Formula 1 boasts incredible records and facts backed by numbers and stats where speed equals more. Alongside those are some of the most unbelievable facts in F1 history that will amaze even the most seasoned fans. Imagine the irony of Juan Manuel Fangio, a legendary five-time world champion, nearly losing his driver’s licence off the track. Or consider the contradiction of Max Verstappen, who steered his way into F1 history as the youngest-ever driver at just 17, all before he was legally allowed to drive on public roads. And let’s not overlook Sebastian Vettel, whose 2005 debut in F1 and again with Aston Martin in 2021 saw him issued penalty points within mere seconds of starting.
What to know
- Juan Manuel Fangio nearly lost his driver’s licence despite being a five-time world champion.
- Max Verstappen become the youngest-ever F1 driver, but without a driver’s licence.
- Sebastian Vettel racked up penalty points after six-seconds on his F1 debut in 2005, and again on his Aston Martin debut in 2021.
These facts and records are just the tip of the iceberg. In this article, join us as we explore more of these incredible tales from the pinnacle of motorsports that dates back to the first-ever race in 1950, a championship that started on May 13 at Silverstone and ran until September 3 at Monza. One that paved the way for decades of incredible Formula 1 history.
Most overtakes in a single lap
As of 12 January 2025, during the third lap of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, a record-breaking 63 overtakes were made, beating the previous record of 45 overtakes in a single lap. This Grand Prix also featured a high number of overtakes, with 186 passes made on the track, a substantial gain from the 23 overtakes recorded the previous year at Zandvoort.
The record for the fewest overtakes in a Formula One race is zero, a mark reached in several races: the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix, the 2005 United States Grand Prix, the 2009 European Grand Prix, the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix and the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
Juan Manuel Fangio lost the use of his driver’s licence
After Juan Manuel Fangio was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990, he led a much quieter public life, but he came back into the spotlight in 1994 when he opposed a new law in the Province of Buenos Aires that denied issuing driving licenses to individuals over 80, a regulation that affected him directly. When his license renewal was denied, Fangio was rumoured to have challenged Traffic Bureau staff to a race from Buenos Aires to the coastal city of Mar del Plata—a distance of 400 km (250 miles)—in under two hours. His bold challenge led to an exemption being granted to the five-time World Champion who gained his driver’s licence back.
Max Verstappen drives in F1 before a driver’s licence
Max Verstappen, who made his Formula 1 debut at just 17 years and 166 days old during the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. He became the youngest driver ever to compete in Formula 1 before he even had his road driver’s licence. He was able to race with an F1 Super Licence, a special licence issued by the FIA based on points earned through points scored in various racing series.
Verstappen passed his road driving test on his first attempt several months into his F1 career, though he humorously noted that the examiner was less than pleased, acknowledging how embarrassing it would have been to fail him. Verstappen’s first major test came in 2013 when he drove 160 laps in a Formula Renault car at the Pembrey Circuit and later tested a Formula 3 car in December of that year.
Following 2021, the FIA amended its rules, requiring drivers to be over 18 and possess a road license before receiving a super license to race in Formula 1.
Sebastian Vettel is issued points on his debut
Sebastian Vettel‘s entry into Formula 1 was as dramatic as it was swift. During the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, at just 19 years old, Vettel experienced his first-ever Formula 1 weekend, serving as BMW Sauber‘s third driver in Friday’s practice session. No sooner had he driven out of the garage for the first time, Vettel sped through the pit lane, resulting in an immediate penalty. The penalty came just six seconds into his Formula 1 career, setting an unusual record for the quickest penalty in a debut. Despite this initial hiccup, Vettel’s performance during the practice session was impressive, showcasing his potential and setting the stage for a successful career. He secured four back-to-back titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
Later into his career, Vettel’s debut with Aston Martin at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix was marked by challenges with the car, including accumulating five penalty points on his super licence due to two incidents over the race weekend.
During the race’s later stages, Vettel collided with Esteban Ocon in an Alpine at Turn 1, which resulted in both drivers temporarily stopping but eventually restarting their cars. Despite Vettel’s claims that Ocon had altered his line while braking, the stewards awarded him a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points, concluding that Vettel was entirely at fault for the incident, as evidenced by video and telemetry data.
In addition to the race incident, Vettel faced setbacks even before the main race. He received a grid penalty and three penalty points during Saturday’s qualifying for not reducing speed under yellow flags. This penalty lowered his 18th-place qualifying position, relegating him to start at the back of the grid.
In 1997, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve never shared a podium
In 1997, the Formula 1 season unfolded with an intriguing subplot involving Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, two of the sport’s leading drivers’ at the time. Despite competing in all 17 races of the season, they remarkably never shared the podium in any single event. Their paths on the track seldom crossed directly, which added an element of surprise to the championship’s climax. The title contention between the two reached a dramatic and controversial peak during the final race of the season at the 1997 European Grand Prix in Jerez. In a decisive moment, Schumacher and Villeneuve collided, a clash that ultimately led to Schumacher’s disqualification from the championship standings and Villeneuve securing the title. A stark contrast to the season’s pattern, where direct confrontations between the two were scarce, making the collision a pivotal and unexpected twist in the championship narrative.
Hans Heyer becomes the only driver in one race to receive a DNQ, DNF, and DSQ
Hans Heyer etched his name in Formula 1 history for a rather unconventional reason: he is the only driver to have ever recorded a DNQ, DNF, and DSQ in the same race. For those unfamiliar with F1 jargon, here’s a quick breakdown
- DNQ (Did Not Qualify) indicates a driver failed to secure a qualifying time or was too slow to make the race lineup.
- DNF (Did Not Finish) means the driver started the race but could not complete it.
- DSQ (Disqualified) speaks for itself.
These terms usually represent separate, standalone outcomes, but Heyer remarkably achieved all three at the 1977 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. The event had limited grid slots, allowing only 24 of the 30 entrants to race, which Heyer initially failed to secure, thus earning his DNQ. He wasn’t expected to race as a third reserve, but due to unforeseen withdrawals and a starting light malfunction, he slipped onto the track unnoticed. His race ended abruptly after nine laps due to gearbox failure, marking a DNF. His unauthorised start also led to a disqualification. This series of misfortunes culminated in a de facto lifetime ban from Formula One, as it was his first and last appearance in the sport.
Despite this infamous F1 outing, Heyer had some success in touring car races. However, his 14 attempts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended ironically in DNFs.
Jenson Button was the first driver to press the DRS button
Jenson Button is the first Formula 1 driver to press the DRS (Drag Reduction System) button in a race at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix, a revolutionary addition to the sport introduced in 2011. The DRS system was designed to aid in overtaking by reducing aerodynamic drag, thereby increasing the trailing car’s speed relative to the car ahead when activated.
Button was also featured in its first broadcast, which showed a successful overtake of the system during the 2011 Australian Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso became the first driver to use it in a successful overtake during the same race, but the move was not aired.
Kimi Raikkonen paid €16 Million not to race
In 2010, Kimi Räikkönen found himself in a unique position when Ferrari terminated his contract a year early to make way for Fernando Alonso. As a result, Räikkönen was paid a substantial sum of €16 million to not race in F1 that year. Interestingly, this payout made Raikkonen one of the highest earners in the sport, topping Felipe Massa, who was actively driving for the team. Only Alonso, who had replaced him at Ferrari, earned more than Raikkonen that year. Later, when Kimi returned to the paddock with the Lotus F1 Team, his success almost bankrupted the team after scoring too many points.
105 grid place penalties for the McLaren team in 2015
At the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix, McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button faced an unprecedented number of penalties, totalling a staggering and record-breaking 105 grid positions. This extreme number was imposed on the drivers due to numerous changes made to their Honda engines, which far exceeded the allowable changes under the existing regulations.
Only six cars start the US Grand Prix
The 2005 United States Grand Prix, held on 19 June at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is infamous in Formula One history, with only six cars starting the race due to a series of unfortunate events. During practice, Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher crashed, caused by a tyre failure, and highlighted that Michelin’s tyres could not handle the high speeds on the track’s banked section. Despite this, the FIA refused to alter the track layout, and no consensus could be reached among the ten teams on how to proceed.
As a result, the 14 cars equipped with Michelin tyres withdrew to the pit lane before the race started. The action sparked outrage among fans, who booed and hurled beer and rubbish onto the circuit. The FIA subsequently blamed the teams for not having the appropriate equipment for the race conditions. The fallout from this debacle was so severe that the event’s reputation suffered irreparably, leading to its cancellation two years later.
Lewis Hamilton scored the most points in an F1 race – 50
In the 2014 Formula One season finale in Abu Dhabi, a unique scoring system was implemented, and points were doubled to maintain the championship’s suspense until the very last race. Lewis Hamilton secured 50 points for his win, a significant tally under this one-time scoring rule. Despite Hamilton’s impressive win for Mercedes, the Williams team amassed the highest total at the event, scoring 66 points. It was the only race in F1 history with double points.
Other F1 Facts and Records
- Markus Wickelhock started only one race for Spyker in 2007. He led that race.
- Michael Schumacher won on the Formula 1 debut of Jenson Button, while Button won on Schumacher’s final F1 race.
- Jody Scheckter‘s McLaren M23 bore the number zero during the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix and the 1973 United States Grand Prix. Scheckter is one of only two F1 drivers to compete under this number, the other being 1996 World Champion Damon Hill.
- Jenson Button and Max Verstappen both won a race by pitting six times. Button won the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, while Verstappen won the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix.
- Ayrton Senna set the fastest lap at the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park by driving through the pit lane on lap 57, with a time of 1:18.488.
- The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix was the only race ever to be completed without any racing laps under full green flag conditions. The race was red-flagged after only two laps due to heavy rain and poor visibility, and was not restarted. The race was the shortest in Formula One history. The race was planned to run for 44 laps, but ended during the third lap due to wet conditions.
- The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix is the only race ever where the top 10 finished where they started. Charles Leclerc became the first Monégasque driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix in the World Championship era since Louis Chiron in 1931. It was also Leclerc’s first win since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
For a complete list of F1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ records visit our F1 Records section of the site.
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