Fangio....Schumacher....Vettel?

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing. (C)

    With five Formula One races left to run in 2013, it's becoming apparent that Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel's acquisition of a fourth consecutive F1 driver's crown is a mere formality. With Vettel displaying demoralising dominance, comparisons to the only other F1 pilots since the championship's inception in 1950 to claim four consecutive titles have understandably been made. The great Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio won titles in 1951 and 1954-57. German ace Michael Schumacher won titles in 1994-95 and 2000-2004.
    Is it objective comparing drivers from different eras? Technology is different, rules and regulations are different, safety standards different, machinery vastly different.  
    Fangio achieved a feat that is still unsurpassed. That is, four consecutive titles with four different teams; Alfa, Mercedes, Ferrari and Maserati. "El Maestro's" drive in the 1957 German GP at the Nurburgring is still regarded as one of the best of all time. Squandering a 30sec. lead by virtue of a disastrous pit stop, he rejoined 50sec. behind the Ferraris of Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn only to reel off fastest lap after fastest lap often carrying a higher gear through the majority of corners to take an emphatic victory. Stating after the race that he had never driven that fast in his life and probably wouldn't do it again, he was actually unable to sleep for the following 48 hours.
    Schumacher achieved utter dominance over his rivals and superiority over his team mates during his Ferrari tenure. Schumi holds countless records, but the one which outlines his exceptional performance is his clinching of the 2002 title just past the halfway point of the season at the French GP. This is still the earliest anyone has ever won the title.
    Now we have Sebastian Vettel on the verge of a fourth consecutive title joining the distinguished company of Fangio and Schumacher, and in the process becoming the youngest to do so.
    All three drivers are not impervious to controversy though. In Fangio's time if a lead driver retired, his team mate could hand over his car, and any points scored were shared between the two drivers. The most famous being in 1956 at the season ending Italian GP at Monza when team mate Peter Collins with 15 laps to go forfeited the race lead and a potential championship by handing over his Ferrari to Fangio. Whilst permitted in the rules, imagine that happening today? Schumi? Well what can you say? Contentious incidents occasionally blighted his greatness. A season deciding accident with Damon Hill after clouting the wall at Adelaide 1994; a nerfing of Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez 1997; team mate Rubens Barrichello slowing on the last lap to allow Schumi to overtake and win the Austrian GP 2002; parking his Ferrari on the racing line at Rascasse stopping qualifying and denying Fernando Alonso a chance at pole during the 2006 Monaco GP will all forever be remembered. Australian fans still haven't forgiven Vettel for taking out Mark Webber at Turkey 2010 or ignoring team orders to pass Webber and subsequently win this year's Malaysian GP (see Archives April 2013).
    Whilst it certainly is difficult to compare drivers from different eras, the common denominator is Formula One. Remember it's the pinnacle of motorsport, therefore the technology, safety, standards and machinery available is all relative. In other words, the best available at the time.
    With the lights about to go out on this weekend's Japanese GP, how do you think Sebastian Vettel will be remembered when he eventually retires from F1? Where does he sit amongst the great drivers of Formula One?We haven't even mentioned other illustrious F1 names like Ascari, Brabham, Clark, Hill, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Stewart, Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Senna. Let us know what you think. Send formulafrontrow.com an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment. Cheers....
    

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