great. His first win was so emotional, and I remember one victory where with his artifical legs he climbed to the podium, but was so excited and eager that he fell going up the stairs. There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone around not sure how to react, but he pulled himself to his 'feet' with a massive smile and made a joke of it which eased the tension and broke the atmosphere again. 100% dedication to everything he's ever done, and if any of you haven't read his autobiography you HAVE to get hold of it. The best racing book I've ever read bar none.
Michael Schumacher: He's flawed. He's deliberately driven into people and cheated. I believe that. BUT at the same time, he is a phenomenon. You absolutely HAVE to have respect for the sheer volume of wins and championships he managed to accumulate (of course with the help of many around him). Possibly the strongest team leader in the history of F1. To still be amongst the best in F1 (and I believe in the Red Bull he'd take the championship over every single other driver on the grid right now, no exceptions) at 42 is fantastic.
I have many others, but not the time to write about them at the moment, so that's all for now. Again of course, people may disagree, but the above is all in my opinion.
Favourite racing series: F1, Indycar, NASCAR, GP2, F3, Formula E, Trophee Andros, DTM, WTCC, BTCC, World Endurance... etc. etc.
Probably my least favourite driver at this moment in time 
