Great Formula One Drivers Content from the guide to life, the universe and everything

Great Formula One Drivers

1 Conversation

Since the inception of the Formula One World Championship, over 250 drivers have competed for the title. So what makes a great driver? Someone who can make those title aspirations come true? Generally speaking, the same qualities that make any great sportsperson will apply - excellent physical and mental fitness, great reflexes and hand-eye coordination, and a highly competitive spirit and attitude. There are, however, a number of other factors which contribute to a successful title bid, such as:

  • Great management - Driving ability alone will not guarantee a seat in the Championship. It is up to the agents to get their client drivers the best deal in terms of team quality.

  • The right equipment - Or at least the means to find it. It is natural to want to drive with the best car available, but if that is not possible the next best thing is to find a team with the greatest potential for improvement and work with what they can provide.

  • A great team - An obvious element, but the combination of engineers, pit crew, tactical analysts and management all have to work well together as well as they do in their individual fields.

Below are just some of the people who possessed these factors and were able to turn them into success.

A selection of the Greatest Formula One Drivers...

Juan Manuel Fangio

The first superstar of Formula One, Fangio dominated the Championship in the 1950s. Between 1951 and 1957, he won the World title five times, driving for four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Ferrari and Maserati). He retired in 1958, but continued to act as an ambassador for the sport for many years.

Graham and Damon Hill

The only father-and-son combination to both be World Champion, Graham in 1962 and 1968, Damon with the Williams team in 1996. A member of a select club of two-time Champions also including Jim Clark, Alberto Ascari, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mika Hakkinen, Graham was the first man to complete the treble of F1 World Championship, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans victories, before his untimely death in a 1975 light aircraft crash. Damon had success in motorcycle racing before switching to cars - he retired a year after his winning season, and now runs businesses connected with motor racing.

Niki Lauda

One of the handful of three-time Championship winners - only Fangio, Prost, Schumacher, Piquet, Ayrton Senna, Jack Brabham and Jackie Stewart have equalled or bettered this feat. Austrian-born Lauda's F1 career ran from 1972 to 1985. His defining season came in 1976, following his first Championship), he returned from a devastating crash, scarred badly yet only missing two races to finish runner-up for the season by only a single point. Two of his title successes were with Ferrari, the other with McLaren in 1984, with whom he worked closely until the 2001 season when he switched to Jaguar.

Nigel Mansell

Mansell's Formula One career had lasted 12 years before he finally captured the Championship in 1992. After attempts in Lotus and Ferrari cars, it was with Williams that success was achieved. The two years following his triumph were spent racing Indy Cars, winning that Championship at the first attempt. He made a brief comeback to Formula One before retiring in 1995. Since then, he has competed in other motor sports such as touring cars.

Nelson Piquet

A veteran of karting and sports car racing before entering F1, the Brazilian enjoyed a 13-year career at the top level. He had two Championship wins with Brabham in 1980 and 1983, and added a third with Williams in 1987. He also raced for Ensign (who gave him his first drive) and Benetton.

Alain Prost

France's most successful racing driver took the F1 crown on no less than four occasions, three times with McLaren, and once with Williams in 1993, his final season. Prost gained a reputation for being outspoken, one of his favourite subjects being his rival, and one-time teammate, Ayrton Senna. After 12 years of racing, he moved into team management by buying the Ligier team in 1997 which was subsequently renamed after him.

Michael Schumacher

Arguably one of the greatest ever F1 drivers, German-born Schumacher claimed his third Championship in 2000, ending Ferrari's 20-year title drought. His first two Driver's title wins came back-to-back when he drove for the Benetton team in 1994 and 1995. Initially a kart racer, Schumacher competed in sports cars, and Formula Three, and raced once for the Jordan team before gaining his Benetton seat in 1991. Although it took five years at Ferrari to finally gain another Driver's crown, he has in the process closed in on a number of all-time F1 records, including most individual Grand Prix wins.

Jacques Villeneuve

Canadian Villeneuve followed his father Gilles into Formula 1 in 1996 after a successful run in Indy Cars 1. The move almost paid dividends immediately as he finished a close runner-up in the title race to his Williams teammate Damon Hill. He was not to be denied a second time, as he fought hard with Michael Schumacher to claim the Driver's Championship in the final race of the 1997 season. That remains, to date, his only title success, as he subsequently moved to the newly-formed British American Racing (BAR) team and put his energies into making them competitive at the top level.

World Champions

The modern era of Formula One is considered to have begun in 1950 with the holding of the first World Championship organised since a failed attempt at a championship in the 1920s. The drivers' title has been contested every year since then and in 1958 a Constructors' Championship was added for the teams and engine builders. This list is current through the 2002 season.

NameHome CountryWorld Championships
Fangio, Juan ManuelArgentina5
Schumacher, MichaelGermany5
Prost, AlainFrance4
Brabham, JackAustralia3
Lauda, NikiAustria3
Piquet, NelsonBrazil3
Senna, AyrtonBrazil3
Stewart, JackieScotland3
Ascari, AlbertoItaly2
Clark, JimScotland2
Fittipaldi, EmersonBrazil2
Hakkinen, MikaFindland2
Hill, GrahamEngland2
Andretti, MarioUSA1
Farina, GuiseppeItaly1
Hawthorn, MikeEngland1
Hill, DamonEngland1
Hill, PhillUSA1
Hulme, DenisNew Zealand1
Hunt, JamesEngland1
Jones, AlanAustralia1
Mansell, NigelEngland1
Rindt, JochenAustria1
Rosberg, KekeFinland1
Scheckter, JodySouth Africa1
Surtees, JohnEngland1
Villeneuve, JacquesCanada1

Manufacturers

ManufacturerWorld Titles
Ferrari12
Williams9
McLaren8
Lotus7
Brabham2
Cooper2
Benetton1
BRM1
Matra1
Tyrrell1
Vanwall1

Engines

EngineWorld Titles
Ferrari12
Ford10
Honda6
Renault6
Climax4
Repco2
TAG Porsche2
BRM1
Mercedes1
Vanwall1

Grand Prix Winners

Below are tables listing the Grand Prix wins by driver, manufacturer and engine during the modern era which began with the 1950 season. Where the number of wins are the same, the victors are listed in alphabetical order. Lists are current through the 2002 season.

Drivers


NameHome CountryRaces Won
Schumacher, MichaelGermany64
Prost, AlainFrance51
Senna, AyrtonBrazil41
Mansell, NigelEngland31
Stewart, JackieScotland27
Clark, JimScotland25
Lauda, NikiAustria25
Fangio, Juan ManuelArgentina24
Piquet, NelsonBrazil23
Hill, DamonEngland22
Hakkinen, MikaFinland20
Moss, StirlingEngland16
Brabham, JackAustralia14
Fittipaldi, EmersonBrazil14
Hill, GrahamEngland14
Ascari, AlbertoItaly13
Andretti, MarioUnited States12
Coulthard, DavidScotland12
Reutemann, CarlosArgentina12
Jones, AlanAustralia12
Villeneuve, JacquesCanada11
Berger, GerhardAustria10
Hunt, JamesEngland10
Peterson, RonnieSweeden10
Scheckter, JodySouth Africa10
Hulme, DenisNew Zealand8
Ickx, JackyBelgium8
Arnoux, ReneFrance7
Brooks, TonyEngland6
Laffite, JacquesFrance6
Patrese, RiccardoItaly6
Rindt, JochenAustria6
Surtees, JohnEngland6
Villeneuve, GillesCanada6
Alboreto, MicheleItaly5
Barrichello, RubensBrazil5
Farina, GuiseppeItaly5
Regazzoni, ClaySwitzerland5
Rosberg, KekeFinland5
Watson, JohnEngland5
Gurney, DanUnited States4
Irvine, EddieIreland4
McLaren, BruceNew Zealand4
Schumacher, RalfGermany4
Boutsen, ThierryBelgium3
Collins, PeterEngland3
Frentzen, Heinz-HaraldGermany3
Hawthorn, MikeEngland3
Herbert, JohnnyEngland3
Hill, PhilUnited States3
Pironi, DidierFrance3
de Angelis, ElioItaly2
Depailler, PatrickFrance2
Gonzalez, Jose FroilanArgentina2
Jabouille, Jean-PierreFrance2
Rodriguez, PedroMexico2
Siffert, JoSwitzerland2
Tambay, PatrickFrance2
Trintignant, MauriceFrance2
von Trips, Wolfgang BergheGermany2
Vukovich, Bill*United States2
Alesi, JeanFrance1
Baghetti, GiancarloItaly1
Bandini, LorenzoItaly1
Beltoise, Jean PierreFrance1
Bonnier, JoakimSweden1
Brambilla, VittorioItaly1
Bryan, Jimmy*United States1
Cevert, FrancoisFrance1
Fagioli, LuigiItaly1
Flaherty, Pat*United States1
Gethin, PeterEngland1
Ginther, RichieUnited States1
Hanks, Sam*United States1
Ireland, InnesEngland1
Mass, JochenGermany1
Montoya, Juan PabloColumbia1
Musso, LuigiItaly1
Nannini, AlessandroItaly1
Nilsson, GunnarSweden1
Pace, CarlosBrazil1
Panis, OlivierFrance1
Parsons, Johnnie*United States1
Rathmann, Jim*United States1
Ruttman, Troy*United States1
Scarfiotti, LudovicoItaly1
Sweikert, Bob*United States1
Taruffi, PieroItaly1
Wallard, Lee*United States1
Ward, Rodger*United States1

Manufacturers


ManufacturerRaces Won
Ferrari159
McLaren135
Williams108
Lotus79
Brabham35
Benetton27
Tyrrell23
BRM17
Cooper16
Renault15
Alfa Romeo10
Ligier9
Maserati9
Matra9
Mercedes9
Vanwall9
Kurtis Kraft*5
Jordan3
March3
Watson*3
Wolf3
Epperly*2
Honda2
Eagle1
Hesketh1
Kuzma*1
Penske1
Porsche1
Shadow1
Stewart1

Engines


EngineRaces Won
Ford175
Ferrari159
Renault95
Honda71
Climax40
Mercedes40
TAG Porsche25
BRM18
BMW14
Alfa Romeo12
Maserati11
Offenhauser*11
Vanwall9
Repco8
Mugen-Honda4
Matra3
Porsche1
Weslake1

NB: * = Winner of the Indianapolis 500 from 1950 to 1960 inclusive. During these years the Indy 500 was considered to be a World Championship event, contributing points towards Formula One.

Pole Positions

Below are lists for the winners of at least one pole position for a Formula One event. Lists are sorted by driver, manufacturer, and engine, for convenience. As before, the statistics are current through the 2002 season.

Drivers


NameHome CountryPole Positions
Senna, AyrtonBrazil65
Schumacher, MichaelGermany50
Clark, JimScotland33
Prost, AlainFrance33
Mansell, NigelEngland32
Fangio, Juan ManuelArgentina29
Hakkinen, MikaFinland26
Lauda, NikiAustria24
Piquet, NelsonBrazil24
Hill, DamonEngland20
Andretti, MarioUSA18
Arnoux, ReneFrance18
Stewart, JackieScotland17
Moss, StirlingEngland16
Ascari, AlbertoItaly14
Hunt, JamesEngland14
Peterson, RonnieSweden14
Brabham, JackAustralia13
Hill, GrahamEngland13
Ickx, JackyBelgium13
Villeneuve, JacquesCanada13
Berger, GerhardAustria12
Couthard, DavidScotland12
Montoya, Juan PabloColumbia10
Rindt, JochenAustria10
Patrese, RiccardoItaly8
Surtees, JohnEngland8
Laffite, JacguesFrance7
Barrichello, RubensBrazil6
Fittipaldi, EmersonBrazil6
Hill, PhillUSA6
Jabouille, Jean PierreFrance6
Jones, AlanAustralia6
Reutemann, CarlosArgentina6
Amon, ChrisNew Zealand5
Farina, GiuseppeItaly5
Regazzoni, ClaySwitzerland5
Rosberg, KekeFinland5
Tambay, PatrickFrance5
Hawthorn, MikeEngland4
Pironi, DidierFrance4
de Angelis, ElioItaly3
Brooks, TonyEngland3
Fabi, TeoItaly3
Gonzalez, Jose FroilanArgentina3
Gurney, DanUSA3
Jarier, Jean PierreFrance3
Scheckter, JodySouth Africa3
Alboreto, MicheleItaly2
Alesi, JeanFrance2
Frentzen, Heinz-HaraldGermany2
Lewis-Evans, StuartEngland2
Siffert, JoSwitzerland2
Villeneuve, GillesCanada2
Watson, JohnEngland2
Agabashian, Fred*USA1
Bandini, LorenzoItaly1
Bonnier, JoSweden1
Boutsen, ThierryBelgium1
Brambilla, VittorioItaly1
Castellotti, EugenioItaly1
de Cesaris, AndreaItaly1
Depailler, PatrickFrance1
Faulkner, Walt*USA1
Fisichella, GiancarloItaly1
Flaherty, Pat*USA1
Giacomelli, BrunoItaly1
Hoyt, Jerry*USA1
Hulme, DenisNew Zealand1
McGrath, Jack*USA1
Nalon, Duke*USA1
O'Connor, Pat*USA1
Parkes, MikeEngland1
Pace, CarlosBrazil1
Pryce, TomEngland1
Rathmann, Dick*USA1
Revson, PeterEngland1
Sachs, Eddie*USA1
Schumacher, RalfGermany1
Thomson, Johnny*USA1
von Trips, Wolfgang BergheGermany1
Vukovich, Bill*USA1

Manufacturers


ManufacturerPole Positions
Ferrari158
Williams119
McLaren112
Lotus107
Brabham39
Renault31
Benetton15
Tyrrell14
Alfa Romeo12
BRM11
Cooper11
Maserati10
Ligier9
Mercedes8
Vanwall7
Kurtis Kraft*6
March5
Matra4
Shadow3
Jordan2
Lancia2
Watson*2
Arrows1
Ewing*1
Honda1
Lesovsky*1
Lola1
Porsche1
Stevens*1
Stewart1
Toleman1
Wolf1

Engines


EnginePole Positions
Ferrari158
Ford139
Renault135
Honda74
Climax44
Mercedes41
BMW26
Alfa Romeo15
BRM11
Maserati11
Offenhauser*9
Repco7
TAG Porsche7
Vanwall7
Matra4
Hart2
Lancia2
Cummins*1
Mugen-Honda1
Novi*1
Playlife1
Porsche1

NB: * = Again, denotes a Pole Position winner at the Indianapolis 500 from 1950 to 1960 inclusive.

Fastest Laps

Below are lists for the drivers who have captured the fastest lap for at least one Formula One event. Lists are sorted by driver, manufacturer, and engine for convenience. The statistics are current through the 2002 season.

Drivers


NameHome CountryFastest Laps
Schumacher, MichaelGermany51
Prost, AlainFrance41
Mansell, NigelEngland30
Clark, JimScotland28
Hakkinen, MikaFindland25
Lauda, NikiAustria24
Fangio, Juan ManuelArgentina23
Piquet, NelsonBrazil23
Berger, GerhardAustria21
Moss, StirlingEngland19
Hill, DamonEngland19
Senna, AyrtonBrazil19
Couthard, DavidScotland18
Rgazzoni, ClaySwitzerland15
Stewart, JackieScotland15
Ickx, JackyBelgium14
Jones, AlanAustralia13
Patrese, RiccardoItaly13
Arnoux, ReneFrance12
Ascari, AlbertoItaly12
Brabham, JackAustralia12
Surtees, JohnEngland11
Andretti, MarioUSA10
Hill, GrahamEngland10
Hulme, DenisNew Zealand9
Brabham, JackSweden9
Villeneuve, JacquesCanada9
Barrichello, RubensBrazil8
Hunt, JamesEngland8
Villeneuve, GillesCanada8
Fittipaldi, EmersonBrazil6
Frentzen, Heins-HeraldGermany6
Gonzales, Jose FrolianArgentina6
Gurney, DanUSA6
Hawthorn, MikeEngland6
Hill, PhilUSA6
Laffite, JacquesFrance6
Montoya, Juan PabloColumbia6
Reutemann, CarlosArgentina6
Schumacher, RalfGermany6
Alboreto, MicheleItaly5
Farina, NinoItaly5
Pace, CarlosBrazil5
Pironi, DidierFrance5
Scheckter, JodySouth America5
Watson, JohnEngland5
Alesi, JeanFrance4
Beltoise, Jean-PierreFrance4
Depailler, JacquesFrance4
Siffert, JoSwitzerland4
Amon, ChrisNew Zealand3
Brooks, TonyEngland3
Ginther, RichieUSA3
Jarier, Jean PierreFrance3
McLaren, BruceNew Zealand3
Rint, JochenAustria3
Rosberg, KekeFinland3
Vukovich, Bill*USA3
Bandini, LorenzoItaly2
Cevert, FrancoisFrance2
Fabi, TeoItaly2
Mass, JochenGermany2
Nannini, AlessandroItaly2
Rathmann, Jim*USA2
Tambay, PatrickFrance2
Warwick, DerekEngland2
Attwood, RichardEngland1
Baghetti, GiancarloItaly1
Behra, JeanFrance1
Bettenhausen, Tony*USA1
Boutsen, ThierryBelgium1
Brammbilla, VittorioItaly1
de Cesaris, Andres Italy1
Fisichella, GiancarloItaly1
Gachot, BertrandFrance1
Gugelmin, MauricioBrazil1
Hasemi, MasahiroJapan1
Hailwood, MikeEngland1
Henton, BrainEngland1
Herrmann, HansGermany1
Ireland, InesEngland1
Irvine, EddieIreland1
Kling, KarlGermany1
Marimon, OnofreArgentina1
McGrath, Jack*USA1
Mieres, RobertoArgentina1
Moreno, RobertoBrazil1
Musso, LuigiItaly1
Nakajima, SatoruJapan1
Nilsson, GunnarSweden1
Oliver, JackieEngland1
Palmer, JonathanEngland1
Parsons, Johnnie*USA1
Pescarolo, HenriFrance1
Raikkonen, KimiFinland1
Rodriguez, PedroMexico1
Russo, Paul*USA1
Scarfiotti, LodvicoItaly1
Surer, MarcSwitzerland1
Taruffi, PieroItaly1
Thompson, Johnny*USA1
Trintignant, MauriceFrance1
Villoresi, LuigiItaly1
Wallard, Lee*USA1
Wurz, AlexanderAustria1

Manufacturers


ManufacturerFastest Laps
Ferrari159
Williams122
McLaren109
Lotus71
Brabham41
Benetton36
Tyrrell20
Renault18
BRM15
Maserati15
Alfa Romeo14
Cooper14
Matra12
Ligier9
Mercedes9
Kurtis Kraft*7
March7
Vanwall6
Surtees3
Eagle2
Epperly*2
Honda2
Jordan2
Shadow2
Toleman2
Wolf2
Ensign1
Gordini1
Hesketh1
Kojima1
Lancia1
Lesovsky*1
Parnelli1
Watson*1

Engines


EngineFastest Laps
Ford160
Ferrari159
Renault105
Honda57
Mercedes49
Climax44
BMW25
Alfa Romeo20
TAG Porsche18
Maserati17
BRM14
Offenhauser*10
Vanwall6
Matra5
Repco4
Judd3
Hart2
Weslake2
Gordini1
Lancia1
Novi*1
Peugeot1
Playlife1
Supertec1

NB: * = Fastest lap at the Indianapolis 500 from 1950 to 1960 inclusive.

1now known as the CART Series.

Bookmark on your Personal Space


Conversations About This Entry

Edited Entry

A938748

Infinite Improbability Drive

Infinite Improbability Drive

Read a random Edited Entry

Categorised In:


Edited by

h2g2 Editors

Write an Entry

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."

Write an entry
Read more