Ferrari, Schumacher, Williams Brabham discussed on The Autosport Podcast

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But I think you could make a case for him being Italian's greatest racing driver since the war. And very key because he's Ferrari's first world champion. Absolutely. We talked about the role in building a team where there's no better way to do that and sort of be obviously and Enzo's relationship with this guy who is much more of a family connection I think through his father, but that's quite a good way to settle into the team and get them galvanized around you if you're pretty close with the big boss, the guy who the guy who founded the whole company and the other thing I think given. How many fewer races they were in season, the unreliability record. The thing that really stands out is that 9 race wins in a row, which I think only Vettel is won in that era, what an achievement. We've already talked about Italy's last world champion learning double and stuff, but I think that 9 consecutive race wins in that era. As a winning ratio and driving around, obviously, the unreliability, the risk factor as well, to pull it off, I think it's just incredible stuff. Yeah, through a whole calendar year, he was the only person to in a world championship race. And one of the races he didn't win in 52 is because he was off doing the Indy 500. For Ferrari and a Ferrari. And although it didn't end well or something, Carl finished. He did earn the respect as the top drives usually do of the Americans over there. I came across very well. So yeah, I absolutely absolutely legend as of the other two people on this list. Indeed, well, let's come to them because as we've done this sort of top ten list format podcast before, it's better to reveal number two, number one, exactly the same time, so if you can explain why you've got them in that particular order. So we'll come to number two first. It's Niki Lauda, drove for Ferrari between 1974, 1977, took 57 starts, 15 wins, two titles in 75 and 77 was nearly one in 76 as well when you came back from this horrendous accident. Number one, barely obviously why number one and who it could possibly be, Michael Schumacher, drove for Ferrari between 1996 and 2006, started a 179 races won 72 times and took those 5 titles between 2002 1004 but Kev over to you why loud a second why is Schumacher one fairly obvious in statistical terms, but what was your reason for this one? I think there's a lot of similarities in parallels between these both Germanic forces, if you like, came to Ferrari and were the two people that made Ferrari deliver on the potential that I think it's always had in the world championship. In fact, there were other drivers who visited maranello during the June 70s and 80s and deals. And I think it was Alan Jones came out and said, how do they not win every race? They had a test track facility and things that Williams Brabham going back Cooper not so much far more perhaps, but most of the teams could only dream of how were they not winning every race and it's for all yeah, that's part of the romance of Ferrari right there. Heroic failures as much as the successes allowed everyone none of that is like your car's rubbish and it needs to be better. And Luke and and other factor, he was there for the Schumacher era and the louder era for the area again. These key people and but Ferrari is ready. I think the difference between loud and 30s Ferrari is ready for it with montes mlo there is a young team manager, they're ready to be led by someone who was new what he wanted. And he's the fastest driver in 74. I think it's 9 poles, but Paul and reliability and all sorts of ridiculous things happen to him. 75 wins challenge easily 76, as you say, was a huge respect to James Hunt but louder would have been world champion without the crash. 77 he shows that you can do it the other way. Before I wasn't really quick enough, but he showed that he was cute and could get points and won the championship that way. He would have had three consecutive titles. I think and he really only left because he was upset in the way that certain members of the team reacted after his accident, so he went well. And he left with two races to go. That's the first sustained long period of success, and I think that he probably laid the foundations to allow Ferrari to continue winning for the next couple of years. Even though he wasn't there, when racing against him at Brabham. So that's Nikki. I don't know. Do you want to introduce on to Michael? I also does work with Schumacher as well in the foundations that were there in the Schumacher Bern Braun Todd era continued for another couple of years with Raikkonen and masa. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So yes, Schumacher is the same, but like times ten, isn't it? Just in terms of longevity and the number. I mean, the stats are absolutely ludicrous. So loud as winds are 15 wins and two world titles. I think that's pretty good going by anyone's standards until you scroll down and have a look at 72 wins and 5 titles. At the time, it was unprecedented period of success. But for me, Schumacher at fries got kind of everything, hasn't it, it's got he joins the team when they couldn't do any more than win one race a year. Given the frankly terrible F three ten and he somehow comes up three wins out of it, brings in Ross Braun, builds the team around him, Jean tote allows him to do that as well as yours obviously identified that he needs. He needs the best people, right? Matter shits and Red Bull, but you go and get the good people and you put them in the place and you let them get on with it. And that's what they did and they ruled off all those wins. And I think probably by the time there were times during that 2002 1004 period where market didn't even need to drive it is best because he'd already done three quarters of the work beforehand. There were the Barrichello occasionally getting quicker and you'd just see it occasionally like a wet race or somewhere at Suzuka or he'd just let rip and just destroy the field. There's just an unprecedented level of success which is subsequently matched by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. So I don't not sure whether there are any other boxes he could have he could have ticked other than not do things like driving to Jacques Villeneuve at her earth, but I don't think that really affects his position on this, that's more a debate about where he slots into the overall greatest drives of all time. Yeah, I think I agree with the order again..

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