Since its inaugural season all the way back in 1950, 111 different drivers have taken the chequered flag to win a Formula One Grand Prix.
Of those drivers, some have proven more successful than others during their careers by not only picking up more race wins but also amassing more world championships along the way.
The Sporting News takes a look at which driver has the most wins in F1 history as well as who has taken the most pole positions and recorded the most fastest laps at a grand prix throughout their career.
Which driver has the most wins in F1 history?
Lewis Hamilton (103)
The most successful driver in the history of F1 is Lewis Hamilton. The man from Stevenage has won 103 Grands Prix throughout his illustrious career and is still looking to add to that total in the coming seasons with Mercedes. No other driver has reached three figures in terms of race wins throughout the history of the sport.
Hamilton is also the joint-most decorated driver in terms of world championship titles, winning seven, with his first coming back in 2008.
Michael Schumacher (91)
Second on the list of most F1 race wins in history is German great Michael Schumacher, who picked up 91 victories. Alongside Hamilton, Schumacher also won seven world titles throughout his illustrious career, five of which came consecutively between 2000 and 2004 as he dominated the sport with the help of his Ferrari team.
Sebastian Vettel (53)
Winning the drivers championship four times in a row between 2010 and 2013, Schumacher’s compatriot Sebastian Vettel ranks third for the most F1 race wins in history.
Vettel previously drove for some of the sport’s biggest teams including Red Bull and Ferrari, though after the 2022 where he raced with Aston Martin, the decorated German decided to retire from the sport.
Alain Prost (51)
The most successful French driver in the history of F1, Alain Prost won 51 races throughout his career with the first coming at the 1981 French Grand Prix. He also went on to run his own F1 team — Prost Grand Prix — between 1997 and 2001.
In a non-executive director role with Renault Sport — now Alpine — up until January 2022, Prost is still a regular sight on race days around the world.
Aryton Senna (41)
The late great Ayrton Senna ranks fifth on the all-time list of most F1 race wins thanks to an illustrious career that lasted from 1985 up until his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Recognised as one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history thanks to his three world championship victories in 1988, 1990 and 1991, Senna is also regarded as the best wet weather racer of all time and is referenced as the idol of many modern drivers.
Max Verstappen (35)
The most recent F1 race winner on this list, Dutch driver Max Verstappen has taken 35 race victories throughout his career, which began in 2015.
Driving for Red Bull each year, Verstappen became the 2021 world champion in controversial fashion, though he took the 2022 world title on far less dramatic terms after dominating the rest of the field. During the 2022 season, he also set a new record of 15 race wins in a single F1 season.
Fernando Alonso (32)
A two-time world championship winner in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, Spaniard Fernando Alonso ranks seventh on the list of all-time F1 wins with 32 victories after being overtaken by Verstappen in 2022.
With his last race win coming at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, Alonso is still going strong in the sport at the age of 41 and provided a shock by qualifying second for Alpine at last season’s Canadian Grand Prix, where he eventually finished ninth. In 2022, he also became the F1 driver who has enjoyed the longest active career after making his debut back in 2001.
Nigel Mansell (31)
Nicknamed ‘The Lion’ by Ferrari fans due to his committed and aggressive driving style, British driver Nigel Mansell managed to win 31 races during his F1 career between 1980 and 1995.
After becoming the 1992 F1 world champion, Mansell decided to pursue a career in the CART IndyCar world series, winning that competition in 1993. He became the first debutant to win the title and the first person to be reigning F1 and American open-wheel National champion at the same time.
Jackie Stewart (27)
Winning three world driver’s championships, Jackie Stewart was aptly nicknamed ‘The Flying Scot’ due to his electric pace on the race track.
Taking 27 victories during his F1 career, Stewart also narrowly missed out on winning the 1966 Indianapolis 500. Between 1997 and 1999 he was team principal for the Stewart Grand Prix Racing Team.
Jim Clark and Niki Lauda (25)
Two legends in the world of motorsport finish off the top 10 list. Both Jim Clarke and Niki Lauda took 25 race wins during their respective careers.
Complete list of the most successful F1 drivers in history by race wins
| Driver | F1 race wins |
| Lewis Hamilton | 103 |
| Michael Schumacher | 91 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 53 |
| Alain Prost | 51 |
| Aryton Senna | 41 |
| Max Verstappen | 35 |
| Fernando Alonso | 32 |
| Nigel Mansell | 31 |
| Jackie Stewart | 27 |
| Jim Clarke & Niki Lauda | 25 |
*Bold represents current F1 drivers
Who has taken the most pole positions in F1 history?
| Driver | Pole positions |
| Lewis Hamilton | 103 |
| Michael Schumacher | 68 |
| Ayrton Senna | 65 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 57 |
| Jim Clarke | 33 |
| Alain Prost | 33 |
| Nigel Mansell | 32 |
| Nico Rosberg | 30 |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 29 |
| Mika Hakkinen | 26 |
Lewis Hamilton also leads the way in taking the most pole positions of any driver in the history of F1. Having qualified first on the grid 103 times, he is comfortably clear of former Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher, who managed to sit on pole 68 times during his illustrious career.
Who has recorded the most fastest laps in F1 history?
| Driver | Fastest laps |
| Michael Schumacher | 77 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 61 |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 46 |
| Alain Prost | 41 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 38 |
| Nigel Mansell | 30 |
| Jim Clark | 28 |
| Mika Hakkinen | 25 |
| Niki Lauda | 24 |
|
Juan Manuel Fangio, Nelson Piquet & Fernando Alonso |
23 |
Not to be outdone by Lewis Hamilton at every turn, Michael Schumacher has recorded the highest number of fastest laps in F1 history. His tally of 77 is a figure unlikely to be beaten by Hamilton, who sits on 59, given Mercedes’ struggles throughout the 2022 season which failed to see the Brit add to his total much. Still, never say never when it comes to the seven-time world champion!