[Driver] The GOAT - Round One - Stewart vs Brundle

[crmalcolm]

The fifteenth match-up in Round One sees Stewart vs Brundle.

So who do you vote for as the greater driver?

Jackie Stewart
The clear best driver of the 1970s, Jackie Stewart scored three drivers’ titles and then retired, still at the height of his powers, acutely aware of the sport’s dangers. The fact that he is as much remembered today for his safety campaigning as for the quality of his driving is testament to how profoundly his influence shaped the sport, saving countless future drivers. But make no mistake, Stewart was as good as any driver in history behind the wheel.

In his rookie season, Stewart went head-to-head with Graham Hill at his peak, scoring an impressive 5-5 in counting races and 7-11 in qualifying, and 34-47 in points. What followed was a difficult two seasons at BRM, where the car was highly unreliable and generally uncompetitive. The 1966 season started well with a win at Monaco, but was followed by a crash at Spa in treacherous conditions, which broke Stewart’s collar bone, causing him to miss the next race.

In 1968, Stewart moved to Matra, setting his results on a clear upward trajectory, as he won three races and finished 2nd in the championship, despite missing two races due to a wrist injury sustained in an F2 accident. Stewart’s victory in the 1968 German GP is one of the all-time legendary drives, winning by over four minutes in wet, foggy conditions. The model rates Stewart the year’s strongest performer, as it does in 1969 and 1971-1973 during his golden years with Tyrrell. The only year in this period where Stewart is not rated the top performer is 1970, where Jochen Rindt claims the honor due to his perfect win record in counting races.

As a racer, Stewart was incredibly consistent, rarely taking unnecessary risks. In 99 starts, he retired from a crash on only four occasions, twice by himself in wet conditions (Spa 1966, Spain 1972), once due to a collision (Jacky Ickx at Canada 1969) and once from being rammed by a competitor (Clay Regazzoni at Germany 1972). His crash rate of only 2.4% in dry races is among the lowest in history.

Stewart was the first truly global motorsports star, traveling around the world not only for races but also for frequent media appearances and product endorsements. In parallel, he was still heavily promoting the improvement of racing safety standards. In 1971, he crossed the Atlantic 87 times. This punishing schedule began to take a physical toll. In 1972, he missed a race with a stomach ulcer.

Tales of Stewart’s unbelievable talents are myriad and extend well beyond his F1 career. Even into his fifties, long retired from racing, Stewart was several times shown to be competitive with upcoming or current F1 drivers in F1 or roadcar tests.

Martin Brundle
Although he never secured a top drive, Martin Brundle faced an incredible array of highly rated teammates across his career, including Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen, Rubens Barrichello, Olivier Panis, and Stefano Modena. This assortment of teammates allows a strong determination of Brundle’s level relative to others.

Brundle was a highly versatile driver who excelled in both F1 and sportscars. The fact that he failed to win an F1 race was more reflective of machinery than the quality of his driving. In Brundle’s 158 starts, he scored 9 podiums. His teammates scored 18 podiums, with only a single win by Michael Schumacher at Belgium 1992.

Brundle was a reliable pair of hands in race conditions, even if he lacked somewhat in ultimate pace. A major unresolved question over Brundle’s career is whether he might have performed better had he not suffered major injury in his brutal crash at Dallas 1984, which prevented him left foot braking later in his career. Brundle survived several other major accidents, including a direct strike from a car to his helmet at Brazil 1994 resulting in severe concussion, another concussion at Monaco 1984, and a famous crash in Melbourne 1996, where his car split into two pieces. We are all fortunate that he survived such a challenging career to work in the commentary booth.

[FIRE]

Stewart