Top 20 greatest F1 drivers ever

15. Damon Hill (22)

Damon Hill is the son of two-time world champion Delano Hill. Damon Hill himself was world champion once. The Briton also achieved 42 podium finishes and 22 victories. For years, father and son Hill were the only drivers where both the father and son were world champions. Keke and Nico Rosberg have since equalled this achievement.

After racing on motorbikes, Damon Hill made the switch to motor racing at the age of 23. Hill made his Formula 1 debut in 1992 and went on to win three consecutive major awards in 1993. 1996 was the year where everything fell into place for Damon Hill with the Williams team. He took no less than eight victories and sealed his world title in the last race. After that year, Hill had just one more victory with the Jordan team and the Briton’s career fizzled out.

Last/Current Team: Jordan Country: United Kingdom Podiums: 42 Grands Prix entered: 115 World Championships: 1 Races won: 22 Date of birth: 17/09/1960 Place of birth: London, United Kingdom

Picture source: Supermac1961, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

14. Nico Rosberg (23)

Nico Rosberg is a 36-year-old driver from Wiesbaden, Germany. In 2016 Nico stopped driving in Formula 1 with his last race at the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. During his Formula 1 career, Nico participated in 206 Grands Prix of which he finished on the podium at 57 of them and crossed the finish line first 23 times. During his career Nico scored 1594.5 points.

When Nico was six years old, he decided to follow in his famous father’s footsteps for an F1 World Championship title. After 25 years of hard work, Nico succeeded in making his childhood dream come true. In 2016, Nico won over his rival and teammate Lewis Hamilton and secured the F1 World Championship. Shortly after, Nico decided to stop driving and left Mercedes.

Last/Current Team: Mercedes Country: Germany Podiums: 57 Grands Prix entered: 206 World Championships: 1 Races won: 23 Date of birth: 27/06/1985 Place of birth: Wiesbaden, Germany

Picture source: Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

13. Nelson Piquet (23)

Nelson Piquet is a Brazilian racing driver from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Piquet retired from Formula 1 in 1991. During his Formula 1 career Piquet participated in 204 Grand Prix and of these, he won 23 with 60 podium finishes.

Nelson Piquet began his sporting career as a tennis player under his father’s name, Souto Maior. After an injury at 17, Nelson switched to karting, however, he did this under the name of his mother; Piquet. In 1978, the Brazilian made his debut in Formula 1 and the rest is history. With impressive races, he achieved a total of three world championships.

Last/Current Team: Benetton Country: Brazil Podiums: 60 Grands Prix entered: 204 World Championships: 3 Races won: 23 Date of birth: 17/08/1952 Place of birth: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Picture source: José Cruz/ABr, CC BY 3.0 BR, via Wikimedia Commons

12. Juan Manuel Fangio (24)

The Argentine F1 driver was a record holder, winning 5 F1 World Titles, 4 of them in a row. Juan is considered an original F1 master and is the oldest world champion with the most teams. The Argentine born in 1911 may have raced in Formula 1 for only eight years but he still managed to win five world championships, which was a record for almost 50 years. Add to that the fact that he won 46% of all his races, had 29 pole positions and achieved all this while in his forties. Juan’s nickname sums up his status well, “El maestro, El Mejo” (the master, the best) due to his impact and stature in F1 history.

Last/Current Team: Maserati Country: Argentina Podiums: 35 Grands Prix entered: 51 World Championships: 5 Races won: 24 Date of birth: 24/06/1911 Place of birth: Balcarce, Argentina

Picture source: Panini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

11. Niki Lauda (25)

One of the world champions of Formula 1 is Niki Lauda. He won three F1 world titles in his career and became one of the most important Formula 1 drivers of his time. In 1971, Niki Lauda made his debut in Formula 1 in the Grand Prix of Austria. After a good weekend of racing, Lauda gained a spot at Ferrari. The Austrian F1 Legend won world title after world title. In total Lauda has won 3 F1 World Titles, driven 174 Grands Prix, won 25 Grands Prix and finished on the podium 54 times.

Last/Current Team: McLaren Country: Austria Podiums: 54 Grands Prix entered: 174 World Championships: 3 Races won: 25 Date of birth: 22/02/1949 Place of birth: Vienna, Austria

Picture source: Panini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

10. Jim Clark (25)

Jim Clark is considered by many to be the best F1 driver ever. Clark made his F1 debut at the Dutch Grand Prix. Here he drove in a Lotus Elite against the owner of Lotus Colin Chapman. Because of his extraordinary driving skills Chapman gave him a chance to drive in Formula 1. Here Clark drove in 72 Grands Prix of which he won 25. Clark even won the World Championship twice. Clark could have won more Formula 1 victories and championships but had an accident and the injuries cost him his life. The death of Clark has had an enormous impact on the sport. Clark was 32 years old at the time of his untimely death and will always be remembered as one of the best F1 drivers ever.

Last/Current Team: Lotus Country: United Kingdom Podiums: 32 Grands Prix entered: 72 World Championships: 2 Races won: 25 Date of birth: 04/03/1936 Place of birth: Kilmany, Fife, United Kingdom

Picture source: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

9. Jackie Stewart (27)

Jackie Stewart has been nicknamed ”The Flying Scot” because of his remarkable Formula 1 career. Jackie was the first British driver to win three F1 World Championships. In his career Jackie drove 100 Grands Prix of which he won 27. Jackie was known for his dream debut in which he achieved a big lead over the rest on a wet track. His lightning-fast reputation makes him a true Formula One legend.

Last/Current Team: Tyrrell Country: United Kingdom Podiums: 43 Grands Prix entered: 100 World Championships: 3 Races won: 27 Date of birth: 11/06/1939 Place of birth: Milton, United Kingdom

Picture source: Lothar Spurzem, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons

8. Nigel Mansell (31)

This British former racing driver raced in Formula 1 and the Indycar series for 15 years. Starting in Formula Ford, Nigel’s driving style and talent was noticed by the Lotus team boss. From this, his Formula 1 career started at team Lotus. During his Formula 1 career Nigel participated in 192 Grands Prix. With 31 victories, 59 podium finishes and even one World Championship title, Nigel is among the top 10 best Formula 1 race-drivers ever.

Last/Current Team: McLaren Country: United Kingdom Podiums: 59 Grands Prix entered: 192 World Championships: 1 Races won: 31 Date of birth: 08/08/1953 Place of birth: Upton-upon-Severn, United Kingdom

Picture source: Colin_Eric, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

7. Fernando Alonso (32)

Fernando Alonso is a 43-year-old Spanish racing driver from Oviedo. Alonso has driven 411 Grands Prix with 106 podium finishes and 32 victories! In August 2018, he announced he would no longer race in Formula 1. He switched to Indianapolis racing at that time. In 2021, however, he reversed his decision and made a comeback at Alpine. Since 2023, Alonso has been driving his races for Aston Martin, regularly scoring podium finishes.

He inherited his love for cars and racing from his father, who was an amateur kart racer. Fernando participated in kart races in Spain and won many trophies.

Last/Current Team: Aston Martin Country: Spain Podiums: 106 Grands Prix entered: 411 World Championships: 2 Races won: 32 Date of birth: 29/07/1981 Place of birth: Oviedo, Spain

Picture source: Ann64, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

6. Ayrton Senna (41)

1994, after a crash in Imola, brought the whole of Brazil and F1 fans across the globe into mourning. Senna was known for driving to the limit with rivalry of the sport, Alain Prost. The Brazilian may have won only three F1 World Championships, but he competed in the sport’s most talented era and was its most talented driver. The Formula One legend managed 614 points in his career.

Last/Current Team: McLaren Country: Brazil Podiums: 80 Grands Prix entered: 162 World Championships: 3 Races won: 41 Date of birth: 01/05/1994 Place of birth: São Paulo, Brazil

Picture source: Martin Lee from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

5. Alain Prost (51)

This Frenchman held the most records in F1, before they were surpassed by Michael Schumacher after 1993. Alain won 51 victories and four F1 World Championships in his career, making him a genius for his time. Prost, in addition to his sharp mind, will be remembered for his rivalry with Senna. The competition and drama between the two drivers was unprecedented in Formula 1 and will forever remain a great rivalry in the history of the sport. In his career, the Formula One legend secured 798.5 points for the teams he raced with.

Last/Current Team: Williams Country: France Podiums: 106 Grands Prix entered: 202 World Championships: 4 Races won: (51) Date of birth: 24/02/1955 Place of birth: Saint-Chamond, France

Picture source: Panini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

4. Sebastian Vettel (53)

At 23, this 37-year-old German driver from Heppenheim was the youngest Formula 1 driver to win a championship. The driver has started 299 Grands Prix of which he has finished 122 times on the podium and won 53 Grands Prix. The driver has won 4 F1 World Championships, the first of which he won when he was 23 years old. The following year he won again, making him the youngest double world champion.

Last/Current Team: Aston Martin Country: Germany Podiums: 122 Grands Prix entered: 299 World Championships: 4 Races won: 53 Date of birth: 03/07/1987 Place of birth: Heppenheim, Germany

Picture source: Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Max Verstappen (67)

The 27-year old Dutchman is the youngest Formula 1 participant ever! Although born in Hasselt, Belgium, Max drives for the Netherlands. Max joined Red Bull when he was 17 and has since participated in 226 Grand Prixs. Out of these races Max has been on the podium 120 times, finished first 67 times and won the championship last year at 27 at the Grand Prix of Las Vegas. This also makes Max the first Dutchman to ever win a Grands Prix.

Latest/Current Team: Red Bull Racing Country: Netherlands Podiums: 120 Grands Prix participated: 226 World Championships: 4 Races won: 67 Date of Birth: 30/09/1997 Place of Birth: Hasselt, Belgium

Picture source: Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Michael Schumacher (91)

Michael Schumacher is one of the most iconic Formula One drivers in the sport. The 56-year-old German holds many records for Formula 1 Grands Prix victories and F1 championships. Schumacher has competed in 308 Grands Prix in his career and has finished on the podium in 155 of them. The German finished first in no less than 91 Grand Prix wins, which ultimately earned him 7 F1 World Championships with a total of 1566 points!

In his youth, Schumacher became interested in karting. This was partly due to the fact that his father had his own karting track. In karting Michael won several championships, which made him switch to Formula 3. In 1991 Michael made his debut in Formula 1 as a replacement for Bertrand Gachot.

Last/Current Team: Mercedes Country: Germany Podiums: 155 Grands Prix entered: 308 World Championships: 7 Races won: 91 Date of birth: 03/01/1969 Place of birth: Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany

Picture source: Gunnar Richter Namenlos.net, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Lewis Hamilton (105)

This F1 legend has proven in recent years that he deserves his number one spot. Through his long term racing dominance Lewis has won 7 F1 World Championships. This makes him the driver with the most world titles in F1. Lewis Hamilton is 40 years old, comes from Stevenage, United Kingdom and drives for the Ferrari team. The English driver has the most victories in F1 with more than 373 races already driven of which he has won 105 and finished on the podium no less than 202 times.

Hamilton started his racing career when he was eight years old. He won the British karting championship when he was 10. Three years later, Hamilton joined the McLaren and Mercedes-Benz Young Driver Support Programme, where he received the support and backing that he needed to train and develop his skills. This has certainly paid off, Hamilton is no doubt the best F1 driver.

Latest/Current Team: Ferrari Country: United Kingdom Podiums: 202 Grands Prix participated: 373 World Championships: 7 Races won: 105 Date of Birth: 07/01/1985 Place of Birth: Stevenage, England

Picture source: Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

That’s it! The top 20 greatest F1 drivers ever. Want to see one of these legends live at a Grand Prix? We have all the races listed for you. Check out our complete Formula 1 offers here and find your ideal tickets!

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