The Best Race car Driver ever

[Ferrari Tifosi]

This is a hard choice to make but I would have to say that the greatest race car driver ever was Mario Andretti. He did it all, from F1 to CART, to Indy racing and NASCAR and Sports Car racing. He succeeded at any form of racing he attempted.

[Matra et Alpine]

Jim Clark

Did it all in all types of cars and races and most of it in the same season.
None of the 'racing in one car' for a season to make them fast for Jim.
A natural racer who didin't have to work hard to win.

[lfb666]

Depends pretty much on the decade:

Juan Manuel Fangio in the fifties.
Niki Lauda in the seventies.
Alain Prost in the late eighties.
Ayrton Senna in the early nineties.
Michael Schumacher in the 21st century.

Others?
Mario Andretti, Montoya...

Driver I've never seen: Ascari.

I will give my vote to Ayrton Senna!

[ReeK]

Kinda siding with Jim Clark on this one, as said before, was successful in a wide variety of classes.

[Homem de Gelo]

Clark and Andretti surely were extremely versatile, you gotta respect that.

[Matra et Alpine]

Kinda siding with Jim Clark on this one, as said before, was successful in a wide variety of classes.

Jackie Stewart comes a close second for me as he equally was sat home in a whole range of cars AND you have to give him lots of respect for leading the drive for safety in F1 and THEN running a nearly-successful F1 team - who knows what could have been achieved if Ford hadn't stuck their corporate nose in !!

[sandwich]

nuvolari....hella old school

[NAZCA C2]

I'd say Hans J. Stuck is one of the great race car drivers, he has raced and won practically everything in his 30 plus year career. He still races today in the ALMS and other sports car races.

[Matra et Alpine]

I'd say Hans J. Stuck is one of the great race car drivers, he has raced and won practically everything in his 30 plus year career. He still races today in the ALMS and other sports car races.

His F1 career was pretty mediocre, he had some slugs but even in his best season he wasn't one of those drivers who shone in an open-wheeler.
My recollection in sportscars was he was always in the best machinery and did well.
I'd have ranked him as a good solid driver.
Don't think he did any rallies - anyone know ??

[DasModell]

Jackie Ickx .. .. not a F1 champion ... but he is a champion .. for me
but for ultimate skill in driving . it must be Schumacher

[Matra et Alpine]

for ultimate skill in driving . it must be Schumacher

An over-rated driver.
He's not expanded his racing beyond karts and F1.
Let's see him in rallies ( the Swedish outing may lead to something ) and sportscars - Le Mans.
he MAKES a team work for HIM.
For me that lessons his overal rating.
A great driver but a long way from an all-round best.
( I class Senna the same )

[DasModell]

you seam to forgot that Schumacher did LeMans .. in 1991 .. with Sauber .. and actually had the fastest lap in the race that year .. .. please .. don;t let negative feeling against Schumacher disturb youre judgement
but the topic said the best ever .. not the one that succeded in most formulas

[Matra et Alpine]

you seam to forgot that Schumacher did LeMans .. in 1991 .. with Sauber .. and actually had the fastest lap in the race that year ..

Thanks for the reminder, but he's stayed away from any other competitive motorsport since F1.
It's easier to be the best when you focus on only one thing.

.. please .. don;t let negative feeling against Schumacher disturb youre judgement

I'm not negative against Schumie.
He is a great driver.
He is a fantastic 'politician' in the Ferrari team.
He's the ONLY driver who could have taken Ferrari to the top again.

but the topic said the best ever .. not the one that succeded in most formulas

how do you determine best ever ?
Won the most races ? Schumi has only won F1. ( I know I'm deliberately not mentioning his early career )
Won the most races in a season ? Schumi has only won F1.
Surely a 'best' driver has to be someone who stands above the others.
Schumi isn't in that position - and may never be.
He choses to only race one formula ( pretty much forced on a driver in todays sponsored formulae ) and he has been in a position to not being forced to move on.
When he has 'retired' from F1 and shows himself capable in rallying or GT or Le Mans then I'll revisit him being a candidate for 'best'.
Until then it is speculation - he might be cr*p in a close Sportscar race.
( I doubt it, but without evidence he's not the best )

[DasModell]

one of the reasons Schumacher only does F1 . is because F1 changed .. it is not what it used to be .. it's not the 60's ..or the 70's ... to be succesuful in F1 . you must focus on f1 .. it's not like it's schumacher not doing other formulas .... no F1 driver does anything else .. no rally driver does anything else ... only Rossi did a little rallying after the season ... that the way motorsport is today ..
btw . i heard some roumors .. this year and late last year . that Schu could do a FIAGT race in the new Maserati .... later this season ..
and nothing could please me more than Schu doing LeMans in a close LMP Ferrari

[fpv_gtho]

Jackie Ickx .. .. not a F1 champion ... but he is a champion .. for me
but for ultimate skill in driving . it must be Schumacher

jackie ickx mmmm, ive heard his name somewhere before, was he one of the co drivers in ford's 1-2 finish of the 77 bathurst?