For the 2025 Formula 1 season, the sport celebrated its 75th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in motorsports and F1 history. Over more than seven decades, fans have witnessed countless moments of brilliance, innovation, and exceptional talent that continue to inspire newer generations of the sport. To celebrate this historic year, we’ve highlighted the drivers who have shaped Formula 1 history, creating unforgettable moments and setting extraordinary records.
What to know
- Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher hold the most titles with 7 each.
- Sebastian Vettal is F1’s youngest World Champion.
- Juan Manuel Fangio is the oldest winner of the F1 World Drivers’ Championship; he was 46 years and 41 days old when he won the 1957 title.
- There have been two American F1 World Champions with Phil Hill in 1961 and Mario Andretti in 1978.
The Best F1 Drivers
From legendary rivalries and groundbreaking victories to thrilling comebacks and influential advocacy, these drivers have defined what it means to be genuinely influential in F1. As we honour the F1 75th anniversary, we explore the remarkable stories of those who have etched their names into Formula 1 history.
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For all the die-hard F1 fans out there, please resist the urge to throw your overpriced team-branded caps at us—this list is neither definitive nor ranked. If your favourite driver isn’t at the top, take a deep breath, channel your inner radio message fury, and remember: “We are checking.”
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher set records that defined Formula 1 for decades. After making an immediate impression with Jordan in 1991, Schumacher secured championships with Benetton in 1994 and 1995. His dominance heightened at Ferrari, where he secured five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004, a feat previously unmatched.
Though his Mercedes return from 2010-2012 was less successful, Schumacher’s legacy is cemented by 91 wins, 68 pole positions, and seven World Championships. Is Schumacher’s seven titles genuinely unbeatable? Time will tell.
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna captured imaginations through thrilling drives and intense rivalries, notably with teammate, Frenchman, and eventual four-time World Champion Alain Prost. Senna’s own talent earned him three World Championships alone, with 41 wins, before his tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Senna’s dedication to the sport extended beyond racing, having saved fellow driver Erik Comas after an accident at Spa for the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix. Despite his death in 1994, his legacy continues to inspire newer generations of drivers and fans.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton transformed Formula 1 by breaking records previously thought unbeatable. He won his first title in 2008 with McLaren before achieving unprecedented success with Mercedes from 2014 onward. He matched Schumacher’s seven championships during the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, where he secured the championship by winning on a treacherously wet track.
With more wins, poles, and podium finishes than anyone else in F1 history, Hamilton defines modern racing greatness. Can Hamilton secure the elusive eighth title to surpass Schumacher? Some say he already has, were it not for the fateful 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Hamilton lost the championship to Max Verstappen, in a controversial final race of the season.
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Max Verstappen
A generational talent, Max Verstappen has changed the way F1 drivers race since his debut at 17 with Toro Rosso. Promoted quickly to parent team Red Bull, he quickly became the youngest race winner in F1 history at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, his first race for the team. His fierce rivalry with Hamilton peaked in 2021, earning Verstappen his first title.
Post-rule changes in 2022, the subsequent seasons were dominated by Verstappen, which yielded another three titles, totalling four consecutive championships on the trot and a record-breaking 19 wins in 2023 alone. Is Verstappen the greatest of his generation? Maybe of all time?
Alain Prost
Known as ‘The Professor,’ Alain Prost was known for his methodical approach to racing, which secured him four World Championships and 51 wins. Despite contentious rivalries, especially with Ayrton Senna, Prost’s strategic racing style remains influential.
Prost’s calculated risks set a blueprint for future drivers. Does strategic thinking triumph over raw speed in Formula 1? When we speak of Prost, it undoubtedly does.
Beyond driving in F1, Prost acquired the Ligier Formula One team in 1997, rebranding it as Prost Grand Prix until it folded in 2002. He also found success in the Andros Trophy, an ice racing series, from 2003 to 2012, where he claimed 38 wins and three championships.
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio dominated early Formula 1, winning five championships with four different teams. His win rate of 47% remains unmatched, reflecting his ability to adapt to new cars from season to season and deliver consistent drives. The 1954 championship also stands out as it was the season when Fangio drove and won races for Maserati and Mercedes, making him the only driver in F1 history to win a championship driving for more than one team in the same season.
Known affectionately by nicknames such as “El Chueco” (the bowlegged one) and “El Maestro” (The Master or The Teacher), Fangio was a founding father of Formula 1, defining the sport’s earliest seasons. Fangio set records that are still respected today. At an older age than most modern drivers, could Fangio have succeeded in modern F1?
Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart competed from 1965 to 1973 and earned the nickname “The Flying Scot.” At the time of his retirement, he had won three World Championship titles and held the records for most career wins (27) and podium finishes (43). His victories included a spectacular performance at the 1968 German Grand Prix, where he finished four minutes ahead of second-place Team Lotus driver Graham Hill. What made the win more remarkable was Stewart racing with a broken wrist.
His legacy extends beyond his three World Championships. Stewart fiercely advocated for driver safety, significantly reducing fatalities in a previously perilous sport. Along with mesmerising drives, his safety advocacy reshaped F1.
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel dominated Formula 1 in the early 2010s, securing four consecutive championships with Red Bull. After a successful stint with Red Bull, Vettel moved to Ferrari in 2015, replacing Fernando Alonso. He narrowly missed further titles during a time of Mercedes dominance.
Like Stewart, Vettel became influential off-track, championing environmental and social issues and highlighting the evolving role of drivers in global conversations. At the end of the 2022 season, after 299 race starts, Vettel announced his retirement from Formula One to focus on his family and other passions outside of the sport.
Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda famously returned just weeks after a life-threatening crash, embodying the definition of strength and determination. His three World Championships and strategic mind elevated his legacy, particularly as Mercedes‘ advisor during their return to the sport and their dominant era.
His comeback in 1976 was his first. After a two-year break between 1980 and 1981, Lauda made a dramatic return to Formula One with McLaren in 1982. He quickly regained his form, winning multiple races in his comeback season. Although 1983 was winless for Lauda, the 1984 season saw him paired with Alain Prost. Lauda narrowly beat Prost to claim his third World Championship by a mere half-point—the smallest margin in Formula One history. Lauda continued with McLaren into 1985, achieving his final career victory at the 1985 Dutch Grand Prix before retiring from racing at the end of the season.
Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari was the first driver in F1 history to secure back-to-back titles (1952, 1953), showcasing dominance rarely matched. As of 2025, he remains one of only two Italian World Champions, with victories closely linked to Ferrari‘s legacy. The other successful Italian was Giuseppe “Nino” Farina, F1’s first-ever World Champion in 1950.
Ascari set the benchmark for consecutive successes. Will another Italian driver replicate his achievements? Could the young Kimi Antonelli, who joined the grid with Mercedes in 2025, join his fellow countrymen?
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso, with two championships, both with Renault, continues to impress with his longevity in motorsports, not just in F1. After early success with Renault, Alonso maintained competitive performances at McLaren (despite a lacklustre car), Ferrari, and Aston Martin.
Outside of F1, Alonso competed in endurance racing, winning the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship and claiming two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota. He remains the only driver to have won both the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship and the World Endurance Championship. He also won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019. Can Alonso achieve another title late in his career before his inevitable retirement? Maybe he will surpass Fangio’s final title, which he won at 46 years and 41 days old.
Graham Hill
Graham Hill uniquely achieved motorsport’s Triple Crown—winning Monaco, Le Mans, and the Indy 500. Known as ‘Mr Monaco’, having won the race a stagging five times, Hill’s charisma and racing versatility captivated fans worldwide. Hill won two Formula One World Championship titles and, by the time he retired, held the record for the most podium finishes (36).
Tragically, on 29 November 1975, Hill, along with five of his own Embassy Hill team, died in a plane crash while returning from a test session at Circuit Paul Ricard. Hill’s legacy continued through his son, Damon Hill, who won the Formula One World Championship in 1996, making them the first father-and-son World Champions in F1 history.
Hill’s multi-series success raises the question: Will any current F1 driver replicate his Triple Crown? Only Fernando Alonso stands closest.
Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti, America’s last F1 champion (1978), embodied transatlantic racing dominance. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American drivers in F1 history and in motorsport. He competed in Formula One from 1968 to 1982 and secured the 1978 Drivers’ Championship with Lotus. He also achieved tremendous success in American open-wheel racing, winning four IndyCar National Championships and winning the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in 1969. He won the 1967 Daytona 500 in stock car racing, and in endurance racing, he triumphed in the 12 Hours of Sebring thrice.
His transition from American series’ to F1 inspired cross-continental racing. Will another American driver ever achieve similar international success?
Jim Clark
Jim Clark is often hailed as one of the greatest drivers of all time. His dominance in the 1960s, with two World Championships and remarkable win percentages, ended abruptly in 1968 when he died in a Formula Two race at the Hockenheimring in Germany. He won two Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles with Lotus and, at the time of his death, held several records, including most wins (25), pole positions (33), and fastest laps (28). Clark’s versatility extended beyond Formula One, winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1965, becoming the first non-American to do so in nearly five decades.
Clark’s record-breaking seasons illustrated unmatched potential. Could Clark have become the greatest ever without tragedy?
Jack Brabham
Jack Brabham was an Australian racing driver and motorsport pioneer who competed in Formula One from 1955 to 1970. Brabham won three Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles in 1959, 1960, and 1966, becoming one of the sport’s all-time greats. Uniquely, he co-founded the Brabham racing team in 1960 and remains the only driver to win a World Championship in a car bearing his name.
Brabham redefined success through innovation, a feat unlikely to be repeated in the high-cost, manufacturer-driven sport.
Gilles Villeneuve
Gilles Villeneuve drove with a fearless racing style that defined his legacy at Ferrari despite never winning a championship. His spectacular driving and tenacity earned him legendary status, becoming a firm favourite with Enzo Ferrari, treated like a son.
At Zolder in 1982, Villeneuve tragically died in a crash while attempting to take pole position. His death profoundly affected the sport. He became an iconic figure renowned for his car control, aggressive driving, and “never give up” attitude. Villeneuve illustrates a racing spirit beyond championships, despite never winning one. Is his passionate approach more memorable than titles?
Like Graham Hill, Villeneuve‘s son, Jacques Villeneuve became a racing driver, winning the Indianapolis 500, the CART Championship in 1995, and the F1 World Championship in 1997. A championship that eluded his father.
John Surtees
John Surtees uniquely achieved World Championships on both motorcycles and cars, showcasing unparalleled versatility. His 1964 F1 title cemented his status across motorsports disciplines, having already won seven Grand Prix motorcycle World Championships, including four in the premier 500cc class with MV Agusta.
Surtees eventually founded his own team in 1970, initially racing with a customer McLaren chassis before developing his own. Despite his efforts, the Surtees team struggled for success and only achieved a single podium finish in 1973, before the team was disbanded in 1978. Surtees retired from competitive racing in 1972.
Surtees’ contributions to motorsports were finally recognised in 1996 when he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. He passed away on March 10, 2017, at St George’s Hospital in London, at the age of 83. Will another driver match his unique achievements?
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell’s dramatic racing career climaxed with a dominant 1992 championship. Known for courageous racing against iconic rivals, Mansell left an enduring legacy across oceans. Mansell is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of F1 and motorsport, having won both the Formula One Drivers’ World Championship in 1992 and the CART Indy Car World Series in 1993. By winning these championships in consecutive years, he is the only F1 or Indy Car driver to achieve this feat.
During his time in Formula One, Mansell amassed a remarkable record of 31 victories, making him the second most successful British Formula One driver of all time, behind Lewis Hamilton. He also holds the record for the most poles set in a single season, a feat that stood for over a decade until Sebastian Vettel broke it in 2011.
Kimi Raikkonen
Known as ‘The Iceman’, Kimi Raikkonen oozed a cool demeanour during his career, and the 2007 World Championship he secured with Ferrari cemented his legacy. His lengthy career demonstrated unmatched durability in modern F1, with 353 race entries and 349 race starts only matched by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Beyond Formula 1, Räikkönen explored other racing series. He competed in the World Rally Championship, driving for Citroën’s Junior Team in 2010 and ICE 1 Racing in 2011. Despite being relatively new to rallying, he managed impressive results, including a stage win and a tenth-place finish in the championship for two consecutive seasons.
Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss, the greatest driver never to win a F1 Championship, claimed victories with five different teams during his time in F1. His unmatched versatility and talent remain legendary. Between 1954, his first year with a proper Formula 1 car (the Maserati 250F), and 1962, Moss participated in 318 races of all types, finishing in 225 of them and winning 134. Considering the unreliability of cars in those days, this is an impressive feat.
One of the original jet-setters, Stirling Moss, even after his death, remains a British icon of F1 and motorsports. Moss demonstrated greatness without titles. Is winning everything in Formula 1?
Every World Champion in F1 History
Since the sport’s first season in 1950, Formula 1 has been thrilling motorsport fans worldwide. It’s a sport where the legends in this post like Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen have been made. Names that are hotly debated amongst fans and experts for the title of the ‘greatest of all time’. Alongside the greats are the talented drivers who were lost too soon, each name carved into the history of F1.
As F1 fans who revel in the sport’s rich history, we’ve curated a comprehensive list of all the F1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Champions from 1950 to the present.
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