Everybody has a favorite Formula One driver. Many people have expressed their opinions regarding the greatest person of all time over the years. In its 74-year existence, Formula One has generated a large number of international stars, many of whom have gone on to become household names. Over the years, 776 drivers have competed in Formula One Grands Prix, with a select handful earning induction into the “Hall of Fame.”
Furthermore, 111 distinct divers have crossed the finish line to win a Formula One Grand Prix since the sport’s founding in 1950. Some of those drivers have had greater professional success than others. With many still arguing about who is the all-time best player, pound for pound.
10. Niki Lauda
March, BRM, Ferrari, Brabham, McLaren
When Niki Lauda was at the top of his game, his skills on the track were unparalleled. After completing three seasons, he signed up with Ferrari for the 1974 season, when he finished fourth in the championship and claimed two victories. He claimed five victories and the first of his three world titles in the following year. After a near-fatal crash at the Nurburgring in 1976, Lauda recovered to almost lose out on the championship to James Hunt. He won his second title in 1977 and left the sport two years later. But in 1982, he made a swift comeback with McLaren. After a fierce matchup with Alain Prost, two years later, he won his third title. He finally declared permanent retirement in 1985.
9. Jackie Stewart
BRM, Matra, March, Tyrrell
Even to this day, Sir Jackie Stewart remains a key figure in the sport. He would make his Formula 1 debut in 1965, and his performances were eye-catching. As a rookie, he scored five podiums, including a maiden win in Italy, finishing third in the championship. Following his move to Matra in 1968, Stewart took a step up, finishing second in the standings before winning the Drivers’ Championship the following year. His move to Tyrell in 1970 also proved successful, as he took the title in his second season with the team scoring six victories. In his final Formula 1 season, Stewart would bow out in style. A hard-fought first half of the season in which Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi shared the wins in the first six races, the F1 icon maintained the form and took the championship.
8. Nigel Mansell
Lotus, Williams, Ferrari, McLaren
Because of his tenacity during his racing career, Nigel Mansell became a true fan favorite. Before joining Williams, he started racing for Lotus in 1980 and finished on a few podiums. With the Oxfordshire-based team, the British driver had great success, winning races on a regular basis and shockingly losing the championship at the 1986 event. After finishing second once more in 1987, he attracted attention at Maranello and joined Ferrari. When he declared his retirement in 1990, it appeared that he would become just another exceptional driver to lose out on the championship. That wasn’t the case, though. In 1992, Mansell made a comeback, winning five races in a row to begin the season. He went on to win four more and finish in second place three more times.
7. Fernando Alonso
Minardi, Renault, McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin
It will be remembered that Fernando Alonso is a true great of the sport. The Spaniard has been a very successful driver throughout the years, having shown talent and personality from the start. Alonso started his career by winning a seat with Minardi in 2001. He later joined Renault and created history there in 2005. Alonso became the youngest driver to win a world championship, ending Michael Schumacher’s record of five straight. He became the youngest person to win back-to-back championships the following year. He’s experienced lows as well as highs. Alonso found it difficult to compete with Lewis Hamilton while he was with McLaren, and he missed out on three championships with Ferrari.
6. Ayrton Senna
Toleman, Lotus, McLaren, Williams
To this day, Ayrton Senna remains one of the greatest inspirations for race cars. After winning the British Formula 3 Championship in 1983, he made the step up to Formula 1 the following year. Despite finishing ninth in his first season, he followed that up with third-place finishes in ’85 and ’86, before registering his first win in Portugal in 1986. Following a spell at Honda, his greatest successes came with McLaren, where he would form a rivalry with teammate Alain Prost. His three titles give a sense of what could have been. Senna raced with Williams in 1995, but tragically lost his life in a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix.
5. Alain Prost
McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, Williams
As previously said, Alain Prost gained notoriety for his intense conflict and rivalry with Senna. The Frenchman became the nation’s first world champion in 1985 because to his cunning and accurate driving. He surpassed Jackie Stewart’s record of 27 victories two years later. Prost and Senna’s abilities were demonstrated the next year when McLaren won 15 of 16 races in the season. At the age of 38, the Frenchman won his fourth and last championship for Williams, cementing his place among the greatest players in the world until his retirement.
4. Sebastian Vettel
BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari, Aston Martin
Even if Sebastian Vettel’s speed significantly decreased at the end of his career, he was invincible at his best. Vettel, who is 21 years and 74 days old, became the youngest driver to take pole at the Italian Grand Prix. In support of that, he won an incredible race to become the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. His efforts did not go unnoticed, as he was soon promoted to the senior Red Bull Racing squad and finished 2009 as the runner-up to Jenson Button of Brawn GP. At the start of the decade, Red Bull was unstoppable, and Vettel led the team to four straight titles.
3. Max Verstappen
Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull
In Formula 1, Max Verstappen is presently experiencing complete dominance; he was just crowned world champion for the third consecutive year. The Red Bull star narrowly avoided elimination on the final lap of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi to win his first world title in one of the sport’s most thrilling races ever. His father, Jos, was a former Formula 1 driver. This put an end to Mercedes’ four-year dominance under Lewis Hamilton. For the Dutchman, his second world championship was much easier. Verstappen easily won the championship, even though he was unreliable and missed two of the first three rounds.
2. Michael Schumacher
Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, Mercedes
Michael Schumacher’s dedication, strategic acumen, and unparalleled focus allowed him to dominate the sport, leaving a lasting impact on both his contemporaries and future generations, as he became the template for the modern F1 driver focused on fitness. His success started with Benetton in 1994, as he took his first world title dramatically ahead of Damon Hill, while the 1995 campaign proved a more dominant one as he made it two crowns. A move to Ferrari in 1996 was a bold one, as he bid to help the stuttering Scuderia and, after some near misses, he returned them to Drivers’ Championship glory for the first time in 21 years in 2000 – from there, a Ferrari dynasty was born. He retired in 2006, but shook the racing world when he returned to the grid in 2010 with Mercedes. Despite being past his best, the F1 legend was still enjoying his racing.
1. Lewis Hamilton
McLaren, Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton’s first world title came in 2008 as a dramatic finish to the final Grand Prix of the season in Brazil saw the Briton deny Felipe Massa in the very last corners of the race. This came after Hamilton had lost out on the title in 2007 by a single point. He’d have to wait until 2014 for his next championship, however, with that coinciding with a move to Mercedes as an unprecedented spell of dominance by the Silver Arrows began. Hamilton also won the championship in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, and was a lap away from a record-breaking eighth crown in 2021 before an infamous and controversial Safety Car call by then race-director Michael Masi denied him. The Brit remains on the hunt for a historical eighth title. In February, Hamilton confirmed that he would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The Brit’s current contract with Mercedes was due to expire at the end of 2025, but he will depart the team after this season and replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari. Hamilton activated a release clause in his current contract, and Ferrari announced that the seven-time world champion is joining them on a “multi-year” deal – a signing which has shocked the world as he looks to add yet another world title to his collection.
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