Top 5 Modern F1 Drivers

Racing is all about being the fastest. In Formula 1 racing, speed is taken to the next level, and drivers must have skill and reflexes, unlike any other sport, with cars reaching top speeds of around 230+ mph. F1 cars can go from 0-60 in a mere 2.6 seconds, meaning a lot of composure and control is needed to maintain stability.

There are a lot of spectacular F1 drivers, so we found the top 5 modern F1 drivers, including when they began racing, how many victories they’ve achieved and how many records they’ve set, if any.

#5 – Alain Prost, 51 wins

Overall, Alain Prost comes in 5th place when mentioned in the breath of top modern F1 drivers. With his first race in the 1980 Argentina Grand Prix, it’d only take Prost 5 years before achieving his very first world championship in 1985. Then, he’d win it back-to-back in 1986 before adding two more World Championship tallies to his name in 1989 and 1993.

After 199 total races, Prost would boast 51 wins, more than 25% of all his races, with 768.5 career points and 33 pole positions. When it comes to top racers to ever grasp the F1 wheel, Prost deserves a spot among the top 5, especially considering he was France’s first World Champion in 1985.

#4 – Sebastian Vettel, 53 wins

Beating Prost’s record by just 2 wins, Sebastian Vettel takes the #4 best F1 driver spot, and for obvious reasons. His first race was the 2007 United States Grand Prix, where it’d only take three more years before winning 4 World Champions in a row from 2010 to 2013. Over those 3 years alone, Vettel would take 9 podiums through 5 wins, in addition to his impeccable 4-years in a row of winning the Championship.

Over 300 races, Sebastian Vettel would take 53 wins with 3,098 career points and 57 pole positions. He set the record for most podium finishes in a season, most wins in a season, most pole positions in a season, most laps led in a season, most consecutive wins, most consecutive grand slams and most wins from pole positions in a season making him one of the greatest ever.

#3 – Max Verstappen, 63 wins

As one of the more modern racers on this list, Max Verstappen takes the #3 best F1 driver spot, with his first-ever race occurring in the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. With 63 wins in 208 of his races, (an incredible 30.2% win ratio), Verstappen, much like Vetterl, would achieve 4 consecutive World Championships in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

In addition to being the youngest-ever Grand Prix driver, Verstappen would easily break any records set in front of him during his 2023 title run. With 40 pole positions and 3,015.5 career points, Verstappen nudged 10 wins in just 32 races, 6 of which were in a row, allowing him to breeze through to F1 and earn a spot with the Red Bull F1 racing team.

#2 – Michael Schumacher, 91 wins

With his first race occurring in the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher accumulated 91 wins in 308 races, making him a clear #2 choice for best F1 racer to ever drive on the track. He has 7 World Championships under his belt, the first being in 1994, before winning again in 1995, then again in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

He’d make 68 pole positions to total 1,566 career points, allowing him to surpass any other driver on this list besides the likes of Lewis Hamilton. Most notable for Schumacher was his 2000 run, where 48 wins and five back-to-back world titles ensued, making Michael Schumacher one of the top F1 drivers the world has ever seen.

#1 – Lewis Hamilton, 105 wins

The best modern F1 driver spot goes to none other than the legendary Lewis Hamilton, the only driver to surpass 100+ wins in his career. With his first race being the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, it’d only take 1 year for Hamilton to secure his first of 7 World Championship victories in 2008, before winning 6 more in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

With 355 races under his belt, Hamilton would win 105 times, achieving 104 pole positions with 4,850.5 career points, easily setting him above all other drivers. He was the youngest world champion before Vettel took his spot and continues to battle out records with the likes of Max Verstappen. Hamilton will look to solidify his top F1 driver spot with his 8th-ever World Championship win in the future.