His rock-star lifestyle. His rock-star (ex)
girlfriend. His whiny radio chatter. But he
fought the great Fernando Alonso (one of the
best F1 drivers ever) to a draw at McLaren in
2007 , and his ability to wring 110% out of any
car is awe-inspiring.
Many of the sport’s insiders consider him
the best on the grid today, but how does he
compare with the greatest of Britain? To find
out, we sifted through race results for various
Brits and Flying Scots, before tossing it all
aside. Honestly, statistics can only tell you so
much. The rest, like racing itself, is based on
pure feel.
So, without further ado, here’s our best-of-
the-Brits ‘comparo’, for lack of a better word.
Known for his flashy, tail-out driving and his
(friendly) rivalry with the great Niki Lauda, he
was similarly infamous for his taste for alcohol
and sex. Hunt was rumored to have slept with
33 British Airways stewardesses the night
before the title-winning race in Japan in 1976.
Despite Hunt’s wild reputation, Lauda praised
him for his precision in wheel-to-wheel racing.
Michael Schumacher’s arch-rival during the
Benetton years employed a minimalist driving
style that made him reliable and gentle on
equipment. Hill lost the championship twice
to the German before winning the title
with Williams in 1996, after which he was
unceremoniously dropped in favor of Heinz-
Harald Frentzen.
While inconsistent in his first few F1 seasons,
Button managed a fantastic third for BAR
Honda in 2004 behind the dominant Ferraris.
Honda’s strength proved short-lived, however,
and Button had to wait five agonizing years
until he earned the title at a revitalized Brawn
GP in 2009.
His smooth driving and strategic genius
at times allowed him to show up the faster
Hamilton at McLaren-Mercedes, scoring
more points than his win tally would suggest.
And their in-team wheel-to-wheel duels were
some of the best ever. Sadly, given McLaren-
Honda’s current issues, there’s little hope for
another championship for the ever-likable Brit.
Not the most natural of drivers, the older Hill
only got his license at the age of 24. Still, his
methodical approach to driving and car setup
made him consistently quick, especially at the
legendarily tricky Monaco GP, which he won
five times. He remains the only driver to have
completed the ‘Triple Crown,’ winning the Indy
500 , the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the F1
championship. Who knows what he could have
accomplished had he started racing earlier?
The only man to win both F1 and World
Motorcycle Racing (now MotoGP)
championships, Surtees captured the title
with Ferrari in 1964, with several motorcycle
crowns already under his belt. Now, imagine
if MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi (who has
tested for Ferrari) had done the same...
Everyone loves to
hate Lewis Hamilton.
James Hunt
(92 races, 10 wins, 1 championship)
Damon Hill
(115 races, 22 wins, 1 championship)
Jenson Button
(274 races, 15 wins, 1 championship,
as of the 2015 british grand prix)
GraHam Hill
(176 races, 14 wins, 2 championships)
JoHn surtees
(111 races, 6 wins, 1 championship)
10 8
7
6
9
FULL THROTTLE
BeST oF THe BriTS
92 TOP GEAR PHILIPPINES WWW.topgear.com.ph