Fangio and Senna: Moss's two greats

For Stirling Moss, there is more mileage in being the greatest driver never to have won the World Championship, and he has the situation in full perspective.

“To some people, obviously, being able to say I was World Champion is what matters. Well, to me it doesn’t. What matters to me is that if I can beat Fangio, I reckon that’s bloody good. Because Fangio was the best driver in the world. And therefore that is what I’m out to try and do. Whether the title falls or doesn’t is not too relevant.”

Over the years, Moss has steadfastly maintained that Fangio is the best he has even seen, although Senna clearly crept very close to that accolade.

“I think it is terribly difficult to compare across eras, and I can only speak truly about people I have raced against. I think that Ayrton was of the same stature. I think he was tremendous. He is the only other person. Jimmy Clark was not, in my mind, in the class of those two. He was just one down. Of course, when I raced against Jimmy I could beat him, but then he was coming up and then I stopped, so. . .

“Fangio didn’t have on and off days. Fangio didn’t have on and off laps. He was ethical in every way. He was just that quick, and continually quick. There may have been faster drivers on certain corners or whatever, but overall, which is what matters, when the chips are down he could go out and win. All right, it’s also true that he always had the best car as well, but you make your own luck. The reason he had the best car was that he was the best damned driver! You know?

“In exactly the same way, there was nobody in Senna’s class.”