I'll start by saying that I don't want this to be a bashing thread, but a debate to weigh up the attributes of the various greats vying for the title of greatest. And by the greatest drivers, I'm talking of the pure, in the cockpit, fighting for position, phenomenal car control type driving. Not the "ability to build a good team/motivate/work ethic" skills. Actual driving ability.
My definition of a great driver has to be someone with the ability to put a car were it shouldn't be through their talents alone. The driver must also be consistently blindingly quick, constantly on the limit but not over it, relish the fight and have the ability to find that something extra when the pressure is really on.
Red you gave me the following list of drivers to consider: Ascari, Clark, Fangio, Hakkinen, (I interpret this as Graham
) Hill, Prost, Schumacher, Senna, and Varzi. That's a great starting point but I would also add Gilles Vileneuve to that list. I'll have to give Varzi a miss though as I've never actually heard of him (any info you have Red would be great)!
Ascari: 13 wins, 14 poles and 11 fastest laps from just 32 starts certainly makes for impressive reading. Like so many greats his life was cut tragically short when he died in a testing crash in 1955. As with many drivers from this era any true opinion on talent and race craft are difficult to muster when you have never seen the driver race with your own eyes. None the less, his name is as synonymous with the early years of the Official World Championship as Fangio and that has to speak volumes. Any driver with the ability to control the cars of the 50's is a great in my eyes but those that were able to consistently win in them really are legends. However, lack of any extended footage of his talents at work means that it is impossible to confirm his true abilities beyond the statistics. But hey, he beat Fangio in '53!
Fangio: We all know he achieved a record number of Championship wins that stood on it's own for 45 years. This paints a rather distorted picture however. His 5 title came from competing in very few races and he had the best machinery for the job for the majority of him career. This doesn't discount to much from what he achieved particularly considering the era in which he achieved it.
Clark: What is there to say really, certainly in my top 3. His performances are legendary; again in an era that really set the men apart from the boys, with cars notoriously difficult to keep on the road, with the knowledge that a single mistake could mean death. Enough footage exists for a genuine comparison with more recent drivers as far as talent is concerned. Watching Clark and Hill power sliding through the Curve Grande is the stuff dreams are made of and really does set them apart from the mechanical, gizmo ridden styles we see today. Again, 25 wins from 72 starts is extremely impressive but his car control and race craft are close to unsurpassed.
G. Hill: See above, although he was outshone by Clark it is clear that Hill was phenomenal.
G. Villeneuve: Now that's what I call a racing driver. Once again another possible legend cut off in his prime. His defining drive was probably the French Grand Prix when perhaps the most exciting battle for second place in F1 History resulted in Gilles dragging his much slower Ferrari home, ahead of the Renault of Rene Arnoux. A genius for sure and another contended for the top 3.
Hakkinen: This may upset a few but I think he's over rated. His two titles came as a result of Newey's genius rather than Hakkinens during a time when the only driver of truly great ability was languishing in a less than impressive Ferrari. Lack of race craft and a tendency to lose interest when he's not winning would put him well behind the likes of Mansell, Stewart and Lauda as well as Red's list.
Prost: The master tactician that he was earned him the title 'the proffessor' but was he truly a great driver. I'd have to say yes, although not in the accepted sense. His real skill came from being able to win with the minimum possible effort. He lacked in the car control department however and rain was not exactly his friend. Even in far superior machinery he was made to look ordinary by Senna at Monaco '84 and of course Donnington where he was lapped. One of the greats for sure but not in my top 3.
Schumacher: The most successful driver in F1 history but not the best racing driver. He is undoubtedly very quick and almost superhumanly consistent. As a pilot few can equal him but as a race car driver many have surpassed him. He has a tendency of cracking under pressure and seems all to willing to shy away from competition if he possibly can, he certainly seems to value wins higher than the fight to get them. His race craft is doubtful as he rarely puts it to the test, yet when he does he rarely comes out on top. His success is down to his application and professionalism which, when allied to his natural talents, make for a potent package. One of the greats for sure, but as a driver alone he can't compete with the legends.
Senna: Finally then Ayrton Senna. The greatest driver of the last 40 years at least. His career and ability can be summed up by so many performances. Be it Monaco '84, Portugal '85, his transcendent drive to pole at Monaco '88, the win in Brazil '91 whilst driving with only 6th gear and of course Donnington '93, arguably the greatest drive of the lot, when he made the likes of Prost and Schumacher look like mire mortals. It's this that puts Senna above the rest, as a driver.
So my top 3 are as follows:
3. G. Villeneuve
2. J. Clark
1. A. Senna
Sorry for the essay but there you are Red
.