Dieter Rencken draws a comparison between two great Formula 1 champions racing some three decades apart

Despite (as a direct result of?) his Germanic character he endeared himself to a whole generation of tifosi, and arguably this blonde race driver saved Ferrari from extinction. The statement certainly has merit: when he joined the Scuderia, the Italian team had not won a grand prix in 19 starts. In fact, if the whole picture is analysed, the team had scored only twice in the preceding 35 events.

Put another way, when the driver joined Ferrari, the team had not won a world championship for over a decade. In any event, at the time many believed the 'wrong man' had won it under contentious circumstances, having been fated to be on the wrong side of the Commendatore.

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