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The question of the GOAT

4 years ago

Writer:

Andrew Frankel | Ti co-founder

Date:

7 February 2022

John Surtees was a very great driver, and rider. As a person and at least to a hack asking questions he thought obvious or trite, he could be difficult. Curmudgeonly even; at times dismissive to the point where a more sensitive soul might consider him rude. I learned this the hard way when, at a Goodwood lunch I was sat next to him and asked him whom he considered to be the greatest driver of all time.

There was a long pause, I expect because he was considering whether such a stupid question even merited a reply, after which he explained somewhat tersely that there was no such person. How could you compare drivers from different eras facing different challenges in different environments using utterly different equipment?

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