Bernie Ecclestone's all-time best F1 driver

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Bernie Ecclestone believes four-time World Champion Alain Prost is the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time.

Spanish sports daily Marca questioned F1's supremo about his favourite and best drivers in the history of Grand Prix racing, drawing on the 85-year-old's almost six decade presence at the pinnacle of motor sport.

"It's hard to say," Ecclestone told Marca.

"But if I had to choose one over the years, I would probably say Prost. He was better than Schumacher or Senna.

"Michael had a lot of help from the team or teammates, and at some points it was the same with Senna. But Prost never had such privileges. He always had competitors even within his own team."

While Ecclestone's considers the diminutive Frenchman with the highest regard, he also admitted that his personal favourite was the great Jochen Rindt, a man whose affairs Bernie had managed until his untimely death in 1970.

Rindt was leading the World Championship for Lotus when he lost his life at Monza, but the popular Austrian became the sport's first posthumous World Champion.

"We were very close, as colleagues and friends," Ecclestone said.

"He is definitely my favorite, but not the best of all time. That's Prost."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.