Formula 1 is one of the most prestigious racing series in the world. It functions at the pinnacle of speed, power and skill. The world’s most accomplished drivers race at outrageous speeds. They drive highly complex cars to battle it out and see who is the fastest.
Every year, the cars get faster and new drivers emerge on the grid. It is a dynamic environment.
We have done our best to curate a list of the top 5 most successful Formula 1 drivers of all time, just for you!
Here, we have ranked them on the basis of total wins, pole positions and podium finishes.
We have given a 60% weightage to the number of wins, 20% weightage to the number of pole positions and 20% to the number of podium finishes.
We have considered a minimum of 20 race wins to feature in this list.
5) Ayrton Senna:
Fifth on the list is the mercurial Ayrton Senna. For many of us, Senna will always be the greatest driver of F1. Although he succumbed to an unfortunate death at the age of 34, he still managed to win 41 Grands Prix which puts him at the fifth position on our list.
No. of wins: 41
No. of podium finishes: 80
No. of pole positions: 65
Weighted Average: 53.6
4) Alain Prost:
On number four we have Senna’s fiercest rival Alain Prost. With 51 Grand Prix victories and four World Championships up his belt, if anyone could rival Senna back in the day, it was Prost.
No. of wins: 51
No. of podium finishes: 106
No. of pole positions: 33
Weighted Average: 58.4
3) Sebastian Vettel:
This German racing driver has delivered 53 race victories and 4 world championships. He is the youngest World Champion as of 2021, who won his first title at the age of 23 years and 134 days. Having driven for the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari among others, in his heydey, Vettel was as good as anyone the sport has seen.
No. of wins: 53
No. of podium finishes: 121
No. of pole positions: 57
Weighted Average: 67.4
2) Michael Schumacher:
This F1 icon needs no introduction. Schumacher has a whopping 91 wins and holds a joint-record of seven world drivers’ championships. He retired from the sport in 2012.
No. of wins: 91
No. of podium finishes: 155
No. of pole positions: 68
Weighted Average: 99.2
1) Lewis Hamilton:
Topping this list is the man of the moment, Lewis Hamilton. This ace driver holds the records for the most wins with 96 victories and a joint-record of seven world drivers’ championships with Michael Schumacher. He currently competes for Mercedes and seems to be taking the grid by storm with his skills.
No. of wins: 96
No. of podium finishes: 167
No. of pole positions: 99
Weighted Average: 110.8
So what did you think about this list? Let us know in the comments below!
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