Picking out the all-time great among the top drivers a tall order for fans

What you need to know:

  • The Promoter, supported by WRC tyre manufacturer Pirelli, and a panel of expert journalists, has invited the fans in a head-to-head voting which has been designed to engage rallying fans in online interactive forums to fill the void of inactivity caused by the pandemic.

It has not been easy to determine the best among the top drivers in the history of the World Rally Championship (WRC).

But now in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic which has locked down motorsport activities, the WRC Promoter, the commercial rights holder of the FIA WRC, has come up with an online voting process to determine the all-time great amongst 18 drivers, plus two nominees, whose infinite talent defined the purity of the sport since 1979.

The Promoter, supported by WRC tyre manufacturer Pirelli, and a panel of expert journalists, has invited the fans in a head-to-head voting which has been designed to engage rallying fans in online interactive forums to fill the void of inactivity caused by the pandemic.

Some of these drivers are (were) prima donnas, others ordinary and down to earth, and only a handful members of the holy trinity of rallying as sportsmen, showmen, business executives. Also in the mix is one woman Michelle Mouton, she who took the fight to their doorstep and nearly pulled off a historic trophy in the male-dominated sport.

But what defines the greatest of all? There are only 18 world champions in history and according to the WRC Promoter, besides titles and winning rallies, other factors such as such sheer speed, bravery, tactical nous, and mechanical sympathy also account.

In the tournament round-robin elimination-style voting, the 18 world champions since the introduction of the FIA WRC drivers’ title in 1979 will be joined by two wildcard entries – nominated on their performances – to rank the sport’s top 20 drivers.

Fewer of these drivers became the ultimate face of a particular car maker which created a major brand association like say nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb was to Citroen, Tommi Makinen to Mitsubishi, Colin McRae to Subaru; Marku Allen to Lancia; or Juha Kankkunen, and Bjorn Waldergaard was to everything available.

But in pole position is nine-time world champion Loeb followed by compatriot Sebastien Ogier (six titles) and Tommi Makinen.

Others in order of ranking and seeding are: Fourth is Juha Kankkunen; fifth is Marcus Grönholm; sixth is Carlos Sainz; seventh is Miki Biasion; eighth is Walter Röhrl; ninth is Colin McRae; 10th is Didier Auriol; 11th is Hannu Mikkola; 12th is Björn Waldegård; 13th is Petter Solberg; 14th is Ott Tänak; 15th is Stig Blomqvist; 16th is Timo Salonen; 17th is Ari Vatanen; 18th is Richard Burns; 19th is Markku Alén; 20th is Jari-Matti Latvala.

EXCITING PROCESS

This is an exciting process. How would Loeb be compared to Ari Vatanen, winner in 1983 Safari who drove for different manufacturers and completed his all-round superiority in the Pikes Peak hill climb and Paris Dakar.

Nobody could tame the famous Audi Quattro S1 like Walter Rohrl, the tenacity and association between Allen and Lancia remains legendary and the rise of McRae from a rookie to a superstar magnificently told a story. It is a tall order which fans - they are the third eye - will unravel.

This voting process is like an afterthought but at the right time. Rally drivers are famous people with a legion of fan-bases cutting across the demographics and roping in those as young as three-year kids.

They may not be as visible as their counterparts in Formula One like household names of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, or of the late Ayrton Senna’s pedigree owing to the limitation of rallying on TV until recently. They are nevertheless still megastars.

For the Kenyan fans, there are eight previous WRC Safari Rally winners who also lifted world titles between 1979 to 2002 led by Bjorn Waldergaard (4), Juha Kankunnen (3), Colin McRae (3), Hannu Mikola (2), Mikki Biason (2). Makinen (2) and Carlos Sainz (1).

This notwithstanding, this voting process has also given Kenya sports administrators a challenge to set up such voting structures to appreciate our sportsmen and women, not necessarily Olympics and world championship gold medal winners.

Titles as stated above may not be the benchmark of such a process. Remember champions are produced at different times and work under different conditions.