Sir Jackie Stewart Snubs Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton to Name F1 Legend as the GOAT

With three world championships during his F1 career in the ’60s and ’70s, Sir Jackie Stewart has earned a rich reputation in the sport. The British veteran has seen multiple eras of F1 since its early days. So, he stands in the perfect capacity to assess who could be the greatest driver of all time.

The GOAT debate in F1 often sparks divisive opinions as to who is the most talented and successful driver in the sport’s history. While many rate Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton as the top horses in this race, with Ayrton Senna also being in the conversation, Stewart feels the late Juan Manuel Fangio is the ‘Greatest of All Time’.

It’s not the first time that Stewart has rejected the idea of either Schumacher or Hamilton being the greatest of all time. “He’s one of the greatest drivers of all time, although it’s not possible to say he’s the greatest,” said Stewart on Schumacher in 2015.

In 2020, he also disregarded the idea of Hamilton being the GOAT by claiming he had an “unfair advantage” with the car and engine being too far ahead of his competitors. But when it came to Fangio, Stewart admired his adaptability, as he won titles with four different teams in the span of six years.

Fangio: A wonderful yet ‘forgotten’ legend of F1

Now, before Schumacher and Hamilton loyalists open up the statistical archives, there is a strong argument for Fangio to be the GOAT of F1. Firstly, the Argentine driver is a five-time world champion, with all of those titles coming in the 1950s. Stewart has also highlighted how Fangio moved to Europe in his late 30s and then went on to win five titles. For him, that achievement trumps Hamilton and Schumacher’s statistical advantage.

While the speeds and power outputs back then may have been slower, it was still the pinnacle of motorsport and to secure five world championships in that era was nothing short of brilliant. On top of that, Stewart showered praise on how Fangio carried himself as an elite world champion.

“Juan Manuel Fangio. Wonderful man. Wonderful individual,” the 85-year-old said when his grandson and YouTuber Lucas Stewart asked him about who he regards as the ‘Greatest F1 driver of all time’. The three-time world champion recalled how he interacted with Fangio even though neither knew each other’s languages.

Jackie feels that the Argentine driver “carried the sport magnificently. Smooth and clean“ — something that many deem as a necessary quality for a champion driver to earn the GOAT moniker.

Nowadays, amid the debate on who among Schumacher or Hamilton is better, particularly due to both having the most number of wins and championships, the legendary champion drivers of the ’50s and ’60s are often overlooked.

No one knows how successful the likes of Fangio, Jim Clark, and Alberto Ascari would have been in the modern era of the sport. While Stewart did not say anything about comparing modern-day drivers like Hamilton to Fangio’s generation, it would be interesting to hear his perspective.

Jackie Stewart backs Hamilton to do well at Ferrari

For now, Stewart knows it is Hamilton who is one of the best in the business. Even though Max Verstappen ended the seven-time champion’s dominance in 2021 and has won four consecutive titles since, Stewart feels the 40-year-old has wisened up.

Talking about his move to Ferrari, the three-time world champion backed Hamilton to use his experience and get back into title contention with the Prancing Horse. “He’s more experienced than he was last year and the years before that. He knows the business very well,” the 85-year-old said.

Stewart thinks the Hamilton-Ferrari partnership will be quite “colorful” and “exciting”. He hopes the former Mercedes man finds success at the Scuderia as they are looking in good shape, looking at last season’s form book. “I wouldn’t count them out.”