It is absolutely impossible for someone to wake up one day and decided that he or she will just go out that day and race in a Formula 1 race. The drivers in this sport must be incredibly and highly conditioned and trained in order to achieve what typical Formula 1 drivers can do. Seriously Formula 1 drivers have to undergo some very intense training and conditioning in order to achieve amazing endurance and stamina. The force created in a Formula 1 car is quite a lot considering, and on top of that the excessive heat is crucial. In fact, a driver can lose up to 4 and a half pounds in one race! To think about all of the strength, energy, and training that a driver must have is incredible. The drivers listed below are my top picks for some of the greatest drivers in the sport (in no particular order), and all of them can be found in the Hall of Fame. Be sure to watch this 2011 season of Formula 1 on BBC in HD. You can find the channel on your tv guide for direct tv if you need to.
Alberto Ascari - Ascari was born in Italy in 1918. His father was a well-known Italian driver as well. Ascari was a well-loved and dominating champion of Formula 1, and he was actually one of the safest drivers in a time when the sport was very unsafe. Unfortunately one month to the day before the anniversary of his father’s death exactly 30 years before, Ascari was in a tragic accident that was eerily similar to that of his father’s. To this day the accident remains a mystery, but Alverto Ascari remains a Formula 1 legend.
Jackie Stewart – Not only are Stewart’s track records still great enough to keep him in the top realm with other champions, but he alone helped to create a safer sport in Formula 1. He also found a way to get the sport across on a commercial level too. Stewart’s intelligence and effective communication made him a great influence on the sport, but he backed it up with some incredible driving. This Scottish driver introduced full-faced helmets, seat belts, and medical units to the sport. There was more to Stewart than just being a great racing car driver, but he was that too.
Mario Andretti - In the year 1955 the Andretti family immigrated from Italy to America. Mario Andretti had already discovered his passion for racing cars, and at the age of 18 he and his twin Aldo began racing in stock car races. Aldo crashed soon after and decided not to race anymore, while Mario was racing sometimes 5 races in just one day. There have been few drivers with as much passion as Mario Andretti and it was evident in his driving and wins.
Ayrton Senna – The overly ambitious Brazilian, Senna, was said to have driven like a man possessed. At some points during his career he would even startle himself going at uncontrollable speeds. In 1994 Senna met his fate in an accident. Frank Williams sad of him, “Ayrton was no ordinary person. He was actually a greater man out of the car than in it.”
Michael Schumacher – The German Micahel Schumacher has earned himself 7 World Championships. This driver has held just about every Formula 1 record imaginable, and in 2007 he retired. Only in 2010 Schumacher returned to the sport to race for the Mercedes GP team.
