Most F1 World Championships: What Driver Has Won The Most?

• Years Won: 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
• Nationality: British

There are few racers in the modern age who have done more to grow the sport of F1 than the great Lewis Hamilton. He claimed his first title in 2008 with McLaren before moving to Mercedes in 2012. After that, winning came often. Hamilton holds the record for most driver championships of all current F1 racers, meaning that he could push the tie with Michael Schumacher one day.

• Years Won: 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
• Nationality: German

As of today, no driver in Formula 1 history has won more than seven Championships, and Michael Schumacher was the first. He finished his career with 91 total race wins, 155 podium finishes, and 1,566 career points. Schumacher first retired with Ferrari in 2009 before returning with Mercedes in 2010. Once he retired in 2012 however, one time World Champion Lewis Hamilton took over.

• Years Won: 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957
• Nationality: Argentinian

Before Argentina had Maradona and Messi, they had Juan Manuel Fangio. Not only was he one of Argentina's first great sporting legends, he was the first great F1 racer. In Formula 1's first eight years as a league, Fangio won five of those Drivers Championships. He was so popular at the time of his racing days that during an event in Cuba he was kidnapped by two of Fidel Castros men. After more than 24 hours in capture Fangio told reporters "If what the rebels did was in a good cause, then I, as an Argentine, accept it." Fangio truly exemplified what it meant to be a champion on and off the track.

• Years Won: 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993
• Nationality: French

The mid-1980's to mid-1990's in Formula 1 can be defined by two men: Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. The two were teammates at McLaren and Ferrari while simultaneously being the best two drivers in the world. Prost will always be overlooked because of the pure magnitude that the name 'Senna' illicits, but that will never take away the fact that Prost is one of the best to ever drive.

• Years Won: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
• Nationality: German

Before Lewis Hamilton truly made his ascent to the top of the drivers list, he was constantly losing to Sebastian Vettel. He claimed his first victory in 2010 on the very last race day after a hotly contested season between Mark Webber. That win made him the youngest F1 driver to ever win a championship at only 23 years old. Amazingly, Vettel would go on to win the next three Championships, cementing himself with one of the greatest four year stretches of driving ever.

Vettel announced his retirement amidst the 2022 F1 season and is no longer racing.

• Years Won: 1959, 1960, 1966
• Nationality: Australian

Jack Brabham is a rare figure in F1 thats name has transcended the actual person. The Aussie was passionate about racing and moved to the UK in 1955 by himself, and by 1956 was racing in F1. After winning with team Cooper he felt that there was more potential elsewhere and launched Brabham racing in 1960. That same year, he won his second world championship. Team Brabham has won four Championships total with the most recent in 1983 under driver Nelson Piquet.

• Years Won: 1959, 1960, 1966
• Nationality: Scottish

Jackie Stewart, also known as the "Flying Scout" won three drivers championships across 1959-1966. He actively raced in Formula 1 from 1965 to 1973. Along with his three championships, Stewart finished runner-up twice, making him just mere points from being third on this list. Of his 99 starts, Stewart had 27 wins, 43 podium finishes, and 360 career points. Stewart even took a shot at the Indianapolis-500 in 1966 and was runner-up. He finished his career in F1 as a team principal for Stewart Grand Prix from 1997 to 1999.

• Years Won: 1975, 1977, 1984
• Nationality: Austrian

Niki Lauda is another Formula 1 driver who's name truly transcended the sport of racing. He won three drivers championships throughout the 70's and 80's alongside fierce rival and teammate James Hunt. Lauda was seen as a perfectionist and was hell-bent on being the best driver ever. A harrowing moment in his career came in 1976 at the German Grand Prixm where he crashed his Ferrari and it burst into flames, causing him to inhale toxic fumes and nearly die. He returned just six weeks later to the race track.

• Years Won: 1981, 1983, 1987
• Nationality: Brazilian

Nelson Piquet was a Brazilian driver who won three F1 world championships throughout the 1980's. He had a fierce rivalry towards the end of his career with countrymen Ayrton Senna which saw the sport of F1 grow. Piquet raced under teams Ensign, McLaren, Brabham, Williams, Lotus, and Benetton. Across his 204 starts Piquet has 23 wins, 60 podium finishes, and 485 total career points.

• Years Won: 1988, 1990, 1991
• Nationality: Brazilian

There is no figure as important to the world of Formula 1 than Ayrton Senna. Arguably the greatest driver of all time, Senna influenced a multitude of generations after his dominating run. He began his F1 career in 1984 and by 1988 was winning driver championships.

At the time he held the record for 65 pole positions across his 161 starts. Tragically, in 1994 Ayrton Senna would run a straight line off the track and hit a concrete wall. A medical team would get to Senna within two minutes but it proved to be too late, and he passed away in the hospital later that night.

The government of Brazil declared three days of national mourning after Senna's passing and an estimated three million people gathered in São Paulo to offer their condolences.