Who Is The Most Successful F1 Driver Of All Time

His smooth driving skills set records at the time, and he accumulated 72 starts, 25 wins, 32 podium placements, 33 pole positions, and 28 fastest laps during his career. He also took home the title of champion at two Formula One Grand Prix events. Finding success at a time when the competition was arguably the toughest it has ever been, Schumacher's talents and hard work served him well and earned him achievements that redefined what is possible in the racing scene.

He holds multiple records and is the only driver in F1 history to finish in the top three for every single race of a season. He is a seven-time Formula 1 champion and holds a total of 306 starts, 91 wins, 68 pole positions and 77 fastest laps. The official Formula One website states that he is, statistically, the greatest driver the sport has ever seen. Gaining a start in the racing scene by karting from the age of three, Alsonso earned three consecutive karting championships in Spain before jumping into the F1 world in 2001. He has 273 starts, 32 wins, 97 podium finishes, 22 pole positions and 22 fastest laps – and he has won two F1 championships. Lewis Hamilton, in full Lewis Carl Hamilton, , British race-car driver who was one of the most successful Formula One Grand Prix racing drivers of all time.

He owns the F1 record for career race victories and is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most drivers' championships . In 2008 he became the first Black driver to win the F1 world drivers' championship. A true genius on the road, Lauda is the only driver who has been champion for the two most successful constructors in F1, Ferrari and McLaren. He had admirable dedication and love for his sport, shown when he shocked the world when he returned to the race track merely 42 days after a near-fatal racing accident with unhealed burns still fresh on his skin. Lauda accumulated 171 starts, 25 wins, 54 podium placements, 24 pole positions, 24 fastest laps, and 3 championship wins in his career. This entry is an odd one out, as Moss is the only driver on the list to have never won a championship, instead finishing runner-up four times and in third place thrice in the seven years he competed.

Many would argue that Moss deserved to win a championship, especially due to his supreme skill and advanced ability in the sport. A combination of his preference for English, privateer teams and plain rotten luck means he never earned the title. He stands with 66 starts, 16 wins, 24 podium placements, 16 pole positions, and 19 fastest laps and is known as the greatest driver to never become champion.

At the height of the Swinging Sixties a small freckle-faced Californian appeared on the F1 scene sporting an unfashionable crew-cut hairstyle and distinctive toothy grin. Ginther soon hit the headlines with a thrilling battle against eventual winner Stirling Moss in the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. In his F1 career Ginther raced 54 times, with an impressive 14 podium finishes.

He came third overall in the 1962 world championship season and in 1965 won the Mexican Grand Prix for Honda, the team's first victory. After a minor accident in 1967, Ginther abruptly retired from racing – to tour America in a motorhome instead. In June 1971, during his last race, he organized an American team to drive a Porsche 911 but the other two drivers, Elliot Forbes-Robinson and Alain Johnson, didn't finish the circuit.

Divided opinions have been formed about this driver, due largely in part to a sudden shift in perception regarding his career as time went on. For a brief period in the mid-80's, Piquet was considered the best driver of his time, but shortly after, his stock began to fall and he essentially vanished despite winning 3 championships with three different cars and tires. With 204 starts, 23 wins, 60 podium placements, 24 pole positions and 23 fastest laps, it's a pity that Piquet doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Dubbed one of the greatest figures of motor racing and nicknamed the Flying Scot, Stewart was the unquestioned number one during his prime years. He had 99 starts, 27 wins, 43 podium placements, 17 pole positions, and 15 fastest laps – and he won three championships. The best part is that Stewart wasn't just a driver – he also campaigned for safety and played a big role in reducing the number of F1 fatalities and reducing the likelihood of life-taking accidents during F1 drivers' careers.

The racing drivers who participate in the Formula one races, also known as F1 races are called F1 drivers. F1, officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is a single seat auto racing governed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile . The 'formula' refers to a set of rules that must be followed by all the participants. F1 drivers participate in a series of races called the Grands Prix that are held all over the world on public roads or race circuits built specifically for this purpose. The F1 races constitute the highest class of auto racing and the F1 cars race at speeds of up to 350 km/h.

These cars are the fastest multi-turn circuit-racing cars in the world. Drivers with several years of experience in other competitive racing events and the highest level of driving skills are the ones who ultimately get selected for F1 championships. F1 drivers also need to be risk-takers as the risk of automobile malfunction or accidents is ever present. This section provides you information about the life and works of various famous F1 drivers from all over the world.

In the following seasons, though he continued to be one of the most aggressive drivers and a race winner, Hamilton failed to regain his championship form. His McLaren was not always a world-beater but in 2011 Hamilton blamed distractions in his private life for a loss of focus that he vowed to regain. In 2012, with his private life running smoothly, he drove hard and well and finished fourth in the standings with four wins. Before that campaign was over he announced he was leaving McLaren, the team that had been so much a part of his racing life for so long, and would in 2013 replace the retiring Michael Schumacher at Mercedes. In his new environment he was a regular frontrunner, securing several poles and podiums and finished a respectable fourth in the 2013 championship.

This incredible Argentinian F1 driver's skill was so impeccable that he earned the nickname El Maestro . He set records that may never be bested by holding a win percentage of 46.15% Fangio competed in 51 F1 Grand Prix's, winning 24, setting 28 pole positions, and garnering 23 fastest laps. He stands in the F1 Hall of Fame and many have dubbed him the greatest F1 driver of all time.

France's Alain Prost (No. 6) won a grand total of four championships in his career, tied for the third most ever. But from 1988 to 1991, he would claim only a single title, thanks largely to the otherworldly skills of Ayrton Senna (No. 1), his one-time McLaren teammate. Senna won more than 40 percent of the races he entered during that span, peaking with one of the highest Elo ratings ever in 1989.

Senna was so dominant that Prost ended up leaving McLaren for Ferrari in 1990; the rivalry would continue off and on for the next few seasons until Prost retired after his 1993 championship. Prost was a once-in-a-generation driving talent, but he had the misfortune to race against Senna, a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Statistically, German Michael Schumacher is the greatest F1 driver, with seven world championships, including most constructers titles, race victories, pole positions, points scored and biggest title winning margins. He has won the most races in a single season—and remains the only F1 driver to have a full season of podium finishes in 2002. Although he hasn't tasted title success since, he remains an F1 driver with Alfa Romeo and with a career stretching across 335 races – the most of any Formula 1 driver. Kimi has won 21 grands prix in his career, the last coming in the 2019 Italian Grand Prix during his final season at Ferrari.

Here, you will find the Formula 1 records for most championships race wins, pole positions, race entries for both teams and individuals. If you want to know more about the youngest drivers to win championships, races, points and podiums, read our article here. Vettel's F1 career started in 2007 and, in his first three years, he took nine podiums and five wins, though this was nothing on what was to come.

Over the next four years he became the face of F1, winning four consecutive championships and becoming the youngest world champion in the process . Considered by some to be the greatest F1 driver of all time, Aryton Senna won three Formula One championships for McLaren in his lifetime. The incredible dedication and skill that Senna possessed allowed him to find speed in every part of the race track and utilize it to his advantage. Senna passed away when his car crashed into the concrete barrier during the 1994 San Mario Grand Prix in Italy.

But with 161 grand prix starts, 41 wins, and 65 pole positions to his name, Senna is nothing short of a legend – and that legend lives on. Prost is one of the most undervalued and underrated drivers in F1 history, and is unfairly considered the second best to Senna, with whom he shared a fierce rivalry. However, many miss out on Prost's effective and efficient use of the road, as his performance was somehow always stellar despite the fact that he never looked like he was trying. His career statistics include 199 starts, 51 wins, 106 podium placements, 33 pole positions, 41 fastest laps, and 4 championship wins, the latter of which many say he deserved more of. This driver has set multiple records in regards to being the youngest driver to achieve certain feats.

This includes becoming the youngest driver to win the World Drivers' Championship, and then moving on to become the youngest double, triple, and quadruple world champion in F1 history. Unstoppable when placed on pole position in a competitive car with a lead in the first corner, Vettel has clocked 178 starts, 42 wins, 86 podium placements, 46 pole positions, and 28 fastest laps. Hamilton took the world by storm when he came onto the F1 scene, and his raw talent and pure speed are nothing short of amazing.

He could arguably be named the fastest F1 driver in all of history, and while still a rookie driver, he bested the world champion at that time. He has 188 starts, 53 wins, 104 podium placements, 61 pole positions, and 31 fastest laps to his name alongside three championship wins. These impressive statistics prove that Hamilton may be the best racer of this generation. He isn't the fastest or most successful F1 driver, but no one can deny that his skill and speed make him a deserving part of this list, especially in his younger days. With a great personality to boot, Räikkönen's love of the sport in its purest form makes him a fan favorite and a likable character. Many believe he should have won three championships instead of just the one he has.

As of now, Räikkönen holds 252 starts, 20 wins, 84 podium placements, 16 pole positions, and 43 fastest laps. While the family's financial struggle was over it put extra pressure on McLaren's teenage protege to meet ever higher expectations. As well as having to respond to envious critics who claimed he should be winning all the time, given his funding, it was imperative that Lewis continually prove himself worthy of his benefactor's investment. The need to achieve undoubtedly accelerated his progress through motorsport's ranks. After winning eight championships in six years of kart racing, he went on to win three major single seater titles, the most prestigious of which was the GP2 championship, where in 2006 he took five victories from 21 starts.

But it was the young British charger's several spirited comeback performances, from the back of the pack to the podium, that particularly prompted McLaren to promote him to the Formula One team. He attended the last race of his career in the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix and finished in 14th place. He won 91 races in total in his successful career which includes most of the major championships with the fastest laps and highest pole positions along with 72 Grand Prix victories. Michael Schumacher, $780 million - Similar to how his Formula 1 career went, Michael Schumacher is simply streets ahead of everyone else. The greatest driver of all-time, the seven-time world champion is the third wealthiest sportsman of all-time behind only Ion Tiriac and Michael Jordan.

Once thought to be the first ever billionaire sportsman, he has donated more money than most on this list. He began F1 racing in 1991 and didn't retire until 2012, although he did take a four-year break between 2006 and 2010. During the peak of his powers, he earned close to $50 million a year from Ferrari, while Shell paid Michael Schumacher $10 million each year to wear a hat with the company logo on it. Over 19 seasons, he raced for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes, winning two championships with Benetton and five with Ferrari. Schumacher suffered a serious head injury whilst skiing in December 2013 and has been receiving regular treatment ever since. When Fangio was in his twenties, there was a problem for racing drivers – World War 2 hence Fangio's age when he first entered F1.

During the war, firms such as Mercedes Benz were producing aero engines etc rather than racing cars. For Fangio to win five championships during the 1950s and survive was incredible to say the least – just research the numbers of drivers killed during this period. Records always fall over time and the only man to have beaten Fangio's five championships is Michael Schumacher and it took a gap of almost forty years before this happened. You also have to take into account that there were few races in the early post-war years of F1. That is why the aces of that era drove in endurance races such as Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio etc. In subsequent seasons with McLaren, Hamilton continued to be one of the top drivers on the F1 circuit, winning two races in 2009, three in 2010, three in 2011, and four in 2012.

In September 2012 Hamilton decided to leave McLaren to join the Mercedes-Benz F1 team. Ferrari, after a solid pre-season test, have a chance to extend their records as the most successful F1 engine manufacturer in terms of wins , pole positions , fastest laps and podiums this season. Oh, and constructors' championships, of which they have powered 16. Lewis Hamilton called the 2021 season the hardest ever in his 15 years at the pinnacle of motorsport. The drivers were at the top of the game, their respective Mercedes and Red Bull Racing teams were the class of the field.

The intense rivalry between the 36-year-old seven-time world champion Englishman and his hard-charging 24-year-old Dutch rival was marred by frequent clashes. Responding to Verstappen's aggressive driving, Hamilton fought back in kind - setting them on a collision course seemingly destined to end in controversy – which it did. Millions of enthralled viewers witnessed one the most ferociously fought championships in F1 history.

The list displays theall time F1 driver rankingsfor the most amount of races, victories, podiums, pole positions, fastest laps and the total amount of points for each F1 driver. We also have the all time F1 teams ranking and the current F1 Records page. But the Grandfather of Formula one racing is Juan Manuel Fangio—the Argentinean genius to whom all great drivers are compared. He won five World championships, including four consecutive titles from 1954 to 1957. He won his titles with four different teams, and while he only achieved 24 wins, a number surpassed by many drivers, he accomplished this in just 51 races, a strike rate unmatched by any other driver in history. He made Mansell an offer he couldn't refuse, and boy was he glad he didn't.

Most Successful F1 Driver Ever The 1992 seasons saw Mansell make the most scintillating starts to a campaign, with five straight victories in a row. He won three of the next five races, and dominated winning the championship by a huge margin over teammate Ricardo Patrese. He set his sights on America the following year, joining the IndyCar series, and won the championship.

Speed raced for the Italian Toro Rosso F1 team in 2006 and 2007, but numerous crashes, breakdowns and altercations blighted his promising career. When his results didn't match his surname he was replaced halfway through the season by future multiple world champion Sebastian Vettel. Californian Speed had the last laugh, joining the Andretti Global Rallycross team and becoming rallycross world champion in 2015 and 2016. He started his career driving karts and participated in several national league championships in USA, promoted by Red Bull and dedicated to young American drivers, in which collected numerous victories. Therefore, he gained the opportunity to realise and demonstrate his true potential despite his adventure with Toro Rosso. Known for being a man of few words, Hakkinen possesses incredible skill and bravery in his lightning quick maneuvers, and none other than Schumacher named him his greatest rival back in his first career.

His stoic, no-nonsense personality is perhaps as famous as his focus and ability on the road. He has recorded 161 starts, 20 wins, 51 podium placements, 26 pole positions, and 25 fastest laps to his name, and he won two championships back in the day, doing so humbly and quietly. If Ayrton Senna were to have lived to race again, he would have close to ten championships.

Given that he was on williams which went on to be the dominant car for 3 seasons. Later could have possibly went back to Mclaren and later on possibly went on to race with Ferrari. Add those totals to the list and I am sure the outcome would equal the best driver all time modern era. He was out poleing the best in the 80's with an inferior car who has been able to do that ever. Damon hill and my fellow Canadian would not have had those championships with williams most likely. And if the later was to happen as predicted hakkinen and schumacher would be hard pressed to have the championships they hold now.

He made a 46 years unbeaten record by winning the most World Championship of Drivers starting from 1951 and then 4 consecutive times from 1954 to 1957. With 24 wins, 29 highest pole positions, 35 podiums, 245 career points, and 23 fastest laps, he decorated his career with the greatest possible success. In 2020 the Mercedes driver will have the chance to equal Schumacher's title record, but will also equal – or better – the German driver's total number of GP victories. Throughout his career, Schumacher won an astonishing 91 F1 races – seven short of Hamilton's 84. Given Hamilton's rich vein of form and that the new season consists of 22 races, the Britain might become the most successful driver in F1 history in terms of race wins.