So Lewis Hamilton wins his fifth World Drivers’ Championship and the British press goes wild. However, this is not the most outstanding result in the history of the sport. Is Hamilton the best driver ever? The problem in comparisons is the old situation of apples and oranges. Both are fruits, but there the comparison ends.
Now to look at current drivers and compare with previous winners Schumacher, Clark and Fangio, you have a similar statistical problem. In the fifties, there were around nine meetings a year, and in the nineties there were around 15 races a year, so it is easier for Hamilton and friends to rack up high scores now with 20 races each year.
To try to equalize all the differences, the statistician must look at percentages and we get some interesting results.
Highest percentage of wins in a season:
Percentage Wins
1. Alberto Ascari 1952 75.00%
2. Michael Schumacher 2004 72.22%
3. Jim Clark 1963 70.00%
4. Sebastian Vettel 2013 68.42%
5. Juan Manuel Fangio 1954 66.67%
6. Michael Schumacher 2002 64.71%
7. Sebastian Vettel 2011 57.89%
8. UK Lewis Hamilton 2014 57.89%
Percentage pole positions:
Percentage poles
1. Juan Manuel Fangio 55.77%
2. Jim Clark 45.21%
3. Alberto Ascari 42.42%
4. Ayrton Senna 40.12%
5. Lewis Hamilton 35.68%
6. Sebastian Vettel 25.23%
Percentage podium finishes:
Podiums
1. Juan Manuel Fangio 67.31%
2. Nino Farina 58.82%
3. Lewis Hamilton 58.15%
By looking at percentages we get something closer to being representative of the relative performances of the drivers from 1950 until now. Names that consistently crop up are Fangio, Clark, Schumacher, while Hamilton is not up there with the ‘greats’.
The work load today is also nothing compared to the 1960’s as well. Here is Jim Clark’s schedule for the first half year in 1965.
January: South African GP, three Tasman series wins in NZ.
February: Warwick Farm Tasman series win, Sandown Tasman series (came 2nd but champion overall).
March: Lakeside Australia GP (wins by two laps), Brands Hatch, British Sports Car championship, Sebring 3 Hour (US), wins by two laps.
April: Syracuse GP wins by 42 seconds, Snetterton F2 and Touring cars, Goodwood three wins, Pau F2, Oulton Park.
May: Wins Indy.
June: Mosport (USA) Touring cars and F2, Crystal Palace, Spa (wins by 44 seconds), New York sponsor’s function, Clermont Ferrand (France).
That is just 6 months and he competed in eight countries and 20 major categories (winning F1 championship, winning F2 championship, Touring cars, winning Indy and sports cars). Today’s cosseted lot would have to lie down and rest.
