Top 10 Formula 1 Drivers of All Time

They hard to miss, and even harder to catch. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Formula 1 Drivers of All Time. For this list, we'll be looking at the finest drivers the sport of F1 racing ever produced. #10: Gilles Villeneuve With just six race wins it might be hard to get a handle on the legend of Gilles Villeneuve. A former snowmobile racer – and the father of future Formula One champion, Jacques – his career was one that was frequently a mixture of promise chased by disaster. Drafted into F1 after he beat James Hunt in a Formula Atlantic race, Villeneuve joined McLaren for a five race run, before moving on to Ferrari for the rest of his career. Following his death during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix, Villeneuve would be remembered for being exceptionally fast, skilled, and a genuine human being. #9: Sebastian Vettel A young Sebastian Vettel wanted to be the next Michael Jackson, but when it became clear he didn't have the voice or dance moves for it, he turned to another Michael: Schumacher. And that worked out very well for him. Noted as much for his youth as he is for his speed, Vettel won four constitutive Formula One World Championships from 2010 to 2013 – all before the age of 30 – making him in turn the youngest driver to win single, double, triple, and quadruple championships. Age aside, Vettel's stats make him forth for all time wins, poles, and podiums. #8: Niki Lauda The only Austrian to win his country's Grand Prix, Niki Lauda is known for is intense rivalry with James Hunt, his multiple championships, and a serious brush with death. Driving for Ferrari, Lauda would clinch his first title in 1975, and a second in '77, but left the Italian team when Ferrari signed Carlos Reutemann – whom he hated – and then unknown Gilles Villeneuve. He'd then switch to Brabham, but the team's lackluster performance prompted him to retire after 1979. Lauda would return to the sport, however, in 1982, and in 1984 became the only driver to win championships for both Ferrari and McLaren. #7: Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso was the Sebastian Vettel of his day. Unfortunately, Vettel's day was the day after his, meaning Alonso's age related records – such as being the youngest single and double champion, and the youngest driver to set a pole, and win – were short lived. Nonetheless, Alonso – the 2005 and 2006 World Champion – secured his place in history as the man who dethroned Michael Schumacher, and as the only Spanish Grand Prix Champion. Alonso's on track performance as of 2017 is enough to place him sixth in all time wins. #6: Jackie Stewart Jackie Stewart was destined for greatness, even if he did delay it a few times. While driving in Formula 3, the Flying Scot would politely decline two offers to move to F1. When Stewart finally did arrive, he became not only a three-time champion, but a champion of driver safety. During his first championship season in '69, at Nürburgring Stewart famously finished four minutes ahead of the competition, and during 1971 ran the full Can-Am season in addition to his F1 championship run. Stewart would humbly retire after his third title, in 1973, and would see his victory record hold for 14 years after he left the sport. #5: Alain Prost Cool, calculating, and consistently fast, Alain Prost was always one to watch. Sacked and effectively run out of France for badmouthing Renault, and fired from Ferrari for doing the same, Prost was never one to hold back. But it wasn't just manufactures that the good Professor would rival with - an initially friendly partnership with Ayrton Senna turned sour quickly, with the Frenchman later legally banning Senna from joining him at Williams, while also causing Nigel Mansell to not only quit the team, but F1 altogether. Prost himself would follow suit soon after, retiring as a four-time champ with a then record 51 career victories. #4: Jim Clark In 1961, Jim Clark came out of one of F1's most horrific accidents alive, but the revered Scot would ultimately lose his life during a Formula 2 race in West Germany at the age of 32. Clark died a two-time champion with a record setting 25 wins and 33 poles, while his 1963 seven win season wasn't duplicated until 1984. He wasn't limited to formula racing either. A veteran of three Le Mans, and five runs at Indy, Clark's 1965 Brickyard win made him the only person to win both the F1 championship and the Indy 500 within the same year. #3: Michael Schumacher When people talk about Michael Schumacher, it's typically his legendary run with Ferrari. And with good reason. Joining the Italians in 1996, the then two-time champ helped the organization turn the ship around, eventually leading them to five constitutive titles from 2000 to 2004. Not above racing dirty – his failed attempt to wreck championship rival Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 for example – Schumi is better known for his surgical precision in wet conditions. His 17 wins in the wet earned him the title “the Rain King”, while his seven titles, 91 wins, 155 podiums, and 68 poles made him an icon. #2: Ayrton Senna Historically intertwined with Alain Prost and the rivalry that frequently brought out the best and the worst of each of them, Senna's legend was all his own. A three-time champion from his Honda-powered McLaren years, the Brazilian was known for his take no prisoners approach. It was a style that led to conflicts with Prost, Nigel Mansell, and Michael Schumacher, but also netted 41 career wins. His death while defending the lead at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix meant Senna's was a story cut unjustly short. Michael Schumacher dedicated his 1994 world Championship victory to his esteemed rival and colleague. Before we unveil our top pick here are a few honourable mentions. Emerson Fittipaldi Lewis Hamilton Stirling Moss #1: Juan Manuel Fangio There have been drivers so good they were paid not to drive, saw rivals sign contracts blocking them as teammates, and teammates block them from championships. Fangio was so skilled behind the wheel that Cuban revolutionaries kidnapped him to raid awareness to their cause. A rival to legends like Moss and Ascari, Fangio discovered his driving talent while in the Argentinian military, and wouldn't join the F1 circuit until his 40s. He soon made up for lost time, becoming the only Argentine to win that country's Grand Prix, winning 24 of the 53 races he entered and collecting five championship titles – a record which held for 47 years until it was taken by Schumacher. On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 9:19 AM, Matthew Wende wrote: Edited by Me They hard to miss, and even harder to catch. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Formula 1 Drivers of All Time. For this list, we'll be looking at the finest drivers the sport of F1 racing ever produced.