FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[jwood]

Who would you give this title to?

Forget statistics about number of wins, and who is most successful. In terms of outright speed, who wins?

[texasmr2]

I went with Senna but it was a very difficult decision because Prost was just as fast but he was so smooth he looked slow.

[jwood]

I think it was close between Senna and Prost, but with Senna winning on pure speed. The bloke who everyone loves to criticise - Nigel Mansell - was MUCH closer than he was ever given credit for though.

Not many people could beat Senna in a similar car bu the did on a few occasions. Barcelona 1991 being one example.

[McLaren Fan]

I think it was close between Senna and Prost, but with Senna winning on pure speed. The bloke who everyone loves to criticise - Nigel Mansell - was MUCH closer than he was ever given credit for though.

Not many people could beat Senna in a similar car bu the did on a few occasions. Barcelona 1991 being one example.

Not sure about the last part, I think the Williams FW13 improved throughout the middle of the season. I agree that Senna was the fastest driver ever with Prost coming second. I do agree that Mansell is underrated. He was very fast and a great racer.

[jwood]

What about another occasion (I can't remember where it was) where Mansell caught Senna behind a back marker, boxed him, overtook the two of them and then blocked Senna. Superb bit of driving and one of the few occasions where anyone put one over the Brazilian!

[britishtrident]

Why Mansell ? --- very good champion but only through determination not pure natural ability.


Greatest british driver was Jim Clark --- only one of his peers who wouldn't admit it was John Surtees (only man to be a world champion on two wheels and four) who felt Clark got attention that should have been his.


A few others should be in there but most on the forum only seem to know drivers of the last 10 years.

Jochen Rindt
Mario Andretti
Ronnie Petterson
Sir Jack Brabham
Bruce McLaren
Nelson Piquet
Gilles Villeneuve
Nicky Lauda
Alberto Ascari
Bernd Rosemeyer

[jwood]

Mansell had an extaordinary amount of natural speed in a car. He could get into anything on four wheels and drive it faster than almost anyone.

I was at Donnington park when he famously crash his Mondeo into the bridge wall. Until then, he ignored advice on how to handle a front wheel drive car. He simply got in, put his foot down and drive faster than the rest... until in typical style, he went too far!

[texasmr2]

Yah I alway's enjoyed watching Nigel as he was alway's riding the fine line between greatness and disaster .

[madbrad]

Of those, Senna was the one who went hell bent for leather when needed.

[racer]

My vote would go to any of the drivers from the pre-downforce era. Just imagine racing with no wings, no roll bars, no seatbelts or even a helmet! Scary? Now imagine that on the full Nurburgring circuit in a rainy day……

[madbrad]

... and their torsos stood above the car with no roll bar!

[scotty]

Senna... his pole lap at Monaco (1989?) anyone?

Mansell could turn it on as well, for example when he made up that 30 second deficit on Piquet at Silverstone.

I would dare to say Giles Villeneuve as well.

I won't mention any pre 80's drivers cause i don't know enough about that era...

[McLaren Fan]

Senna... his pole lap at Monaco (1989?) anyone?.

I think 1988 was the stunning Monaco pole position qualifying lap. Sadly, Prost was able to pysc him out when he was lightyears ahead.

[yowl]

Its too biased to recent drivers

Without Villeneuve G, Peterson, Clark or Moss it's meaningless

[piledriver]

I'm a great fan of Alain Prost, but I think that Senna was the fastest driver. But the fights between those two giants of F1 are still historic. Those two drivers made each other better and better imo.