18 replies to this topic

[stuartbrs]

Ive tried to work this out, but was wondering if anyone else knows the answer already.

Which country has the best drivers to world championship ratio?

In other words, if Country `X` has had 10 drivers participate, and scored 5 World Championships, they would have a 50% drivers to championship ratio.

Can someone tell me which country has the best ratio, and more interestingly, which is the worst??

Stuart

[Flying Panda]

I would assume Finland has the best, and the United States the worst.

Give me an hour or two and I'd be happy to make ratios or all

[stuartbrs]

Thanks Panda, I wont be able to check back untill tommorrow so no rush!

And I think that brazil may have the worst ratio, even with Senna`s and Fitapaldi`s championships theres been an awful lot of Brazilian drivers over the years. And Australia must have a pretty good ratio with only about 7 drivers total and 4 world championships.

Anyway, Im probably a long way off the mark!!

[Mark Beckman]

Finland would win out on WDC's per head of populace too.

Then counter in World Rally Champ's and Motorcycle World Champions, Speedway, MX and Road Race and it seems that every kid born can do something on wheels.

[stuartbrs]

must be something in the water.... er, ice maybe?!

[Flying Panda]

Indeed, Mark.
But its still a wonder why so few of them have made it to F1 isnt it?
It would seen that the scandinavians all prefer to Rally.

Anyway, Until Forix is back online, here is a provisional list

Country	  Drivers	WDC's	Driver-WDC Ratio

Finland 	7	2	28.57142857

Austria		 14	2	14.28571429

Brazil			22	3	13.63636364

Australia	16	2	12.5

New Zealand	8	1	12.5

Canada			11	1	9.090909091

United Kingdom	156	8	5.128205128

South Africa	21	1	4.761904762

Argentina	24	1	4.166666667

Italy			87	2	2.298850575

Germany			50	1	2

France			60	1	1.666666667

United States	153	2	1.307189542

[Milan Fistonic]

Originally posted by Flying Panda
Indeed, Mark.
But its still a wonder why so few of them have made it to F1 isnt it?
It would seen that the scandinavians all prefer to Rally.

Anyway, Until Forix is back online, here is a provisional list

Country	  Drivers	WDC's	Driver-WDC Ratio

Finland 	7	2	28.57142857

Austria		 14	2	14.28571429

Brazil			22	3	13.63636364

Australia	16	2	12.5

New Zealand	8	1	12.5

Canada			11	1	9.090909091

United Kingdom	156	8	5.128205128

South Africa	21	1	4.761904762

Argentina	24	1	4.166666667

Italy			87	2	2.298850575

Germany			50	1	2

France			60	1	1.666666667

United States	153	2	1.307189542

Those figures refer to world champions whereas Stuart asked for the ratio of drivers to world championships.

Which means Finland's percentage would be 42.86. Brazil's 34.78, Australia's 33.33 and Austria's 30.77.

[ehagar]

To be fair though... that Forix list includes American Indy 500 drivers when it was part of the world championship. So the American ratio is unfair.

[Mark Beckman]

Flying Panda, many Finnish people by nature are generally tall and F1 up until recently has been out of bounds because of their pyhsical size, Ari Vatenen is an example.

Also Hannu Mikkola simply did not want to drive F1 after testing, prefering not to "just keep going round and round" (rough quote).

I was also thinking in terms of championships in total, not just the individuals.

[stuartbrs]

Thanks Panda

I was actually thinking of total championships but the way you compiled the info was still interesting. It seems some countries have quality whilst others have quantity. Not being disrespectful to those countries but it seems the moneyed up countries are the worst performers, like that old aussie saying "if you throw enough cr#p at something then some of it has to stick!"
Whilst other countires ( most notably Finland ) seem to only get their champions into drives, leaving the ,er, less talented ones to do something else.
Is it because, with not as much money to go around, that only those drivers worth backing get in? or is it simply because those countries, for whatever reason, produce consistently better drivers.

I know there is no way to answer this, especially not with statistics.... but this one is fun to work out.

[JohnS]

If you consider Scotland to be a separate country (which, being a true Scot, I do!) then we must be right up there. 5 titles, from how many drivers? Clark, Stewart, Ireland, Coulthard, McNish ...

John

[stuartbrs]

I didnt even think of Scotland! Of course, Scotland must outdo even Finland? What is it with these colder climates and fast racing drivers?

[Mark Beckman]

Originally posted by JohnS
If you consider Scotland to be a separate country (which, being a true Scot, I do!) then we must be right up there. 5 titles, from how many drivers? Clark, Stewart, Ireland, Coulthard, McNish ...

John

Nah, Scotlands Britain.

















(running for cover )

[Cypher]

I checked this a while ago at Forix for British drivers born in Scotland and there were 12, I remember.

[Cypher]

Oops. 13 now. Forgot about McNish joining since then.

[JohnS]

Originally posted by Cypher
I checked this a while ago at Forix for British drivers born in Scotland and there were 12, I remember.

Oops. 13 now. Forgot about McNish joining since then.

So, apart from Stewart, Clark, Ireland, Coulthard and McNish, can you remember who the 8 others were?

John

[BRG]

Jimmy Stewart (brother of Jackie), Ian Stewart (no relative, AFAIK), Ron Flockhart, Jim Crawford, Archie Scott-Brown, David Murray and Johnny Dumfries (Marquis of Bute etc). Can't find the other one! Anyone?

[O Volante]

Leslie Thorne - but since when is Bolton (Jim Crawford's birthplace, as far as I'm aware) a part of Scotland? Perhaps "ethnic origins" are the better term ...

[O Volante]

Errrr, should have looked more carefully: LIVED Bolton, BORN Dunfermline, Fife