Formula 1 is the most popular form of motorsport, watched by tens of millions every race weekend, worldwide. Fans are attracted to the speed, and drivers are required to have exceptional reactions, endurance and ability to compete at the very top. With fans unable to jump behind the wheel, they rely on video games such as F1 2020, Formula X, Rally and Drive, while Multiplier Mayhem, mentions Gameseek.co.uk.
The sport has produced many household names and fan favourites.
Michael Schumacher
Schumacher is often considered the GOAT. Schumacher remains popular, even among those who do not follow motorsport and it’s obvious why. Seven championship titles, 91 victories, 68 pole positions… he broke almost every record in the book during his time in Formula 1. He retired in 2006, only to return with Mercedes in 2010 before again retiring in 2012. Schumacher the suffered a serious head injury from a skiing accident in December 2013 and his condition remains unknown to this day.
Ayrton Senna
Senna is perhaps considered by some the second best driver after Schumacher. Senna won the Formula 1 drivers’ championship titles in 1988, 1990 and 1991. The Brazilian was known for his spectacular driving and propensity to take risks. Ayrton had the reputation of being one of the best drivers who managed to master the car in the most adverse weather conditions and for this skill, he was given the nickname “Rain Man”. Senna suffered a fatal accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix robbing the sport of a multiple world champion in the prime of his career.
Lewis Hamilton
Statistically Lewis Hamilton is the greatest Formula 1 driver of all-time, but you will often meet motorsport fans who don’t agree, even though the numbers are more than enough to prove them wrong. Seven titles, 98 wins, 100 pole positions. As the reigning drivers’ champion, he continues to break record after record and there seems to be no stopping the Briton possibly claiming his eighth title this year…
Niki Lauda
Lauda may not have the most titles, wins or poles, but the Austrian cannot be left of such a list. He was the leading driver of 1974 Ferrari team and won his first world title in 1975. In 1976, however, his progress was interrupted by a crash at the infamous Nürburgring. Nikki suffered horrible burns to his body, head, throat and lungs. But surprisingly, after only two and a half months in hospital, he was driving again, fighting for the 1976 world title which he was in contention for until the final race of the season in Japan, losing out to James Hunt by only one point. To prove his worth, he returned in 1977 to win his second title before retiring in 1979.
Lauda returned to Formula 1 in 1982 and went on to win another title in 1984 driving for McLaren. After this, he ended his active professional career in 1985 and returned as a consultant to the Ferrari team and then Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1, where he was a shareholder and played a key management role in their current success, including recruiting Lewis Hamilton, prior to his passing in 2019.
Fernando Alonso
Alonso is known for his tactical literacy and pure speed. He won two titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, and has raced for the biggest names in the sport, from Ferrari to McLaren. Whilst Alonso failed in his bid to become a three-time champion, he remains one of the most respected drivers on the grid, now driving for Alpine (formerly Renault) and his flexibility to jump in a car and compete at the top remains unparalleled.
Sebastian Vettel
Vettel won four world titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013. Sebastian takes a cautious and calculated approach to racing, which hasn’t helped his popularity, but there is no denying he remains one of the very best. His time with Ferrari was disappointing and failed to bring the success he and the team expected. He now drives for Aston Martin and returned to the podium in second place in the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Jenson Button
Button has had a mixed career. He spent a lot of his career at the back of the field in uncompetitive machinery, but once he was given a car capable of competing at the front, he quickly took advantage and won the 2009 championship with Brawn GP, in what can only be described as a fairytale. After Brawn GP was bought by Mercedes in 2010, Button left to join McLaren as the reigning world champion. Though successful with the Woking based team, his time there brought with it many wins, but no further world title success.
Kimi Räikkönen
Mr ‘Ice-man’. The coolest character on the grid has always been Räikkönen’s title, but he did also win the 2007 world drivers’ championship by a single point over Hamilton and Alonso in one of the closest seasons of racing in Formula 1’s history. Although he hasn’t tasted title success since, he remains an F1 driver with Alfa Romeo and with a career stretching across 335 races – the most of any Formula 1 driver. Kimi has won 21 grands prix in his career, the last coming in the 2019 Italian Grand Prix during his final season at Ferrari.
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The greatest F1 driver was Jim Clark. No wings. No technology compared to today. Just raw speed and guts.
Ridiculous.. no Prost, no Mansell, no Fangio.. what is this?? Lame…
Kimi’s last win was in Austin, US in 2018. Come on man.
You can’t even hide your racist feelings. Even after seen the statistic. Hamilton 98 wins vs Schumacher 91 wins, Hamilton 100 poles position vs Schumacher 68 pole positions, both of them 7 championships, how can you put Hamilton in third position and Schumacher in first. Your racism is so obvious that you can´t even see what is front of your eyes. Come on, why not admitting you hate that a black man is the best formula one driver ever? Your peanut size brain won’t let you admite it, right?
Or maybe its just their opinion? Why did you have to bring race into this?
Best is stastical mate
You clearly never watched f1.Most of champions from the 1980-1998 era are better drivers than Hamilton.Raw speed, almost no electric and downforce, no DRS, no bullshit suspension cheatings by Mercedes than eventually got banned this season.Senna or Piquet or Gilles Villeneuve would make uour Hamilton look like a snail.
A bit of a peanut sized brain comment to bring race into it. Does everything always have to come down to race?
Any F1 fan would admit that Lewis Hamilton is a fantastic driver and up there with the best. The fact that he is black has absolutely nothing to do with this conversation.
Fact is that he has dominated in a superior car with superior tech. Does that make him the best ever? That’s debatable. I think Michael Schumacher was the best driver of all time, but it’s just my opinion and subjective. It’s also not because he was white. He won with Ferrari when they actually had a really bad car. He dominated without the tech that Mercedes has today.
Determining the best drivers of all time is not just about results. Results are important, but it’s not a level playing field and teams go through eras of dominance when they have better technology than others. If you happen to be a driver during one of these eras for the right team, that completely skews results.
Hamilton is a great driver, driving in the best car for a long period of time. If Max Verstappen had started driving at the same time as Hamilton and was in in Mercedes, he’d have similar statistics imo.
Schumy was the best in his prime.
I agree with most of the things you said but please don’t force a Hamilton and Verstappen comparison, having the superior car for the most part of his career is not the only thing which makes him as good as he is. He is miles ahead of Max easily.
I guess that had nothing to do with the car! there have been many times the car, not the driver is the winning factor
I used to race did you?
hellbentforleather
Race seems to be the catch all to woke people. It’s just an observation idiot.
Just like what Jd said: no Prost or Fangio. This list is a big joke and written by some idiot with no knowledge of F1 (history).
Ayrton Senna was the greatest of all time and all great drivers have agreed on that.
100%… Senna cant be compared to anyone else.
anybody ever hear of Jackie, Gilles, Jimmie, etc.
Button? And where is Prost? So funny…
Senna is perhaps considered by some the second best driver after Schumacher. It should had been commented as ” Senna is considered by most the best driver of all times. “
What the hell where is Alain Prost? Does the staff that writes those articles even know anything about F1? How do you put a 4 times world champion behind Kimi and Button who both won it one time – one of them with a completely overwhelming technological advantage?
What a joke.
For all the connoisseurs here who know about F 1. I challenge you to watch uppity’s Documentary: The Willy T,Ribbs story. Then you’ll find out why a black man never got the chance to participate in the F1 race. That will help your knowledge about F1. Because I’m sure you’ve never heard of the name. By looking at the Documentary you will find out why.
Jack Stewart
Niki Lauda
Michael Schumacher
Stirling Moss
Alain Prost
Jack Brabham
Jim Clark
Lewis Hamilton
Ayrton Senna
Ronnie Peterson
Juan Manuel Fangio
Emerson Fittipaldi
Alberto Ascari
Nelson Piquet
FernandoAlonso
Nigel Mansell
Graham Hill
Mario Andretti
Sebastian Vettel
Jochen Rindt
And Verstappen is already joining that list!