Poll Greatest Champion of the 20th Century

[KekeTheKing]

However bizarre FB, Keke Rosberg is my Champion of Champions.

He made a Formula One car do things it was not supposed to do. Absolutely unmatched car-control with a serious flair for the dramatic. One of the last "Gentleman Champions" as well.

In my eyes Keke was everything a racer should be and more!

 

[Andyoak]

Alan Jones... well he was the champion the first year I really watched F1.
I'm still watching so he must have done something right... and no-one else will vote for him (probably).

If it is talent, inspiration, attitude and what they brought to the sport then I believe Jackie Stewart deserves it; even if you don't always agree with what he says. His contribution both in and out of the driver's seat are incomparable...

 

[Andyoak]

Haha... I was wrong!
Someone else voted for Alan... (put your hand up please)

 

[Josh]

Sir Jackie Stewart.

In my opinion, being a great champion is not only about what you do on track, but also off track, and what you bring to the sport. I don't think anyone surpasses Jackie Stewart in all this.

 

[Incubus]

I can never vote on any of these greatest-ever lists. You can only be greatest in any one era and even then it's not fool-proof since you can be second-best within a five year-period and yet be a superior driver to the top driver from the following five-year period. Just too many great drivers in the history of the sport to try classifying them on criterion that vary from one poster to another.

 

[Fenderman]

I wonder if video-game and virtual reality technology will ever reach the point where a techno-geek will have a) the audacity; b) the patience; c) the time and d) the ability or genius to model the driving styles and techniques of all of the world champions (up to the date of this ludicrously ambitious enterprise) and put them to the test in a single make formula on a circuit like Spa, Suzuka, or some such decent track? Now that would be a fascinating exercise. Probably as pointless as any other attempt to compare racers across era's, but entertaining nevertheless.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Fenderman Don't bother with all that nonsense, just do the right thing and vote for Sir Jackie.

 

[MajorDanby]

There are many multiple World Champions but, perhaps, one of the one hit wonders you feel should have won more titles and deserves your vote.

Well I have gone and thought outside of the box and decided to choose Nigel Mansell. Mostly because of the above quote from FB, that noone else has voted for him (everyone has voted for the usual suspects it seems), and the fact that he certainly should have won a second world championship.

The season that should have been was of course in 1986. Requiring a 3rd place finsh, and running second in the final race at Adelaide Mansell had a car failure that caused him to crash off on the main straight. Having ran 2/3rds race distance, had he actually hit the wall rather than bringing th car to a stop safely the race would have been red flagged and he would have kept his position and won the championship.

Sadly he ended up finishing a close 2nd, giving Prost one of his WDC. I've always wondered how much more of a great he would have been considered without that unfortunate incident. 2 WDC in the time of Prost andf Senna would have been no mean acheivement.

I've tried to add a video, but as I can't access daily motion at work I am going to have to trust that is a) the correct video, and b) is working

Edit: It appears it is 2m30s into the video

 

[Incubus]

MajorDanby I'm not not sure I would agree with your assessment of the 1986 season. Nigel's incident might seem cruel because it took place in the last race, but the season was played out over 16 Grand Prix rather than the last race, and Prost had his fair share of misfortune earlier in the season.
There was only one driver who deserved to take the title that year and that was Prost, who grabbed the title at the wheel of a McLaren-TAG by then very much inferior to the Williams and the prodigious power of its V6 turbo Honda, an engine that made all the others look antiquated. One of those rare years when a driver wins the title at the wheel of a car inferior to its main rivals'.