There have been so many great formula one drivers in the history of the sport. Most people might consider Michael Schumacher to be the best in the history, when he was dominating the sports in the 00’s with Ferrari. However, Lewis Hamilton is still racing for Mercedes and every year coming closer to Michael Schumacher and even taking some of his old records.

It’s impossible to say who’s the best because there has been so many changes over time in technology and engines for the drivers. Drivers like Moss, Prost, Clark, Fagio or Stewart might have been great if they had the same type of cars like Schumacher, Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel have been racing the past decades.

Here are the list of the ones, that can be considered the greats and we will remember in our sport:

Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is probably the name that most people know. He is undoubtedly one of the most famous and best Formula 1 drivers of all time. He debuted for the first time back in 1999 and ended his career in 2012.

He has won the championship a total of 7 times and has won a total of 91 races, had 68 pole positions and stood on the podium a total of 155 times. Schumacher is undoubtedly a very well-known Formula 1 driver and is known for pushing his car to the limit.

He unfortunately had a skiing accident in 2013 where he sustained injuries to his head. This meant that he was in an artificial coma as a result of a brain hemorrhage. To this day, he is still receiving treatment for his injuries. His son, Mick Schumacher, has followed in his father’s footsteps and now also drives Formula 1.

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton will be mentioned by the younger section of fans as he has helped dominate the sport for the past 10 years. Since the start of his career, Hamilton has had speed. He now has 98 race wins and over 183 podiums to his name. He has won the championship a total of 7 times and has pursued the opportunity to win more.

Hamiliton has also participated in approx. 300 Grand Prix’s and has really made a name for himself and the only one on the list who is still driving for a top team.

Stirling Moss

Stirling Moss is probably one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time. He has driven around 525 races, has stood on the podium 24 times and has won 16 Grand Prix victories in his career. He was the first British driver to win the British Formula One Grand Prix in a British-built car. He was active from 1948 – 1962.

In 1962, he unfortunately had an accident that left him partially paralyzed for six months and in a coma for 30 days. He died in 2020 at the age of 90.

Juan Manuel Fangio

The most honorable world champion is Juan Manuel Fangio, also known as El Chueca. He was an Argentinian Formula 1 driver who has won the championship a total of five times. He debuted back in 1938, and had a record of 46 years without defeat by winning the most number of world championships.

He is probably one of the greatest in Formula 1 sport and still has one of the highest winning percentages in Formula 1 history. He sat as honorary president of Mercedes Benz until his death in 1995.

Jackie Stewart

We come around to another recognized Formula 1 driver from Scotland. Jackie Stewart has won the championship a total of 3 times and has a total of 359 career points. He started back in 1965 at the Grand Prix in South Africa. He has stood on the podium 43 times, winning his last international title back in 1973.

His career came to a halt when his theme colleague Francois Cevert died during a training session. Stewart is a well-known Formula 1 personality and can often be found as a spectator among the many Formula 1 races today.

Jim Clark

Ayrton Senna is in solid fourth place on the list of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time. Senna comes from Brazil and has won the championship three times over the years. He has scored 65 pole positions in 161 races.

He started his career back in 1984 and his great rival was Alain Prost, as we have mentioned earlier in this article. Senna unfortunately died when he crashed in 1994 during the San Marion Grand Prix at the Imola circuit.

Alain Prost

The next Formula 1 driver on the list is Alain Proust. The French driver held the record for most Grand Prix wins back in 1987 to 2001. He has participated in 202 races in his career and has been with McLaren, Ferrari and Renault.

He has a career total of 768.5 points and has won the championship four times. He has stood on the podium 106 times and won 33 pole positions. He quit back in 1993.

Fernando Alonso

The Spanish Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso has won the Formula 1 championship as many as 2 times. He has a total of 1982 career points and has stood on the podium a whopping 98 times in his career.

He is the third youngest driver to debut in the Formula 1 world. He retired from Formula 1 in 2018, driving for Renault.

Sebastian Vettel

The German Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel has won the championship a total of four times. His total career points are 3061 and he has been on the podium a whopping 122 times. He debuted for the first time at the US Grand Prix in 2007.

He has driven for Red Bull for the last several years, and has achieved 49 GP wins and 45 pole positions. Vettel is still in action and is currently driving for Aston Martin.

Mika Hakkinen

Mika Häkkinen is from Finland and has won the championship twice during his 11-year Formula 1 career. He has participated in 165 races with Lotus and McLaren, making his debut back in 1991.

He has won 20 Grand Prixs, stood on the podium 51 times and has a total number of career points of 420. Although it may sound small next to the two previously mentioned racing drivers, Häkkinen has made a bit of a name for himself. He retired back in 2002.

If we look at the upcoming generations, Max Verstappen might be the only one that can come into this list, if he continues his success for at least 5 more years.