If you don't include Jackie Stewart in the conversation as one of the best F1 drivers of all time, then you aren't having that conversation. Stewart won three world championships in the 1960s and 1970s and is also one of the biggest advocates for driver safety. And now he's here to answer your questions. Fire away!
Stewart's world championships came during one of the most dangerous — and glamorous — eras in F1 history. And he won them masterfully for Matra and Tyrrell. He was world champion in 1973, but retired from racing before the US Grand Prix that year.
He had already intended to end his racing career that year, but stopped before the USGP because he lost his young teammate François Cevert in an awful crash.
During and after his time racing, Stewart has been a major advocate for racing safety. He called for full faced helmets, mandatory seatbelts, crash barriers, medical crews, and other improvements. And because he was a popular champion, people listened. Now, an F1 driver hasn't died in nearly 20 years, which is a staggering record.
After his retirement, Stewart did some TV commentary and also started Stewart Grand Prix, which won a race in 1999 and was then sold to Ford. Yes, that means Stewart Grand Prix is the team that we now know as Red Bull Racing.
Mr. Stewart is in New York for the premiere of the remastered version of the documentary Weekend Of A Champion, which I saw last week and think every F1 fan needs to see.
For now, Mr. Stewart is here for the next 40 minutes. Ask him anything you want, you'll never get a chance like this again.