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The 10 most successful Formula 1 drivers of all time
Based on their percentage of race wins from race starts, who are the sport's greatest-ever drivers?
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In 2021, Max Verstappen was crowned 2021 Formula One World Champion in dramatic circumstances. On the final lap of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen grabbed the points he needed to secure his first title. In doing so, the Flying Dutchman joined the ranks of some true F1 hall-of-famers. But who are the most successful Formula 1 drivers of all time?
The most successful Formula 1 drivers of all time
It is difficult to compare the best drivers in F1’s history with current drivers. Therefore, the top 10 is based on the percentage of races won compared to race starts. The results might surprise you…
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01
Ayrton Senna – 25.47 Percent
Ayrton Senna is an icon of the sport
© GEPA pictures / Red Bull Content Pool
Ayrton Senna is one of the greatest names Formula 1 has ever produced. The three-time World Champion (1988, 1990 and 1991) competed 161 times and claimed 41 victories before his career ended prematurely in 1994 after his tragic death at Imola.
02
Alain Prost – 25.63 Percent
Alain Prost is one of the most successful F1 drivers, ever
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Frenchman Alain Prost – known as ‘The Professor’ was one of F1’s greatest drivers during the 1980s and 1990s, especially during his memorable battle against Ayrton Senna. Active in F1 between 1980 and 1991 then again in 1993, Prost took over the traditional French racing team Ligier in 1997. He renamed the team to Prost Grand Prix to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship until 2001.
Prost competed 202 times with 199 race starts and achieved 51 race victories. During his active career, he was crowned F1 World Champion four times in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993.
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03
Sir Jackie Stewart – 27.27 Percent
Sir Jackie Stewart, F1 legend
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Sir Jackie Stewart competed in F1 between 1965 and 1973, during which he entered 100 races and started 99, winning 27 altogether. Even after his end as an active driver, Stewart remained faithful to the sport. In 1997, he entered his own racing team – Stewart Racing Team – which was later sold to Jaguar. In 2005, Red Bull Racing emerged from the Jaguar team.
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04
Michael Schumacher – 29.74 Percent
Michael Schumacher talks to Sebastian Vettel
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Michael Schumacher was the most dominant Formula 1 driver of the 1990s and 2000s, securing several records during his active racing years. With seven World Championship titles to his name, winning the titles for Bennetton (1994 and 1995) and for Ferrari (from 2000 to 2004), MSC will forever hold a place in the Formula 1 history books and the hearts of racing fans all over the world.
Despite being one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers of all time, his race wins-to-race starts ratio is only enough for 7th place in this list. Schumacher entered 308 races and had 306 starts; he won 91 races in his time.
05
Sir Lewis Hamilton – 32.29 Percent
F1 icon Lewis Hamilton with his fierce rival Max Verstappen
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Sir Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver in Formula 1’s recent history. He has competed in 319 races and has won 103 races, and has finished on the podium 194 times.
He first raced in the 2007 F1 season with McLaren and moved to Mercedes in 2013, where he won seven World Championship titles and equalled Michael Schumacher’s record in the 2020 season. podium 182 times.
In 2021, Hamilton was close to securing a record-breaking eighth title before Max Verstappen snatched victory on the last lap of the final race of the season.
06
Jim Clark – 34.72 Percent
Jim Clark driving for Lotus
© Lotus
The great Scot Jim Clark was active in F1 between 1960 and 1968. He died in a tragic accident at the Hockenheimring in 1968 when he was competing in the first Formula 2 heat of the Martini Gold Cup, aged just 32. Clark entered 73 races with 72 starts and won 25 races. In 1963 and 1965, he won the World Championship.
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07
Bill Vukovich – 40 Percent
Bill Vukovich at the 1952 Indianapolis 500
© IMS
American driver Bill Vukovich won two of the six Grands Prix that he entered between 1950 and 1955. In each case, he only raced in one Formula One event during the season: the Indianapolis 500. Tragically, Vukovich died in an accident on lap 57 of the 1955 race. He was leading at the time.
08
Alberto Ascari – 40.43 Percent
Alberto Ascari
© Ferrari
The two-time World Champion hailing from Italy was one of F1’s biggest stars of the 1950s. Ascari entered 33 races with 32 starts and won 13 times, racing for Ferrari, Maserati and Lancia.
Ascari is one of only two F1 World Champions from Italy, along with Giuseppe Farina, and is the only Italian to win the World Championship for Ferrari.
09
Juan-Manuel Fangio – 47.06 Percent
Juan-Manuel Fangio
© Mercedes
Born in 1911, Argentinian driver Juan-Manuel Fangio was known as ‘El Maestro’, and for good reason. Fangio became World Champion five times (1951, 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957) for four different teams and never finished a Grand Prix in lower than second place.
Fangio entered 52 races and in 51 starts, he took 24 race wins and finished on the podium 35 times.
10
Lee Wallard – 50 Percent
Lee Wallard at the Indi 500 in 1951
© Speedway Sightings
Technically, the American Lee Wallard has the most successful Formula One race-starts to race-wins ratio of all time. Wallard entered three races in the 1950s, all of which were the Indianapolis 500, which was officially part of the Formula One championship between 1950-1960. Wallard started the race twice in this period; in 1950 (finishing 6th) and 1951 (winning the race). He entered again in 1953, but did not qualify.
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