- 24 Jan 09, 14:51#88838I think the simple answer to your question Mclaren Fan is that you cannot make a judgement on which team is the greatest in Formula One. However it is possible to make a synopsis of a number of teams which at certain period during the history of Formula One made significant impressions.
Alot of people can be mislead by figures. From these it is quite easy to say that Ferrari are the most successful Team to ever compete in the sport - and statistically speaking they are. However statistics never tell the full story.
Ferrari and Formula 1 go together like Cheese and Crackers. From the very onset to modern day times, Ferrari have competed in the sport and have chaulked up an impressive tally of Victories. However these figures can only compliment the factor that makes Ferrari so special: its widespread impact on the sport. Ferrari isn't only the most marketable team in the sport, it carries a long line of traditions envisioned by the great man himself, Enzo. Despite tragedy throughout his personal life, Mr Ferrari created a brand, a legacy, that still echos throughout modern day Formula One. Yes, Ferrari are a different team to what they were before, but the essence is still there. The memories of Nuvolari, Ascari, Fangio to Lauda, Villeneuve, Prost, Mansell and to the modern era of Schumacher are symbolic and cannot be forgotten to those who romanticise about the sport.
Leading on from this though, it isn't possible to claim that Ferrari were the greatest team. Indeed, they did outlast all of their rivals throughout Formula One, but without those rivals there would be no foundations to create those symbollic moments. There wouldn't the memory of France 1979 without Arnoux and Renault for example.
Looking back it is possible to concur that Ferrari's impressive tally of victories lends itself to the marque's long history. If they were so dominant then why haven't they won more?
Certainly until the recent days of Schumacher, Ferrari have almost always been slow on the uptake of new innovations in Formula One.
The British rear- ended cars of the 1960s destroyed Ferrari well into the 1970s. And again, Ferrari were so slow in the uptake of grounds effects that they only won the 1979 world title due to the handling of their cars.
When the Turbo Era came into play, Ferrari ditched their handling just to have the most powerful engine on the grid. How Villeneuve won anything in 1981 is beyond me! Ferrari eventually would overcome these problems and win world titles, but they were very slow!
And what was happening when Ferrari struggled? Legendary teams like Lotus, Mclaren and Williams began to emerge and win world titles.
Maybe these teams don't have the history of Ferrari - and they never have, but they certainly match the Prancing Horse on techinical innovation and glory.
Therefore no team can be given "Greatest" status. Without each other, there would be no Formula One - No winners, losers etc, and there would be no glorious history.
Forumula One: The World's Greatest Sport
- By darwin dali