Greatest F1 Drivers Ever

Formula 1, or F1, racing will never replace NASCAR as the king of racing in the United States. Maybe it's the cars that look like death machines on wheels, the funky road courses that remind me of rural Pennsylvania or the sweet European names but I've always preferred F1 to the redneck racing league. When looking at F1 total wins and championships, the greatest F1 driver of all time is a no-brainer.

Greatest F1 Drivers Ever #1: Michael Schumacher

The Schumacher name is synonymous with F1 racing, and for good reason. He currently holds the most F1 season championships (7) and total F1 race wins (91). How impressive is that second stat? Alain Prost, second behind Schumacher in total race wins, is 40 victories behind Schumacher. After a brief retirement near the end of last decade, Schumacher returned to F1 for the 2010 season. He has yet to win a race, but I certainly wouldn't bet against the man just yet.

Greatest F1 Drivers Ever#2: Juan Manuel Fangio

Fangio's 24 total F1 victories aren't all that impressive when compared to Schumacher's 91; until you learn that Fangio competed in 52 total races, a winning percentage of 46.15 (greatest ever for "meaningful" F1 racers). Fangio was first all-time in championships with 5 until Schumacher passed him in 2003.

Greatest F1 Drivers Ever #3: Jim Clark

A fatal car crash in 1968 robbed the world of Clark and his talents just nine years into the talented driver's career. No driver was more dominant than Clark throughout the 60s. Clark won 25 of 73 entries (34.25 winning percentage) and two season championships (1963 and 1965) before his untimely demise. Many F1 journalists and experts, as well as The Times, considers Clark to be the greatest F1 driver ever. Sadly, we'll never fully know how great Clark could have been.

Greatest F1 Drivers Ever #4: Ayrton Senna

Senna, like Clark, lost his life while behind the wheel (wreck in 1994). Also like Clark, many F1 experts believe Senna to be the greatest racer in the history of the sport, a man who would have surpassed Schumacher's records had he not died. In ten seasons, Senna won 41 of 161 Grands Prix and three season titles. For what it's worth, Schumacher won the season championship in 1994 and 1995.

Greatest F1 Drivers Ever #5: Alain Prost

Prost, nicknamed "The Professor," was hardly a flamboyant, "loud" presence. If somebody is going to leap ahead of Prost on the all-time victories list (51), it isn't happening anytime soon. Prost's 4 season championships place him third on the all-time list. He retired in 1993, after winning his last title.

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