Ferrari's championship drivers

   Copyright c 1998 Nando Media
   Copyright c 1998 Reuters

LONDON (Oct 26, 1998 - 23:20 EST) - Michael Schumacher could become the
eighth driver and the first German to capture the Formula One title for
Ferrari on Sunday.

The following is a look at the others:

* * *

1979 - Jody Scheckter (South Africa)
Also raced for McLaren before Ferrari, team orders played a crucial role in
his triumph.

Daredevil teammate Gilles Villenueve was the title rival going into the
Italian GP at Monza and many expected the late Canadian to win. Scheckter
had to finish in front of Villenueve to take the title and he led from the
start, followed closely by his team mate who obeyed orders against
overtaking when Ferrari were leading 1-2. It was his last win. Scheckter
retired the following season after finishing 19th overall.

* * *

1977 and 1975 - Niki Lauda (Austria)
Still Ferrari's most successful driver with 15 wins.

Won his first title with five wins at the age of 26. He then survived a
terrible crash and facial burns at the Nuerburgring in 1976 when he was
leading the championship after six victories. He received the last rites
but survived and returned after three races. Lauda led with just the
Japanese GP left but handed Briton James Hunt the title by one point when
he pulled out on the second lap in torrential rain.

Lauda then reclaimed the title in 1975. The Austrian also won for McLaren
in 1984 and now runs his own airline.

* * *

1964 - John Surtees (Britain)
The only man to win world titles on two wheels and four. He was 500cc
motorcycling champion with MV Agusta in 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960, also
taking the 350cc title in 1958, 1959 and 1960. Left Ferrari in 1966.
Surtees won the title after a three-way battle with Graham Hill and Jim
Clark going into final race in Mexico City. Clark broke down on the last
lap and Surtees took the title from Hill by one point.

* * *

1961 - Phil Hill (U.S.)
A quiet and dignified Californian, Hill also won the title by one point
after his aristocratic German Ferrari teammate Wolfgang Von Trips, who had
led the championship, died at Monza in a second lap crash that also killed
13 spectators. Hill excused himself from the victory celebrations and
Ferrari withdrew from the final race of the season at Watkins Glen.

* * *

1958 - Mike Hawthorn (Britain)
The flamboyant Hawthorn won only three GPs in his career but beat
compatriot Stirling Moss to the honors -- again by one point -- to become
the first Briton to win a Formula One world title. Hawthorn won just one
race in the entire season. He died in a car crash in southern England in
1959.

* * *

1956 - Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina)
This was the fourth of five titles for arguably the greatest driver of all
time. He moved to Ferrari at the age of 44 when Mercedes pulled out of
motor racing following Pierre Levegh's horrific crash at the 1955 Le Mans
24 Hours race that killed 80 spectators. He and Enzo Ferrari did not get on
and the relationship soured, with Fangio joining Maserati in 1957.

* * *

1953 and 1952 - Alberto Ascari (Italy)
One of the greats, Ascari died on the track just as his father Antonio had
30 years previously. Alberto was killed at Monza in private testing in 1955
after chalking up 13 GP wins for Ferrari. Antonio had died at the 1925
French GP in an Alfa Romeo. Alberto won nine consecutive races between June
1952 and the end of 1953, and then went from champion to last in 1954 when
he moved to Lancia and finished 24th overall.

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