Schumacher is no Fangio, says Moss

STIRLING MOSS has insisted that even if four times world champion Michael Schumacher goes on to claim his fifth world title possibly as early as next weekend he will still be no match for Juan Manuel Fangio.

"For me there is no comparison between Fangio and Schumacher," Moss said. "Fangio stands out as the No 1 of all time. He had not only a superb natural ability but also tremendous stamina and adaptability. What's more, he was such a gentleman so ethical in everything he did.

"Michael is the outstanding driver of today. He is head and shoulders above everyone else around. But I would put Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark closer to Fangio than Schumacher."

He explained: "Michael is still in the ascendancy. He has achieved great success and could go on to achieve an awful lot more. I don't think, though, that five titles now means what it meant in our day. There are twice as many Grands Prix these days than in Fangio's time, so to notch up as many wins as Michael has carries less significance."

Moss, team-mate to Fangio, marvelled at the great man's control and reflexes. The cars in the 1950s were crude, and safety measures minimal.

Mistakes often had fatal consequences, yet the competition was fierce and the physical and mental demands on the drivers unrelenting.

"It was tough in every respect and I think Fangio had to beat a better field," Moss said. "Michael does not have the same quality of competition. Michael also has a tendency to make the occasional mistake. We saw that the other week at the Nurburgring and again in practice at Silverstone. Fangio simply didn't make mistakes.