Most Thrilling Drivers

[Jericoke]

Sports Illustrated has a list of 'most thrilling drivers'.  (They actually have a list for most sports.)  "These lists are not mere compilations of all-time bests in their respective sports but all-time bests at quickening the pulse and evoking a visceral response from those fortunate enough to have witnessed their artistry."

Since Sports Illustrated is an American magazine, it's not surprise that 7 out of 10 are NASCAR drivers.  However, there's only one Indy driver (AJ Foyt, who also drove NASCAR), and 2 F1 drivers:  Jackie Stewart at 8 and Michael Schumacher at 5.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/lars_anderson/06/25/thrill.list/index.html

For me, I never watched Jackie race.  Nor Senna.  I do agree that Schumacher could get more from an F1 car than anyone I saw him race against.  The '97 Ferrari had no business winning races!  I wish that sport was like in Jackie's days though... I love the technology, but at the same time, I want the driver to be the most important part of the car!

[lkjohnson1950]

If you want to know Sir Jackie get a copy of "Faster- a Racer's Diary", it gives an interesting insight into the mind of a WDC. For me, Mansell, Andretti, Foyt, Mears, Gurney. Never liked Schumacher, or Senna. John Watson could be brilliant in the McLaren, and of course Clark. I wish I had seen Fangio, Nuvolari, Rosemeyer et.al.

Lonny

[Dare]

If you want to know Sir Jackie get a copy of "Faster- a Racer's Diary", it gives an interesting insight into the mind of a WDC. For me, Mansell, Andretti, Foyt, Mears, Gurney. Never liked Schumacher, or Senna. John Watson could be brilliant in the McLaren, and of course Clark. I wish I had seen Fangio, Nuvolari, Rosemeyer et.al.

Lonny
[/quote


I read Faster when it came out in the 70's and couldn't put it
down.Back then the only F1 story's we read were usually months
after the race was run.Rob Walker used to write race reviews for
I believe Car and Driver

[lkjohnson1950]

Rob wrote for Road and Track, back when racing was a bigger part of their content. He was the ultimate insider, a team owner who ran Lotus customer cars, imagine! Though I often knew the results long before his articles appeared, he always had tidbits about mechanical problems or driver situations that you couldn't get elsewhere. Nobody gets that stuff today.

Lonny

[cosworth151]

Those were the days, Lonny. Back when R&T had Rob Walker covering F1, Bernard Cashier was "European Correspondent" and Henry Manney III wrote about almost anything. It's a good thing that we can get F1 news much faster these day, but I wish we could get it with the style and wit that those writers had back then.

[lkjohnson1950]

I hated it when R & T and Autoweek made their race coverage a column instead of stories by great writers. Now they're both kind of Car & Driver clones.

Lonny

[SennaMan]

of all the F1 drivers I have actually seen racing none approach the sheer class of the late jim CLARK or Sirs jackie STEWART or stirling MOSS

but my heart belongs to ayrton

and in touring class cars "downunder" 'gentleman' jim RICHARDS and the late peter 'perfect' BROCK were simply fabulous champion drivers and jim, now almost semi-retired, still does Targa's generally in his beloved 911 PORSCHES and drives in several circuit series.