Name your top 5 favourite World Champions and reasons why

[ShiftingGears]

My list and reasons why:
Juan Manuel Fangio - Had that supreme talent and graceful driving style and human characteristics that made him stand out as a World champion
http://www.forix.com/8w/250f/jmf-f57.jpg
Jim Clark - Also sublime as well. A fantastic and amazing sportsman like Fangio.
http://www.jsolana.com.mx/fotos/pilotos/clark2.jpg

Keke Rosberg - THE Flying Finn. Very brash and bold, was a chain smoking racers racer. His driving style looks fantastic! On the limit, daring and spectacular.
http://www.awirz.ch/240kr.jpg
Alan Jones - The prototypical Williams driver, tough inside the car and out. He was quite intimidating and aggressive on the racetrack yet fair. A fighter, like Rosberg. "A mans man" as Frank Williams put it. http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/usa/preview/album/jones16.jpg
Sir Jack Brabham - he was a huge factor in the arrival of rear engined cars in Formula 1, was a great car developer, tough and aggressive driver, and won the championship in his own make. Also the only driver to win a championship pushing his car across the line!
http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/usa/preview/album/jones01.jpg

What are your choices?

[F1boat]

I am not that lucky and I haven't be able to see that great drivers you mentioned.
My fave champion is Damon Hill, than Hakkinen, Michael Shumacher, Mansell and Alonso.

[ShiftingGears]

I am not that lucky and I haven't be able to see that great drivers you mentioned.
My fave champion is Damon Hill, than Hakkinen, Michael Shumacher, Mansell and Alonso.

Oh I haven't - but theres a lot of information out there, videos, pictures, interviews, stories, articles on grand prix drivers past and present that made me come to my conclusions that I did. It's certainly fascinating hearing the stories and watching the clips that made past drivers great.

[Hawkmoon]

1. Michael Schumacher - 5 titles for Ferrari. Enough said.
2. Alberto Ascari - 2 titles for Ferrari and Italian to boot!
3. Niki Lauda - 2 titles for Ferrari that broke a long winless period.
4. Alain Prost - should have won the '90 title for Ferrari and I've always preferred him to that arrogant ****er Senna.
5. Jim Clark - Arguably the quickest guy F1 has ever seen. One of, if not the, defining images of F1 for me is Jim Clark and the Lotus 49.

[Bezza]

1. Senna. Best driver ever.
2. Hill. My favourite driver.
3. Surtees. Won on two and four wheels, unique
4. Mansell. Stunning driver.
5. Piquet. Under-rated despite 3 titles.

[Mintexmemory]

1. Clark (better than all his contempories 62-68)
2. Rindt
3. Lauda
4. Fittipaldi
5 Stewart (to be replaced by Lewis next Sunday ;) )

[D-Type]

Isn't it rather pointless to try to start this when there's an active thread called "Name your top 3 Formula 1 drivers and why". The answers should be the same except that this we can include Ascari this time, given that his back to back championships were earned in Formula 2 cars disqualifying him from the previous thread.

[FIA]

1. Jackie Stewart (Told Francois Cevert all he knew)
2. Mika Hakkinen (Great guy, Great driver!)
3. Nigel Mansell (Did it for the fans)
4. Niki Lauda (Brave and Stunning)
5. Jochen Rindt (Should, Could and Would have done so much more)

Others like Clark, Surtees and Graham Hill, I can't remember, so that's why there not on there?

[dwboogityfan]

1 - Mansell - my favourite driver ever, stunningly fast often unlucky
2 - Schumacher - the best all round driver the sport has seen
3 - Senna - the fastest and most ruthless driver the sport has seen
4 - Hunt - legendary character
5 - Stewart - could have won more world titles if he'd not retired so early

[Mintexmemory]

Isn't it rather pointless to try to start this when there's an active thread called "Name your top 3 Formula 1 drivers and why". The answers should be the same except that this we can include Ascari this time, given that his back to back championships were earned in Formula 2 cars disqualifying him from the previous thread.
The threads are distiguished by the words 'greatest' and 'favourite' not the same things as some of my favourites would be considered not so great and certainly Schumacher and Senna (great by many objective measures) are not my favourites.

[futuretiger9]

1. Jackie Stewart - the ultimate professional, who revolutionised the sport in many ways.
2. James Hunt - the last of the swashbuckling heroes.
3. Ayrton Senna - took commitment to a new level
4. Mika Hakkinen - quite simply, very fast.
5. Jim Clark - one of the most natural drivers ever.