Ayrton Senna is the most valuable driver to ever set foot in Formula One! And it’s not us talking – although we do feel the exact same way – but no less than 217 fellow F1 drivers, via an opinion poll conducted by the British magazine Autosport

Among the voters were Michael Schumacher, statistically the most successful F1 driver in history, Jose Froilan Gonzalez, the earliest surviving grand prix winner, Paul Pietsch, at 98 the oldest living driver, reigning world champion Jenson Button and much of the current F1 grid,” announced a report from Autosport.

Although not the most successful driver in the history of the sport, Senna managed to win the heart of millions of fans worldwide with his incredible hunger for victories. His on-track battles against Frenchman Alain Prost are still part of Formula One’s overtaking manuals, leading to several world championship crowns for each of those two in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

Senna eventually lost his life during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, at Imola, after losing control of his Williams car and crashing it into the wall. He prematurely ended his F1 career with an overall 3 world titles, 161 starts, 41 wins, 80 podiums and 65 pole positions.

This is an amazing poll that has never been tried before. Obviously, it has thrown up some interesting and unexpected results, but you can’t argue with how the top 10 has worked out, or the integrity of the poll,” said Autosport editor Andrew van de Burgt.

Michael Schumacher was eventually picked as the second greatest driver in the history of the sport, while Argentine 5-time F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio went on to finish 3rd overall.

source: © autoevolution.com