🇳🇿 Chris Amon

Chris Amon was an elite professional racing driver, rated 6,918; this places him among the world's strongest drivers competing at the very top level, capable of race wins and podiums against the best fields in the world. His Formula 1 career spanned fourteen seasons from 1963 to 1976, during which he started 102 grands prix for Wolf, compiled 11 podium finishes, and averaged a sixth-place classified result. He never won a Formula 1 race despite the calibre of his competition and the strength of his performances against contemporary champions. His most frequent rivals were Jackie Stewart, Denny Hulme, Graham Hill, Jacky Ickx, and Emerson Fittipaldi; against Stewart, a three-time world champion rated 7,819, Amon finished ahead on three occasions, and he regularly competed with Hulme (1967 Formula 1 champion) and Hill (three-time world champion), although posting losing head-to-head records against both. Fittipaldi, rated 5,480 and also a two-time world champion, finished ahead of Amon 16 times against just five occasions on which Amon prevailed.[1]

Amon's strongest performances came in his encounters with drivers at the absolute pinnacle of the sport. He finished ahead of Jim Clark, a two-time world champion rated 7,668, once, and ahead of Carlos Reutemann, rated 7,702, on four occasions. He spent 27 of his 102 starts with Ferrari, a team that fielded 98 drivers across its history and recorded 251 race wins. His career away from single-seater racing included major endurance victories: Le Mans 24 Hours in 1966 with Ford and Daytona 24 Hours in 1967 with Ferrari, achievements that underlined his standing as a complete racing driver. Amon retired from Formula 1 in 1976 and later worked in motorsport administration. He passed away in 2016.[2]