Top 10 F1 drivers of the 1970s

[@ChaserX90]

Lets just take a moment to appreciate how flawless all the segways from one driver to another was

[@andrewcarter1747]

Segues, segways are those stupid 2 wheeled electric things that people keep falling off of.

[@EmilForsberg_GRYBO]

@@andrewcarter1747 no, those are hoverboards/airboards, segways are the stupid 2 wheeled electric thing that people can actually ride without falling off

[@EmilForsberg_GRYBO]

@R S ok, so maybe i wasn't prepared for anyone to actually know a bunch of shit about segways lol

[@EmilForsberg_GRYBO]

@R S it really wasn't immature at all but whatever

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@EmilForsberg_GRYBO happy fasting month emil forsberg.

[@SamuelSantos_]

Jody Schekter is mad underrated. And I think Emerson would’ve retired with at least 3 titles to his name if he hadn’t ditched McLaren.

[@ateyourchips1164]

I agree

[@lucahuman8827]

South africa represent

[@raremediumdonewell]

That might have altered the whole course of the 70s championships. Emmo could have had 5 championships, where Lauda could have had one or two, maybe even three less. Hunt might have never had a chance in the McLaren. So much uncertainties, it's perhaps not even worth thinking about it.

[@ciaronsmith4995]

No he was lucky to even win his title, Gilles was faster.

[@etornamagbonyitor6107]

No Jochen Rindnt

[@alexthehunted]

the 70's list will be contentious but oh boy the 80's list is going to be a war

[@lmao7439]

Nelson piquet Niki lauda Keke Elio de Angelis Riccardo patrese Nigel mansell Senna Prost Jones ( maybe ? )

[@thelonesculler]

*1990s has entered the chat*

[@alexthehunted]

@@thelonesculler well plenty of the 90's are in the 80's

[@murphymoerf]

@@lmao7439 Gilles needs to be in there somewhere

[@lmao7439]

@@murphymoerf I Absolutely forgot

[@daillyarran]

I may love Niki and James, but thank you Josh for emphasising the importance of Jackie Stewart.

[@harryrouth4470]

The fact that jackie won his titles is amazing, that to me is only amplified by the fact that he survived, unlike so many other drivers of his time

[@jamesw1940]

@@harryrouth4470 i think he gets overlooked quite a lot by most of the modern generation of fans

[@Jamo_7811]

@@jamesw1940 same for niki and Emerson then some don’t know who James hunt is

[@PyroBun_2844]

When the world needs this series, it returned.

[@pirozcontractor6006]

"Emerson Fittipaldi, a man who's talent is as big as his sideburns" As big as his charisma as well, even after he was punted by a certain shed dweller ...

[@TetraDax]

DO NOT. HIT. EMMERSON FITTIPALDI.

[@fourutubez7294]

What a total gent.

[@denverkweh1642]

@@TetraDax *Proceeds to hit Emerson Fittipaldi*

[@dgpfproducoes6467]

knowing about who he screwed over a lot of people by his idiotic decisions, i understand

[@sierraacharlie]

@@denverkweh1642 “I’VE HIT HIM!”

[@andyvettel4375]

Glad Ronnie Peterson got a place here , incredibly talented but somewhat forgotten

[@elliotholmstrom4]

Absolutely, Ronnie had the ability to be champion but never got the chance

[@jonanolakers1567]

Yes! I have found friends. Although that 1979 mclaren was "a shitbox"

[@Sloppyplane37]

He won one of the most famous races the 76 Italian GP

[@speeddemon217a]

I can't help but think if he was smaller he would have won a championship. Back in the day there were no regulations on adding ballast to smaller drivers' cars or minimum sizes for the cars which gives drivers more space. The teams basically built the cars as small as possible and the smaller the driver the smaller they could build the car, which in turn reduces weight and improves handling. Ronnie's size forced him into driving bigger and bulkier cars because he just wouldn't fit in smaller ones. It might not have been a big difference but I think it was significant enough across a career to have cost him at least a title. It's no coincidence that when you look back at past champions very few of them are tall, in fact a lot of them are quite short. You'll be hard pressed to find a World Champion driver over 6ft/182cm and there is only only Graham Hill that was 6ft and a multiple World Champion from what I can find. Those extra few kgs from both the driver and his marginally larger car as well as marginally worse centres of gravity will add up over a race distance, never mind a season or career.

[@antonsamuelsson1317]

A yes!!!

[@Szalami]

Never knew how desperately I needed Josh to review Rush. Until now.

[@cedynation_3346]

Thank you Josh for brinning up Clay Regazzoni, one of the best driver Switzerland ever had. Sadly passed away after an car accident in 2006. But he still was driving and racing after his crash in 1980.

[@kanelbullen6992]

As a swede im so happy that you brought up Ronnie! He is such an underrated racing icon due to the fact that he never won a championship.. If it had not been for his contract with lotus as a pure 2nd, im sure he would’ve won 1-3 titles

[@honda6353]

He was quicker than Andretti and would've won In 78 if it wasn't for the contract. It's a huge shame that drives me to tears knowing Ronnie was cut short.

[@gunnergav]

The super swede! Unlucky driver who always seemed to be in the wrong seat at the wrong time. Made 'champion' Andretti look average at best.

[@romanhendrickson8385]

As an American most motorsports get compared to nascar somehow... ronnie was absolutely the mark martin of f1. And thats not a bad thing at all. Both were far more amazing than title counts could ever recognize.

[@michaelkarn3457]

@honda6353 he was not quicker than Mario in 78. Mario had 8 poles, Ronnie had 2! The agreement he had with Lotus was thus: you can race w/Mario, you can pass Mario, but in the end Mario would have to get full points, if possible. And this was only after the halfway point of the season. So if Mario was not in a place to win or challenge for the championship at the halfway point, then Ronnie could beat him straight up. That never happened, Mario was ahead at the halfway point and he won the championship. And by the way I loved Ronnie Peterson, I'm 57 and have been watching racing since I was 3. I followed the whole 1978 season.

[@verdiguy]

So happy that you added Ronnie to this list. He was an amazing talent and had he not been a compliant team-player, a world champion. His death along with that of Gilles really impacted me when I was younger.

[@murphymoerf]

Honorable mentions, part 2: Denny Hulme, Carlos Pace, Jacques Laffite, Patrick Depailler, Chris Amon 😉

[@davicee.]

carlos reutemann and ronnie peterson are the most underrated from the era in my opinion.

[@murphymoerf]

Emmo has always been F1's most underrated/underappreciated driver ever. But Jackie Stewart was pure excellence in everything he did. And we all know Niki's legacy. Overall, great list 👍🏻 And well done for ranking Ronnie so high 💪

[@andrethe9540]

Im happy The Super Swede is getting some recognition here, if u havent yet, look up footage of his driving style, the way he moves and dances around the track is so enchanting, my all time favorite driver

[@pontuseidhammer2196]

Totally agree, who knows what could've been had he not been the team player and had continued with Mclaren...Possibly a 3-time world champion at the least.

[@raremediumdonewell]

Absolutely lovely to see Peterson up there, and Cevert mentioned. Both were incredibly good drivers, who were taken away way too early, especially Cevert. Also, in terms of full racing talent in the 70s, I'd rate Ickx and Andretti much higher, but that would mean counting racing outside of F1, and that's not fair. Overall, not much I can disagree on. Personally, I want to give a shoutout to Patrick Depailler, Tom Pryce and Carlos Pace. All three showed very good pace and talent in pretty mediocre teams, and all three were taken by accidents way too early. God, the 70s were awful for that. Also want to give an early shoutout to Riccardo Patrese. Maybe his results weren't always good, but he consistently drove around in this and the next two decades. Not gonna lie, that's a fucking achievement as well.

[@dumbrowski8263]

Gilles is such a pain to rank in these lists because his career is nearly perfectly split by the decade. Still one of my all time favorites though.

[@lorddrac_dontaskmetodance]

Well, well, well; where were you on the night of the Josh Fight, Josh?

[@patdrowsy1824]

At home. Working on this video probably

[@zitofieremans3990]

Or on the other side of the fucking world

[@lorddrac_dontaskmetodance]

@@zitofieremans3990 Right, but he could've booked a flight. I was hoping to see him named Johnny Revell; not to be confused with country singer Johnny Rebel.

[@Mysnrnnr]

@@lorddrac_dontaskmetodance you had to have the same last name swain im pretty sure

[@pierat3338]

@@Mysnrnnr There was a Swain battle and then an all Josh battle

[@Apexhunter23]

Thank you for bringing back this series, I can’t wait for 80s, 90s, 00s and on. Great list can’t argue one bit, love Niki but Sir Jackie’s impact on the sport and early decade dominance was everything

[@rumrich]

Good list, honestly agree with it 99%. I would have put Villeneuve higher but that’s cause I am Canadian

[@boxesofzitti]

I'm excited to see Josh's review of Rush, but after his commentary on Sir Jackie, I'd also love for a rundown on "Weekend of a Champion"

[@ayonshahnewas1114]

That's one "Top 10 F1 drivers" video, see you next year.

[@MulettoMotorsports]

Me after seeing Reutemann, my lifelong hero, in the honorable mentions: I've seen enough, I'm satisfied.

[@judemitchell9410]

I would've put him num 8. In my 1980s list just behind nigel Mansell and ahead of Michele Alboreto

[@MulettoMotorsports]

@@judemitchell9410 Lole was more prevalent in the 70s though, he was the only one to stand up to the Lotus 78, and a year later when it was EXTREMELY outmatched, he dragged the 79 to podiums. Most of the times the car would be broken by the end of the race, like the gearbox in Mónaco and the exhaust in Argentina.

[@RECEPTOR17]

Excellent video, Josh! Very much in agreement with the drivers featured. One more to consider if things changed: Tom Pryce is one driver that could have truly stood out as one of the greats if he hadn't been killed in Kyalami alongside the poor marshal he crashed into. Beating the top drivers in the Race of Champions in the wet and showing remarkable skill and craft, he was taken away too soon and it saddened me greatly to only know of him many years into my life as an F1 fan and as proud Welshman as he was.

[@joshandlena13]

I like how you managed to go from driver to driver, it really shows how most of the greats are connected, or got a seat bc of the other or had a rivalry with the other. Good stuff

[@pontuseidhammer2196]

So glad to see Ronnie on this list, such a shame his life ended so soon. He should have had at least one championship to his name!

[@hexgraphica]

For the 80s decade: you better consider Alboreto and de Angelis, otherwise you gonna find a gunmetal grey Alfa Romeo 75 every morning under your bedroom window.

[@pacman_birthmark]

Elio ❤️

[@zanemurcha9742]

Is that a threat?

[@hexgraphica]

@@zanemurcha9742 of course it is. The 75 has been for a long time the favourite car of organized crime

[@BType13X2]

@@zanemurcha9742 not really, it's a 1975 Alfa those things are plagued with electrical problems I'd be amazed if they get the car there even 2 days a week.

[@adampetten5349]

de-Angelis yes. Even Berger could torch Alboreto. Good driver but Fisichella was better.

[@ralphmarcyniuk348]

Omg Alan Jones killed me. Keep up the great work Josh!

[@danrobsilva]

I know this is an opinion piece but the top 3 is simply untouchable. If you ranked them in any other order, you'd be wrong. Great ranking, glad to see Ronnie get the recognition he deserved too.

[@starguy321]

Had the honour of meeting Sir Jackie Stewart recently. One of the few times I have ever been genuinely lost for words, a true legend of the sport

[@jeromemojica2375]

I'm just happy to see Gilles on the list

[@connorduncan9859]

Considering Jackie Stewart’s accomplishments in the car as well as what he did out of the car in terms of safety it’s really obvious why he is the best of the 70’s.

[@failatlife1]

Your transitions are world-class.

[@p0l4k28]

This transition keep getting better Josh. Great job

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Not going to argue with you about the list. Not even the positions (that's always going to be subjective), because it's impossible to be _right_ about these things. Good call on the honourable mentions, too. The sad stats are always the ones that really kick me in the guts, because I started watching in the early 70s (whenever it was shown initially, until we finally got every race later that decade). I think I was about 11 when we got the full season, but I have very distinct memories from earlier than that. Graham Hill's last Monaco for some reason sticks in my mind as being the first I remember, though I probably watched late-night highlights on my dad's knees as a baby 😄 Jackie Stewart's last race is the most heartbreaking in many respects. It was going to be his 100th iirc, at Watkins Glen. But that was the race when his team mate and dear friend François Cevert died in practice. So having already won the championship, he retired on the spot (much to Mrs S's relief). Again, iirc, wasn't there some legal threat to try to make him race in it? Or am I misremembering it? (Like that would be a first!) There's a subject for you, Josh. Either the biggest driver Vs team/team manager or owner bust-ups (with legal ramifications or otherwise - Enzo Ferrari & Frank Williams and any number of their drivers could probably fill a list between them), or team/team owner in court over something - the pettier the better! And you're right about nobody thinking less of Lauda for stopping racing in Fuji (barring the sort who'd undoubtedly be internet trolls these days, I'm sure, but fortunately there was no home PC let alone internet at the time. But those were the days when "men were men and women were grateful" - in those kind of men's minds). My heart was in my mouth throughout, and though I was of course madly in love with James Hunt (just turned 11 remember!), I was genuinely worried sick about Niki. My dad - for various personal and experiential reasons was madly pro-health & safety, and he was muttering about them red flagging the race. (He was a steelworker, civil defence volunteer & one-time top amateur rally driver... The ultimate brave man who went into many dangerous situations to get other people out of them - which I only heard about after he retired. He detested any lack of common sense regarding personal or public safety). We all breathed a very audible sigh of relief when Niki pulled in, and it honestly had nothing to do with Hunt having a better chance at the title. We were just genuinely terrified he'd have another accident. I remember Dad saying that it took more courage for him to retire from the race than to carry on, that he was more of a man than anyone who felt the same way but didn't have the guts to show it. I had to grow up to truly understand that, but at that time I just took Dad's word for it. When your own personal hero says something, particularly if it seems profound at the time, you listen. I'd already assumed Lauda had a pair of brass ones to return to racing at all - or he was crazy (but frankly, that was never a big thought because he always seemed too level headed for that). But when he retired in that crazy race, and given Dad's admiration for him, I pretty much put him on a pedestal. Didn't stop me getting annoyed with him at times when he was with Merc, because he didn't always say things I agreed with (to put it mildly), but I still have that pedestal for him.

[@mateusqueiroz6610]

Amazing job editing the video also great analysis!

[@hooligan1017]

Andretti and Fittipaldi weren’t just great F1 drivers but some of the best drivers in history they won in all types of cars

[@jayrusty2012]

Andretti is an absolute legend!

[@dangerdean9066]

Even though Fittipaldi ditched Mclaren after 1975

[@michaelsanderson9562]

I’d have loved to have see Stewart vs Lauda. That would’ve been a brilliant battle

[@jonathangreen3775]

I like Ronnie Petersen being on the list, but I wish that Peter Revson would have gotten an honorable mention. He only had 2 somewhat full time seasons and still finished 5th the the standing both times.

[@bravo100th]

Josh could you do a video about the “nearly men” of F1, i.e. the drivers with a best championship finish of second?

[@congo7678]

Like best runner ups? Best drivers that never wln the title?

[@pacman_birthmark]

Spot on with this list, and for the right reasons. Stewart is an F1 giant, on and off track. Great video.

[@maxwilliams82]

I see that you haven't changed name, are you little Josh?!?!

[@McPlayer8t]

I’m glad you mentioned Clay, definitely an underappreciated driver in my opinion.

[@dazzla84_ssfc]

Thanks for giving Peterson some proper recognition, such an awesome driver who was never in the right car at the right time

[@brandy0438]

Aye good upload time for Aussies. Cheers, Josh!

[@LottieTalksF1]

Sir Jackie Stewart will always be my favourite driver 👏

[@nellycameron]

jackie stewart will always be one of the greatest, who knows how many people would have died if it wasn’t for his campaigning

[@reprehensiblereptile1138]

You forgot about Peter Revson, who had he not gotten in that Shadow on 22/5/74, would have been World Champion sooner or later. He was an all around driver, scoring who won McLaren a Can-Am championship. Had a great drive with Yardley/McLaren, and then signed with Shadow, end of story.

[@hallamhal]

Your top three was perfect 👌

[@mikesuarez9615]

Please continue this series more because they are so interesting

[@magnusdimov6661]

And this a series please 80’s , 90’s, 00’s etc

[@vaclav_fejt]

I think you've nailed it. Really, there's nothing I can argue about.

[@Matteo_Licata]

Excellent list, nothing to complain about :)

[@glenngastonjonsson7954]

That was actually a great list. Mine would be 10. Patrick Depailler 9. Jody Scheckter 8. Carlos Reuteman 7. Francois Cevert 6. Clay Regazzoni 5. Emerson Fitipaldi 4. James Hunt 3. Jackie Stewart 2. Ronnie Peterson 1. Niki Lauda The emphasis on drivers, not on WC's.

[@UTD1958]

Ronnie is my favourite by far, his drivingstyle was pure class. Just sad that Politics stopped him to win the Championship. He could beat Mario any day of the week

[@toyotasupraboi2142]

Tbh that's a pretty solid list

[@duaneoldfield]

Hard to argue Lauda and Stewart are not top 2. Great video!

[@Roscododger]

The transition between drivers were more slick than James Hunt's hair

[@glowtail3744]

the 1970s when drivers had the balls of steel driving the unsafe f1 cars

[@bradennetzly8291]

While not a top 10, I was lucky enough to meet Derek Daly at Indianapolis last October. Nice guy! He stopped and chatted with a few fans in the stands outside of turn 4, then sat down at the top of the stands and NOBODY bothered him

[@bobwalsh3751]

I have a copy of the documentary film 1, which is about F1. In the film, there's an interview with Niki Lauda and he said at one point "I remember waking up in the hospital and my wife was standing there at my bedside crying. I'm like 'Honey, why are you crying? I'm alive!' and she said 'When you first came in here, I only recognized you by your feet.'" The first time I heard that part, I simultaneously laughed and cried.

[@moritzmullegger1091]

In the first 20 seconds he has already changed my mind completely🤯 honestly this is AB-SO-LU-TE-LY CORRECT

[@BOABModels]

This is a fantastic list and I agree with your top 3 certainly. Stewart is definitely top.

[@Rappini_]

Please talk about the future of Brazil in f1,we don't have a driver on the grid since 2017 and we have some talents out there,like Felipe Drugovich,Gianluca Petecof,Dudu Barrichello and the Fittipaldi's

[@karpouzasftwakaforthewolve7045]

This was a marvelous video don't get me wrong but if 1 name is missing it would be Peter Revson

[@Chironex_Fleckeri]

Interest in F1 is skyrocketing. The sport seems well on its way to its rightful place in world culture. I'm happy to see this. Well done, mate.

[@danieljohnson5512]

That was some damm smooth transitions between drivers 🥵

[@brennosilva4887]

Calling Copersucar a failure is too much. It's incredible that the Fittipaldis were able to develop a somehow competitive team in south america. Great list btw.

[@cinnamonroll-rk7gi]

late but yay, this series returned!

[@PJD1942]

Great video great list, I personally wouldn't change the order much but in the end if you came out of the 60s and 70s with your life and any kind of success you were winning.. a mega era indeed.

[@doubleDNF]

Scheckter was an absolute BEAST. that Wolf car he had to drive in 1977 was complete crap. Yet he still finished 2nd in the drivers standings. Throughout his career, if he was given competitive cars, he would have been a multiple world champion.

[@gregmcmillan3503]

Jackie is such a legend! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@shaunlevin5081]

I think that if Niki did not have his terrible crash and won 1976, he would be at the top of this list. He literally missed a few rounds of the season and still brought it to the final round of the season.

[@mafiousbj]

As soon as Hunt wasn't an honourable mention and people like Reutemann (who peaked in the early 80's) or Ickx (more of a sportscar driver) were i knew there would be controversy. Hunt sure was fast and Rush inflated his profile a bit, but man for the love of God that guy couldn't drive two GPs in a row without messing up. It makes sense though when you see other names to have him on the list, although maybe at a lower placement around 9 or 10

[@ilikestuffandstuff4127]

What about Hans Heyer though?? Failed to qualify at Hockenheim in 1978 and snuck out onto the track and raced anyway without anyone noticing!! 😅

[@metal665lica]

Those high fps clips are soooo satisfying to watch

[@tyrrell0076]

That 70's cars... No words, honestly the best ever looking f1 cars,no doubt.

[@aydankhaliq2967]

I think 1990 - 1991 had a better looking average. There were no ugly cars and the best looking cars are amongst the top 5 of all time.

[@benketteridge9150]

A very fair list in my opinion. As for legacy, no-one comes close to Jackie Stewart given how many lives have been saved by the changes he (and a number of other key folks, to be fair) wrought.

[@Stereo3DProductions]

A clarification on the turbine car: The turbine did not propel the car with its thrust like an airplane's jet engine would, rather the turbine would spin a shaft connected to the transmission, mostly like a traditional engine would do. Using thrust might be more efficient, but i can only imagine the absolute messy carnage it would make! LOL

[@burnsiet]

02:43 Check out the Harry High Pants on Mr Ferrari! LOL

[@franklinalastairanthony638]

Come on Jody!!!! The only South African to win a championship .Big honors to our Hero .Me I’m Actully SA Nationality

[@verenaschmid1673]

It's still mortifying considering how many of those mentioned died doing the thing they loved. I hope the young drivers of today thank Niki and Jackie before every race for making the sport so much safer.

[@cheesekay7314]

Yes it’s back

[@dyingearth]

Clay Regazzoni is from an Italian speaking Canton of Switzerland, so honorary Italian for the Tifolsi for winning Monza driving for Ferrari. Sort of like Charles Leclerc (Monegasque, so he's fluent in Italian) winning the same race in 2019.

[@jonanolakers1567]

Pretty mich agree, especially with my boy Ronnie Peterson. Gunnar Nilsson another honorable mention?

[@ekosim-racing754]

Oh boy I can't even imagine the video for the 80s.... ! Josh, how about a 30min special? Awesome works, and totally agree, Stewart deserves that top 70s spot.

[@gdkey8025]

Tyrell.what a team they were in the 70s!!

[@Secret72062]

Fairly livid that Hector Rebaque didn't make the cut but alright its your list

[@salmanazam9444]

I must say, it is probably more apt that Sir Jackie is #1. But I like Lauda slightly more. Maybe because his life is a little more dramatic, or maybe because he is gone. One special thing about Lauda is that he gave Michele Mouton the respect she deserved, and took a special note of her talents.

[@Nikelaos_Khristianos]

"Sideways Scheckter", that's what my Grade 7 Maths teacher back home said they used to call Jody Scheckter. And what he (my maths teacher that is) subsequently nicknamed me in class, despite no familial connection. 😅 A fair list as well, I think another honourable mention could be Peter Revson, the heir to the Revlon cosmetics empire who decided to go racing instead.

[@blakeharbottle8973]

I think Peter Revson should be a honorable mention as well. To date, he is the last American born F1 race winner.

[@JGRP2007-uu9rv]

I know another driver: José Carlos Pace, a Brazillian driver who were the winner of the first brazillian 1-2 in home soil driving for brabham in 1975 with Fittipaldi behind him and had more 5 podiums at Austria 1973, USA 1974, Monaco 1975 and Argentina 1977, but sadly, he died on a plane crash in 1977

[@nemesizzlehd4k834]

Took your time to make the next one

[@samybreitler176]

Rindt was born in Germany yes but as an orphan he was raised and lived in Austria his whole life with his grandparents I mean you could have included that. Or do you call half the England soccer squad Jamaican 🇯🇲?

[@DiogoGaming2]

You should make a full video about Niki Lauda!!! :)

[@EpIcPoWeR93]

The 70s were so competitive: Oldschool teams like Lotus, Tyrrell, Brabham and noone won more than 2 WDCs. Sadly, we will never witness something like that again.

[@FormedAndFunctioned]

I don’t know why..but I think it’d be entertaining to watch and listen to a comedic voiceover on the recent historical Monaco gp

[@Stereo3DProductions]

I KNEW VIEWERSHIP WOULD SKYROCKET at the 70's and 80's lists!! Hell yeah!

[@glenrobertson8006]

Absolutely agree with the number one slot Don't disagree with the others, just an admirer of Jackie's

[@JohnF174]

My list is: 10. Peter Revson 9. Jochen Rindt 8. Carlos Reutemann 7. Gilles Villeneuve 6. Ronnie Peterson 5. Jody Scheckter 4. James Hunt 3. Emerson Fittipaldi 2. Jackie Stewart 1. Niki Lauda

[@grojas1694]

Nice video! Although I'll never forgive you for putting Peterson ahead of Andretti!