The Best F1 Drivers of All Time
Figure 1 There have been some excellent F1 drivers down through the years
The 2021 F1 season was reminiscent of some of the glorious battles of years gone by. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went into the very last race of the year knowing that whoever finished first would claim the title. There have been some great Drivers’ Championship scraps over the years – but theirs has to rank right up there.
We obviously enjoy off-road driving here, but we can appreciate the very best in all areas of motorsport – and F1 has seen some real masters over the years. It is tough to rank drivers from different eras, but we’ve brought together some that we have enjoyed watching.
Lewis Hamilton
It wasn’t quite meant to be this year but Lewis Hamilton has revolutionised the sport of F1 and taken it to a whole new level since bursting onto the scene in 2007. It is perhaps controversial to include a driver that is still competing in this list – but his record speaks for itself.
Hamilton already has seven World Championships under his belt and has won 103 of the 288 races he has competed in. He only missed out by a single point in his very first season – and then became the (then) youngest champion the next year. There seems to be no end to this young man’s talents and he is likely to be challenging for honours for quite a while yet.
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher owned the early 2000s when it comes to F1. He might polarise opinion with motorsports fans, but there is no denying his records. He was a driver that took his car to the very limit of what it could achieve – and that usually ended up in taking the chequered flag.
Like Hamilton, Schumacher won seven World Championships – two with Benetton. But it is the five with Ferrari that he is remembered most for. It is true that every sports champion has to possess incredible self-belief to succeed. But Schumacher seemed to hold that belief more than most.
Figure 2 The excitement of F1 racing is hard to beat
Alain Prost
F1 racing has enjoyed some intense personal battles between drivers throughout its storied history, but Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna’s is still talked about today. Prost’s meticulous and precise style of driving was the perfect foil to Senna’s impulsiveness – and it made for great viewing.
Prost probably could have won more than the four championships he ultimately ended up with. But was still winning right up until the end – taking his final crown at the age of 38. He was France’s first world champion and is thought of by some as the thinking man’s driver.
Ayrton Senna
Senna was everything that Prost was not – and the fans absolutely adored him for that. His tragic, untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix cut short a career far too soon and meant that he would only ever win three World Championships. If he had lived he would have undoubtedly seen more success.
His desire to win was legendary and he pushed everything to the limit in a bid to achieve glory. The raw talent of this Brazilian driver ensures that he is the one that people want to make films about even now. His battles with Prost were legendary and he is one star that will shine on forever.
Jackie Stewart
Stewart raced in the heady days of the 1960s and 70s, winning three World Drivers’ Championships and also finishing as runner up twice in the nine years that he raced in Formula 1. He was a highly skilled driver who was regarded as the best during his time – but it is what he accomplished off the racetrack that is just as noteworthy.
It didn’t always go well down with the fans, or some of his fellow drivers, but Stewart was one of the first to campaign for increased safety in the sport. His tireless devotion to the cause changed Formula 1 forever and undoubtedly saved countless lives.
