Some drivers are better than others, but whoever gets to drive the best car, wins the Formula 1 championship, right? Not quite, according to new research.
Who’s the best Formula 1 driver of all time? Being tied for seven titles in the driver’s world championship, it has to be either Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton. But, actually, it’s Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina, according to Swiss research. Despite dominating the first decade of F1 racing, Fangio only won five titles. But, relatively speaking, he got more wins, podium and point-scoring finishes than Schumacher, Hamilton or any other F1 driver ever managed.
Interestingly, Fangio won his five titles for four different teams, suggesting that, at least in that particular era of racing, the Argentinian’s driving skills substantially contributed to his success. If you gave the man a decent car, he made the most of it. The fact that Fangio lived to a ripe old age instead of dying young like so many of his racing contemporaries also speaks to his aptitude, by the way.
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