{"id":13388,"date":"2023-01-28T08:00:38","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=13388"},"modified":"2023-01-27T14:20:21","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T19:20:21","slug":"ranking-the-top-3-f1-driver-battles-pre-2000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2023\/01\/28\/ranking-the-top-3-f1-driver-battles-pre-2000\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking the top 3 F1 driver battles pre-2000"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Some of F1&#8217;s most controversial races and championship battles happened before the 2000s. Take a look back at some of F1&#8217;s greatest battles.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\" data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Back to a time when the grid was filled with racing legends like Michael Schumacher,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ayrtonsenna.com.br\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Ayrton Senna<\/a>, and many more. But just as with the current drivers, there were intense battles between the competitors. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3. Michael Schumacher vs. Damon Hill\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Adelaide 1994\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">To this day, debates about the Adelaide Grand Prix 1994 still go on. Did<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2023\/01\/03\/michael-schumacher-love-affair-with-belgium\/\" target=\"_self\"> Michael Schumacher<\/a> cheat or was it just a racing incident?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">By the time the schedule reached the last race in 1994, the Adelaide street circuit in Australia, Schumacher led the championship by just one point. Meaning whoever won this race, whether it was Schumacher or Hill, would be the champion. This would be the first championship for each of the drivers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Schumacher and Hill managed to overtake pole sitter Nigel Mansell on the opening lap. Schumacher in first, Hill in second place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On Lap 36 Schumacher lost control of his car and slammed into the wall. Nevertheless, he was able to get back on track and continue the race. The incident closed the gap between the two rivals and Hill was suddenly right behind Schumacher, ready to overtake him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the next corner, Hill tried to overtake Schumacher on the inside line. Schumacher closed the door, which resulted in a crash between the two. Schumacher&#8217;s Benetton got lifted in the air and sent into the wall. Considering both were out of the race by now, it gave Nigel Mansell the chance to win the Australian Grand Prix.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the end, it was Michael Schumacher, who decided the championship battle for himself, even by just one point. Schumacher claimed he did not sabotage the race. My people speculated that it was a calculated move to win the title.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"de\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#F1<\/a> 1994 Australian GP, Adelaide : Damon Hill vs Michael Schmacher. (ph: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5xtGuoMMsP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/5xtGuoMMsP<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Lh1hDSX45x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Lh1hDSX45x<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Autolima (@autolimasrl) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/autolimasrl\/status\/761608879256047616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 5, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2. Niki Lauda vs. James Hunt\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A beautiful rivalry between two individuals that couldn\u2018t be more different. 1976 was a high point in both of their careers with a lot of up and downs. Nevertheless, they were never &#8216;rivals\u2018 as you\u2018d imagine. Throughout their rivalry, they were always friends, even way before Formula 1.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">1976 &#8211; The High Point\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hunt in the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2022\/12\/30\/why-mclaren-promoted-andrea-stella\/\" target=\"_self\">McLaren<\/a> and Lauda in the seemingly unbeatable Ferrari.\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2017\/08\/30\/2271\/\" target=\"_self\">Lauda<\/a> had an immense advantage after the first six races, leading with 48 points. With four DNFs and only 15 points, Hunt didn\u2018t have a good start to the season.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The turning point in this battle was the German Grand Prix. Located in Western Germany and surrounded by dense forests, the N\u00fcrburgring was nicknamed &#8216;Green Hell&#8217; by former F1 driver Jackie Stewart. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The track is known for being a rather dangerous circuit. Many drivers have died racing there. Lauda called a meeting, stating exactly that it was simply too dangerous to race there. He didn\u2018t win the debate and the race was held anyway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On the second lap, it happened. Lauda had a near-fatal crash in the Bergwerk corner. At a speed of approximately 220 kph, he lost control of his Ferrari, spun, and hit the walls. His car spun back to the track and fire erupted from the car. Lauda was trapped in the flames. Two others crashed into Lauda&#8217;s car, Brett Lunger and Arturo Merzario. The latter managed to pull Lauda out of the flames, saving his life. Lauda\u2018s helmet flew off during the crash, causing severe burns overall, to his body and face.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the hospital, Lauda was put into a coma. The situation looked bad. Everyone, including doctors and priests, thought he wouldn&#8217;t make it.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Niki Lauda&#39;s Ferrari after his crash at the Nurburgring GP, 1976 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pucKTo3480\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/pucKTo3480<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sports &amp; Betting History by BestBettingSites (@BettingSitesCom) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BettingSitesCom\/status\/1138022744191328262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 10, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h4>The Return of the Dead<\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Unbelievably Lauda survived and would return to F1 just six weeks after his accident. With his face wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, he celebrated his comeback at the Italian Grand Prix with a fourth-place finish. It\u2018s undeniably the best comeback in F1 history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After the race in Monza, Lauda still had an 18-point advantage over Hunt. After the following races, James Hunt managed to close the gap to three points. It all came down to the last race of 1976, the Japanese Grand Prix. On the second lap, Lauda stopped the car. Due to the rainfall and complications with his injuries, he claimed it was too dangerous to continue under such circumstances. Lauda&#8217;s decision handed Hunt the win that won him the title.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For Hunt, it was the only championship win in his career. Lauda would go on to win two more titles (1977, 1984) in addition to his first one in 1975.\u00a0 The two drivers remained friends until Hunt&#8217;s death in 1993. Niki Lauda passed away in May 2019 at the age of 70.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">1. Alain Prost vs. Ayrton Senna\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">They were teammates for McLaren in 1988 and 1989. But their rivalry peaked at Suzuka in 1989, when they fought for the championship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">San Marino Grand Prix 1989\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The tension between the two reached another level in the second race of 1989, the San Marino Grand Prix.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Before the race started the team agreed that whoever was ahead in the opening lap would not be attacked by the other. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2020\/06\/22\/ayrton-sennas-first-victory-1985-portuguese-grand-prix\/\" target=\"_self\">Senna<\/a> took the lead on the opening lap, meaning Prost would not be allowed to overtake him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On Lap 4 Gerhard Berger caused a Red Flag. The Austrian crashed, his car completely on fire. However, he got away with just a few minor burns, cracked ribs, and some bruises.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the race restart it was Prost who took the lead. Senna thought he had the right to overtake him, considering he led on Lap 1 at the official race start. The team confirmed that Senna was in the right. Prost felt disadvantaged, and their rivalry reached its boiling point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Japanese Grand Prix 1989\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The most discussed turning point in their relationship is the Japanese Grand Prix in 1989.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Senna knew he had to win to have a chance in the championship battle. Meanwhile, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">for Prost, there was still a chance to win the title, even with zero points in Suzuka.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2017\/05\/01\/ayrton-senna-life-hero\/\" target=\"_self\">Senna<\/a> took pole position, 1.7 seconds ahead of his teammate Alain Prost. At the beginning of the race, Prost had a better start than Senna and even managed to put an almost six seconds gap between him and his rival. Throughout the race, Senna managed to close that gap to Prost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On Lap 47, Senna tried to make a move on his teammate on the inside at the chicane. Prost pulled his McLaren into the side of Senna, causing a collision. While Prost walked away from his car, Senna kept the car running, took the escape road, and headed into the pits. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Prost claimed the title despite retiring after Senna was disqualified from the race after he missed the chicane.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some of F1&#8217;s most controversial races and championship battles happened before the 2000s. Take a look back at some of F1&#8217;s greatest battles. Back to a time when the grid was filled with racing legends like Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and many more. But just as with the current drivers, there were intense battles between [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4409,"featured_media":13416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[672,555,811,426,360,697],"class_list":["post-13388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-formula-1","tag-alain-prost","tag-ayrton-senna","tag-championship","tag-damon-hill","tag-michael-schumacher","tag-niki-lauda"],"modified_by":"Nathan Reynolds","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4409"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}