Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

defined by the

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; ) is an international organisation with two primary functions surrounding use of the automobile. Its mobility division advocacy, advocates the interests of motoring organisations, the automot ...

(FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and cars must conform. The Formula One World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as , held usually on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. The World Drivers' Championship is presented by the FIA to the most successful Formula One driver over the course of the season through a points system based on individual Grand Prix results. The World Championship is won when it is no longer mathematically possible for another competitor to overtake their points total regardless of the outcome of the remaining races, although it is not officially awarded until the

FIA Prize Giving Ceremony The FIA Prize Giving Ceremony is an annual event promoted by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) which honours the achievements of all FIA champions over the previous season. In 2014, the FIA introduced a new format where the champ ...

held in various cities following the conclusion of the season.

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...

and

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...

hold the record for the most World Drivers' Championships, both having won the title on seven occasions.

Juan Manuel Fangio Juan Manuel Fangio (, ; 24 June 1911 – 17 July 1995) was an Argentine racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "el Chueco" and "el Maestro", Fangio won five Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles and—at the ti ...

is third with five titles. Schumacher also holds the record for the most consecutive drivers' titles with five between the and the seasons.

Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell (; born 8 August 1953) is a British former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Mansell won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Williams, and won 31 Grands Prix across 15 seasons ...

holds the record of competing in the highest number of seasons before winning the World Championship, entering Formula One in and achieving the title in , a span of 13 seasons.

Nico Rosberg Nico Erik Rosberg (born 27 June 1985) is a German and Finnish former racing driver and entrepreneur, who competed under the German flag in Formula One from to . Rosberg won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Mercedes, and w ...

has the highest number of Grand Prix starts before winning his first title, a period of 206 between the 2006 Bahrain and the

2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix The 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (officially known as the 2016 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 27 November 2016 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The race was the twen ...

Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Vettel won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from to with Red Bull, and rema ...

is the youngest winner of the World Drivers' Championship; he was 23 years and 134 days old when he won the championship. Fangio is the oldest winner of the World Drivers' Championship; he was 46 years and 41 days old when he won the title. As of the season, out of the 777 drivers who have started a Formula One Grand Prix, the 75 titles awarded have been won by a total of 34 different drivers. The first Formula One World Drivers' Champion was

Giuseppe Farina Emilio Giuseppe "Nino" Farina (; 30 October 1906 – 30 June 1966) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Farina won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in its inaugural season with Alfa Romeo, and won ...

in the championship and the current title holder is

Max Verstappen Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...

in the season. The title has been won by drivers from the United Kingdom 20 times between 10 drivers, more than any other nation, followed by Brazil, Finland and Germany with three drivers each. The title has been won by drivers from

Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari (; ), currently racing under Scuderia Ferrari HP, is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing. The team is also known by the nickname "the Pranc ...

15 times between 9 drivers, more than any other team, followed by

McLaren McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...

with 12 titles between 7 drivers. The Drivers' Championship has been won in the final race of the season 30 times in the 75 seasons it has been awarded. Schumacher holds the record of earning the championship with most left to run in a season with six when he won the title at that year's . Due to the points system, on two occasions (

John Surtees John Norman Surtees (11 February 1934 – 10 March 2017) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One from to . Surtees was a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycl ...

in the season and

Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Senna won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with McLaren, and—at the time of his death—held ...

in the season) a world champion scored fewer points overall than a driver who finished second in the championship. __TOC__

By season

By driver

file:FIA_F1_Austria_2021_Nr._33_Verstappen_%28side%29.jpg, 220px,

won four consecutive World Drivers' Championships in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 with Red Bull Racing. Drivers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

By driver nationality

Drivers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

Records

Youngest Drivers' Champion

Where drivers have won more than one World Drivers' Championship, only their first win is noted here. Drivers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

Oldest Drivers' Champion

Drivers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

Consecutive Drivers' Championships

A total of 11 drivers have achieved consecutive wins in the World Drivers' Championship. Of those, only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have won two sets of consecutive Formula One Drivers' Championships. Drivers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

Drivers' Champions for constructors that did not win the Constructors' Championship in that year

Drivers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

By chassis constructor

Constructors in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

By engine manufacturer

Engine manufacturers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship.

By tyres used

Tyre manufacturers in bold have competed in the 2025 World Championship. Numbers in parentheses indicate championships won as the sole tyre supplier.

References

External links

*
FIA official website
{{Formula One World Drivers' Champions

World Champions A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

World Champions Drivers

Formula One World Drivers' Champions

By season

By driver

By driver nationality

Records

Youngest Drivers' Champion

Oldest Drivers' Champion

Consecutive Drivers' Championships

Drivers' Champions for constructors that did not win the Constructors' Championship in that year

By chassis constructor

By engine manufacturer

By tyres used

See also

References

External links