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F1 drivers with most race wins (Photograph: Instagram)
Formula 1 is the pinnacle of Motorsport and the richest car racing championship in the world. Every driver dreams of racing in Formula 1 because of its highly competitive nature and fastest cars. But, only a few get lucky and get a chance to race in F1, operating the world's fastest race cars.
The championship also draws interest from big automobile giants to invest their money and develop the world's fastest cars with the latest technology and gadgets. In this tough competition, only a few F1 drivers have mastered the art of racing by winning the most Grand Prix races and becoming legends of the sport.
Some F1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Max Verstappen have already become legends by winning the most number of races in F1 till now. Let us check the complete list of F1 drivers who won the most number of Grand Prix in F1 history.
Here are the F1 drivers with the most race wins (Updated List)
No |
F1 Driver |
wins |
1. | Lewis Hamilton | 105 |
2. | Michael Schumacher | 91 |
3. | Max Verstappen | 63 |
4. | Sebastian Vettel | 53 |
5. | Alain Prost | 51 |
6. | Ayrton Senna | 41 |
7. | Fernando Alonso | 32 |
8. | Nigel Mansell | 31 |
9. | Jackie Stewart | 27 |
10. | Jim Clark | 25 |
The F1 driver who has won most number of Grand Prix in history is the 7-time world champion and Legend Lewis Hamilton. He till now has won 105 races in F1 beating Michael Schumacher's record of 91 wins. Hamilton is still racing in Formula 1 and in the 2025 season, he will drive for Ferrari.
The only active driver who can challenge Lewis is the reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, who is currently third with 63 race wins. Hamilton last won the race in 2024 at the Belgium Grand Prix and Max Verstappen’s recent win was the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. The two will again face off this year at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix on March 16th.
F1 Drivers with most Grand Prix wins by Decade
Year |
F1 driver and titles |
wins |
1950- 1960 | Juan Manuel Fangio - 5 titles | 24 wins |
1960- 1970 | Jim Clark - 2 titles | 25 wins |
1970- 1980 | Nelson Piquet - 3 titles | 23 wins |
1980- 1990 | Alain Prost - 4 titles | 28 wins |
1990- 2000 | Michael Schumacher - 3 titles | 41 wins |
2000- 2010 | Michael Schumacher - 4 titles | 21 wins |
2010- 2020 | Lewis Hamilton - 6 titles | 95 wins |
2020- current | Max Verstappen - 4 titles | 54 wins |
No F1 driver can be claimed as the greatest of all time because each era was very different. In old times, regulations and safety rules were not followed like today. For example, the current 2025 grid F1 drivers can’t race under 1950’s regulations and racing conditions.
F1, during the old era, was very dangerous as people would often lose their lives. Coming out alive after a race crash is the biggest challenge back then. Over the years, F1 has evolved, and now it is one of the safest racing competitions in the world. Until 2010 driver's skills were the most valued in F1 and teams rely on both drivers and machines. So, we can't compare Michael Schumacher’s era of racing with Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton’s era.
After the 2013 season, it completely changed to cars and technology. The teams who can spend more money and develop the best car with all the latest features won the race and championships. To balance the competition F1 introduced a cost cap for each team.
2025 F1 season drivers with the most race wins
Position |
Team |
F1 driver |
wins |
1. | Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton | 105 |
2. | Red Bull | Max Verstappen | 63 |
3. | Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | 32 |
4. | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 8 |
5. | Williams Racing | Carlos Sainz | 4 |
6. | McLaren | Lando Norris | 4 |
7. | Mercedes | George Russell | 3 |
8. |
McLaren |
Oscar Piastri |
2 |
9. | Alpine | Pierre Gasly | 1 |
10. | Haas F1 | Esteban Ocon | 1 |
The only three active drivers with the most wins are Lewis Hamilton, Max verstappen and Fernando Alonso. All three drivers are the biggest rivals, and Verstappen is the one who ended Lewis and Mercedes's reign in F1 by becoming the world champion in 2021. The Dutch driver is the only one who can beat Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton in the most number of race wins.
Most races won in a single season in F1 History
Position |
F1 Season |
Driver |
Team |
Wins/ total races |
Winning Percentage |
1. | 2023 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 19/22 races | 95.1% |
2. | 2022 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 15/22 races | 68.1% |
3. | 2004 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 13/18 races | 72.22% |
4. | 2013 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 13/19 races | 68.42% |
5. | 2020 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 11/17 races | 64.71% |
Max Verstappen has the record for the most number of wins in a single season with 19 wins during the 2023 F1 season. He beat his own record, which he set in 2022 by beating Schumacher’s 13 wins in the 2004 season.
Factors that contribute to Success in Formula 1
- Skills- The most important factor in Formula 1 to achieve success is actually pure racing talent. Teams expect you to bring points even in a lean machine, so you should rely on your overtaking skills and racing technique.
- Team- The team is the next important thing to be successful. Some teams don't have the proper resources and always put pressure on drivers to bring points for them. They don't even update their machines for each race. Team culture also plays an important role and if a driver feels the team is his family then their bond will grow more and more, which helps them succeed in races.
- Resources- A driver should be driving for a team willing to spend more money on the machine and technology to improve its performance. The team with the most number of innovation, aerodynamic designs, engine power and technology will have the upper hand in Formula 1.
- Strategy and Luck- Sometimes Strategy and luck also play an important role in changing a driver's career like Max Verstappen’s race in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It changed the world upside down for Max and Red Bull. It also changed the momentum for Lewis and Mercedes, who were on a winning streak until then.
Also Read: Most Expensive F1 Cars Sold at Auction
FAQ's
1. Who has the most wins in F1 history?
The 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has the most wins in F1. He has won a record-breaking 105 Grand prix in his career till now. Most of his race wins came when racing for the Mercedes F1 team.
2. Which current driver has the highest winning percentage?
Max Verstappen has the highest winning percentage in the current 2025 F1 grid. The Red Bull driver won 19 out of the 22 races during the 2023 Formula 1 season. His winning percentage in that season was 95.1%.
3. Who was the youngest F1 race winner?
Max Verstappen was the youngest F1 race winner. He won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix when he was 18 years and 228 days old.
4. Can anyone break Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton's F1 records?
Of course, yes. They were meant to be broken, and so were Schumacher's and Hamilton's F1 records. It takes some time, but they will definitely be broken someday.