who is the greatest f1 driver aryton senna or michael schumacher?

Answer 1

Senna without a doubt. Schumacher never had serious long-term competition in all his years in F1, and certainly never from within his own team. Senna won his titles against much stiffer opposition (Piquet, Prost; even Mansell) than Schumi ever encountered in his career. Don't forget he beat Prost fair and square in 1988 and only lost to Prost cheating in 1989. Senna also won the title in an inferior car (1991), however all Schumi's titles came in the best (or equal-best) car.
Senna, Piquet and Prost shared 9 titles (3 each) in 11 years, a period of dominance that has never been surpassed in the history of F1. Between 1983 and 1991 only another all-time great (Lauda) got a look-in. That's competition - 4 of the all-time greats sharing the same era.
Schumi is in the top 10 of all time, but he's not the best, except statistically - and that he owes to having the best car and no teammate competition for so long.

To add to what arsenalfan78th wrote: Schumi was waving and grinning like a moron on the podium when he won at Imola 1994...it was pretty obvious by then that Senna wasn't going to make it, even if he didn't die until early evening. That says everything you need to say about Schumi.

And to reply to Haniff NZ: do you know what you're talking about? 1994 Schumi's Benetton was a much better car than the Williams (8/16 race wins), 1995 they were about equal still, 9/17 race wins) and in 2000 he won 9/17 races again...doesn't look too inferior to me. Drivers winning the title in inferior cars tend to do it by having much better reliability than a faster competitor, yet in 2000 Hakkinnen (14)finished more races in the points than Schumi (13), and Coulthard finished the same number as Schumi, yet they were 19 and 35 points behind him respectively. Same story in 1994, Schumi 10 points finishes to 12 for Hill. And in 1995 he was 33 points clear at the end of the season...you just don't do that in an inferior car!

Answer 2

No. After 30 year you should have learned to watch with a more open mind Senna and Mansell are hero's of the sport, Schumacher, despite phenomenal all round talent was a cheat. Persistently. And no other great champion made so many big mistakes (remember when he broke his legs?). How come Schumacher fans completely disregard the talent of Alonso? (who else got points in a Minardi?) The youngest drivers champ of all time, and he didn't have the best car, he beat Schumacher to the title twice, fair and square against massive adversity. It was as if the FIA were trying everything they could to make sure the Schumacher left as drivers champ. But Alonso was too good, and one of the reasons that Schumacher left, the other being the phenomenally fast Kimi Raikkonen. Schumacher would never want to be upstaged by his team mate, he was already feeling the pressure with Massa. There are a draft of great drivers at the moment, rarely has there been such a talented field, as well as Alonso, Raikkonen and Massa, there's Kubica, Hamilton, Webber, Heidfeld, Kovalianen, and Davidson. In that order. I truly believe that this season with be one of the most intersting for a long time.

Answer 3

I'm a big fan of Schumacher, but I have a hard time putting him ahead of Senna. Senna was alive and raced in a time when there were a lot of really high-powered drivers, and stood out. Schumacher was never presented with quite the same competition.

Answer 4

Jim Clark for me was the best driver ever. However on your question, if you put Senna and Michael in the same car and told them to race i think Senna would win cause he had no fear, how many races do you remember where Senna and Prost were rubbing Tires in a race trying to pass each other? I dont think I ever saw that even once with Schumacher

Answer 5

Senna without a doubt, had he lived he would have had 7/8 titles to Schumachers 2, there really should be no debate about this one

Answer 6

Im so sorry to say but Ayrton Senna would have given Michael Schumacher a run for his money if he didnt get killed in a accident in 1994.

Answer 7

senna with out a shadow of a doubt how can anyone say that he is not we never qiuet saw what senna had he could have been so much greater than we saw in my books there will never be better than senna the world lost a great man

Answer 8

This has to be the m0st asked F1 question. Not only it is on Yahoo! but everywhere else. I'd say Senna. He'd been doing great stuff but unfortunately his life was cut short. If he'd lived..... but we'll never know. God bless him.

His name now lives on in nephew, Bruno Senna, currently in GP2.

Answer 9

Quote of bill...
His 24 victories came in just 51 Grands Prix.
That is a win rate of just over one every other race.

No it isn't a win rate of just over one every other race would mean he would eithet had to have won 26 (or more) GP's in them 51 races or won the 24 GP's in 47 GP's (or less)

Anyway...

Senna no doubt. Schumacher would go out of his way to get people to win a Championship/ Race. When Senna died he was found with a blood-soaked Austrian flag which he was no doubt going to wave when he won the race as a tribute to Roland Ratzenberger. I do not think Schumacher would have done that. He tries to kill people not honour their deaths. He wouldn't have shed a tear if Damon Hill or Jacques Villeneuve had died when he tried to stop them from winning the championship. Ferrari always told his teammates to let him overtake them and when it was made illegal his teammates 'accidently-on-purpose' went off the track and 'accidently-on-purpose' let him past. Or they 'accidently-on-purpose' broke on the finishing straight way too early. Or they needed to go into the pits to fix a problem when they had been setting the fastest laps for the past few laps. Or they 'accidently-on-purpose' forgot that he was behind them and thought he was lapping them so they would let him past. Or the Ferrari pit crew would have a cup of tea whilst fitting his teammates car.

He may have all the records but he doesn't have a heart.

Answer 10

I have to go Michael Schumacher.

Aryton was one of the greats but his fitness was never as good as Michaels.
Also Senna was always at a top team where as if you look at Schumacher when he left Benetton joined Ferrari who were, although in the past great, a so-so team.