450SEL6.9

For the % statistics, I used F1 races only.

I too think Fangio's 47% win percentage is unbelievable and will never be broken. If Hamilton wins six additional this year or something were to happen after three more wins, his career winning percentage will exceed Fangio's. However, unless his career ends after his rookie year, which would merit an asterisk besides his record, his percentage will not stay at 50% or at I least I hope it won't. Fangio set his % over arguably the most successful/greatest racing career ever, all without getting killed or deliberately ramming his opponents to win.

There is a driver who raced twice and won one GP. However, I think the serious record for all-time winning percentage must be credited to Fangio.

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450SEL6.9

I don't see that. For instance, it is possible for someone to win 8 WDC (say out of 10 seasons) and not get close to the records for poles, fastest laps and most of all Fangio's win percentage. You can win 3 or 4 races per year and be world champ. Winning 6 or 7 races in one season will get you a WDC more often than not. The only drivers to win seven GPs in a season and lose the title were Kimi and Schu. Even if a driver wins 7 WDC by winning 6 or 7 races per year, he will only get near No. 2 and No. 3 in terms of all-time wins, Prost and Senna. Also, pole positions don't necessarily correlate with race wins. You can win a lot without being on pole. In 2004, Schu won 13 (14 if you count his Indy "gift"), but he was on pole only 8 times. Schumacher took two more full seasons after his record-breaking 7th title to best Senna's pole record. Had he retired after his 7th, he would still have all the other records, but not the pole record.

Alfie

Would be interesting if someone stepped in for someone one race, won and then quit. 100%.
Would've been possible in say, US GP 2005 in a Ferrari.

450SEL6.9

If someone did that, he should immediately be kidnapped and forced back into an F1 car to start two more races just to kill his %.

Imhotep Evil

With the pointing system & rules of today or of in the days of Fangio, Prost would have been WDC also in 83, 84, 88 and 90 beside his 85, 86 89 and 93 titles, but still his average would have not be near Fangio's 47%.
Fangio also had team mates like Farina (to witch he lost the WDC in 1950) and Moss. And both of them are also responsable for "downgrading" his average to a "mere" 47%.

And ofcourse, Hawthorne and Rosberg had the WDC by just one victory.

450SEL6.9

I reckon that the points system would not have resulted in any additional wins for Prost unless it pushed him to drive for more wins. Possible. His lifetime winning percentage would remain 25% or thereabouts. The thing is that winning 1/4 of your career races while competing against three 3x WDCs, Mansell and a young Schumacher is already massively impressive.

Schumacher is remembered for his "boring" dominance of F1, but to equal Fangio's percentage, he would have to win 50 straight races to take his 36.4% winning ratio up to 47% . . . The fact that Fangio could have died nine-times over in his era makes his achievement unparalleled.

Why no votes for fastest laps? Prost and Mansell combined only had 71 and they are 2nd and 3rd all-time. Also, no votes for the journeyman Patrese?

Imhotep Evil

No extra wins, but 4 extra WDCs.
The gap between 1st 2nd and 3rd today and in the 50s is and/was 2 points, 10 - 8 - 6 vs. 8 - 6 - 4.
Also Prost had to deal with the idiotic best out of first 11 rule, witch, if I'm not mistaking, is the reason he lost in 84 to Lauda and in 88 to Senna.




Agreed.

NarutoRamen

I personally don't think anyone will be able to beat Fangio's record. That is really hard to do, not to mention the skill required in those times was crazy.

Imhotep Evil

Skills are always required, just that today's challenges are others.

chonkoa

Thanks for the clarification.
May I humbly suggest that you add a caveat to the % race win option, perhaps adding a minimum number of formula 1 races as well (50,100, 200 etc)

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