Formula One 2007 (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter JuveAdam
- Start date
On track duels were probably 35 times more frequent in the early 90's than they are now Jack and you know it. Poles were one of the specialty of Senna but they were not the reason he won races, neither was the McLaren pit-stop crew. At that time races were won by fighting on the track more than on pit-stop strategies, Senna had more duels with Prost in 2 years than than the last 7 years combined.
Well you also have to remember that at that time there was active suspension in the cars and it was removed the year Senna died or the year after, I can't really remember. This rate you mentioned was not only increased by Senna but by all the other drivers and it has obviously diminished also from all the other drivers. FIA set new specs and new regulations which made it very difficult to overtake, it wasn't only Senna that did the overtaking. As for Senna's wins, they weren't exclusively to his poles or pit-stop speeds but the combination of both plus talent. But this does not make him the most talented driver ever as the legend says.
Over the years rules have changed drastically, that and technology development have made the biggest difference when it came to on track duels. With the years it became more and more difficult to overtake someone on the track, you can't really blame that on the drivers but that's the way it is. In Senna's era, and I don't mean just Senna but Prost, Mansell, etc., things were different. Pit stop strategies weren't so important as they are today, races were a lot more intense and interesting, the driver factor was the most important thing, that's simply a undebateable fact.
As for the legend I believe it's true. Senna is kind of like Maradona, immense talent and skill, plus a controversial character. People like that become legends. I'm not saying Schumacher isn't that, he's one of the greatest, but the sport evolved and became something different in the highlight of his career. Personally I don't like what it had become, or better yet what Ferrari's(Schumacher's) dominance done to it and I rate 2 titles in a time of unmatched competition of the 90's the same as 10 titles won in the new Millenium.
As for the legend I believe it's true. Senna is kind of like Maradona, immense talent and skill, plus a controversial character. People like that become legends. I'm not saying Schumacher isn't that, he's one of the greatest, but the sport evolved and became something different in the highlight of his career. Personally I don't like what it had become, or better yet what Ferrari's(Schumacher's) dominance done to it and I rate 2 titles in a time of unmatched competition of the 90's the same as 10 titles won in the new Millenium.