Evaluating the excellence of Formula One drivers over the ages is a difficult assignment fraught with qualifiers, exceptions, and asterisks. Nonetheless, victory percentages provide a helpful number for comparison.
The problems that Max Verstappen experienced during the previous year’s 23-race season were vastly different from those that Juan Manuel Fangio faced at the start of the World Championship. Still, it’s impossible not to wonder who would win in a head-to-head matchup.
While Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most Formula One race victories, the sport’s growth from its humble origins means that the abilities of previous champions should never be ignored.
However, two names have been omitted from this list. American drivers Lee Wallard (50 percent winner) and Bill Vukovich (40 percent winner) never competed in a European Grand Prix. Nonetheless, they won the Indy 500 while it was on the Formula 1 schedule between 1950 and 1960.
So, without further ado, here are the top ten Formula One drivers listed by their Grand Prix race victory rates.
Number 10. Stirling Moss (24.24%)
It’s truly astonishing to realize that Stirling Moss, a towering figure in motorsport, never clinched a World Championship title, especially when you consider that he emerged victorious in a remarkable quarter of the 66 Grands Prix he entered.
Throughout his illustrious 10-year Formula 1 career, where he drove for renowned teams such as Mercedes, Maserati, and Lotus, Moss secured second place in the season standings on four occasions and added four more bronze medals to his collection.
This British racing icon, who sadly passed away at the age of 90 in 2020, engaged in fierce battles with legends like Juan Manuel Fangio and Jack Brabham. Moss is widely regarded as the greatest driver to have never claimed the championship, a distinction he unquestionably deserves.
Number 9. Ayrton Senna (25.47%)
Ayrton Senna, the beloved figure of Brazil and an enduring inspiration to countless Formula 1 stars of the past, present, and future, transcends mere statistical measures when it comes to his greatness and the profound tragedy that marked his career.
As a three-time World Champion, Senna secured an impressive 41 victories during his remarkable 10-year journey in the sport. There’s little doubt that he would have amassed many more triumphs had it not been for the tragic and fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
With a winning rate of more than one victory for every four races, Senna would likely have concluded his career standing shoulder to shoulder with Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher among the top three winningest drivers of all time. Remarkably, he occupies the fifth spot in this ranking, even though the championship calendar in his era featured fewer races.
Number 8. Alain Prost (25.63%)
Senna’s bitter rival, Alain Prost, holds a slight edge over him when it comes to win percentage. These two Formula 1 icons frequently found themselves in uncomfortably close proximity on the racetrack and left an indelible mark on the sport’s history.
Alain Prost secured an impressive 51 victories out of 199 starts, a feat that earned him four World Championships. Throughout his illustrious career, Prost was associated with some of Formula 1’s most iconic teams, including Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, and Renault.
The unforgettable battles between Prost and Senna remain etched in the annals of Formula 1 history, marked by two dramatic final-round clashes between these uncompromising legends that determined the outcome of two World Championships.
Number 7. Max Verstappen (26.14%)
Max Verstappen is swiftly ascending to the summit of Formula 1’s statistical leaderboards, establishing himself as a record-breaker from the moment he first took his place in the driver’s seat at the tender age of 17.
Verstappen’s inclusion in this list is primarily thanks to his supremely dominant 2022 campaign, where he triumphed in a staggering 15 out of the 22 rounds, nearly doubling his total number of victories from the previous five seasons combined.
Currently, the Red Bull powerhouse is in the midst of an extraordinary streak, having secured nine consecutive wins in the 2023 Formula 1 season, setting his sights on capturing a third consecutive World Championship title in the current campaign.
Number 6. Jackie Stewart (27.27%)
Much like Alain Prost, Jackie Stewart exited Formula 1 as a World Champion, deciding to conclude his career at the pinnacle of the sport when he was 34 years old.
Stewart’s decision to retire was prompted by the extreme dangers associated with an F1 career during the 1960s and 70s, and in his retirement, he successfully advocated for critical safety enhancements.
Despite being acutely aware of the life-threatening risks, the ‘Flying Scot’ fearlessly piloted the perilous machines of his era to three World Championships within a span of five years. He departed the sport with an impressive record of 27 victories out of 99 races, establishing himself as the standout talent of his generation.
Number 5. Michael Schumacher (29.64%)
When Michael Schumacher returned to Formula 1 in 2010 after a three-year hiatus, he wasn’t fixated on statistics; he had already made his mark on those records.
However, if we exclude the 58 winless Grands Prix he contested for Mercedes during his comeback, Schumacher’s victory rate would have been an astonishing 36.55 percent.
Before his move to Ferrari, Schumacher had already notched up 19 F1 victories and two titles with Benetton. His legendary partnership with the Scuderia resulted in an additional five World Championships, rewriting the history books of his era.
Schumacher retired from the sport once more in 2012, before the skiing accident that occurred one year later. His current health status remains closely guarded, and he has not made any public appearances since.
Number 4. Lewis Hamilton (31.89%)
Mercedes’ unparalleled dominance of the hybrid era in Formula 1 was ruthlessly driven by Lewis Hamilton, who left no stone unturned as he continued to accumulate victories.
The talented driver from Stevenage experienced a rare setback last year when he failed to secure a Grand Prix win, marking the first time such an event occurred in his entire Formula 1 career. Remarkably, he had claimed victories every year since his extraordinary breakout with McLaren in 2007.
Hamilton’s achievements are nothing short of remarkable. He shattered Michael Schumacher’s Grand Prix record in 2020 and became the first driver to surpass the historic milestone of 100 race victories, currently boasting an impressive tally of 103 wins.
As the 2023 season concludes, Hamilton is poised to become the driver with the third-most race starts in Formula 1 history. However, his continued success is contingent on Mercedes delivering a competitive car, as any falter on their part could potentially see him slipping down the rankings.
Number 3. Jim Clark (34.72%)
Despite Lewis Hamilton’s extraordinary success, he isn’t the top-ranked British driver on this list. That distinction belongs to Jim Clark, another exceptionally fast racer whose career was tragically cut short.
Jim Clark occupies the third spot on the all-time list, boasting a remarkable win rate of 34.72 percent. This statistic offers younger generations, who may not be familiar with his talents, a glimpse into the speed and skill of the Scottish two-time World Champion.
Clark dedicated nine Formula 1 seasons to Team Lotus and secured an impressive 25 victories from a mere 72 starts. He delivered an astonishing performance in 1963, winning seven out of the 10 races in that season on his way to his first championship title. He replicated this feat two years later.
Notably, Clark tasted victory in Grand Prix races for seven consecutive seasons, from 1962 until his untimely death in 1968, which tragically occurred while he was behind the wheel of a Formula 2 car at the Hockenheimring. He was just 32 years old at the time.
Number 2. Alberto Ascari (40.63%)
The 1952 season marked only the third campaign in the history of Formula 1, and it witnessed the remarkable dominance of Alberto Ascari, who had participated in the very first Monaco Grand Prix. Wearing the Ferrari red, he entered the season as a two-time race winner and proceeded to deliver one of the most commanding performances the sport has ever witnessed.
Although he didn’t compete in the season opener in Switzerland and retired from the Indy 500, Ascari went on to win all six of the remaining rounds, achieving an impeccable clean sweep.
His 1953 season was equally impressive, as he outperformed Juan Manuel Fangio to secure glory.
Ascari’s Formula 1 career spanned just three full seasons before his tragic demise at Monza in 1955. Nevertheless, his stunning record of 13 victories from 32 starts, despite enduring 10 retirements, unequivocally solidifies his place among the pantheon of Formula 1 greats as an iconic figure for Ferrari.
Number 1. Juan Manuel Fangio (47.06%)
Jackie Stewart and many Formula 1 legends from the past often argue that Juan Manuel Fangio, rather than Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher, is the greatest of all time. With a win rate that equates to nearly a victory in every other Grand Prix, it’s indeed challenging to dispute this claim. Beating Fangio was an exceptionally daunting task.
Fangio’s legacy in Formula 1 is awe-inspiring. As a five-time World Champion and double runner-up between 1950 and 1958, his 24 wins out of 52 starts essentially dominated the sport’s first decade.
One can only imagine how many Grand Prix victories the Argentine icon could have amassed in a 23-race Formula 1 season, or if the sport had come into existence earlier. Fangio was already 39 years old when the World Championship was established, having initiated his racing career in 1936. Remarkably, he became Formula 1’s oldest title winner, achieving this feat at the age of 46. His remarkable achievements continue to cement his status as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport.
