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From legendary champions to trailblazing icons, the history of Formula 1 is filled with extraordinary talent. Join us as we count down our picks for the greatest drivers to ever compete in the sport! Our countdown includes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Max Verstappen, and more! Who do you think deserves the top spot? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00Lewis Hamilton, from 14th on the grid, wins the German Grand Prix!
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 most successful drivers to ever compete
00:10in Formula 1.
00:11Michael Schumacher wins the Spanish Grand Prix after an absolutely superlative drive.
00:20Number 20, John Surtees.
00:22As the only man in motorsports history to win championships on both two and four wheels,
00:26John Surtees proved himself to be a master behind the wheel of an F1 vehicle and a motorcycle.
00:31Despite already being established in one motorsport, Surtees somehow also reached the peak of Formula 1 competition,
00:36winning the championship in 1964.
00:38He took his mastery of balance and throttle from his dominance on a motorcycle and transitioned perfectly into an entirely
00:44new sport.
00:45His brilliant technical mind was probably his greatest asset,
00:48and had he focused solely on one motorsport instead of two, his ranking would have no doubt been higher.
00:52Clearly, his talent and his interests were too broad to stick to just one sport.
00:56Number 19, Mario Andretti.
00:58No list of the truly great, versatile drivers would be complete without a mention of Mario Andretti.
01:03In 1968, it's time to give it a go at Formula 1.
01:07Regarded today as perhaps the greatest American driver in Formula 1 history,
01:11he became only the second U.S. driver in history to win a championship when he took home gold in
01:151978.
01:16As you might expect, this turned him into a household name and a global ambassador for motorsport.
01:20Our name will be somewhat synonymous with the sport because that's what we won.
01:25That's all we really, the professional side, cared about.
01:28Outside of Formula 1, he won the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and major championships in American open-wheel racing,
01:35one of the strongest all-around racing legacies in the business.
01:38Number 18, Graham Hill.
01:39As a two-time championship winner in the 1960s, Graham Hill was very much a trailblazer during a pivotal time
01:44for the sport's growth,
01:45and a far more dangerous time, too.
01:47He was a one-of-a-kind.
01:49But you put the text in the post, is it?
01:52There was only one Graham Hill.
01:53On the strength of his F1 career alone, Graham Hill has earned his spot among the greats.
01:57However, it must also be mentioned that his achievements in motorsports do not stop there.
02:01He's the only driver in history to achieve the triple crown of motorsport by winning the Monaco Grand Prix,
02:06the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
02:09While perhaps not the most naturally gifted, Hill was certainly versatile.
02:13He remains the only driver in history to have won motorsport's triple crown,
02:17the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
02:22In other words, he was a man who was very clearly a total natural when it came to the world
02:26of driving.
02:26Number 17, Gilles Villeneuve.
02:28With just six race wins, it might be hard to get a handle on the legend of Gilles Villeneuve.
02:32A former snowmobile racer and the father of future Formula One champion Jacques,
02:36his career was one that was frequently a mixture of promise chased by disaster.
02:40Drafted into F1 after he beat James Hunt in a Formula Atlantic race,
02:43Villeneuve joined McLaren for a five-race run before moving on to Ferrari for the rest of his career.
02:48Following his death during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix,
02:52Villeneuve would be remembered for being exceptionally fast, skilled, and a genuine human being.
02:57Number 16, Emerson.
02:58Emerson Fittipaldi.
02:59The impact that Emerson Fittipaldi had on Brazilian racing really should not be understated.
03:03Brazil has produced some of the finest Formula One drivers ever to grace the sport.
03:09But before Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were winning in the 1980s and 1990s,
03:15Emerson Fittipaldi was blazing a trail.
03:18Upon moving up from Formula Two in 1970, he spent the next decade helping to establish his country
03:23as the powerhouse nation it later became.
03:25In that time, he took home two championships with his first win in 1972 coming at the age of 25,
03:30which singled him out as the youngest champion ever up to that point.
03:33This was the day Emerson Fittipaldi became a superstar.
03:38At his best, he was renowned for his smooth and assured driving style,
03:41eventually inspiring the likes of Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna to continue to build Brazil's reputation in the sport.
03:47Number 15, Kimi Räikkönen.
03:49There was always something special about Kimi Räikkönen.
03:51From his furious pace on the track to his no-nonsense personality off of it.
03:55Kimi Räikkönen is the most experienced driver in F1 history.
03:59His crowning achievement over the course of his 20-year career was his 2007 championship.
04:04But there was always the sense that Räikkönen could have done more.
04:07Well-documented reliability issues with McLaren during his prime certainly hurt him.
04:11But all things considered, Räikkönen's best moment showcased some of the finest driving of the era.
04:16No doubt who the winner is, and he's known as the Iceman.
04:18But even he can excuse himself for a little emotion now, I think.
04:22Earning the moniker of the Iceman, he remains one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in motorsport history.
04:27Number 14, Nigel Mansell.
04:29Beloved by the British and respected by all others, Nigel Mansell's appeal is not too difficult to understand.
04:34Quick, daring, aggressive, and determined.
04:37He was one of the most exciting and successful drivers ever to grace the sport.
04:42His fearless approach to the sport ended up bringing the fans some of the most riveting races of the era.
04:47He secured the 1992 World Championship with Williams after several previous title challenges,
04:51solidifying his status as a top-tier legend.
04:54I've never experienced that in my whole career anywhere in the world.
04:57And, I mean, they're fantastic, aren't they?
05:00It's just, it's just incredible.
05:01In his 15 seasons, Mansell achieved 31 Grand Prix victories and formed memorable rivalries with Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna, and
05:09Alain Prost,
05:10a golden era in Formula One history.
05:12A passionate competitor at his core, it's easy to see why he was such a fan favorite.
05:16Number 13, Sterling Moss.
05:17There's a very strong argument to be made for Sterling Moss as the single greatest Formula One driver to never
05:22win a championship outright.
05:23Sterling Moss remains shorthand for speed, heroism, sportsmanship, and adventure.
05:30He was the quintessential gentleman racer.
05:33Revered by his contemporaries for his skill and sportsmanship, Moss ended his 10-year career with a legendary resume.
05:39The closest he came to taking home the title was in 1958, when he lost by just one point to
05:44Mike Hawthorne.
05:45Moss literally only lost because he defended his rival in a gesture of sportsmanship,
05:49convincing officials to reverse a penalty that ultimately granted Hawthorne the points needed to win.
05:53That's the type of integrity that goes a long way, even if it ultimately leaves him outside of the top
05:5810.
05:58He was never the Neely man.
06:00When he was racing, Sterling Moss was the man.
06:04His rivals knew it then, and his legend lives on.
06:08Number 12, Nelson Piquet.
06:10Although he's certainly a divisive figure and a prickly character at the worst of times,
06:14nobody can deny the driving talents of Brazilian legend Nelson Piquet.
06:18With 23 Grand Prix wins across 14 seasons and three championships in the space of six,
06:23Piquet's accomplishments are undeniably elite.
06:25While it would have been easy to be overshadowed entirely in an era as strong as his,
06:29Piquet still managed to elevate his legacy to the periphery of the top 10.
06:33Greatest to ever do it.
06:34A highly intelligent competitor and a real thorn in the side to his rivals,
06:37Piquet was certainly one of the most unique drivers of his era.
06:40Number 11, Jackie Stewart.
06:41Jackie Stewart was destined for greatness, even if he did delay it a few times.
06:44While driving in Formula 3, the flying Scott would politely decline two offers to move to F1.
06:49When Stewart finally did arrive, he became not only a three-time champion,
06:52but a champion of driver safety.
06:53During his first championship season in 698, Nürburgring,
06:56Stewart famously finished four minutes ahead of the competition and during 1971,
07:00ran the full Can-Am season in addition to his F1 championship run.
07:03Stewart would humbly retire after his third title in 1973
07:06and would see his victory record hold for 14 years after he left the sport.
07:10Number 10, Jim Clark.
07:11In 1961, Jim Clark came out of one of F1's most horrific accidents alive,
07:16but the revered Scott would ultimately lose his life during a Formula 2 race in West Germany at the age
07:20of 32.
07:20Clark died a two-time champion with a record-setting 25 wins and 33 poles,
07:24while his 1963-7 win season wasn't duplicated until 1984.
07:29He wasn't limited to Formula Racing either.
07:31A veteran of three Le Mans and five runs at Indy,
07:34Clark's 1965 Brickyard win made him the only person to win both the F1 championship
07:39and the Indy 500 within the same year.
07:41Number 9, Niki Lauda.
07:43The only Austrian to win his country's Grand Prix,
07:45Niki Lauda is known for his intense rivalry with James Hunt.
07:48His multiple championships and a serious brush with death.
07:51Driving for Ferrari, Lauda would clinch his first title in 1975 and a second in 77,
07:56but left the Italian team when Ferrari signed Carlos Reutemann,
07:59who he hated, and then unknown Gilles Villeneuve.
08:02He then switched to Brabham,
08:05but the team's lackluster performance prompted him to retire after 1979.
08:09Lauda would return to the sport, however, in 1982,
08:11and in 1984 became the only driver to win championships for both Ferrari and McLaren.
08:16Number 8, Sebastian Vettel.
08:17A young Sebastian Vettel wanted to be the next Michael Jackson,
08:20but when it became clear he didn't have the voice or dance moves for it,
08:23he turned to another, Michael Schumacher.
08:25And that worked out very well for him.
08:27Noted as much for his youth as he is for his speed,
08:30Vettel won four consecutive Formula One championships from 2010 to 2013,
08:34all before the age of 30,
08:35making him in turn the youngest driver to win single, double, triple, and quadruple championships.
08:40Age aside, Vettel's stats make him fourth for all-time wins, polls, and podiums.
08:44Number 7, Fernando Alonso.
08:47Fernando Alonso was the Sebastian Vettel of his day.
08:50Unfortunately, Vettel's day was the day after his,
08:52meaning Alonso's age-related records,
08:54such as being the youngest single and double champion,
08:55and the youngest driver to set a pole and win, were short-lived.
08:58Nonetheless, Alonso, the 2005 and 2006 world champion,
09:01secured his place in history as the man who dethroned Michael Schumacher,
09:04and as the only Spanish Grand Prix champion.
09:07Alonso's on-track performance as of 2017 is enough to place him sixth in all-time wins.
09:11Number 6, Juan Manuel Fangio.
09:14There have been drivers so good they were paid not to drive,
09:16saw rivals sign contracts blocking them as teammates,
09:19and teammates blocked them from championships.
09:21Fangio was so skilled behind the wheel that Cuban revolutionaries kidnapped him to raise awareness to their cause.
09:26A rival to legends like Moss and Ascari,
09:28Fangio discovered his driving talent while in the Argentinian military,
09:32and wouldn't join the F1 circuit until his 40s.
09:34He soon made up for lost time, becoming the only Argentine to win that country's Grand Prix,
09:38winning 24 of the 53 races he entered, and collecting five championship titles.
09:42A record which held for 47 years until it was taken by Schumacher.
09:46Number 5, Alonso Prost.
09:47Cool, calculating, and consistently fast.
09:49Alonso Prost was always one to watch.
09:51Sacked and effectively run out of France for bad-mouthing Reynaud,
09:55and fired from Ferrari for doing the same, Prost was never one to hold back.
09:59But it wasn't just manufacturers that the good professor would rival with.
10:02An initially friendly partnership with Ayrton Senna turned sour quickly,
10:06with the Frenchman later legally banning Senna from joining him at Williams,
10:09while also causing Nigel Mansell to not only quit the team, but F1 altogether.
10:13Prost himself would follow suit soon after,
10:15retiring as a four-time champ with the then-record 51 career victories.
10:19Number 4, Max Verstappen.
10:20The trailblazing force of the modern era is undoubtedly Max Verstappen.
10:24He is a true, one-of-a-kind, a master craftsman, and a daring racer,
10:29capable of incredible overtakes and audacious attacks.
10:33To become the youngest ever Formula One Grand Prix winner at the age of 18 is impressive enough.
10:38However, following that early peak with four consecutive championships is on a whole different level.
10:42Despite still being in the middle of his career,
10:44Verstappen has already accumulated statistics and achievements
10:46that place him firmly among Formula One's elite competitors historically.
10:50Max Verstappen comes home to claim a podium place.
10:53What a thrilling drive.
10:55That's the scary thing about Verstappen's talent.
10:57We still aren't quite sure how great he can actually be,
11:00and there's every chance he climbs even further up on this list.
11:03Number 3, Ayrton Senna.
11:04Historically intertwined with Alain Prost and the rivalry that frequently brought out the best
11:08and the worst of each of them, Senna's legend was all his own.
11:11A three-time champion from his Honda-powered McLaren years,
11:13the Brazilian was known for his take-no-prisoners approach.
11:16It was a style that led to conflicts with Prost, Nigel Mansell, and Michael Schumacher,
11:20but also netted 41 career wins.
11:22His death while defending the lead at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix,
11:26Mancena's was a story cut unjustly short.
11:28Michael Schumacher dedicated his 1994 World Championship victory to his esteemed rival and colleague.
11:33Number 2, Lewis Hamilton.
11:34As one of the more recent entries into the elite of the elite in F1 history,
11:38Lewis Hamilton's numbers simply cannot be denied.
11:40Lewis Hamilton, the newly crowned seven-time Formula One World Champion,
11:45has driven some of the most memorable races in the history of the sport.
11:49His seven championship victories were enough to see him equal Michael Schumacher's all-time record.
11:53He also holds the top spot for most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes.
11:57When it comes to longevity, Hamilton has carved out a remarkably consistent run of elite success.
12:01Beyond his competitive achievements,
12:03he also has been credited with playing a major role in the expansion of the sport.
12:06The 90,000 stand has won for Lewis Hamilton.
12:10In other words, he's an era-defining superstar who also has the accolades to show for it.
12:14Number 1, Michael Schumacher.
12:16When people talk about Michael Schumacher, it's typically his legendary run with Ferrari.
12:20And with good reason.
12:21Joining the Italians in 1996, the then two-time champ, helped the organization turn the ship around,
12:26eventually leading them to five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004.
12:29Not above racing dirty his failed attempt to wreck championship rival Jacques Villeneuve.
12:33In 1997, for example, Schumi is better known for his surgical precision in wet conditions.
12:38His 17 wins in the wet earned him the title the Rain King.
12:41While his seven titles, 91 wins, 155 podiums, and 68 poles made him an icon.
12:46But who are your top five all-time Formula One drivers?
12:49Let us know in the comments below.
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