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Formula 1 is without a doubt the most exhilarating racing event there is. No other sport or race has the technical skill or variability that you see in Formula 1. Every race brings something new, and every driver has their own style and unique skill set. These are the greatest Formula 1 drivers to ever do it.
25. David Coulthard
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Wins & Podiums: 13 W, 62 P
David Coulthard may have never won a World Drivers’ Championship, but he was certainly one of the top drivers for much of his career. In 1994, Coulthard succeeded the iconic Ayrton Senna at Williams — he finished in 8th place. In his sophomore campaign, Coulthard earned eight podiums — including his first victory — en route to a 3rd place finish for the WDC. After joining McLaren in advance of the ’96 season, DC put together a great stretch of driving. From ’96-02, Coulthard finished no lower than 5th place for the WDC title. During that span, he ended the year in 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 5th.
24. Alan Jones
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Wins & Podiums: 12 W, 24 P
As we count down the best Formula One drivers of all-time, who better to start with than the first driver to win a Formula One World Championship with Williams Racing? Born in 1946, Alan Jones made his F1 debut in 1975 and ultimately joined Williams in ’78. A year later, Jones finished 3rd place in the World Drivers’ Championship.
In ’80, Jones won the Championship — becoming just the second Australian driver to accomplish the feat. That racing season, Jones won five races and had five additional podium finishes. Jones’ triumph was the peak of his career. In the following years, Jones competed in F1 two more seasons before retiring — finishing 3rd (’81) and 12th (’86).
23. Valtteri Bottas
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Wins & Podiums: 10 W, 67 P (and counting)
One of the top stars currently competing in Formula One, Valtteri Bottas is in his third year with Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber (formerly Alfa Romeo) after having driven for Mercedes since 2017. The Finnish driver debuted in 2013 with Williams. From ’13-16, Bottas finished on the podium on seven occasions. Overall, Bottas finished 17th, 4th, 5th, and 8th while with Williams. Since joining Mercedes, however, Bottas’ career has taken off.
In five full seasons with Mercedes, Bottas finished in the top-5 of the World Drivers’ Championship. He won three races in his first year in his new vehicle, won four races in ’19, added two more in ’20, and won one race last year. Bottas finished both the ’19 and ’20 seasons in 2nd place behind his former teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
22. Jenson Button
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Wins & Podiums: 15 W, 50 P
Jenson Button is the last British driver not named Lewis Hamilton to win the World Drivers’ Championship. Button’s career began in 2000 and came to an end in ’17. Over the years, the Somerset native made 306 starts and notched 15 victories. Button’s breakthrough came in his fifth season, ’04, when he finished third overall in the WDC. That season, Button finished on the podium 10 times.
Four disappointing years followed, but Button struck gold in ’09. Racing for Brawn GP, Button won six of the season’s first seven races en route to winning the WDC. Button would go on to finish second in the WDC in ’11, but would only net one more top-5 finish before retiring in ’17.
21. Mario Andretti
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Wins & Podiums: 12 W, 19 P
Born in Italy, Mario Andretti and his family emigrated to the United States in 1955 — Andretti was 15. Upon arriving in the States, Andretti quickly turned his love for racing into a promising career. The legend started in stock car racing, and by ’66 was competing in NASCAR. Andretti won both the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 — and is only one of two drivers to have won a race in the NASCAR Cup Series, Formula One, and an Indy 500.
Andretti made his F1 debut in ’68 and won his first race in ’71. While racing for Lotus in ’77, Andretti won four races en route to a 3rd place WDC finish. The following season, Andretti won the F1 World Championship — claiming six victories in the process. No American driver has claimed first in an F1 race since Andretti’s triumph at the Dutch Grand Prix in ’78.
20. Alberto Ascari
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Wins & Podiums: 13 W, 17 P
Hailing from Milan, Italy, Alberto Ascari was one of Formula One’s first superstars. Racing for Scuderia Ferrari, Ascari took part in the first-ever F1 Championship season in 1950. That year, Ascari finished in 5th place. The Milan native would go on to win two races and claim two additional podiums in ’51 — but fell just short of the WDC as the runner-up. However, Ascari was not going to be denied.
In ’52, the Italian won six-straight races en route to his first World Championship. In his encore performance, Ascari won five races to help claim his second WDC in a row. Remarkably, no Italian driver has won the Championship since Ascari. In a tragic coincidence, Ascari died in a fatal accident at the age of 36 — the same age as his father was when he perished in the same manner.
19. Jack Brabham
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Wins & Podiums: 14 W, 31 P
Jack Brabham may look like he belongs in a James Bond film, but he was also one hell of a driver. Before becoming one of Formula One’s most successful drivers, Brabham was a flight mechanic in the Royal Australian Air Force. By 1955, the then-29-year-old entered the world of F1. His first four campaigns were rather uneventful, but the Australian took his first step in becoming a legend in Year 5. Racing for Cooper Car Company, Brabham won two races and secured three additional podiums — culminating with a 1st place finish in the WDC.
The next season, in 1960, Brabham won five-straight races to help capture his second WDC title. In the ’60s, Brabham became the largest manufacturer of customer racing cars in the world. In a legendary feat, Brabham won his third and final WDC in ’66 while driving one of his own cars — becoming the first and only man to do so.
18. Graham Hill
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Wins & Podiums: 14 W, 36 P
Sporting some fantastic slicked-back hair and a sharp mustache, Graham Hill took the racing world by storm in the 1960s. Born in London, Hill is known for being one of the most complete drivers in the history of the sport. Known as “Mr. Monaco”, Hill won the Monaco Grand Prix five times during his career. In fact, Hill’s prowess as a big-race driver carries a ton of weight.
He is the only driver to have won the Triple Crown of Motorsport — winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship, and the Indianapolis 500. Hill won the WDC twice (’62, ’68) and was a three-time runner-up (’63-65). Fittingly, Hill’s last win (’69) and last entry (’75) came at Monaco.
17. Nelson Piquet
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Wins & Podiums: 23 W, 60 P
Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nelson Piquet was a truly sensational driver. The 69-year-old parlayed his success as a karting champion into becoming a Formula One mainstay. In 1978, Piquet entered F1 under the Brabham banner — driving alongside the iconic Niki Lauda. By ’80, Piquet established himself as one of the top drivers. He finished that season in 2nd place behind Alan Jones.
The following season, Piquet edged out Argentine driver Carlos Reutemann by one point to claim his first WDC. Two years later, the Brazilian won his second WDC — this time topping Alain Prost by two points. Finally, in ’87, Piquet won his third and final WDC. Piquet notched 11 podiums en route to his easiest victory.
16. Nico Rosberg
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Wins & Podiums: 23 W, 57 P
Not many people can walk away from their profession while they’re at the top. In 2016, Nico Rosberg did just that. The German driver made his debut for the Williams F1 Team in 2006. In ’10, Rosberg made the switch to Mercedes and his career began to take off. After reaching just two podiums in four seasons with Williams, Rosberg tallied three 3rd place finishes in Year 1 with Mercedes. Between ’12-13, Rosberg notched his first three victories — but only finished as high as 6th in the WDC.
However, the German found his groove starting in ’14. Over his final three seasons as an F1 driver, Rosberg won 20 races — including nine in ’16 alone. Rosberg finished 2nd in the WDC in both ’14 and ’15 but finally captured the elusive championship in ’16. Rosberg edged out his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, by five points. And then, Rosberg walked away from the sport.
15. Jim Clark
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Wins & Podiums: 25 W, 32 P
Despite racing for a relatively short time — 1960-68 — Jim Clark notched 25 victories. Tragically, we will never know just how amazing of a career Clark could have had. On April 7, 1968, Clark was killed in a racing accident while competing in a Formula Two race. At the time, it was more common for top drivers to compete in different classes. Racing for Team Lotus, Clark finished second in the WDC in ’62.
The following season, Clark won 7-of-10 races en route to his first Championship. Two years later, the British driver bagged his second title. In his last F1 race before his death, Clark won the South African Grand Prix. At the time of his passing, Clark held the record for most wins (25) and pole positions (33).
14. Jackie Stewart
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Wins & Podiums: 27 W, 43 P
Sir Jackie Stewart, aka the “Flying Scot”, dominated Formula One up until his retirement. Born in Scotland, Stewart burst onto the scene in 1965 with the Owen Racing Organization. As a rookie racer, Stewart found himself on five podiums and nabbed his first victory at the Italian Grand Prix. Despite retiring from three of the last four races, Stewart finished in 3rd place for the WDC.
Racing for Matra International in ’68, the ‘Flying Scot’ finished the season as runner-up. However, Stewart reached the mountain top in the following campaign. Stewart won six of the first eight races en route to his first WDC win. The icon would go on to win the WDC in both ’71 and ’73. Stewart retired following his third championship but remained the winningest F1 driver for 14 years following his departure.
13. Nigel Mansell
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Wins & Podiums: 31 W, 59 P
Nigel Ernest James Mansell — what a name, what a driver. Mansell debuted for Team Essex Lotus in 1980, but it wasn’t until ’85 that the British driver secured his first victory. Up until that point, Mansell’s best WDC finish was 10th place. In ’85, Mansell joined Canon Williams Honda — won two races, and finished 6th overall.
Between ’86-91, Mansell finished as the season’s runner-up on three occasions. After three excruciating 2nd place finishes, Mansell finally pulled through in ’92. The British driver stormed out of the gates, winning the first five races of the season — and nine overall. Mansell’s 31 victories are the second-most by a British driver, trailing Lewis Hamilton.
12. Kimi Räikkönen
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Wins & Podiums: 21 W, 103 P
Kimi Räikkönen has just recently retired from Formula One. Born in Finland, Räikkönen made his F1 debut way back in 2001. Räikkönen’s career got off to a promising start, as he finished 10th overall for the WDC. Just two years later, Räikkönen finished as the season’s runner-up while racing for McLaren. In ’05, the driver won seven races…but once again finished in 2nd place.
In advance of the ’07 circuit, Räikkönen made the switch over to Ferrari. His decision paid off immediately as he went on to capture his first WDC title — beating Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by one point. While Räikkönen wasn’t able to capture a second title, he finished in 3rd place three more times since ’08. Räikkönen retired as a legend following the ’21 season.
11. Damon Hill
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Wins & Podiums: 22 W, 42 P
Racing runs through the veins of the Hill family. The son of the legendary Graham Hill, Damon Hill put together a career that arguably surpassed his father’s. Hill became a full-time driver for the Williams Team in 1993. In his first full season as a Formula One driver, Hill finished in 3rd place for the WDC. At one point, he won three-straight races. The next two years were full of promise and torment.
Hill won six races in ’94 and four in ’95 — but unfortunately finished as the WDC runner-up both years. Finally, in ’96, Hill reached the pinnacle. Hill topped the grid in the first three races of the campaign, won four of the first five, and won eight total races en route to a dominant 19-point WDC win. After leaving Williams following his win, Hill never finished higher than 6th overall (WDC) in his final three seasons.
10. Mika Hakkinen
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Wins & Podiums: 20 W, 51 P
Yet another fantastic driver hailing from Finland, Mika Häkkinen was a star in the 1990s while driving for McLaren. Known as “The Flying Finn”, Häkkinen debuted in F1 during the ’91 season. For his first two years, the Finn raced for Team Lotus with little success. He earned a combined 13 points in his two years with Lotus, but Häkkinen’s performance improved once he jumped to McLaren. His second year with McLaren ended with a 4th place finish in the WDC. For the next three years, Häkkinen would hover just outside the top-5 — finishing in 7th, 5th, and 6th.
However, Häkkinen owned the ’98 and ’99 seasons. The Finn won eight races and reached three additional podiums in ’98, finishing with 100 points — 14 ahead of Michael Schumacher. Despite finishing the ’99 season with 76 points, Häkkinen defended his title. After a runner-up finish in 2000 and a 5th place result in ’01, Häkkinen walked away from F1.
9. Juan Manuel Fangio
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Wins & Podiums: 24 W, 35 P
Along with Italian driver Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio dominated the 1950s. Born in Balcarce, Argentina, Fangio was passionate about cars from an early age. El Maestro was eager to learn about auto mechanics — and that passion soon turned into a racing career. Fangio made his Formula One debut in ’50 with Alfa Romeo. In his first seven seasons, Fangio finished no lower than 2nd in the WDC. He was the runner-up in ’50 and ’53 and won it all in ’51, ’54, ’55, ’56, and ’57. For 46 years, Fangio held the record for most WDC titles. To this day, the Argentine holds the F1 record for highest winning percentage. Fangio won 24-of-52 races he entered — a remarkable 46.15%.
8. Fernando Alonso
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Wins & Podiums: 32 W, 106 P (and counting)
Only six drivers have more career victories than Spain’s Fernando Alonso. Currently racing for Aston Martin, Alonso has been on the scene since 2001. The driver finished 23rd overall in his debut season, but quickly announced his presence as a top driver in the sport. In his second year, Alonso finished on four podiums — including his first-career win at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix — and finished 6th in the WDC.
After a 4th place finish in his second year with Renault, Alonso claimed back-to-back WDC titles in ’05 and ’06. While Alonso hasn’t been able to capture a third championship, he has come close a number of times. Racing for Ferrari from 2010-14, Alonso finished in 2nd place three times (’10, ’12, ’13) — losing to Sebastian Vettel all three times. After a two-season hiatus, Alonso returned in ’21. In ’23, Alonso joined Aston Martin.
7. Sebastian Vettel
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Wins & Podiums: 53 W, 122 P
Last slide, we talked about Fernando Alonso — a two-time WDC winner who also finished runner-up three times in the early 2010s. The man that beat him? Sebastian Vettel. Born in Germany, Vettel is fourth all-time with 53 wins. The German got his start in ’06 as a test driver for BMW Sauber. By ’09, Vettel joined Red Bull and became F1’s top driver almost immediately. Vettel finished his first season with Red Bull as the runner-up…and then proceeded to win four-straight WDC titles.
From 2010-13, Vettel won 34 races. In particular, his ’11 and ’13 seasons were dominant. In ’11, Vettel won 11 races. Two years later, the German won 13 races — including nine in a row to end the year. While he hasn’t finished atop the WDC standings since his fourth triumph, Vettel finished in the top-5 every year from ’14-19. Vettel retired following the ’22 season.
6. Max Verstappen
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Wins & Podiums: 59 W, 104 P (and counting)
When it is all said and done, Max Verstappen will likely be considered one of the three best drivers of all-time. Having turned 26 in September 2023, Verstappen is the top racer in Formula One at the moment. In 2015, Verstappen became the youngest driver ever to participate in a World Championship race — he was just 17. In his second full season as a driver, Verstappen finished 5th in the WDC.
The young Dutchman has taken his driving to another level in recent years. Verstappen finished both the ’19 and ’20 seasons in 3rd place — behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas — and captured his first World Drivers’ Championship in dramatic (and controversial) fashion in 2021. In 2022, Verstappen dominated the field by winning 15 races en route to his second WDC in a row. In ’23, Verstappen won 19 times in clinching his third WDC.
5. Alain Prost
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Wins & Podiums: 51 W, 106 P
With 51 wins to his name, Alain Prost is the fifth-winningest Formula One racer of all-time. The Frenchman was a decorated kart driver before becoming an F1 legend. After winning multiple karting championships growing up, Prost joined Formula Three where he continued his winning ways and drew the attention of F1. Prost made his F1 debut in 1980 with McLaren, and it didn’t take long for him to become the best in the sport. Prost joined Renault ahead of his second season and promptly won three races en route to a 5th place finish in the WDC.
The next three years, Prost finished in 4th, 2nd, and 2nd place. Back with McLaren at this time, Prost won back-to-back WDC titles in ’85 and ’86. The Frenchman was knocked off his perch the next two years (4th, 2nd) before winning his third title in ’89. The legend joined Ferrari for two campaigns and finished in 2nd and 5th. Racing for Williams in his final season (’93), Prost won a fourth WDC title.
4. Niki Lauda
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Wins & Podiums: 25 W, 54 P
Regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all-time, Niki Lauda is the only F1 driver in history to be a champion for both Ferrari and McLaren. Driving for Ferrari during the 1975 F1 season, Lauda notched five victories on his way to his first WDC. At the start of his follow-up campaign, Lauda won four-of-six races to begin the year. However, on August 1, 1976, Lauda almost perished in a fiery crash.
Remarkably, Lauda only missed two races. Lauda would bounce back to win the ’77 WDC. A three-year retirement followed a brief stint with Brabham-Alfa Romeo. Lauda returned to racing with McLaren in ’82 and subsequently won his third WDC two years later. You can’t talk about Formula One without first mentioning Niki Lauda.
3. Ayrton Senna
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Wins & Podiums: 41 W, 80 P
Ayrton Senna was a marvel behind the wheel. Born in Brazil, Senna was known for his one-lap speed — as well as his ability to drive in the worst conditions imaginable. From 1989-2006, Senna held the record for most pole positions with 65. The Brazilian debuted in ’84 and never finished a season lower than 9th place in the WDC. In his fifth season — and first with McLaren — Senna won eight races en route to his first championship.
After finishing 2nd place in ’89, Senna reclaimed his crown by winning in both ’90 and ’91. Tragically, Senna’s life was cut short just three years later. While in the lead of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Senna crashed into an unprotected concrete barrier and passed away a few hours later as a result of his injuries. He was 34.
2. Michael Schumacher
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Wins & Podiums: 91 W, 155 P
If you consider Michael Schumacher to be the best Formula One driver of all-time, I will not argue. The German racer began his F1 career in 1991 with Jordan and soon made the switch over to Benetton. With Benetton, Schumacher finished 3rd and 4th in his first two seasons. In ’94, the German won six of the first seven races — and ultimately topped Damon Hill by one point (92-91) to win the WDC. Schumacher once again beat Hill in ’95, but this time cruised to victory with 102 points to Hill’s 69.
Schumacher joined Ferrari the following season. However, it took a few years for things to click — but boy did it click. From 2000-2004, Schumacher won five-straight WDC titles. In ’04, the German won 12 of the season’s first 13 races. At the time of his second retirement in ’12, Schumacher led F1 with 91 wins, seven WDC titles, 68 pole positions, and 155 podiums. Recently, F1’s biggest star has changed the record books…
1. Lewis Hamilton
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Wins & Podiums: 103 W, 197 P (and counting)
…and that would be Lewis Hamilton. Since his debut in 2007, the British driver has been nearly unstoppable. Hamilton holds the following records: 103 wins (as of 2024), 104 pole positions, most career points, and most World Championships — tied with Schumacher at seven. Hamilton finished 2nd in his debut season while racing for McLaren, and captured his first WDC title the following year. Since joining Mercedes in ’13, Hamilton has won six more WDC titles — including four in a row and six-of-seven overall. An incredibly controversial decision prevented Hamilton from winning yet another WDC title in ’21. In 2025, Hamilton will leave Merc for Ferrari.
