Top 10 Greatest Auto Racing Drivers of All Time

Ayrton Senna was simply the best. Brilliant, a prodigy, a superstar, a magician, pure genius. What this man could do to maintain control of a Formula 1 racing car, especially in wet, harsh conditions, while other competitors were skidding or crashing, literally has to be seen to be believed. Pure magic!

Mention Formula 1 to just about any random person, and likely, most people will remember Ayrton Senna. What Ayrton Senna did to inspire a thirst, hunger, or overwhelming desire for Formula 1 racing should never be underestimated.

The best driver ever by some margin. Senna gets lots of sympathy votes, but this guy, as a young driver, was leading Senna in that fatal year (1994) when Senna was at his prime, and this guy was driving an inferior car.

Lots of stupid people attribute his achievements to Ferrari's technical superiority, but Schumi made Ferrari, not the other way around. In a driver's list, no driver outside F1 should even be considered. Those US joke races are like computer games - faster cars running left turns on an oval speed track.

Most complete F1 driver ever. He almost won titles in '97 and '98 in a car that was a long way from the best on the grid. He would have won the '99 title if he hadn't broken his legs in an accident caused by mechanical failure. He could have easily been a ten-time world champion.

Senna was the best qualifier. Schumi was the best ever.

Fernando Alonso won two titles with a team that was an underdog against the driver with the most titles in history (Schumacher). He showed that he could bring slower cars to points. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and was Rookie of the Year at the Indy 500. If he wins the Triple Crown, he will be one of two who ever did it.

Graham Hill also won two F1 titles with the best team, so I pick Alonso in front. He went out of his comfort zone to drive in America. What would you pick? Five World Cup wins in soccer, or two World Cup wins with an underdog, a Super Bowl win, and a World Series trophy? If he wins the Indy 500, he is not the F1 GOAT, but the best car racer ever on a legal basis.

I personally regard Lewis Hamilton as the best F1 driver of this current time without a shadow of a doubt. His sheer determination and commitment to deliver in any circumstance must be acknowledged and surely appreciated.

His consistency and impressive pole positions and race pace are simply mesmerizing. I see much more maturity in him now than when he first started, which is understandable.

The professionalism he shows, always praising his team, his teammate, and other competitors, is commendable. When he wins, the first thing he always does is praise his team, least of all himself. He is a humble and gracious young man, and I believe there is still more to come from him. He accepts his faults, blames no one, and learns from them. He is a true ambassador of F1 and the number one F1 champ.

Thank you, Lewis, for your massive contribution to F1 and for making it the sport it is today. Keep up the good work! God bless you always.

To me, Seb is the best. He not only kills it on race day but, in my opinion, is one of the greatest of all time over a single lap. He has been overshadowed by Hamilton in recent years, but I feel if you were to put Seb into one of those Silver Arrows, he'd be destroying Lewis.

Amazing driver. He pulled off spectacular drives and even a win in Toro Rosso. He managed to bounce back after a terrible 2014 season by, at times, beating the much faster Mercedes on pure pace. He was the only driver to do that on sheer pace in the V6 era.

Wonderful driving skill and determination. Given a good car, Seb will fly all season!

"The Intimidator" is one of the toughest guys you could ever race. He didn't let you by easily. He and Jeff Gordon had one of racing's best rivalries. He had 7 championships and 76 wins and might have gotten further had he not died in 2001.

Never saw a driver take so many mediocre cars and still manage to win races. He raced when cars were still identifiable and not put through computer simulations like the new vehicles. One of the most skilled drivers of all time, no doubt.

Have you ever seen an F1 driver clean his own windshield while driving?

Perhaps more car control than any other stock car driver. His intensity and passion made him a joy to watch. A victim of constantly changing rules and gimmicky championship formats in the latter half of his career kept him from more titles. All you can look at is the wins. Ninety-four ain't too shabby!

The most skilled driver ever. He is also one of NASCAR's gentleman drivers. He is the most successful in the modern era, with 88 wins, 4 championships, and 3 Daytona 500s. He is also a very underrated driver. He could have been ranked higher if he had just gotten that 5th championship.

Too much a gentleman. He could have won instead of being second in the championship.

Pure, raw talent and respect for his sport, like no one else has ever shown!

The best driver that never won a championship. The guy had nerves of steel and no fear. He would drive flat out all the time (on 3 wheels at Zandvoort in 1979). I love racing.

Jimmie is incredible. He has 6 championships to his name and 2 Daytona 500 wins. He went from pretty much the back of the field after a spin to finish in a fighting third place. He could very well have 10 championships at this rate. Anything is possible.

Jimmie has 7 titles and 80 wins, and he's only halfway through his career. I wouldn't be surprised if he got 106 wins and 10 titles. He is always calm on the radio and always finding new ways. He should easily be 1-3.

This should be number 4 best racer ever!