We all love a good debate, pitting Goku against anyone or Batman vs. Superman. Naturally, if you're a Formula One fan, you may have found yourself deep in the rabbit hole of comparing F1 champions from different eras. From Ayrton Senna to Max Verstappen, you've heard these debates on who is better.
However, I'm here to tell you there is no fair way to pit them against one another. There are several reasons why these debates are unfair, including technological advances, the number of races, points awarded, and globalization. If you don't have the means to transport them all to a specific period, making accurate comparisons can be challenging.
1. Points System
The complexities of the points systems add a layer of intricacy that makes comparing drivers across different eras unfair. The points system has been the most consistent since 2010, but in the early days, it changed often, and only a limited number of points were rewarded.
Let's compare some of the household names, starting with Ayrton Senna. In 1991, where he won his third and final world championship, he walked away with 96 points. Hypothetically speaking, if he were to win every race that year, he would get a maximum of 160 points. Only the top 6 drivers were rewarded points, with 10 points going to first place.
Michael Schumacher's highest point total was in 2004 when he scored 148 points. The top eight drivers were rewarded points; if Schumacher were to win every race, he would receive only 180 points. First place was awarded 10 points for each race.
Today, in 2023, Max Verstappen, who won the championship, walked away with a mind-boggling score of 575 points. With 23 races, six sprints, and the fastest lap, if one were to win every single race and sprint, one would hypothetically win with 646 points. Points are also given to top 10 drivers, with 25 points awarded to first place.
The evolution of the points system introduces a significant challenge when comparing these drivers. They were all highly impressive drivers for their time. So, if you base it on points alone, it could seem like Verstappen is the greatest. But we all know this isn't accurate because many other reasons come into play.
2. Globalization of Formula 1
F1 has deep European roots and has now become a global phenomenon. Most recently, it's been making waves in North America by adding races in Miami and Las Vegas. The influx of sponsors, massive budgets and commercialization have turned drivers into global icons. With globalization, that will mean more races being added to the calendar and being more involved with social media and sponsorships. Today's F1 champions must navigate a media landscape differently from their predecessors and need higher stamina to race more.
Michael Schumacher dominated the sport while racing for Ferrari between 1996 and 2006 and went on to win five consecutive World Championships. In 2006, there were 18 races in the F1 calendar. Unlike today, in 2023, we have 23 races on the calendar. In 2024, that will increase to 24 races. That means, if you compare the number of points earned in the races, this already puts Max Verstappen ahead of Michael Schumacher.
In the earlier days of F1, before it became a global hit, there were only so many promotional events drivers had to go through and only do a few interviews. Nowadays, with our lives revolving around social media, it would require more content that drivers need to be involved with. Take the 'Grill the Grid' series on YouTube; drivers in the 70s would have never had to do this.
Even though F1 drivers of all eras had to juggle promotional duties, it's not compared to today. With 23 races worldwide and with social media, they have to be involved more while having to race more compared to drivers in the past. I'm not saying Schumacher couldn't handle it; after all, he's one of the greats, but it's all speculation unless we see him in his prime today juggling it all.
3. Technological Evolution
Imagine transporting legendary drivers like Ayrton Senna or Jim Clark to our present day to look at the cars we have on the track. Their eyes would widen, and their minds would explode at the technological marvel of the modern F1 car. The cutting-edge aerodynamics, hybrid power units, tyre materials, and energy recovery systems have turned the sport into a high-stakes game of engineering prowess. Drivers in the past also lacked the sophisticated computerized systems that drivers today rely on for split-second decisions.
Another thing to note is, with all these technological advances, the modern F1 car is much wider and longer than cars in the past. This makes it so there are fewer overtakes on certain tracks, which can affect the driver outcomes.
With faster and more powerful cars come higher gravitational forces. An F1 driver today will usually experience 2 G while accelerating and 4-6 G while cornering. To withstand this force, drivers today must undergo extreme training, especially in their necks. Drivers in the past, especially the earlier days, the cars would not be as fast and training would not be as lucrative as today.
F1 cars are fast, as are the technological advances they have made. To compare a driver from the 70s to Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton now would not be fair. We can only guess how Lewis would do in the 70s and how Senna would do now. But it'll be tough to say unless you can have them in the same cars in the same years, especially with how sophisticated the technology has gotten.
4. Game-Changing Safety Features
Let's change the pace a bit and appreciate the safety strides that F1 has made over the years. Every time a major accident happens, safety is taken up a notch, whether it be something in the car or the racing suit. The days of daredevil racers taking on the track with minimal protection are gone. Drivers today are walking away from crashes that might have been fatal in the past.
Look at the halo, a feature designed by Mercedes and approved by the FIA to improve driver survival rates by 17% in certain situations. At first, the halo didn't seem substantial, but it has been credited with saving five lives since its introduction. In 2018, Charles Leclerc's halo was struck by Fernando Alonso's airbourne McLaren, which Leclerc later credited the halo for saving his life.
Examples like these are one of the reasons why you can't compare the bravery and skills from different eras. It's like comparing apples to oranges; it only works if they're all in the same environment.
5. Team Dynamics
If you go back to the early days of F1, there weren’t as many engineers, mechanics and support staff behind the scenes. Jump back to today, and you now have a band, an orchestra even, of engineers, strategists and support staff working in harmony. The sport has evolved to be a collaborative effort.
With smaller teams back in the past, it allowed some more mechanically inclined drivers to be more involved with the car's development. However, the car’s development was greatly influenced by the valuable feedback provided by all drivers after each race. Today, teams are more extensive, and it takes the pressure off drivers to be involved more than they already are.
We can reminisce about legends like Niki Lauda getting his hands greasy, underscoring the mechanical intimacy of the past. Contrastingly, the Max Verstappens of today are more like conductors than grease monkeys. It could be argued that while Lauda was more involved, his rival, James Hunt, was less so.
Drawing comparisons between the achievements of the past's small garage bands and today's collective efforts is like weighing a garage band against a symphony orchestra. The evolution of F1's team dynamics paints a vivid portrait of progress, transforming the sport into a harmonious spectacle thanks to the collective brilliance of the teams.
It’s Probably Best To Not Compare Them
As much as we love to defend our favourite champion, they don't need to be defended. They were all great during their era. F1 cars today may reach speeds of 378 kph, but technological advances are moving just as fast. There is no fair way to pitch the champions up against one another, but there is also no reason to do it. These are the greatest drivers in the world, and they all made a name for themselves with what they were given.
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