Top ten F1 drivers: Jackie Stewart.

Time for the latest name in the Crash.net poll to find the greatest F1 driver of all time.

Today a man who has been in the news as much this season as at any time during his racing career, the legendary Jackie Stewart...

From the moment he stepped into Formula One, Jackie Stewart was destined to achieve great things. By the end of his first season, the Scot had finished on the podium five times, including a first victory in Italy to immediately establish himself as a championship contender.

Stewart won the opening race of his second season in F1, but it would be the high point of his year. In the following race, in Belgium, he crashed in heavy rain and was trapped in his car for nearly half an hour. He would only finish two more races all season - and immediately began a safety crusade.

After a disappointing season in 1967, Stewart left BRM to join Matra for 1968 - and was soon back on top of the podium, taking three wins and ending the season as runner-up to Graham Hill in the championship.

The following year, the combination of Stewart and the Matra-Ford was irresistible, the Scot collecting his first world championship on the back of six race wins, and finishing the season 26 points ahead of Jacky Ickx. A switch to March didn't prove successful in 1970 but, for 1971, he was able to use the first Tyrrell to great effect, claiming another crown on the back of six wins and almost double the number of points of anyone else.

After finishing second to Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972, Stewart decided that he would quit at the end of the following season. A third world title was a fitting way for him to bring the curtain down on his career, although his success was tinged with sadness when friend and team-mate Francois Cevert was killed during qualifying for the final race of the year at Watkins Glen. With the title secured, Stewart and Tyrell withdrew from what would have been his Grand Prix.

Like Prost, Stewart reappeared in team management, achieving a single win for the 'family' team before selling out to Ford.

Fact File:
101 races
27 wins
3 world titles (1969, 1971, 1973)