10 Greatest Drivers in Formula 1 History [Ranked]

Everyone has their favourite driver in Formula One. Over the years, many have had their say about who they believe is the greatest of all time. F1 has produced plenty of global superstars in its 74-year history, with many going on to become household names. While nearly 800 drivers have taken part in F1 over the years, only a select few can truly call themselves Hall of Fame worthy.

And, since its inaugural season in 1950, 111 different divers have taken the chequered flag to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Of those drivers, some have been more successful than others during their careers. With many still debating the pound-for-pound greatest of all time, Autosport has put to bed any doubts and has revealed the best driver in the history of the sport statistically.

10 Niki Lauda

March, BRM, Ferrari, Brabham, McLaren

Niki Lauda’s talents on the track were second to none during the peak of his powers. With three seasons under his belt, he joined Ferrari for the 1974 season and secured two wins and fourth place in the championship for 1974. The following year, he took five wins and the first of his three world titles. Following a crash in 1976 in Nurburgring, Lauda bounced back from a life-changing incident to narrowly miss out on the title to James Hunt. In ’77, he took his second title and retired two years later. However, he quickly returned with McLaren in 1982. Two years later, he picked up his third title after a heated head-to-head with Alain Prost. Eventually, he retired for good in 1985 – and will no doubt go down as a true great of the sport.

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

Nigel Mansell’s determination throughout his racing career made him a real fan favourite. In 1980, he began racing for Lotus and scored a few podiums, prior to joining Williams. The Brit enjoyed success with the Oxfordshire-based team, winning races regularly and dramatically losing the title at the final race in 1986. With another runner-up season in 1987, he’d turned heads at Maranello and joined Ferrari. After announcing his retirement in 1990, it looked as if he might go down as yet another brilliant driver to miss out on the title. However, that wasn’t the case. Mansell came back and took five consecutive wins to start the 1992 season, going on to claim four more and taking an additional three second-place finishes. It was enough for the Brit to take home the title at the age of 39, becoming the fifth-oldest person to do so.

7 Fernando Alonso

Minardi, Renault, McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso will go down as a true great of the sport. A talented, charismatic driver from day one, the Spaniard has enjoyed a lot of success over the years. After beginning his career, taking the seat with Minardi in 2001, Alonso went on to join Renault and, in 2005, he made history. Breaking Michael Schumacher’s streak of five world championships in a row, Alonso became the youngest driver to ever win the championship. The following year, he became the youngest to score back-to-back championships. After some highs, he’s also had his lows. During his time at McLaren, Alonso struggled to battle 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 shock return three years later, joining Alpine. In 2023, Alonso moved to Aston Martin and is still enjoying competing at the highest level.

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 aforementioned, Alain Prost was famously known for his bitter feud and rivalry with Senna. The Frenchman’s intelligence and precision in his driving allowed him to become the country’s first world champion in 1985. Two years later, he beat Jackie Stewart’s record of 27 wins. The following year, McLaren won 15 out of 16 races across the season, which is a testament to both Prost and Senna’s skill. The Frenchman remained one of the world’s best until his retirement as he took home his fourth and final title for Williams at the age of 38.

4 Sebastian Vettel

BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari, Aston Martin

While Sebastian Vettel slowed down immensely during the end of his career, at the peak of his powers, he was unbeatable. At the Italian Grand Prix, aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel became the youngest driver to take pole position. He backed that up with a sensational win, becoming the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. His performances didn’t go unnoticed as he quickly made the switch to the senior Red Bull Racing team, finishing runner-up to Brawn GP’s Jenson Button in 2009. Red Bull dominated come the turn of the decade, and Vettel pushed the team to four consecutive championships. After the move to hybrid cars, Vettel moved to Ferrari in 2015 and enjoyed a few title battles with Lewis Hamilton. Vettel then moved to Aston Martin, recording the team’s first podium in Azerbaijan in 2021 before retiring two years ago.

3 Max Verstappen

Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull

Max Verstappen is currently enjoying a period of absolute dominance in Formula 1, recently being named world champion for the fourth year in a row. 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 just got over the line on the last lap of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi. This ended a four-year reign of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. His second world championship was a much easier time for the Dutchman. While he failed to finish two of the opening three rounds due to reliability trouble, Verstappen cruised to the title.

His 2024 triumph seemed like it might be in jeopardy when Lando Norris produced a mid-season surge. However, Verstappen held on, winning the crown with two races to go. With four Drivers’ Championships to his name already, it remains to be seen how many more Verstappen will claim before he calls time on his career.

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.

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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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