F1 fans place Schumacher, Hamilton and Senna on the GOAT podium

Michael Schumacher has been revealed as Formula 1’s official GOAT, according to new research.

The German racing giant won a joint-record seven F1 titles between 1994 and 2004 and at the time of his retirement in 2012, held the records for the most wins (91), pole positions (68), and podium finishes (155).

After he was seriously injured in a skiing accident in 2013, a recent survey revealed his career is fondly remembered and respected by F1 fans, with one third (31%) listing the German as the greatest F1 driver of all time.

Since Schumacher’s retirement, Sir Lewis Hamilton has equalled his record seven F1 titles, but the Brit narrowly missed out on the GOAT podium top spot, with fans ranking him as the second (29%) greatest driver of all time.

Legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, who tragically died in an accident in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, came in third (29%), followed by retired British driver Damon Hill in fourth (18%) and the late Stirling Moss rounding out the top five in fifth (15%).

The survey was commissioned by Sportsbreaks.com, which offers personalised ticket, travel, and hotel packages to the world’s greatest sports events, including Grand Prix races.

And Amanda Brandariz, Head of Sportsbreaks.com, said: “From Schumacher to Senna, F1 has built up such a following because of the legendary names of the past.

“But with fierce new rivalries and younger drivers coming through, we’re seeing the next generation of stars making a name for themselves on the grid.”

Ahead of the Silverstone Grand Prix on Sunday 9th July, when looking only at active drivers, Hamilton once again proved to be a fan favourite, with nearly half (44%) of respondents saying he is their favourite driver for the current F1 season.

Veteran two-time world champion Fernando Alonso came in second (20%), followed by current season leader Max Verstappen (18%) in third, and rising-stars George Russell (15%) and Lando Norris (13%) in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Although Formula One travels across the globe in many glamorous locations, for British F1 fans there’s one track that most appeals, with the UK’s Silverstone (21%) topping the list of Grand Prixs fans would most like to attend, followed by Monaco (14%), Abu Dhabi (14%), Barcelona (7%) and Las Vegas (5%).

Brandariz added: “We pride ourselves on providing the very best packages to the world’s most exhilarating Grand Prixs, giving fans an unrivalled race-day experience to see the rivalries play out on the race track.”

To find out more about Sportsbreaks.com and purchase F1 packages, visit the website here: https://www.sportsbreaks.com/