Top 20 Best F1 Drivers of all time: Part III

#6 Jim Clark

Jim Clark And Colin Chapman

At number 6 is Jim Clark, another Scotsman who dominated in the sport and became a legend in British sporting history. His story in the sport started in 1958 where he impressed Lotus founder Colin Chapman after driving competitively around Brands Hatch in a Lotus Elise coupe.

He was Invited by Chapman to race a Lotus Formula Junior, Clark again excelled and was promoted to Team Lotus for the latter stages of their 1960 Formula One season. 1963 was the season that Clark won his first drivers title, winning seven races that year and stormed his way to the championship.

He just lost out in 1964 when an oil leak at the last race saw him miss out but he pushed on and the next season won 6 out of the 10 races and won his second world drivers’ championship.

The sporting world lost the great racer in 1968 after his Lotus had a tyre failure in an F2 race at Hockenheim, he would be sorely missed with Colin Chapman saying he had lost his best friend. We may have lost Jim Clark but his legacy still lives on and he still remains one of the best-loved champions and fewer drivers are remembered so fondly.

Stats

World Championships – 2 (1963, 1965)

GP Entries - 73

GP Wins – 25

Podiums – 32

Last Win – 1968 South African GP

Continue Reading: Top 20 Best F1 Drivers of all time: Part IV