[Driver] The GOAT - Round One - Hulme vs Rosberg.K

[crmalcolm]

The ninth match-up in Round One sees Hulme vs Rosberg.K.

So who do you vote for as the greater driver?

Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme was part of a trio of extremely talented drivers from New Zealand in the 1960s, the other members being Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon. Of the three, Hulme was the most successful, winning 8 races and a drivers’ title.

Hulme was a smooth, conservative, and tenacious racer. He crashed out of only 4% of his races and scored 9 fastest laps. However, he was a relatively weak qualifier, scoring only one pole position, the fewest of any world champion, while his teammates collectively scored 7.

Hulme began his career at Brabham, alongside the double-champion team-owner, Jack Brabham. Over three seasons, Hulme was beaten 3-9 in counting races, 5-20 in qualifying, and 69-95 in points. Within this period, Brabham won the 1966 drivers’ title, while Hulme won the 1967 drivers’ title. It is often claimed that Hulme won his title largely because Brabham experienced poorer reliability due to testing experimental parts. It is not, however, so straightforward.

Keke Rosberg
Keke Rosberg won the championship under perhaps the strangest circumstances in Formula 1 history, winning only 1 race in the season. Across his career, he took 5 wins in total, but this was a poor reflection of his talent.

Rosberg proved his potential in 1980 by beating Emerson Fittipaldi 3-2 in counting races, 10-4 in qualifying, and 6-5 in points. In 1981, the Fittipaldi car was an abomination, with both drivers struggling to qualify. Race results were near to meaningless, but Rosberg outqualified teammate Chico Serra 14-0. After further impressing the Williams team in testing, he was hired in 1982 to fill the seat vacated by Alan Jones. When Carlos Reutemann unexpectedly quit after two races, Rosberg became the team leader. This set Rosberg on course to score an improbable drivers’ title, as the dominant Ferrari team took the constructors’ title but lost the drivers’ title due to Gilles Villeneuve’s death and Didier Pironi’s career-ending injury. Across the year, Rosberg dominated teammate Derek Daly 9-1 in counting races, 12-1 in qualifying, and 42-8 in points.

Rosberg continued at Williams with Jacques Laffite from 1983-1984 (now aged 39-41), beating him 9-2 in counting races, 27-3 in qualifying, and 47.5-16 in points. In 1985, Rosberg partnered with Nigel Mansell. Overall, the pair were closely matched, with Rosberg scoring 2-5 in counting races, 9-7 in qualifying, and 40-31 in points, despite 7 mechanical DNFs to Mansell’s 5.

[Aysedasi]

Hmm. A tougher one. I'll go with Hulme - just..... (as he was one of the 'real' winners of Le Mans in 1966! ).

[FIRE]

Hulme, his total career impresses me more.