donmentor wrote:
I don't see how anyone can be regarded as a champion driver when it's all down to who has the best car. To find the best driver would require all drivers to be driving identical cars. So really it's no more than a constructor's championship.
I see where you're coming from, but F1 has first and foremost always been an engineering sport. It's always been about who can design and create the best car, then you bring in some drivers to make the car compete with other teams. Over time (thanks to media and subsequently social media) the sport has become a lot more about the drivers and their personalities/careers. However, to this day, winning the constructers is far more glamourous and lucrative to a team than having one of their driver's win a WC.
Remember, in 2021 Mercedes were the best team that year, and rightfully celebrated their constructors win massively despite the reality that Lewis was cheated out of his 8th driver's WC.
Also, the better teams will attract and be able to recruit the better drivers. A good mate of mine works for McLaren F1 and over beer reluctantly admitted that he thinks that Max is the most talented and best
driver of all time, and when you look at what he can pull out of the bag in moments such as sector 3 in his astonishing Monaco pole from 2023 I can see why he thinks that. Though I'm not quite sold on my mate's opinion (yet), I don't think there's many drivers in history that can be two tenths down going into a final sector at Monaco and ultimately take pole.
This is what I love about F1, the GOAT conversation is so difficult because it's almost impossible to compare eras. So you end up having a range of people make cases for (usually) their favourite driver. I've had so many of these conversations with my Dad, who will die on his hill saying no one is close to Senna.