When I think of my F1 icon, I think you have to go back to Juan Manuel Fangio and his World Championships in so many different cars and makes. I think in that era in particular, his ability to win consistently \u2013 I would say he would be the greatest of all time, in my opinion.<\/p>\n
In terms of other drivers, you have to admire Michael Schumacher<\/a>, his dominance. Ayrton Senna<\/a> changed the sport with the discipline be brought. Lewis Hamilton<\/a> as well is another great champion, and his rise to prominence was really a turning point in Formula 1 history. And we’re seeing now Kimi Antonelli<\/a>, the emergence of this next generation \u2013 and each generation brings something new to it.<\/p>\n When I played Piero Taruffi in Ferrari, I really got to immerse myself in the 1950s motorsport culture in preparation for that film. It was a fascinating time, as was the pre-war era with guys like Tazio Nuvolari.<\/p>\n But coming out of the post-war era, the technology they had, the cars, the tracks, the danger\u2026Then the rise in speeds we saw in the 1960s, and that’s when you really began to see more and more deaths. In the late \u201860s, early \u201870s, the statistics were horrible. But that was when Jackie Stewart<\/a>, Jacky Ickx, all those great characters came through.<\/p>\n As a racing driver myself, would I have wanted to race in that era? I think I would have been attracted to it, certainly. We didn\u2019t know what we know today about technology \u2013 but because so many lives have passed, they’ve learned so much from that. But racing at the old Spa would have been incredible. The Nurburgring would have been frightening \u2013 I\u2019ve driven there, but I’ve never raced at it, and it’s scary! Imola, Monza when it had the banking\u2026<\/p>\n That period, you know, it was a different time, a different period in our history. It was a lot more relaxed. The camaraderie was different. I think if I was younger and knew less, I would go for it.<\/p>\n