( CNN ) -- Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher , quadruple title winner Alain Prost , and contemporary pacesetters Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso were all contenders in CNN 's quest to find the greatest Formula One driver of all time . But In the eyes of Formula One 's great and good it was two icons of the sport -- Ayrton Senna and Juan Manuel Fangio -- who proved inseparable . Senna 's three world championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s made him an idol for modern stars like Lewis Hamilton . CNN Greatest F1 Driver . The Brazilian 's death following a crash at Imola in 1994 led to three days of mourning in his homeland and his genius has gained almost mythical status with the eponymous documentary on the driver , which brought the Senna legend to a new generation of fans in glorious Technicolor . Fangio graced F1 tracks in the early days of the sport , in the sepia-tinged 1950s , an era when the Argentine 's talents could not be truly captured on camera . But if you crunch the numbers , the Argentine shunts Senna over to the curb . Fangio collected five world championships , two more than Senna , winning a record 45 % of the grands prix he entered compared to 25 % for Senna . The Argentine started an unrivaled 55.8 % of his races from pole position -- Vettel 's current record is just over 33 % -- while also qualifying for 92 % of his grands prix on the front row . No one can match Fangio 's record of winning the championship with four different teams , while he is also the oldest F1 champion , taking the 1957 drivers ' title aged 46 years and 41 days . Although that comparison is arguably unfair as fate cruelly robbed Senna of the chance to match that particular achievement . One criticism that has been leveled at Fangio was that he always drove the best car , but as Stirling Moss told the sport 's official website it was `` because he was the best bloody driver ! '' `` The cheapest method of becoming a successful grand prix team was to sign up Fangio , '' added Moss . Blog : Alonso , Vettel on track for greatness ? Perhaps what Senna inspires within those who admire him is not measurable in numbers . He was a maverick , driving with a cavalier flair which was best summed up when he proclaimed , `` If you no longer go for a gap , you are no longer a racing driver . '' His six wins at the famous Monaco Grand Prix is an unparalleled feat , while his championship duels with McLaren teammate Prost were pure sporting theatre . Senna 's win-at-all-costs approach was epitomized in 1990 when he led Prost in the championship heading into the year 's penultimate race -- the Japanese Grand Prix . Prost , starting in second position , overtook polesitter Senna off the line . But , knowing if neither driver finished Senna would be crowned champion , the Brazilian forced Prost off the track at the first corner and cemented a second world title success . `` When you had Prost and Senna fighting it out in the same team , there 's no question to the caliber of each driver , very different personalities and great drivers , '' 1996 world champion Damon Hill told CNN . `` Those epic battles stand the test of any sporting rivalry . '' Senna was a perfectionist , taking risks which could turn certain victory into abject failure -- notably his crash at the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix when he was holding a 55-second lead over his nearest rival . If Senna took the sport to the very edge of sportsmanship , Fangio conducted himself with `` a sense of honor never seen before or since . '' He shot to global fame in 1958 when he was kidnapped in Cuba by Fidel Castro-led revolutionaries . As was the case with everyone who met him , his captors were charmed by Fangio and they released him unharmed , '' it is claimed in a tribute to him on the sport 's official website . When describing what made Fangio so special , three-time drivers ' champion Jackie Stewart said : `` I think the dignity and style , the way he went about his business . `` Fangio is the one that , for me , would have written the whole book . You would want to do what he did and how he did it . '' Over the course of their illustrious careers , the pair astonished with their ability and courage , pushing their vehicles to the limit in pursuit of the checkered flag . Perhaps it is fitting , then , that these two legends of motorsport proved inseparable .
Juan Manuel ##la and Ayrton McLaren emerged as F1 's best by motorsport greats . Argentine drivers won five world championships with four different teams . McLaren 's McLaren won three drivers ' titles in the late 1980s and early 1990s . Senna was killed during a crash at the Imola circuit in 1994 .