Jackie Stewart names driver with more F1 grand slams than Lewis Hamilton as his ‘best competitor’

Follow us on Google Discover

Very few drivers in the history of Formula 1 can claim to have been as successful – or as quick – as Jackie Stewart.

Stewart made his debut in F1 in 1965, finishing in the points for BRM at the South African Grand Prix.

Over the course of 99 Grand Prix starts Stewart would go on to win 27 times, finishing on the podium on 43 occasions and setting 15 fastest laps.

That earned The Flying Scot three world championships, defeating all of his fearless rivals in 1969, 1971 and 1973, leaving BRM to race for Matra, March and eventually Tyrrell.

He still appears on the grid today, although Stewart’s ambassador duties are set to reduce in 2025.

It was a time when racing in Formula 1 was incredibly dangerous and Stewart infamously sat out of what would have been his 100th race after the death of his close friend and teammate Francois Cevert at the 1973 United States GP.

He was set to bring his career in the sport to an end that weekend anyway, but it highlighted the harsh realities of pushing a Formula 1 car to its limits back in those days.

Stewart was a guest on the Beyond The Grid Podcast back in 2018 and spoke about his storied F1 career.

He was quick to pay tribute to two drivers who made their names in the early days of Formula 1, including the man who won his debut race in South Africa 60 years ago.

Jackie Stewart admits Jim Clark was the ‘best competitor’ he ever raced in Formula 1

Stewart was asked who the toughest competitor he ever came up against was and said: “I think the best competitor I ever drove at the same time with was unquestionably Jim Clark.

“My ultimate hero was Juan Manuel Fangio. I’ve got his autograph. I met him many times and he was the first man to congratulate me when I won the Formula 3 Monaco Grand Prix way back.

READ MORE: Jackie Stewart saw himself in 299-race Formula 1 driver who twice defeated Fernando Alonso

“And for me, he was just a giant. But as a racing driver, I think Jim Clark had no equal.

“And I think to this day, I would put Fangio first and I would put Jim Clark second of all of the drivers that have ever been, at least within reach of me, in the sense of me not being able to have seen [Rudolf] Caracciola or [Tazio] Nuvolari.

“But to me, Jim Clark was the man. I learned more from Jim Clark than I did from anyone else.”

Who was Jim Clark and why was he Jackie Stewart’s strongest rival in Formula 1?

Clark made his Formula 1 debut five years before Stewart, driving for Lotus in 1960 and securing a podium during his fifth race at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The British driver went on to win 25 of the 72 Grand Prix he started, winning the championship in 1963 and 1965.

His 33 pole positions and 32 podiums are a remarkable achievement, especially considering how unreliable many F1 cars were during this time.

READ MORE: Jackie Stewart hails the ‘truly beautiful’ thing Lewis Hamilton did before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Clark still holds some impressive records, including the most grand slams [achieving pole position, fastest lap, the race victory and leading every lap] in his career.

He’s also achieved the most grand slams in a season – three, a record he shares with Lewis Hamilton among others – the most seasons with a grand slam and the high percentage of possible championship points during a campaign.

In 1963 and 1965, he won enough races to earn 100% of the possible points a driver could achieve in one campaign as only the best six races were counted towards a driver’s tally.

Clark’s remarkable career was cut short in 1968 at the age of just 32 when he died from the injuries he suffered during a racing accident in Germany.

Stewart’s recollection of his skills and achievements highlights what an incredible driver he was during his time.