99 replies to this topic

[f1paul]

Is it someone from F1, WEC, MotoGP, IMSA, WTCC, V8, NASCAR, Indycar, whatever

[Marklar]

You can't even really compare drivers within a series, how should this be possible if you compare entirely different series?

 

So my answer is: I have no idea. I can name you for each series the driver(s) I rate the highest and this might be then my list with the best drivers.

Edited by Marklar, 21 May 2016 - 12:43.

[f1paul]

I can name you for each series the drivers I rate high/highest and this might be then my list with the best drivers.

It would be good to hear this

[Group B]

It's impossible really, even within one category, the old diagram of arrows and drivers comes to mind, based on team mate performances and proving Diniz was better than Fangio or something similarly daft. For what it's worth, as an F1 team owner, I would probably take Hamilton and Alonso, but the likes of Vettel, Riccardo, even NR, MV and KR are so close behind that you stand a good chance of getting in wrong. As for other categories, I'll have a think and come back ... 

[Tsarwash]

I would say that the skills required to win a championship in say MotoGP and WRC are so different that any comparisons between the two are moot. It would seem the same as asking who is the best athlete in the world, Usain Bolt or Mo Farah. 

[Yamamoto]

Rob Collard.

[TomNokoe]

ALONSO MOST COMPLETE

[sennafan24]

[Tsarwash]

It's impossible really, even within one category, the old diagram of arrows and drivers comes to mind, based on team mate performances and proving Diniz was better than Fangio or something similarly daft. For what it's worth, as an F1 team owner, I would probably take Hamilton and Alonso, but the likes of Vettel, Riccardo, even NR, MV and KR are so close behind that you stand a good chance of getting in wrong. As for other categories, I'll have a think and come back ... 

Obviously see my sig. Facts back it up. Badoer beat Barrichello in the same car over one full season, and so on. So it must be true.

[LiftAndCoast]

Carmen Jorda.



Sorry, we're talking about best Instagram account, right? 😂

[TypeR85]

Pains me to say it because I'm a massive Hamilton fanatic but for me it's one of the Redbull drivers. If you asked me a race ago I'd have said Ricciardo but after seeing what Max did straight away I'll leave it a while before making a final answer.

[Tsarwash]

Badoer > Barrichello > Irvine > Frentzen > Heidfeld > Webber > Rosberg > Schumacher

Also works for me.

[nordschleife]

Is it someone from F1, WEC, MotoGP, IMSA, WTCC, V8, NASCAR, Indycar, whatever

 

Yes.

[THEWALL]

Do you really want to do the > permutations once again?

[Dr. Austin]

If we are voting, I think Scott Dixon is the only guy competitive in multiple disciplines, Indycar and Sportscars. 

[YoungGun]

 

Max!

[Branislav]

Is it someone from F1, WEC, MotoGP, IMSA, WTCC, V8, NASCAR, Indycar, whatever

For me the most complete driver is Loeb.

[sennafan24]

Max!

If he starts getting the better of D.R on a consistent basis, then yes.

But for now, Max is top 5 in F1, not the outright best. On current form, Ricciardo is a tier above everyone else. He hasn't had a poor performance all year, and has had some dreadful luck with punctures and strategic gaffes.

[MastaKink]

I can only comment on F1 as I don't follow any other series as closely but I agree with sennafan, on current form it's Danny boy. Seb/Lew/Alo are always there or thereabouts of course.

[THEWALL]

Mattias Ekström

[Rambazamba]

JPM

[DS27]

Best Driver? probably Rory Mcllroy

[Fozzy]

JPM, or Kimi.. Pretty much the modern day all-rounders.

[kraduk]

Def Loeb.

[crooky369]

So hard to say.

 

Hamilton doesn't look much better than Rosberg. Same with Alonso over Button plus there's doubts for me over his qualifying speed for me if Mclaren did get near the front again. Ricciardo looks good but he's always been in the favorable underdog situation until now with Max so It'll be interesting to see how he fares with more pressure. Vettel looks a little rough round the edges at the moment but undoubtedly has the full package when on best form.

 

Maybe Simon Pageneau as a wild card outside of F1. Looked good in sportscars and is now doing the business in Indycar. The second place at Phoenix could suggest he's ready to win at Indy as well... 

[loki]

Sportscars Michael Delaney

 

Indycar Joe Tanto

 

F1 Jean Girard

 

NASCAR Cole Trickle

[MikeV1987]

Andre Lotterer for me, great driver in both Super Formula and WEC. I have no doubts that he could hold his own in an F1 car as well.

Edited by MikeV1987, 21 May 2016 - 18:43.

[PayasYouRace]

Andre Lotterer for me, great driver in both Super Formula and WEC. I have no doubts that he could hold his own in an F1 car as well.

 

He did a decent job in that Caterham a couple of years ago.

[EightGear]

Loeb.

[HoldenRT]

Is there only one?

[MikeV1987]

He did a decent job in that Caterham a couple of years ago.

 

Yeah he out qualified Ericsson by a second, although I can't remember the circumstances that led to that big gap.

 

His electrical failure on lap 1 seemed all too convenient to me though, I got the impression that Caterham just wanted to save parts for the rest of the season. lol

Edited by MikeV1987, 21 May 2016 - 19:45.

[messy]

Lotterer is probably the most complete. Single seaters, sportscars, and jumped into a Caterham F1 car and immediately thrashed Ericsson - who's now looking pretty solid as a Sauber driver. If he was five years younger, he'd have been looked at VERY seriously by F1 team bosses for 2015.

[Auzz]

Loeb!

[BRG]

Gordon Shedden.

 

Go Flash!!!

[Myrvold]

If we are voting, I think Scott Dixon is the only guy competitive in multiple disciplines, Indycar and Sportscars.

Mattias Ekström, Sebastien Loeb and Andrè Lotterer wants a word.

[SilverArrow31]

Stoffel Vandoorne is not bad I hear, but I agree with others. There is too much depth and difference between the different Motorsport disciplines to tell.

[Andrew Hope]

Shane van Gisbergen

[JHSingo]

Shane van Gisbergen

If this was "who's the most spectacular driver in motorsport at the moment?" he'd certainly be up there.

[jonpollak]

Town Send BELL
Jp

[dgsg]

Def Loeb.

Agreed!

[Anonymouse]

Andre Lotterer for me, great driver in both Super Formula and WEC. I have no doubts that he could hold his own in an F1 car as well.

But Nakajima has beaten him in 3 out of 4 seasons as teammates, so...

 

Kazuki Nakajima is the best driver in motorsport at the moment.

Edited by Anonymouse, 22 May 2016 - 02:49.

[RPM40]

Shane van Gisbergen

 

Currently the lowest placed of the three 888 team mates. hmmm

[travbrad]

Lotterer is probably the most complete. Single seaters, sportscars, and jumped into a Caterham F1 car and immediately thrashed Ericsson - who's now looking pretty solid as a Sauber driver. If he was five years younger, he'd have been looked at VERY seriously by F1 team bosses for 2015.

 

I assume the main reason they tend to not hire older drivers is they see it as a bad "long term investment"?  If a driver is good/fast enough I can't really see any other reason.  The problem with that idea is that almost no driver stays with the same team for a really long time though.  Vettel was brought up through the Red Bull program and now drives for Ferrari.  Hamilton had ties to Mclaren for most of his career and now drives for Mercedes, etc.  I agree Lotterer seems like a great driver though. Certainly the driver right now I'd say had the most potential in F1 but never really got a chance at it (other than testing and a one-off race with a backmarker team).

 

It's very hard to compare different series though as other people have mentioned.  LMP1 and F1 are at least somewhat similar in the performance of the cars and power/downforce.   Trying to compare them to Rallying, Motorcycle racing, Oval racing, etc is impossible.

[RPM40]

Lotterer is probably the most complete. Single seaters, sportscars, and jumped into a Caterham F1 car and immediately thrashed Ericsson - who's now looking pretty solid as a Sauber driver. If he was five years younger, he'd have been looked at VERY seriously by F1 team bosses for 2015.

 

That trashed Ericsson story isn't true. It was a wet/dry session and the lap times were improving drastically per lap as the track was drying. Lotterer by virtue of track position got another lap, Ericsson didn't. The lap prior Ericsson was ahead.

[messy]

But Nakajima has beaten him in 3 out of 4 seasons as teammates, so...
 
Kazuki Nakajima is the best driver in motorsport at the moment.

Much as everyone will laugh at that (which I suspect was the idea) you do have a point. If we're calling Lotterer the best driver in Motorsport at the moment then what about Nakajima, what about Buemi? Both of them are possibly doing better than Lotterer in their single seater campaigns, and similarly highly rated in the WEC. But we ]know Nakajima was crap in F1, whereas Lotterer showed in this tantalising, fleeting little glimpse at Spa two summers ago, that he could jump into an F1 car and impress immediately, despite being in his mid thirties, despite not having driven an F1 car since the Jaguar days, despite driving that truck that was the final Caterham.

Being able to do that separates the good from the great IMO. It's not easy to switch disciplines with success. See: Casey Stoner's attempt to do Aussie V8s, Kimi and Kubica's WRC moves, Dario Franchitti doing NASCAR, etc. I don't think Lotterer has ever not been successful whatever he's tried, he's got a brilliant CV.

[blackmme]

Sportscars Michael Delaney

Indycar Joe Tanto

F1 Jean Girard

NASCAR Cole Trickle

Surely Girard has to be in the frame for the best in NASCAR as well?

Regards Mike

[David Lightman]

Loeb seems to be able to get in any kind of vehicle and be quick. Such a shame his race drive with Torro Rosso never happened a few years back, but then we know how much F1 hates a good story.

 

http://www.jamesalle...t-in-abu-dhabi/

Edited by David Lightman, 22 May 2016 - 08:36.

[ensign14]

If we are voting, I think Scott Dixon is the only guy competitive in multiple disciplines, Indycar and Sportscars. 

 

Montoya?

[Kev00]

Lotterer is probably the most complete. Single seaters, sportscars, and jumped into a Caterham F1 car and immediately thrashed Ericsson - who's now looking pretty solid as a Sauber driver. If he was five years younger, he'd have been looked at VERY seriously by F1 team bosses for 2015.

I really like Lotterer but I also think if a few f1 drivers would match in LMP1 if they were given the opportunity. I think that Alonso could get into prototypes or touring cars and still be awesome. But he has only done f1 so we can't really call him an all rounder. It would be great to see the likes of Alonso and Button take on WEC when they leave f1.

[Nemo1965]

My guess is, that the greatest allrounder probably is a master of all trades, king of none. F1, for example, is not the ultimate yard-stick of racing, but a very specific kind of racing. The more talented a driver is, the better he can adapt to it, but ultimately the driver that just happens to have the traits that fit with the demands of the sport, will excel.

 

Perhaps it was different thirty to fifty years ago.