On the 13th of May 1950, the very first official Formula 1 race was held at the historic Silverstone. Giuseppe Farina won that race in his Alfa Romeo, and Farina and his team went on to dominate the very first F1 season, taking home the Drivers' Championship in the process.

Since then, there have been a lot of great names, including some of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, to have their name on the trophy come the season's end. Legends of sport like Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and Lewis Hamilton, and now the youngest Formula 1 champion in history, Kimi Antonelli, have joined this illustrious list to have beaten the field and have the privilege to call themselves champions.

Given that the F1 World Championship is a hot topic after the Italian's amazing season, which saw him claim glory in Mexico but no prize money for his Drivers' Championship win, we got the Supercomputer to rank every winner of the championship from worst to best.

It tested drivers against their raw driving talent and peak ability, as well as their consistency and race-winning ability. How they perform against rivals and teammates is also under consideration, along with dominance, longevity, and overall career achievements.

10 Sebastian Vettel

# of titles: 4

The German won four world championships, all with Red Bull, from 2010 to 2013, and won 53 races across 16 seasons in the sport. When he won his first title in 2010, he became the youngest championship winner in history, and went one up the next year, claiming back-to-back titles and being the youngest driver to do so.

He soon joined the legendary Ferrari team for the 2015 campaign and ran Hamilton close to some of his world titles, before joining Aston Martin, where he retired in 2022.

9 Jackie Stewart

# of titles: 3

Sir Jackie Stewart competed in the sport from 1965 until 1973, and in that time won three Formula One World Championships, all with Tyrell. At the time of his retirement, he held the record for most wins, 27, and most podium finishes, 43. 'The Flying Scotsman' also finished runner-up twice during his nine-season stint in the sport.

It isn't just his time behind the wheel he is acclaimed for, but after a heavy crash in 1966, Stewart took it upon himself to create change in the safety of F1. That was improved emergency service presence around the track and improved safety barriers everywhere. A truly long-lasting legacy.

8 Juan Manuel Fangio

# of titles: 5

Nicknamed 'el Maestro', Fangio won five Drivers' Championships during his career. He made his debut in the inaugural 1950 campaign and dominated the first decade of the sport. His record of five world titles stood for 46 years and he is the only driver to win titles with four different teams: Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes, and Ferrari. He holds the record for the highest pole percentage, 55.77%, achieving 29 poles from 52 entries.

His sheer domination in this period, even when he aged towards the end, is something that wasn't seen again in the sport for decades.

7 Fernando Alonso

# of titles: 2

The current Aston Martin driver is certainly not at his best at this moment. A shaky car, at best, has left any promise of an improved season long forgotten.

That being said, Alonso is a two-time world champion, going back-to-back with Renault in 2005 and 2006, and has raced for the biggest teams in the sport. That includes McLaren, Ferrari, and Renault. In 2024, he became the first driver to contest 400 Grand Prix races, and his amazing longevity has broken several records, making him worthy of this position on the list.

6 Jim Clark

# of titles: 2

Another Scotsman joins the top 10, and this time it is two-time champion and one of the greatest British Formula 1 drivers in history, Jim Clark. He won his titles with Lotus in 1963 and 1965, and held records for most wins and podiums at the time of his death. He took his maiden win at the 1962 Belgian Grand Prix.

It would, however, end in tragedy for Clark at the Hockenheimring in West Germany. On the 7th of April 1968, he crashed his Lotus 48 and suffered a broken neck and skull fractures, ultimately dying before reaching the hospital. There is a memorial for him at the track, a fitting tribute to one of the best to ever do it.

5 Alain Prost

# of titles: 4

'The Professor' won four Drivers' Championships during his 13-year career, which started for McLaren in 1980 before moving to Renault in 1981. His maiden title came in 1985, back at McLaren. His fourth came with Williams in 1993 before retiring at the end of that season. Prost engaged in legendary battles with Ayrton Senna, even when the pair were teammates.

He remains a big name in the sport and is still very involved to this day. He held an advisory role at Renault - later Alpine - from 2017 to 2021.

4 Ayrton Senna

# of titles: 3

The Brazilian maverick, Senna, won three world championships during his career, 1984-1994, and won 41 Grand Prix races during this time. He scored several podium finishes in his rookie season and replaced Nigel Mansell at Lotus in 1985 and then McLaren in 1988, where he won his titles and became one of the top McLaren drivers in their F1 history.

During the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Senna was killed in a crash in his Williams FW16, and his funeral was attended by over three million people. A truly iconic driver, his aggression and pure racing ability were iconic, and he captured the hearts and minds of millions during his career.

3 Max Verstappen

# of titles: 4

The Red Bull Racing legend himself, and one of the most aggressive and dominant world champions of all time. Max Verstappen is a four-time World Champion, which he won consecutively from 2021 to 2024. His meteoric rise and sheer dominance of the sport in this period is something that has seldom been seen in F1.

He has achieved 74 race wins in his time and 138 podiums. He holds the records for most wins in a season (19) and most consecutive wins (10), just to name a couple. He doesn't show any sign of letting up and will be looking to reclaim his crown next year.

2 Michael Schumacher

# of titles: 7

Schumacher competed in Formula 1 from 1991 to 2006, before a second stint from 2010 to 2012. He has won an amazing seven world championships and holds many records, such as the number of fastest laps (77). He won his maiden world title in 1994 with Benetton before moving to Ferrari in 1996. He won his unprecedented sixth and seventh world titles in 2003 and 2004, shattering the record.

He returned to the sport after a four-year hiatus in 2010 with the resurrected Mercedes, and is credited with laying the groundwork for the team's recent success.

1 Lewis Hamilton

# of titles: 7

Sir Lewis Hamilton is, arguably, the biggest name in the sport, and fans have voted him one of the most popular drivers on the grid. Having broken through to mainstream media and become a household name, even for people who don't watch the sport. He is a joint-record seven-time world champion, with McLaren and Mercedes, and holds records for most wins (106) and podium finishes (209).

He broke down barriers, becoming the first black driver to compete in Formula 1 upon his debut in 2007 and is still fighting at the top of the grid almost 20 years later, being an inspiration to several drivers he races against.