I've written separately on blogs about drivers who inspire me, who I call legends.
It's drivers that fight. They fight their way past others, they never give up because they simply just do not know how. It's drivers who are tough.
Niki Lauda - The toughest driver ever to grace a track in my opinion. My eyes well up, I'm not ashamed to say it, when watching Rush; particularly at the moment he finishes 4th in Italy after being practically burnt alive just a few races before. He emerged from the car and the wounds on his face, nowhere near fully healed, were bloody! This guy is the toughest fighter out there, past or present.
In fact, all the drivers I have followed throughout my life have the fighting/ never give up attitude (perhaps aside from Damon Hill who was always quite a smooth driver and a pretty placid chap off track - though, he certainly fought back hard against Schumacher!).
Nigel Mansell - Perhaps the most balls out racer in recent times. He used to muscle his way past people. Piquet at Silverstone in 87...just wow. He would not be intimidated by anyone, ever. One of the most famous bits of footage from "yesteryear" (snigger) is him and Senna at the first Barcelona GP in 1991, side by side for the whole start/ finish straight. Neither willing to yield.
Gilles and Jacques - Like father like son (Murray Walker says so himself). Both these guys existed to race. Both had a fighty, on the ragged edge style. Both liked exploring the limits of the car.
Witness Jacques setting himself the target of going through Eau Rouge flat out during his leaner BAR times, just because it was something to do!
Video from "Formula Spy" - though he won't get much traffic as nobody reads this :-).
Alonso - Valencia 2012 - What a fighter!! Erm there are loads of tribute videos to this drive alone.
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