List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions

The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC) is the most successful Formula One race car driver of the year. The award is given by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to the driver who scores the most points during a season.

The WDC was first awarded in 1950, to Giuseppe "Nino" Farina. The first driver to win more than one Championship was Alberto Ascari, in 1952 and 1953. The latest driver awarded the championship is called the reigning or defending champion. As of the end of the 2024 Formula One season, the reigning champion is Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing.

The FIA does not officially award the Championship until the end of the season. Sometimes one driver will be far ahead of the other drivers in points. Even if the leading driver scores no more points, none of the other drivers could pass his point total. When this happens, the driver is said to have clinched the Championship.

 Champions 
 By season 
SeasonDriverAgeConstructorEngineTyresPolesWinsPodiumsPointsClinchedMargin   Giuseppe Farina 44  Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo13333083.333 (47.619)Race 7 of 7310.000   Juan Manuel Fangio 40  Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo43553186.111 (51.389)Race 8 of 8619.355   Alberto Ascari 34  Ferrari Ferrari 566636100.000 (74.306)Race 6 of 81233.333   Alberto Ascari 35  Ferrari Ferrari655434.595.833 (57.764)Race 8 of 96.518.841   Juan Manuel Fangio  43  Maserati Maserati56734293.333 (70.547)Race 7 of 916.85740.136  Mercedes Mercedes   Juan Manuel Fangio 44  Mercedes Mercedes34534088.889 (65.079)Race 6 of 716.541.250   Juan Manuel Fangio 45  Ferrari Ferrari63543066.667 (45.833)Race 8 of 8310.000   Juan Manuel Fangio 46  Maserati Maserati44624088.889 (63.889)Race 6 of 81537.500   Mike Hawthorn 29  Ferrari Ferrari41754277.778 (49.495)Race 11 of 1112.381   Jack Brabham 33  Cooper Climax12513168.889 (41.975)Race 9 of 9412.903   Jack Brabham 34  Cooper Climax35534389.583 (53.750)Race 8 of 10920.930   Phil Hill 34  Ferrari Ferrari52623475.556 (52.778)Race 7 of 812.941   Graham Hill 33  BRM BRM14634293.333 (64.198)Race 9 of 91228.571   Jim Clark 27  LotusClimax779654100.000 (81.111)Race 7 of 102138.889   John Surtees 30  Ferrari Ferrari22624074.074 (44.444)Race 10 of 1012.500   Jim Clark 29  Lotus Climax666654100.000 (60.000)Race 7 of 101425.926   Jack Brabham 40  Brabham Repco34514293.333 (55.556)Race 7 of 91433.333   Denny Hulme 31  Brabham Repco02825162.963 (51.515)Race 11 of 1159.804   Graham Hill 39  Lotus Ford23604853.333 (44.444)Race 12 of 121225.000   Jackie Stewart 30  Matra Ford26756377.778 (63.636)Race 8 of 112641.270   Jochen Rindt 28  Lotus Ford35514545.455 (38.462)Race 12 of 13511.111   Jackie Stewart 32  Tyrrell Ford66736276.543 (62.626)Race 8 of 112946.774   Emerson Fittipaldi 25  Lotus Ford35806167.778 (56.481)Race 10 of 121626.230   Jackie Stewart 34  Tyrrell Ford35817160.684 (52.593)Race 13 of 151622.535   Emerson Fittipaldi 27  McLaren Ford23705547.009 (40.741)Race 15 of 1535.455   Niki Lauda 26  Ferrari Ferrari958264.559.722 (51.190)Race 13 of 1419.530.233   James Hunt 29  McLaren Ford86826954.762 (47.917)Race 16 of 1611.449   Niki Lauda 28  Ferrari Ferrari231037253.333 (47.059)Race 15 of 171723.611   Mario Andretti 38  Lotus Ford86736450.794 (44.444)Race 14 of 161320.313   Jody Scheckter 29  Ferrari Ferrari13605170.833 (44.444)Race 13 of 1547.843   Alan Jones 34  Williams Ford351056774.444 (56.349)Race 13 of 141319.403   Nelson Piquet 29  Brabham Ford  43715050.505 (37.037)Race 15 of 1512.000   Keke Rosberg 34  Williams Ford11604444.444 (30.556)Race 16 of 16511.364   Nelson Piquet 31  Brabham BMW13845959.596 (43.704)Race 15 of 1523.390   Niki Lauda 35  McLaren TAG05957272.727 (50.000)Race 16 of 160.50.694   Alain Prost 30  McLaren TAG251157373.737 (52.778)Race 14 of 162027.397   Alain Prost 31  McLaren TAG141127272.727 (51.389)Race 16 of 1622.778   Nelson Piquet 35  Williams Honda431147373.737 (52.778)Race 15 of 161216.438   Ayrton Senna 28  McLaren Honda1381139090.909 (65.278)Race 15 of 1633.333   Alain Prost 34  McLaren Honda241157676.768 (56.250)Race 15 of 161621.053   Ayrton Senna 30  McLaren Honda1061127878.788 (54.167)Race 15 of 1678.974   Ayrton Senna 31  McLaren Honda871229656.875Race 15 of 162425.000   Nigel Mansell 39  Williams Renault14912810867.500Race 11 of 165248.148   Alain Prost 38  Williams Renault1371269961.875Race 14 of 162626.263   Michael Schumacher 25  Benetton Ford681089257.500Race 16 of 1611.087   Michael Schumacher 26  Benetton Renault4911810263.750Race 15 of 173332.353   Damon Hill 36  Williams Renault981059760.625Race 16 of 161919.588   Jacques Villeneuve 26  Williams Renault107838147.647Race 17 of 1739 48.148   Mika Häkkinen 30  McLaren Mercedes9811610062.500Race 16 of 161414.000   Mika Häkkinen 31  McLaren Mercedes1151067647.500Race 16 of 1622.632   Michael Schumacher 31  Ferrari Ferrari9912210863.529Race 16 of 171917.593   Michael Schumacher  32  Ferrari Ferrari11914312372.353Race 13 of 175847.154   Michael Schumacher 33  Ferrari Ferrari71117714484.706Race 11 of 176746.528   Michael Schumacher 34  Ferrari Ferrari56859358.125Race 16 of 1622.151   Michael Schumacher 35  Ferrari Ferrari813151014882.222Race 14 of 183422.973   Fernando Alonso 24  Renault Renault6715213370.000Race 17 of 192115.789   Fernando Alonso 25  Renault Renault6714513474.444Race 18 of 18139.701   Kimi  Räikkönen  28  Ferrari Ferrari3612611064.706Race 17 of 1710.909   Lewis Hamilton 23  McLaren Mercedes751019854.444Race 18 of 1811.020   Jenson Button 29  Brawn Mercedes46929555.882Race 16 of 171111.579   Sebastian Vettel 23  Red Bull Renault10510325653.895Race 19 of 1941.563   Sebastian Vettel24  Red Bull Renault151117339282.526Race 15 of 1912231.122   Sebastian Vettel 25  Red Bull Renault6510628156.200Race 20 of 2031.068   Sebastian Vettel 26  Red Bull Renault91316739783.579Race 16 of 1915539.043   Lewis Hamilton 29  Mercedes Mercedes71116738476.800Race 19 of 196717.448   Lewis Hamilton  30  Mercedes Mercedes111017838180.211Race 16 of 195915.486   Nico Rosberg 31  Mercedes Mercedes8916638573.333Race 21 of 2151.299   Lewis Hamilton 32  Mercedes Mercedes11913736372.600Race 18 of 204612.672   Lewis Hamilton 33  Mercedes Mercedes111117340877.714Race 19 of 218821.569  Lewis Hamilton 34  Mercedes Mercedes51117641375.641Race 19 of 218721.0652020 Lewis Hamilton 35 MercedesMercedes101114634778.507Race 14 of 1712428.0542021 Max Verstappen  24 Red BullHonda1010186395.569.143Race 22 of 2282.0222022 Max Verstappen  25 Red BullHonda71517545476.174Race 18 of 2214632.1592023 Max Verstappen  26 Red BullHonda121921957592.7%Race 17 of 222902024 Max Verstappen  27 Red BullHondaTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDRace 19 of 21TBDTBDSeasonDriverAgeTeamEngineTyresPolesWinsPodiumsFastest lapsPointsClinchedMargin% Margin

Bold indicates the team also won the Constructors' Championship (awarded since ).

 The  and  championships were run to Formula Two regulations.
 Fangio competed in the 1954 Argentine and Belgian Grands Prix with Maserati, then completed the season with Mercedes.
 Rindt's championship was confirmed two rounds after he had been killed in an accident during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.
 Michael Schumacher scored 78 points during the  season, 3 points behind Villeneuve, but was disqualified from the championship for deliberately colliding with Villeneuve in the final race of the season, the European Grand Prix. This left Villeneuve with a 39-point margin over Heinz-Harald Frentzen with 42 points.

 By drivers 

DriverTotalSeasons Michael Schumacher 71994-1995, 2000-2004 Lewis Hamilton 2008, 2014,2015, 2017-2020 Juan Manuel Fangio 51951, 1954-1957 Alain Prost 
 Sebastian Vettel 

 Max Verstappen 41985-1986, 1989, 1993
2010-2013

2021-2024 Jack Brabham31959-1960, 1966 Jackie Stewart1969, 1971, 1973 Niki Lauda1975, 1977, 1984 Nelson Piquet1981, 1983, 1987 Ayrton Senna1988, 1990-1991 Fernando Alonso22005, 2006 Alberto Ascari1952-1953 Jim Clark1963, 1965 Graham Hill1962, 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi1972, 1974 Mika Häkkinen1998-1999 Nino Farina11950 Mike Hawthorn1958 Phil Hill1961 John Surtees1964 Denny Hulme1967 Jochen Rindt1970 James Hunt1976 Mario Andretti1978 Jody Scheckter1979 Alan Jones1980 Keke Rosberg1982 Nigel Mansell1992 Damon Hill1996 Jacques Villeneuve1997 Kimi Räikkönen2007 Jenson Button2009 Nico Rosberg2016

 By country 
CountryDriversTotal wins United Kingdom1020 Germany312 Brazil38 Argentina15 France14 Australia24 Austria24 Finland34 Netherlands14 Italy23 United States22 Spain12 South Africa11 Canada11 New Zealand11

 By constructor 
ConstructorTotal Ferrari15 McLaren12 Mercedes GP8 Williams7 Red Bull7 Lotus6 Brabham4 Cooper2 Renault Benetton Alfa Romeo  Tyrrell Maserati BRM1 Matra Brawn
Constructors still active in Formula One are in bold.

 Records 
 Youngest Drivers' Champion 
DriverAgeSeason1 Sebastian Vettel 23 years, 133 days20102 Lewis Hamilton 23 years, 301 days20083 Fernando Alonso 24 years, 58 days20054 Max Verstappen 24 years, 73 days20215 Emerson Fittipaldi 25 years, 273 days19726 Michael Schumacher 25 years, 314 days19947 Niki Lauda 26 years, 197 days19758 Jacques Villeneuve 26 years, 200 days19979 Jim Clark 27 years, 188 days196310 Kimi Räikkönen 28 years, 4 days2007
Active drivers are in bold.

 Oldest Drivers' Champion 
DriverAgeSeason 1 Juan Manuel Fangio 46 years, 41 days1957 2 Giuseppe Farina 43 years, 308 days1950 3 Jack Brabham 40 years, 155 days1966 4 Graham Hill 39 years, 262 days1968 5 Nigel Mansell 39 years, 8 days1992 6 Alain Prost 38 years, 214 days1993 7 Mario Andretti 38 years, 193 days1978 8 Damon Hill 36 years, 26 days1996 9 Lewis Hamilton 35 years, 341 days2020 10 Niki Lauda 35 years, 242 days1984
Active drivers are in bold.

 Most Drivers' Championships won in a row 
DriverTotalSeasons 1 Michael Schumacher 52000–20042 Juan Manuel Fangio41954–1957 Sebastian Vettel2010–2013 Lewis Hamilton2017–2020 Max Verstappen2021–20243 Alberto Ascari21952–1953 Jack Brabham1959–1960 Alain Prost1985–1986 Ayrton Senna1990–1991 Michael Schumacher1994–1995 Mika Häkkinen1998–1999 Fernando Alonso2005–2006 Lewis Hamilton2014–2015

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Active drivers are in bold.

Related pages
 List of Formula One World Constructors' Champions
 Formula One World Championship scoring system

 References 

 GrandPrix.com - Grand Prix Encyclopedia 
 Formula1.com - Hall of Fame 
 ChicaneF1 - Drivers' Championships 
 Formula 1 Championships


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