Founded in 1950, Formula 1 is worldwide motorsport whose rights are owned by the Formula One Group. The FIA or Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile oversees and organizes the industry. Since its inception, Formula One has completed 72 seasons; however, only 33 of the 770 drivers that competed in the Grand Prix have won the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC). Record-breaking and mind-boggling records have been made on the racing tracks by the Grand Prix races, not to mention a few legendary F1 drivers who have passed away on the circuits.
Have you ever wondered who the best F1 driver of all time is? This is a debatable topic since it’s impossible to compare early F1 racers to the current champions because of technological developments in the sport. Here is a list in random orders of the most famous names who had made the most impressive records in F1 racing.
1. Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton
In Formula One racing, Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is a British driver who presently competes for the Mercedes team. He has equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven Formula One World Championships. Lewis Hamilton began his racing career at McLaren in 2007 as a protege of Fernando Alonso, the two-time World Champion. After just two seasons with McLaren, Lewis claimed his first Formula One world championship in 2008, defeating Ferrari’s Felipe Massa by one point. Lewis Hamilton made a career-defining decision in 2012 when he opted to leave McLaren and join Mercedes in the F1 world. Lewis continued to win six championships with the German team during his career. With Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most World Drivers’ Championship titles and the record most wins, pole positions, and podiums.
Lewis Hamilton, the reigning Formula One world champion, is unquestionably the most naturally gifted driver. When it comes to racing, he’s always been and still is unbeatable. He dominates the racing world, winning races and setting records left and right.
2. Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher, a former F1 world champion and Ferrari superstar, won races and championships in a career that lasted 19 seasons. Michael Schumacher competed for several teams, including Ferrari, Mercedes, Benetton, and Jordan. Schumacher and Prost share the record for the most World Drivers’ Championship victories. Until his retirement in 2012, he had the most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes in Formula One history. As a Ferrari driver, the German driver first stepped down in 2006. He returned to the racing scene with Mercedes four years later. To end the year with 155 podiums and exit again in 2013. Michael Schumacher is Ferrari’s famous driver and the wealthiest F1 driver. Thanks to his Formula One successes and huge endorsement deals, he has $850 million.
3. Sebastian Vettel
Known as the “Destructive Force,” Sebastian Vettel is a four-time world champion and the sport’s youngest world champion. Currently, Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racer driving for Aston Martin. Sebastian Vettel made his Formula One debut for BMW Sauber in 2007 and raced for Red Bull Junior team Torro Rosso later that year. A move to Red Bull racing in 2009 gave him an unprecedented run of four straight championship victories with Red Bull. Sebastian Vettel is currently competing for Aston Martin.
Sebastian Vettel dominated Formula One from 2010 to 2013. The German driver won four straight titles and 34 Grand Prix races during this span. At the beginning of the 2013 Formula One season, Sebastian Vettel had a record of 39 victories and remained the same in the 2015 season.
At the age of 26, the German driver is widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest. At 21 years, he is the youngest Grand Prix champion. He also holds the record for the most victories in a season, the most consecutive victories, and the most podiums earned. He’s won 39 of the 120 races he’s competed in. For a young racer, this is a fantastic run. He has the opportunity to become Formula One’s greatest driver ever.
4. Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost is a well-known name in the world of racing. Alain Prost, born in France, was regarded as a member of “The Group of All Time” during the 1980s and 1990s. This group was composed of famous duels with celebrities such as Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, and Nelson Piquet. After beginning his career in motorsports at the junior level at the age of 14, he went on to win the French and European Formula Three championships before becoming a member of the McLaren Formula One team in the year 1980 at the age of 25. He had a successful debut in Formula One in Argentina, where he finished in the points, and he won his maiden race, the French Grand Prix, which was held in his native country of France.
After winning three Formula One Championships with McLaren between 1980 and 1991, he took a year off racing and then won another Drivers’ Championship with Williams in 1993. He completed 202 races and won 51 of them. Prost is the only driver in Formula One history to have won more titles than any other driver, except for Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher. From 1987 until 2001, Prost was the holder of the record for the most victories in the Grand Prix. In 1999, Prost was honored with the World Sports Awards of the Century for his achievements in motorsport.
5. Ayrton Senna da Silva
Ayrton Senna was an extraordinarily brilliant and passionate individual; this Brazilian champion competed in 161 Grand Prix races during his career and won 41 of them, making him the third most successful Formula One driver in terms of the number of races he won. He had won three Formula One world championships for McLaren. Throughout his career, Senna was successful enough to win three world championships.
In 1994, he participated in the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy when he unexpectedly passed away. His passing shuddered the whole racing community, which ultimately resulted in new precautions and regulations being put into place. Senna is often regarded as the best driver because he won 41 races and seven championships despite driving notoriously unreliable cars. Equally, many Senna supporters refute this assertion by asserting that the Brazilian car driver could have improved his reliability by reducing the amount of force with which he drove them. Regardless of where you feel on the issue, there is no denying that his impressive track record merits a high spot on any list. In several different polls about motorsport, Senna has been repeatedly selected as one of the best Formula One drivers in the sport’s history.