{"id":241925,"date":"2023-12-06T17:56:16","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T16:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/the-best-drivers-of-formula-1-ever\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T18:58:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T16:58:58","slug":"the-best-drivers-of-formula-1-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blogs\/the-best-drivers-of-formula-1-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best F1 Drivers of All Time: My List of the 14 Greatest"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This is a list, not a ranking. If I had to pick just one with my heart, <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/formula-1-best-drivers-ayrton-senna\/\"><strong>Ayrton Senna<\/strong><\/a> would always come first. But the best F1 drivers of all time are not measured with the heart alone, so you will find the numbers below too.<\/p>\n<p>If you want a straight answer, the statistics give one. On numbers, the greatest is <strong>Lewis Hamilton<\/strong>: 7 world titles, level with Michael Schumacher, plus 106 wins and 104 pole positions, both all-time records. On strike rate, the benchmark is still <strong>Juan Manuel Fangio<\/strong>, who won 24 of the 51 Grands Prix he started, 47%. On pure talent, ask ten fans: most of them will say Senna.<\/p>\n<h2>How I chose the 14 drivers on this list<\/h2>\n<p>I combined three criteria: world titles, wins relative to Grands Prix started, and the mark a driver leaves on Formula 1 history even when the numbers cannot tell the whole story. That is why the list includes two drivers who never won the championship, Stirling Moss and Gilles Villeneuve.<\/p>\n<p>The table lines up the data. For Alonso, Hamilton and Verstappen, who are still racing, the figures are updated to 12 October 2026; for everyone else they cover the whole career.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Driver<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Titles (years)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Wins<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>GPs started<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Win rate<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ayrton Senna<\/td>\n<td>3 (1988, 1990, 1991)<\/td>\n<td>41<\/td>\n<td>161<\/td>\n<td>25.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Juan Manuel Fangio<\/td>\n<td>5 (1951, 1954-1957)<\/td>\n<td>24<\/td>\n<td>51<\/td>\n<td>47.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jim Clark<\/td>\n<td>2 (1963, 1965)<\/td>\n<td>25<\/td>\n<td>72<\/td>\n<td>34.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Stirling Moss<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>16<\/td>\n<td>66<\/td>\n<td>24.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jackie Stewart<\/td>\n<td>3 (1969, 1971, 1973)<\/td>\n<td>27<\/td>\n<td>99<\/td>\n<td>27.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Michael Schumacher<\/td>\n<td>7 (1994, 1995, 2000-2004)<\/td>\n<td>91<\/td>\n<td>306<\/td>\n<td>29.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Niki Lauda<\/td>\n<td>3 (1975, 1977, 1984)<\/td>\n<td>25<\/td>\n<td>171<\/td>\n<td>14.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nelson Piquet<\/td>\n<td>3 (1981, 1983, 1987)<\/td>\n<td>23<\/td>\n<td>204<\/td>\n<td>11.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Alain Prost<\/td>\n<td>4 (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)<\/td>\n<td>51<\/td>\n<td>199<\/td>\n<td>25.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gilles Villeneuve<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<td>67<\/td>\n<td>9.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fernando Alonso<\/td>\n<td>2 (2005, 2006)<\/td>\n<td>32<\/td>\n<td>442<\/td>\n<td>7.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lewis Hamilton<\/td>\n<td>7 (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017-2020)<\/td>\n<td>106<\/td>\n<td>397<\/td>\n<td>26.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sebastian Vettel<\/td>\n<td>4 (2010-2013)<\/td>\n<td>53<\/td>\n<td>299<\/td>\n<td>17.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Max Verstappen<\/td>\n<td>4 (2021-2024)<\/td>\n<td>73<\/td>\n<td>250<\/td>\n<td>29.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Sources: Wikipedia and formula1.com, data as of 12 October 2026. Grands Prix started are the races in which the driver took the start, and the win rate is calculated on those.<\/p>\n<h2>Ayrton Senna<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-144443\" src=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/senna.jpg\" alt=\"Ayrton Senna in his racing overalls\" width=\"580\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Three world titles with McLaren, in 1988, 1990 and 1991, plus 41 wins and 65 pole positions from 161 Grands Prix. Huge numbers, yet they do not explain why so many fans still put him ahead of everyone else. Anyone lucky enough to see him on track, above all on a single qualifying lap, knows the answer: exceptional car control and a charisma nobody has matched since. Pure magic.<\/p>\n<p>He died on 1 May 1994 at Imola, during the San Marino Grand Prix, aged 34. I have told his full story in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/formula-1-best-drivers-ayrton-senna\/\"><strong>Ayrton Senna<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Juan Manuel Fangio<\/h2>\n<p>Five world titles between 1951 and 1957, won with four different manufacturers: Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes and Ferrari. Fangio had a gift for always being in the right car at the right time, and the story goes that Enzo Ferrari, who demanded total loyalty, did not like it: Fangio stayed at Maranello for a single season, 1956, and left as champion.<\/p>\n<p>He has the highest win rate of any world champion: 24 victories from 51 Grands Prix, 47%. In 1957 he won the title at 46, and he is still the oldest champion in history. His record of five titles stood for 46 years, until Michael Schumacher&#8217;s sixth in 2003.<\/p>\n<h2>Jim Clark<\/h2>\n<p>Clark was one of the most modest men ever to sit in a Formula 1 cockpit, and probably the most gifted driver of his generation. He won two world titles with Lotus, in 1963 and 1965, and in 1965 he also won the <strong>Indianapolis 500<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>At the 1963 Belgian Grand Prix, in the rain at Spa, he crossed the line almost five minutes ahead of the runner-up. Over his career he won 25 of the 72 races he started, 34.7%. He died in 1968 at Hockenheim, in a Formula 2 race.<\/p>\n<h2>Stirling Moss<\/h2>\n<p>The greatest driver never to win the world championship. Moss finished runner-up four years in a row, from 1955 to 1958, and third in each of the next three seasons. In 1958 he lost the title by a single point to Mike Hawthorn, after defending his rival in front of the stewards at the Portuguese Grand Prix, when Hawthorn faced disqualification.<\/p>\n<p>An English gentleman, storyteller and adventurer, he won 16 of the 66 Grands Prix he started, 24.2%.<\/p>\n<h2>Jackie Stewart<\/h2>\n<p>They called him the Flying Scot. He won three world titles, in 1969 with Matra and in 1971 and 1973 with Tyrrell, and 27 of the 99 races he started, 27.3%.<\/p>\n<p>He retired at the end of 1973, after the death of his teammate <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/francois-cevert-the-enigmatic-jewel-of-the-formula-1-circuit\/\"><strong>Fran\u00e7ois Cevert<\/strong><\/a> in practice at Watkins Glen, giving up what would have been his 100th race. His greatest legacy lies beyond the results: the fight for safer circuits and cars, which changed Formula 1.<\/p>\n<h2>Michael Schumacher<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-144452\" src=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/schumacher-400x400.png\" alt=\"Michael Schumacher\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/michael-schumacher-the-f1-legend-and-his-remarkable-legacy\/\"><strong>Michael Schumacher<\/strong><\/a> won seven world titles, as many as Hamilton: the first two with Benetton, in 1994 and 1995, the other five in a row with Ferrari, from 2000 to 2004. Together with Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne he built an era at Maranello that many fans still consider unrepeatable.<\/p>\n<p>He won 91 Grands Prix from 306 starts, 29.7%, and remained the winningest driver in history until 2020, when Hamilton overtook him.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" async src=\"https:\/\/bot.leadoo.com\/bot\/inpage.js?code=5Iq0Bj5B#seamless\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Niki Lauda<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/niki-lauda-the-f1-and-beyond\/\"><strong>Niki Lauda<\/strong><\/a> won three titles: in 1975 and 1977 with Ferrari, and in 1984 with McLaren, the last one by half a point from Alain Prost. On 1 August 1976, at the N\u00fcrburgring, his Ferrari caught fire after a crash. Lauda was back in the car six weeks later, at Monza, and fought for the title until the final race against <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/james-hunt-the-fastest-hippy-of-formula-1\/\"><strong>James Hunt<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He won 25 races from 171 starts, 14.6%. After retiring he built airline businesses and, until his death in 2019, served as non-executive chairman of the Mercedes Formula 1 team.<\/p>\n<h2>Nelson Piquet<\/h2>\n<p>Born in Rio de Janeiro on 17 August 1952, Piquet is perhaps the most underrated champion on this list. He won three world titles with two different teams: in 1981 and 1983 with Brabham, and in 1987 with Williams.<\/p>\n<p>He won 23 races from 204 starts, 11.3%: a lower rate than other champions, but three titles in an era against Prost, Senna, Mansell and Lauda are worth more than any average.<\/p>\n<h2>Alain Prost<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/alain-prost-the-professor-of-formula-1\/\"><strong>Alain Prost<\/strong><\/a> won four world titles: in 1985, 1986 and 1989 with McLaren, and in 1993 with Williams. They called him the Professor for the way he managed a race, and his rivalry with Senna remains one of the most intense chapters in Formula 1 history.<\/p>\n<p>He won 51 races from 199 starts, 25.6%, and held the record for most wins until 2001, when Schumacher overtook him. In 1990 and 1991 he also drove for Ferrari, winning five races in his first season there.<\/p>\n<h2>Gilles Villeneuve<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/gilles-villeneuve-the-meteoric-rise-of-one-of-the-fastest-f1-drivers-ever\/\"><strong>Gilles Villeneuve<\/strong><\/a> never won the world championship, yet few drivers have ever had such a strong bond with the fans. After debuting with McLaren in 1977, he raced for Ferrari until 1982, with six wins and a spectacular style, always beyond the limits of the car.<\/p>\n<p>He died on 8 May 1982 in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. His son Jacques went on to win the 1997 world championship with Williams, the title that had escaped his father.<\/p>\n<h2>Fernando Alonso<\/h2>\n<p>Fernando Alonso won two consecutive world titles with Renault, in 2005 and 2006, ending Schumacher&#8217;s dominance. With Ferrari he came close in 2010 and 2012, losing the title at the final race by a handful of points, and finished runner-up again in 2013.<\/p>\n<p>He has won 32 Grands Prix, the last in Spain in 2013, and holds the record for most Grands Prix started: 442 as of 12 October 2026, now driving for Aston Martin.<\/p>\n<h2>Lewis Hamilton<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-144434\" src=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hamilton-1-267x400.jpg\" alt=\"Lewis Hamilton\" width=\"267\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The numbers say he is the greatest. <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/lewis-hamilton-when-talent-defies-time-a-journey-beyond-the-limits-of-sport\/\"><strong>Lewis Hamilton<\/strong><\/a> has won seven world titles, level with Schumacher, in 2008 with McLaren and in 2014, 2015 and from 2017 to 2020 with Mercedes, and he holds the records for wins (106) and pole positions (104).<\/p>\n<p>He has raced for Ferrari since 2025. His first season in red ended without a Grand Prix podium, then in June 2026 came his first Ferrari win in Barcelona, the 106th of his career, at 41. Hamilton is also an icon away from the track, one of the most recognisable athletes in the world, and for a brand his weight goes far beyond results.<\/p>\n<h2>Sebastian Vettel<\/h2>\n<p>Sebastian Vettel is the youngest world champion in history: he won the 2010 title aged 23 years and 134 days, the first of four in a row with Red Bull, up to 2013. His first win had come in 2008 at Monza, in the rain, driving for Toro Rosso.<\/p>\n<p>From 2015 to 2020 he raced for Ferrari, finishing runner-up in 2017 and 2018, then spent two seasons with Aston Martin before retiring at the end of 2022. Over his career he won 53 races and scored 122 podiums from 299 Grands Prix.<\/p>\n<h2>Max Verstappen<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-144416\" src=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/verstappen-598x400.jpg\" alt=\"Max Verstappen\" width=\"598\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Max Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2015 at 17, the youngest ever, and in 2016 became the youngest Grand Prix winner, in Spain, aged 18 years and 228 days.<\/p>\n<p>He won four consecutive world titles with Red Bull, from 2021 to 2024. In 2023 he won 19 of 22 races and finished with 575 points, the record for a single season. In 2025 he lost a fifth title by 2 points to Lando Norris. As of 12 October 2026 he has 73 wins from 250 Grands Prix, 29.2%: at his age and with his consistency, many records are still within reach.<\/p>\n<h2>Why great drivers matter to sponsors too<\/h2>\n<p>Every name on this list has had brands at its side that tied their image to that story. It is one of the reasons Formula 1 remains the most sought-after platform for anyone investing in sport: a champion brings an audience and a narrative that no traditional advertising can buy.<\/p>\n<p>For a company, though, the right question is not who the greatest of all time is, but which driver speaks to its audience today. We cover that in our article on the <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/the-10-best-formula-1-drivers-in-2026-standings-and-value-for-sponsors\/\"><strong>10 best Formula 1 drivers in 2026<\/strong><\/a> and in the one on the <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/i-7-best-drivers-of-formula-1-for-endorsement-agreements-and-sponsorships\/\"><strong>strongest drivers for endorsement deals<\/strong><\/a>. If you are assessing a project, everything is on our <a href=\"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/formula-1-sponsorship\/\"><strong>Formula 1 sponsorship<\/strong><\/a> page.<\/p>\n    <div itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\" class=\"faq-schema-wrapper question-list-wrap\">\r\n\r\n                    <h2><b>Frequently asked questions about the best Formula 1 drivers<\/b><\/h2>\r\n        \r\n        <br \/>\n    <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" class=\"faq-item question-list-row\">\r\n\r\n        <h3 class=\"h5\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n            <b>Who is the best Formula 1 driver of all time?<\/b>\r\n        <\/h3>\r\n\r\n        <div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n            <div itemprop=\"text\" class=\"question-answer\">\r\n                <p>There is no single answer. On numbers it is Lewis Hamilton, with 7 world titles like Michael Schumacher and the records for wins (106) and pole positions (104). On strike rate it is Juan Manuel Fangio, who won 47% of the Grands Prix he started. For many fans, for talent and charisma, it is Ayrton Senna.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <br \/>\n    <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" class=\"faq-item question-list-row\">\r\n\r\n        <h3 class=\"h5\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n            <b>Who has won the most Formula 1 world championships?<\/b>\r\n        <\/h3>\r\n\r\n        <div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n            <div itemprop=\"text\" class=\"question-answer\">\r\n                <p>Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, with 7 titles each. Next come Juan Manuel Fangio with 5, then Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen with 4.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <br \/>\n    <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" class=\"faq-item question-list-row\">\r\n\r\n        <h3 class=\"h5\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n            <b>Who has won the most Formula 1 Grands Prix?<\/b>\r\n        <\/h3>\r\n\r\n        <div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n            <div itemprop=\"text\" class=\"question-answer\">\r\n                <p>Lewis Hamilton, with 106 wins as of 12 October 2026, the latest in June 2026 in Barcelona with Ferrari. Behind him are Michael Schumacher with 91 and Max Verstappen with 73.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <br \/>\n    <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" class=\"faq-item question-list-row\">\r\n\r\n        <h3 class=\"h5\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n            <b>Which world champion has the highest win rate?<\/b>\r\n        <\/h3>\r\n\r\n        <div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n            <div itemprop=\"text\" class=\"question-answer\">\r\n                <p>Juan Manuel Fangio, with 24 wins from 51 Grands Prix, 47%. Among the drivers on this list, Jim Clark follows with 34.7% and Michael Schumacher with 29.7%.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <br \/>\n    <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" class=\"faq-item question-list-row\">\r\n\r\n        <h3 class=\"h5\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n            <b>Who was the youngest and who was the oldest world champion?<\/b>\r\n        <\/h3>\r\n\r\n        <div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n            <div itemprop=\"text\" class=\"question-answer\">\r\n                <p>The youngest is Sebastian Vettel, champion in 2010 at 23 years and 134 days. The oldest is Juan Manuel Fangio, who won the 1957 title at 46.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <br \/>\n    <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" class=\"faq-item question-list-row\">\r\n\r\n        <h3 class=\"h5\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n            <b>Who has started the most Grands Prix in Formula 1 history?<\/b>\r\n        <\/h3>\r\n\r\n        <div itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\r\n            <div itemprop=\"text\" class=\"question-answer\">\r\n                <p>Fernando Alonso, with 442 Grands Prix started as of 12 October 2026. The Spaniard, a two-time world champion with Renault, now races for Aston Martin.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <br \/>\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a list, not a ranking. If I had to pick just one with my heart, Ayrton Senna would always come first. But the best F1 drivers of all time are not measured with the heart alone, so you will find the numbers below too. If you want a straight answer, the statistics give [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":196321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20123],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-241925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-formula-1-en"],"acf":[],"contentshake_article_id":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Best F1 Drivers of All Time: Titles, Wins and the Numbers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The best F1 drivers of all time, from Fangio to Verstappen: 14 champions with titles, wins and win rates updated to October 2026, and why each one made the list.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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