Top 10 F1 drivers with most championships

There are 34 world champions across F1’s illustrious 75-year history.

Winning the F1 world championship is seen as the peak of any motorsport’s drivers career - and one that so few have managed to achieve.

Only 17 drivers have won multiple world titles in F1 - but which driver has the most?

Michael Schumacher - 7 

Michael Schumacher became F1’s first seven-time world champion following his dominant 2004 campaign with Ferrari.

The German dominated the sport with the Italian manufacturer in the early 2000s, setting many records that many thought could never be beaten in F1. 

Schumacher’s F1 career started in 1991, with Eddie Jordan handing him his grand prix debut for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. While his first race in F1 ended prematurely, Schumacher’s talent was immediately apparent as Flavio Briatore snapped him up at Benetton.

Schumacher won his first F1 title with Benetton in 1994, defeating Damon Hill by just one point after a dramatic finale. He added a second title to his CV in 1995, again beating Hill, his nearest rival at Williams.

Schumacher’s move to Ferrari initially didn’t yield title success, but it was clear he was the class of the field.

Schumacher pushed Jacques Villeneuve in weaker machinery for the 1997 title but lost out in a controversial finale. Similarly, his rivalry with Mika Hakkinen at the end of the 1990s remains iconic, but the McLaren driver came out on top, ultimately.

Schumacher eventually won his first title with Ferrari in 2000, culminating in four more titles as they proved to be an unstoppable combination. Schumacher’s final year with the team in 2006 nearly resulted in an astonishing eighth title, but he narrowly lost out to Renault’s Fernando Alonso. 

Lewis Hamilton - 7

Lewis Hamilton matched Michael Schumacher’s record of seven F1 world championships at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix.

Parachuted into F1 as a rookie with McLaren, Hamilton starred in his rookie year alongside two-time world champion Alonso. However, Hamilton cruelly missed out on the title in his first season in F1 due to a strategy blunder by McLaren, which saw them keep their driver out on heavily worn tyres.

Hamilton would make amends in 2008, though, beating Felipe Massa in a dramatic finale to become the first British F1 world champion since Damon Hill in 1996. Hamilton grew frustrated at McLaren as he took the bold decision to move to Mercedes.

It was an inspired switch to Mercedes ahead of the new engine rules in 2014. Hamilton would win six of the next seven world championships in F1, only missing out in 2016 to teammate Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton looked set to beat Schumacher’s record of world titles in 2021, leading the final race in Abu Dhabi to beat Max Verstappen to the title. However, FIA race director Michael Masi failed to correctly apply the Safety Car rules, giving Verstappen an open goal to take his maiden F1 title with Red Bull.

After three forgettable years at Mercedes, Hamilton decided to make the shock switch to Ferrari in 2025 as he looks to end his career with a record-breaking eighth title. 

Juan Manuel Fangio - 5

Juan Manuel Fangio defined F1 in the 1950s as he dominated the sport during its first decade.

The Argentine won five titles during his F1 career (1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957). His record of five world championships stood for 46 years until it was beaten by Schumacher in 2003. After missing out on the inaugural title by just three points to Guiseppe Farina, Fangio won the 1951 titles, taking victories in Switzerland, France, and Spain, helping him beat Alberto Ascari to the title.

Fangio missed the 1952 campaign after being injured in an accident at Monza before returning for the following year, finishing runner-up to Ascari. He would dominate in 1954, including a mid-season switch to Mercedes, winning four more races.

Another three titles followed, one with Mercedes before they withdrew from motorsport following the Le Mans disaster. He would win with Ferrari in 1956, having replaced arch-rival Ascari.

His final - and fifth title - came in 1957 with Maserati. Fangio remains one of the sport’s most successful drivers and holds the highest pole percentage at 55.7% - 29 pole positions in 52 races.

Alain Prost - 4

Nicknamed 'The Professor', Alain Prost is one of three four-time F1 world champions.

Prost enjoyed most of his success in the 1980s before winning his fourth title in his final year in F1 with Williams. The Frenchman finished runner-up twice in 1983 and 1984 before taking his first title in 1985. Prost won back-to-back titles in '86, beating Nigel Mansell by just two points.

Ayrton Senna's arrival in 1988 signified the start of a legendary F1 rivalry. Senna came out on top in '88, but Prost hit back in '89. The 1989 season ended in incredibly controversial circumstances after an incident between Prost and Senna at the final chicane.

The pair's contact forced Prost out of the race, but Senna could continue after receiving assistance from the nearby marshalls. As a result, Senna was disqualified from the race, handing Prost the title.

Due to the intense rivalry between the pair, Prost left McLaren to join Ferrari. The title fight went down to the wire once against at Suzuka - and another incident occurred. Both drivers crashed out of the race on the opening lap on the rundown to Turn 1, giving Senna the title.

After a winless 1991 campaign with Ferrari, Prost sat out of '92 before returning for one final year with Williams. In the dominant FW15C, Prost won seven of the opening 10 races as he went on to win his fourth world championship.

Sebastian Vettel - 4

Sebastian Vettel dominated F1 in the early 2010s with Red Bull. After impressive, one-off showings with BMW, Vettel was handed his full-time F1 debut with Toro Rosso - Red Bull's junior team - for 2008.

Vettel would out-score both Red Bull drivers and take Toro Rosso's first F1 race victory at Monza. It meant that Red Bull's junior team had managed to win a race before the main team.

Unsurprisingly, Vettel was handed a promotion to Red Bull in 2009. Under the technical leadership of Adrian Newey, Red Bull became consistent frontrunners, with Vettel finishing second behind Brawn GP's Jenson Button.

Despite not leading the championship at any point during the 2010 season, Vettel's win at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix meant he became the youngest F1 world champion in the sport's history.

He followed it up with another title in 2011, with his record of 15 pole positions still standing today. 2012 was incredibly close, but again, he narrowly beat Alonso to the title in a dramatic Brazil finale.

He then won his fourth title in 2013, winning nine consecutive races to end the campaign. That record would not be beaten until Verstappen won 10 in a row during 2023. 

For Vettel, his move to Ferrari didn't result in his childhood dream of replicating Schumacher by winning with the Scuderia. He would push Hamilton hard in 2017 and 2018 before coming off second best. 

Max Verstappen - 4

Max Verstappen dominated F1 in the early 2020s, winning four consecutive drivers' titles. His talent and ability have been clear from the start, as he made his debut at just 18 in 2015 with Toro Rosso.

Verstappen was propelled into Red Bull after just over one year in F1. Christian Horner and Helmut Marko's decision to fast-track him into Red Bull alongside Daniel Ricciardo was immediately rewarded as he won his debut for the team at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

Amid Mercedes' dominance, Verstappen would have to bide his time before getting a crack at challenging Hamilton. Verstappen slowly became more consistent and a constant threat.

By 2021, he was more than a match for Hamilton as the pair were embroiled in arguably the greatest title fight in F1 history. Verstappen arguably out-performed Hamilton during their title fight - but the mishandling of the season finale in Abu Dhabi marred it.

Verstappen would become a two-time world champion in 2022, seeing off Ferrari's resurgence in the hands of Charles Leclerc. 2023 is the most dominant season in F1 history as Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races.

His most recent title was arguably his most impressive though. After winning seven of the opening 10 races, Verstappen could only win two of the subsequent 14 amid Red Bull's decline in performance. Still, Verstappen's brilliance got him over the line despite McLaren's superior car performance. 

Jack Brabham - 3

Jack Brabham remains the only F1 grand prix driver to win a drivers' championship in a car bearing his name - a feat that is unlikely to be repeated.

A pioneer in the sport in the 1950s, Brabham would win his first F1 title with Cooper in 1959. Going into the season finale, Brabham was one of three drivers that could clinch their first F1 world championship.

While Brabham ran out of fuel, he pushed his car over the line to secure the title. 1960 was more straightforward for the Australian as four consecutive victories handed him back-to-back titles.

After that success, Brabham left Cooper to set up his own team with fellow Australian Ron Tauranac as designer. The first Brabham F1 car appeared in late 1962, taking its first win with Dan Gurney two years later.

Four consecutive victories in 1966 handed him his third title at Monza, even though he failed to finish the race. It meant that Brabham was the only driver to win a title in a car carrying his name. 

Jackie Stewart - 3

Jackie Stewart is the second-most successful British F1 driver behind Lewis Hamilton. Stewart immediately made a mark in F1, finishing on the podium five times and clinched his maiden victory in Italy that year.

He would have to wait until 1968 to return to title contention, finishing runner-up to Graham Hill in the championship. Six race wins handed him the 1969 title, and he dominated with Matra-Ford, finishing 26 points ahead of Jacky Ickx.

While his switch to March didn't prove successful immediately, in 1971, he claimed another title with six race victories. He finished runner-up to Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972, before winning a third title in his final year in the sport in '73.

Since retiring from F1, Stewart has played an integral role in campaigning for improved safety standards. 

Niki Lauda - 3

Niki Lauda’s F1 career is remarkable, from winning his first title to his incredible comeback following his near-death accident in 1976.

Lauda made his mark in 1975, winning five races to take his first title. He led the 1976 championship as he fought James Hunt for the top prize in F1.

The Austrian was injured at the Nurburgring during the German Grand Prix, suffering severe burns and other life-changing injuries. He would remarkably make his comeback just six weeks later, ultimately losing out on the title to Hunt by just one point.

Lauda hit back in 1977, taking his second title, before leaving Ferrari to join Brabham. Two underwhelming campaigns after that saw him walk away from F1 to focus on his airline business.

He would return in 1982 after two years out, winning several races on a return. 1983 proved to be unless. However, in 1984, he teamed up with Alain Prost, taking his third title by just half a point.

Lauda would ultimately retire from F1 as a driver at the end of the 1985 season. 

Nelson Piquet - 3

Nelson Piquet is a three-time F1 world champion, winning the 1981, 1983 and 1987 titles.

The Brazilian competed in his first full season in 1979 with Brabham alongside Niki Lauda. Piquet finished runner-up to Alan Jones in 1980 before winning his first title one year later.

After a disappointing 1982 campaign, Piquet claimed the title in 1983, beating Alain Prost in the finale after the Frenchman was forced to retire due to reliability issues. Two more years at Brabham resulted in a handful of race victories but never close to a third title.

A switch to Williams proved crucial in 198,6 as he finished just three points off eventual champion Prost in third. In 1987,  Piquet secured his third and final F1 title ahead of Williams teammate Nigel Mansell in what was an intense teammate relationship.

His switch to Lotus in 1988 meant his career was on a steady decline before retiring at the end of 1991, with his final F1 victory coming at the Canadian GP.