Everyone has their favourite driver in Formula 1, and over the years, many have spoken out about who they think is the greatest of all time.
F1 has produced many global superstars in its illustrious history, and many have become household names. Although nearly 800 drivers have competed in F1 over the years, only a select few can truly claim to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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And since the first season in 1950, 111 different drivers have taken the chequered flag in winning position in a Formula 1 race. Of these drivers, some have been more successful than others during their careers.
While many are still debating who is the greatest of all time, Autosport has put all doubts aside and has statistically revealed the best driver in the history of the sport.
10
Niki Lauda
March, BRM, Ferrari, Brabham, McLaren
Niki Lauda’s skills on the pitch were unparalleled at the height of his career. With three seasons under his belt, he joined Ferrari for the 1974 season and secured two wins and a fourth place finish in the 1974 championship. The following year, he took five victories and the first of his three world titles.
After a crash in 1976 at the Nürburgring, Lauda returned from a life-changing event to miss out on the title of James Hunt. In 1977, he took his second title and retired two years later. However, he quickly returned with McLaren in 1982.
Two years later, he took his third title after a close duel with Alain Prost. Finally, he retired for good in 1985 – and will undoubtedly be remembered as a true greatness in the sport.
9
Jackie Stewart
BRM, Matra, March, Tyrrell
To this day, Sir Jackie Stewart remains a central figure in the sport. He was about to make his Formula 1 debut in 1965, and his performances were eye-catching. As a newcomer, he took five podiums, including his first victory in Italy, and finished third in the championship.
After moving to Matra in 1968, Stewart took a step up, finishing second in the overall standings before winning the drivers’ championship the following year. The transfer to Tyrrell in 1970 also proved successful, as he took the title in his second season with the team with six wins.
In his final Formula 1 season, Stewart was supposed to say goodbye in style. A hard-fought first half of the season in which Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi shared the victories in the first six races, the F1 icon kept his form and took the championship.
8
Nigel Mansell
Lotus, Williams, Ferrari, McLaren
Nigel Mansell’s determination throughout his racing career made him a huge crowd favorite. In 1980, he started driving for Lotus and took a few podiums, before moving to Williams. The Briton enjoyed success with the Oxfordshire-based team, winning races regularly and losing the title dramatically in the final race in 1986. With another second place in 1987, he had caused a stir in Maranello and went to Ferrari.
After announcing his retirement in 1990, it looked like he might go down in history as another brilliant driver who missed out on the title. However, this did not happen. Mansell came back and took five straight wins at the start of the 1992 season, and went on to take four more plus three more runners-up. That was enough for the Briton to win the title at the age of 39, making him the fifth oldest to have done so.
7
Fernando Alonso
Minardi, Renault, McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso will go down in history as a true greatness in the sport. A talented, charismatic driver from day one, the Spaniard has enjoyed a lot of success over the years.
After starting his career by taking the seat at Minardi in 2001, Alonso moved on to Renault, and in 2005 he made history. Breaking Michael Schumacher’s streak of five consecutive world championships, Alonso became the youngest driver ever to win the championship. The following year, he became the youngest to win two championships in a row.
After a few ups, he has also had his downs. During his time at McLaren, Alonso struggled to contend with Lewis Hamilton, and on three occasions he came close to winning a third championship with Ferrari. He left the sport in 2018, but made a shocking comeback three years later and came to Alpine. In 2023, Alonso moved to Aston Martin and still enjoys competing at the highest level.
6
Ayrton Senna
Toleman, Lotus, McLaren, Williams
To this day, Ayrton Senna remains one of the biggest inspirations in racing. 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 up with third places in 1985 and 1986, before taking his first victory in Portugal in 1986.
After a spell at Honda, his greatest successes came with McLaren, where he formed a rivalry with teammate Alain Prost. His three titles give a sense of what could have been.
Senna drove for 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 mentioned, Alain Prost was known for his bitter feud and rivalry with Senna. The Frenchman’s intelligence and precision in his driving made him the country’s first world champion in 1985. Two years later, he broke Jackie Stewart’s record of 27 wins.
The following year, McLaren won 15 out of 16 races during the season, which is a testament to both Prost’s and Senna’s skill. The Frenchman remained one of the world’s best until his retirement, when he took his fourth and final title for Williams at the age of 38.
4
Sebastian Vettel
BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari, Aston Martin
Although Sebastian Vettel slowed down significantly towards the end of his career, he was unbeatable at the height of his power. At the Italian Grand Prix, at the age of 21 years and 74 days, Vettel became the youngest driver to take pole position. He followed that up with a sensational victory and became the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 race.
His achievements did not go unnoticed and he quickly switched to the top Red Bull Racing team, where he finished second behind Brawn GP’s Jenson Button in 2009. Red Bull dominated at the turn of the new decade, and Vettel led the team to four straight championships.
After the switch to hybrid cars, Vettel moved to Ferrari in 2015 and had a few title battles with Lewis Hamilton. Vettel then moved to Aston Martin, taking the team’s first podium in Azerbaijan in 2021, before retiring two years ago.
3
Max Verstappen
Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull
Max Verstappen has recently had a period of total dominance in Formula 1, and he has been crowned world champion four years in a row.
The son of former Formula 1 driver Jos, his first world title was one of the most epic battles ever seen in the sport, as the Red Bull star barely crossed the finish line on the final lap of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi. This ended Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes’ four-year dominance. His second World Cup was a much easier affair for the Dutchman. Although he did not complete two of the first three laps due to reliability issues, Verstappen sailed in to the title.
His triumph in 2024 appeared to be in jeopardy as Lando Norris had a mid-season surge. However, Verstappen held his own and won the crown with two races left of the season. With four drivers’ championships already on his merit list, it remains to be seen how many more Verstappen will take before he ends his career.
2
Michael Schumacher
Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, Mercedes
Michael Schumacher’s dedication, strategic acumen and unparalleled focus allowed him to dominate the sport, and he left a lasting mark on both his contemporaries and future generations, becoming the template for the modern F1 driver with a focus on physical fitness.
His success started with Benetton in 1994, when he took his first world title dramatically ahead of Damon Hill, while the 1995 season proved to be more dominant as he claimed his second title. A move to Ferrari in 1996 was a bold one, as he tried to help the ailing Scuderia, and after some near-misses, he led them back to glory in the drivers’ championship 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 prime, the F1 legend was still enjoying the racing.
1
Lewis Hamilton
McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton’s first world title came in 2008, when a dramatic finish to the final Grand Prix of the season in Brazil saw the Briton beat Felipe Massa in the very last corners of the race. This came after Hamilton had missed out on the title in 2007 by a single point.
He had to wait until 2014 for his next championship, but this coincided with a move to Mercedes when an unprecedented period of dominance for the Silver Arrows began. Hamilton also won the championship in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and was one lap away from a record eighth title in 2021 before an infamous and controversial safety car order from then-race director Michael Masi denied him.
The Briton is still in the hunt for a historic eighth title, and now drives for the iconic Ferrari.
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