FORMULA ONE NUMBERS (YEAH, I'M A FAN)

FANGIO AND SCHUMACHER … 
A RESPECTFUL COMPARISON

45 years have passed since the late Juan Manuel Fangio won his celebrated 5th Formula One World Championship … On July 21, 2002 Michael Schumacher equaled Fangio's once thought unreachable record.  

Presented below is a "numbers" snapshot of the two driving greats' careers expressed in numbers and percentages.  Titans both, different eras, different times, but both undeniably the best of their eras.  

Numbers in (parentheses) indicate % of success against attempts.

FANGIO		SCHUMACHER					
YEARS IN F1			8			11

FORMULA ONE RACES:	51			171  

WINS				24 (47.05%)		61 (35.6%)

2ND PLACE			11 (21.15%)		30 (17.5%)

3RD PLACE			1 (9%)			16 (9%)		TIE

POLES				28 (54.9%)		45 (26.3%)

FRONT ROW			48 (94.11%)		84 (49.1%)

PODIUMS*			36 (70.5%)		108 (63.1%)

TOTAL POINTS**		227 (5.4 PPR***)	815 (4.7 PPR)


* 	There were no actual podiums in Fangio's time (top three finishes) BUT …
** 	STATS ARE AS OF JULY 21, 2002
***	PPR = Points Per Race

WE ARE ALL VERY LUCKY TO BE SEEING SCHUMACHER'S GREAT GENIUS BEHIND THE WHEEL … HE IS CERTAINLY AS DOMINATE IN THIS ERA AS FANGIO WAS IN HIS, ESPECIALLY SO GIVEN THE RISE OF "POLITICS" IN MOTORSPORT … SOMETHING FANGIO RARELY HAD TO CONTEND WITH. OBVIOUSLY FANGIO WAS THE BEST OF HIS TIME AND, PERHAPS, BASED ON THE ABOVE NUMBERS, THE BEST OF ALL TIME.  YOUR CONCLUSION …

THANKS! 

(photo courtesy Hector Cademartori ... taken at Montery Historics)