I have been looking at the stats on Fangio and he is by some considerable margin the best driver with regards to wins per race and championships per season. He basically tops all possible stat tables.
Lets take a closer look at that. I find it difficult to believe he was really that much better than greats from other eras such as Schumacher, Senna and Clark. Let me explain.
Fangio completed his first full F1 season in 1950 at the ripe old age of 39, even back then, often the oldest driver on the grid. he retired 8 years later at 47.
To put that into perspective, Coulthard retired at 37 after an accident prone season. Barrichello is currently 38 after spending the last 18 years in F1. Schumacher 7 times WDC is 42 after spending 12 of the last 15 years in F1 and arguably shouldn't of come back.
The point I am trying to make is at 39 years old (never mind 47), like Coulthard and arguably Schumacher and Barrichello was he already to old for modern day F1 ?
Perhaps the reason he did very well was that F1 in 1950 was arguably easier. with around 400BHP per ton, Drum Brakes and no down force. The cars were much much slower in the corners, accelerating and braking. More modern day Touring car performance than F1 performance.
Of course the safety was beyond dangerous and the drivers had a bravery beyond anything needed today. But was driving the cars less physically and mentally demanding?
His age was obviously not a handy cap when he was racing between 1950 and 1958 as he won 5 WDC. So why was he so much better than the much younger competition. Was it because there simply wasn't a large depth of field in racing like we have today, less drivers equals a smaller pool of talent. Was it because it was a sport for the rich and privelaged, in effect a whole field of 'pay' drivers with only average ability.
Then along comes Fangio at 39 years old but still with real talent and ability and dominates the sport for the next 8 years.
I guess the real question I am trying to put is would Fangio at 39 years old be anything like as successful if taken in a time machine to Clarks era or Sennas era or Schumachers era or todays era. Would he still dominate as he did in the 50's ?
Does he or any driver from that era really deserve to be considered for entry into the 'The Greatest F1 Driver Of All Time Lists'
Was he really so much better than the other greats?
Your thoughts?
Lets take a closer look at that. I find it difficult to believe he was really that much better than greats from other eras such as Schumacher, Senna and Clark. Let me explain.
Fangio completed his first full F1 season in 1950 at the ripe old age of 39, even back then, often the oldest driver on the grid. he retired 8 years later at 47.
To put that into perspective, Coulthard retired at 37 after an accident prone season. Barrichello is currently 38 after spending the last 18 years in F1. Schumacher 7 times WDC is 42 after spending 12 of the last 15 years in F1 and arguably shouldn't of come back.
The point I am trying to make is at 39 years old (never mind 47), like Coulthard and arguably Schumacher and Barrichello was he already to old for modern day F1 ?
Perhaps the reason he did very well was that F1 in 1950 was arguably easier. with around 400BHP per ton, Drum Brakes and no down force. The cars were much much slower in the corners, accelerating and braking. More modern day Touring car performance than F1 performance.
Of course the safety was beyond dangerous and the drivers had a bravery beyond anything needed today. But was driving the cars less physically and mentally demanding?
His age was obviously not a handy cap when he was racing between 1950 and 1958 as he won 5 WDC. So why was he so much better than the much younger competition. Was it because there simply wasn't a large depth of field in racing like we have today, less drivers equals a smaller pool of talent. Was it because it was a sport for the rich and privelaged, in effect a whole field of 'pay' drivers with only average ability.
Then along comes Fangio at 39 years old but still with real talent and ability and dominates the sport for the next 8 years.
I guess the real question I am trying to put is would Fangio at 39 years old be anything like as successful if taken in a time machine to Clarks era or Sennas era or Schumachers era or todays era. Would he still dominate as he did in the 50's ?
Does he or any driver from that era really deserve to be considered for entry into the 'The Greatest F1 Driver Of All Time Lists'
Was he really so much better than the other greats?
Your thoughts?
