For race fans around the world, picking the 10 best F1 drivers of all time is a debate that has raged for decades. Well, the discourse can end here as we offer up this definitive list of the greatest wheelmen to ever drive a Formula One race car.
10. Nigel Mansell
British F1 driver Nigel Mansell is one of the great examples of perseverance in the sport’s history and it is why he is on this list. His impressive skill as a driver is undeniable but he was unfortunately one of the unluckiest talents of all time because he was constantly dogged by bad luck with his cars throughout his career.
While he has one World Championship, he should have had a couple more if not for the consistent car reliability issues and retirements he always had to battle through. Nevertheless, he still won 31 times during his career and is one of the oldest drivers to win a championship when he earned his first at 39 years old.
9. Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso was another outstanding driver who had some tough luck in his career and could have been even higher on this list of the best F1 drivers of all time. Yet the ultra-aggressive Spaniard still had an outstanding career that includes back-to-back World Championships and 32 career wins.
He is an all-time great who was the dominant middleman between the iconic eras of Michael Schumaker and Lewis Hamilton. Not at all a bad place to be for Spain’s greatest race car driver.
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8. Niki Lauda
Mansell was known for his perseverance, however, Austria’s Niki Lauda showed it at an elite level when he not only survived a horrifying 1976 crash that left him badly burned but returned to the race track soon after to try and defend the championship he won the year before. While he came up short by one point the year, he regained the top spot in 1977.
His legendary exploits and rivalry with Englishman James Hunt were the focus of the outstanding 2013 film Rush.
7. Jackie Stewart
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was no better driver on Earth than Jackie Stewart. He was the racer to beat throughout his career and set a high standard as he won three World Championships and 27 races during his time in F1.
However, just as importantly he was a pioneer for driver safety that helped to revolutionize the industry. If not for his efforts, many more talented F1 drivers might have perished in the years after he hung up his helmet and gloves.
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6. Ayrton Senna
Brazil’s greatest Formula 1 driver, Ayrton Senna, is one of the biggest what-if stories in racing history. Few drivers have ever been more talented than Senna. During his run in the sport, he won three World Championships in four years and 41 races overall. But tragically he died in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, at just 34 years old. F1 fans can only wonder how many more world titles he would have won if he lived.
5. Sebastian Vettel
From 2010 to 2013 Sebastian Vettel was the most dominant driver in the industry. By winning four straight F1 titles he became the face of the brand and seemed primed to go down in history as the greatest driver the sport has ever seen.
Unfortunately, after his title in 2013, he never reached that peak again. Nevertheless, his tenure in Formula One is legendary, and that is why he lands in the top five in our list of the best F1 drivers of all time.
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4. Alain Prost
France’s greatest import to the sport, Alain Prost, was a monster during the 1980s and into the 90s as he was the man making life difficult for fellow F1 legends Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna. What made the Frenchman stand out among other greats of the racing circuit was his driving smarts which were key in overcoming the world-class racers of his time.
3. Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is the prodigal son and prodigy of Formula 1. His father was an F1 driver and it wasn’t in the sport long before he made his debut on the circuit. In just under a decade he’s already logged three world championships — 2021, 2022, and 2023 — and 54 wins. The reigning king of F1 is only getting better and very well could top this illustrious list in five years.
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2. Lewis Hamilton
When it comes to modern-era superstar Lewis Hamilton, the best word to sum him up is “Winner.” Not only is he tied for the most world titles in F1 history but he has the most all-time wins (103) and is far from done as an active driver. The Englishman was great from the start as he just missed out on a championship by one point in his rookie season and became the sport’s youngest champ a year later in 2008.
Chances are, the soon-to-be Ferrari driver will be at the top of this list in the near future.
1. Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is like the Michael Jordan of Formula One. While it was a popular sport before he joined F1 in 1991, his greatness and dominance elevated it to new heights and brought in many new fans. Before Hamilton, his 91 wins seemed like an unreachable mark and his seven World Championships are still the most all-time.
Schumacher is not just an icon in F1, he is a true legend in all of auto racing.