The Real McCoy

I am always annoyed by the local media who keeps referring Michael Schumacher as the "God of Drivers".

It's true that no other drivers have won (or will ever win) seven Formula One World Championship titles, and no other drivers have (or will ever) come close to his 88 (and counting) Formula One victories (the 20-plus other drivers in this year's Championship have a total of only 73 victories between them). His achievement in Formula One is truly amazing, and the precision and smoothness of his driving skills are out of this world.

(Meanwhile, he also has the acumen and fortune to be with the right team at the right time. The emergence of the Benetton team in the early and mid 90s' coincided with Schumacher's rise to stardom, and the sheer dominance of Ferrari in recent years has played a huge role in his success.)

Arguably he is the best driver in the current Formula One circuit (some say it's Fernando Alonso). He may also be the best Formula One driver ever. But the "God of Drivers"?

I don't think so.

The title should go to Sebastien Loeb, the reigning and two-time World Rally Champion.

Statistics-wise, Schumacher and Loeb share the same dominance in their respective championship. In 2004, Schumi won 12 of the first 13 races, 13 out of 18 in total. In 2005, Loeb became the first driver to win six consecutive rallies, and ten out of 16 in all.

However, Formula One is more about technology than driving skills. Driving aids, such as traction control, have made life much easier for the drivers. As Niki Lauda, the three-time Formula One World Champion has once famously put it, "Even a monkey could drive in today's Formula One cars."

What's more, in an attempt to make Formula One racing safer, efforts have been made to reduce the speed of Formula One cars, and many circuits have to be rebuilt by removing high-speed (and famous) corners and installing an abundance of run-off area. Consequently, many Formula One fans complain that Formula One racing has become too safe.

But can a monkey drive in a rally car?

Rallying is all about the drivers and their partnership with co-drivers. Car speed is not the key to success, as drivers have to drive on all sorts of surface, such as gravel, snow, tarmac and mud, with the smallest margin of error. A tiny miscue will result in their car turning to a side and, more seriously, tumbling into deep ravines and bursting into fire. The trees at the side of the road may look innocuous, but hitting them will often result in fatal consequences.

Schumi is undoubtedly a great driver, but Loeb is vastly underrated. We may not have the privilege to watch the rally action on local television, but if you have, I'm sure you will be impressed and amazed by the precision and guts shown in Loeb's driving. No matter what kind of surface it is, Loeb just keeps on winning and distancing himself from the rest of the field.

And when you look at the drivers who have been beaten by Loeb, their eyes all say the same thing, "How on earth did he go THAT fast?"

Sebastien Loeb, the worthy "God of Drivers" to me.