Graham Hill, Fittipaldi, Elio De Angeles discussed on The Autosport Podcast
Automatic TRANSCRIPT
And Colin Chapman was its head and Graham stepped up when he really needed to. I think I would argue the other way around, obviously it's fairly hard. It's fairly hard to come back from the team lotus might not have existed in terms of how much Graham hill was sort of essential to picking him up after Clark. And I also get that when they were teammates in 69 70, obviously rin was demonstrably faster than hill. But then again, at that time, what hill was what 38 39 40 that is not a driver in his prime, even at that time. But if you look at the numbers, I suppose, if you're going to argue them the other way around, Graham hill four wins from 60 races for lotus. So that's 6.7%, which is the third lowest in this list. So you've got Elio de Angeles in his island on to two, 3%, then Graham hill, and then it's a big step up another 12% before you get to Santa who is next on this list. So in that, whereas rin a third of a third of all race is pretty much he won so 6 from 1932% if you round up, you know, what's that some quick math? That's 5 times 5 times a hit rate of zero. So I think yeah, it comes back to that's why these are great pub chats because it's a nuance between how do you rank a driver as a purely on what they did in the cockpit or is it what else they bring to the team and obviously Kev's gone for one factor I would go for the other just to spice up this podcast a bit. I also know that Kevin would very much appreciate you rounding those numbers up there when it comes to sub editing our work, of course. But let's move on to the driver at number three. It's Emerson Fittipaldi, drove for lotus between 1970 and 1973, 42 world championship races for the team, 9 victories and the 1972 world title. So Kev, why is fit about at number three? Yeah, I think this is one of those lists where the top three pick themselves really. So if it's a pouty was left to, I mean, he was thrust into the sort of number one role at lotus when rint was killed and he was only he won what was only his fourth world champion Grand Prix start. Which was a race that also clinched the world title posthumously. He then was there for 1971 when they had trouble getting the low 72 working on the firestone slicks. Worked diligently away at that. And he then went one the world championship in 1972 could have won in 73. He delivered titles. He contributed to two constructors titles took at drivers championship and he's one of the great figures in lotus history, really. Matt how do you reflect on Fitzpatrick in latest history? Yeah, this is the point in a list where I really sort of stood back because for the longest time I was expecting Fittipaldi to be in second place. And then I don't want to spoil the rest of the rank on his list. I won't say too much, but then I actually, I've come to agree on Kev. Basically, on the fact that we last year rated the lotus 72 is the greatest Grand Prix, car of all time. Fittipaldi wasn't part of building that team that won the title. He came in and basically made the most of the brilliant tools he had at his disposable to win the championship with lotus obviously becoming the youngest world champion whereas I think particularly the next driver is less than a one in and the one who talks to this list. They built championship titles sort of teams and structures and were much more of a part of that success and Fittipaldi who did a brilliant job but with what were clearly the best tools in the late 72. Can give you some more numbers there. It was 9 wins from 42 starts for lotus, which is a win percentage of 21 and a half percent. And that is, where's that? That's about fourth on this list. So moss and jochen rind have 33% hit rate there or thereabouts. And then the driver and number one is 35%. So yeah, fit party about halfway. Who could it possibly be at number one? Well, let's reveal it now, as you say, obviously. It's not as bad as when we did the Ferrari one and trying to not disclose Michael Schumacher's number one. No, I mean, it is the challenge of doing this discussing these lists in podcast form is it's like, well, it's a natural progression of going down the order, but how do you not talk about who's coming up next? But anyway, I think we've handled it reasonably well. I think that would be a fair assessment. Let's get on to top two as ever will reveal them both together, so Kev can explain why they're in a particular in that particular order. At number two, spike about him earlier, Mario Andretti drove for lotus between 1968 and 1969 in a limited program and then fully in 1976 to 1980, 79 world championship races for lotus 11 wins and of course the 1978 world title. At number one, I think again mat said much like Michael Schmidt in the Ferrari list at number one, Jim Clark drove for largest between 1960 and 1968, 72 races in the world championship 25 victories and most famously two world titles, one in 1963 and one in 1965. So Kev, as you say in your piece, how could it be anyone else having Clark at number one? Was there ever a case of Andretti being able to pip him on any front? No, no, really. I mean, I suppose you would say that Mario is probably technically better from a technical point of view. I think he could probably explain what a racing car was doing better than Clark certainly in Clark's early days. I think Colin Chapman did a lot of the translating, if you like. Jim tells you what the car is doing and Colin works out what that means of what he then needs to do. The car was I think Mario was probably a bit further down the road of his understanding of what the car needed to the point actually where he pointed out to Colin Chapman that the ground effect car needed to be stiffer. Colin ignored him and Patrick headwind and did what later shoot it down with the FW O 7. It wasn't really close. I mean, Mario is ahead of MSG powder, he's probably carrying a cover that off first, because really Matt kind of alluded to it there. He joined lotus when they were in the doldrums. 75 had been atrocious season. They not won a race. And he knuckled down to rebuild with them..