British F1 Drivers
Credit: independent.co.uk
With 20 World Titles, more than 11,000 points, and 165 drivers, the United Kingdom needs no introduction. The first British Grand Prix took place in 1926, so the country had almost a century at its disposal to build its legacy.
Today, we will discuss UK’s best F1 drivers and see where the country stands today in terms of performance and prospects. Let’s go!
British Driver Performance Overview in F1
Before we look at some of UK’s finest, let’s assess the country’s overall performance in the Formula 1 sphere. A little spoiler: it doesn’t get any better than this.
| Drivers | 165 |
|---|---|
| Grands Prix | 1089 |
| Best Season Finish | 1 st (20 times, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1992, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) |
| Wins | 308 |
| Podiums | 752 |
| Pole Positions | 292 |
| Fastest Laps | 265 |
| Points | 11,246.78 |
| First Entry | 1950 British Grand Prix |
| First Win | 1953 French Grand Prix |
| Latest Win | 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix |
| Latest Entry | 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix |
| 2024 Drivers | Oliver Bearman Lewis Hamilton Lando Norris George Russell |
The stats not only paint the UK as the most prolific F1 country in the world but one that’s unlikely to renounce the crown anytime soon as well.
The UK already has four formidable competitors for 2024, and if we accept that history repeats itself, we should be expecting great things to come.
Today, the UK ranks as the best country in the world in the F1 ecosystem with the highest number of drivers, the most points, the most Grand Prix wins, and the most World Championship titles.
So, now we’re going to look at the drivers themselves who turned all these milestones into reality.
Top 10 Most Successful and Influential Italian Drivers
UK prides itself with 165 F1 drivers, which is a record on its own. However, today we will look at the 10 most influential ones in the country’s history and see how their careers have defined the F1 sport as a whole.
| Drivers | Active Years | Entries | Wins | Podiums | Career Points | Poles | Fastest Laps | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Hamilton | 2007-ongoing | 334 (334 starts) | 103 | 197 | 4647.5 | 104 | 65 | 7 (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) |
| Nigel Mansel | 1980-1995 | 192 (187 starts) | 31 | 59 | 480 | 32 | 30 | 1 (1992) |
| Jackie Stewart | 1965-1973 | 100 (99 starts) | 27 | 43 | 359 | 17 | 15 | 3 (1969, 1971, 1973) |
| Jim Clark | 1960-1968 | 73 (72 starts) | 25 | 32 | 255 | 33 | 28 | 2 (1963, 1965) |
| Damon Hill | 1992-1999 | 122 (115 starts) | 22 | 42 | 360 | 20 | 19 | - |
| Stirling Moss | 1951-1961 | 67 (66 starts) | 16 | 24 | 185 9⁄14 | 16 | 19 | - |
| Jenson Button | 2000-2017 | 309 (306 starts) | 15 | 50 | 1235 | 8 | 8 | - |
| Graham Hill | 1958-1975 | 179 (176 starts) | 14 | 36 | 270 | 13 | 10 | - |
| David Coulthard | 1994-2008 | 247 (246 starts) | 13 | 62 | 535 | 12 | 18 | - |
| James Hunt | 1973-1979 | 93 (92 starts) | 10 | 23 | 179 | 14 | 8 | - |
These stats are nothing if not impressive. While Lewis Hamilton leads the pack by a wide margin, the rest of the drivers pack impressive pedigrees as well. These include the prolific Nigel Mansel, with a 15-year-long career and 31 wins, the triple-champion Jackie Stewart, and Jenson Button, with almost as many entries as Hamilton.
We have also chosen 10 of the best UK drivers, but this list can in no way paint the whole picture. With a pool of 165 drivers with historical achievements, the UK leads the F1 race by far.
But how is UK looking in 2024? Let’s have a look!
How Many British Drivers Are Now on the Grid?
The UK has no less than four drivers for the 2024 roster, starting with Lewis Hamilton, which should come as no surprise, including a replacement. The two mains, aside from Hamilton, are George Russell and Lando Norris, with Oliver Bearman as a replacement.
But let’s take them one at a time.
Lewis Hamilton
Credit: news.sky.com
Lewis Hamilton needs no introduction. He is a living legend of British motorsports and an icon in the F1 sphere. With 334 start entries, 103 wins, and 4,647.5 points, Hamilton reigns as the crowned king of the F1 circuit. Not only that, but he’s still active and going as strong as ever.
His F1 career started in 2007, after several years of amateur and professional motorsport activity. He started in karting in 1993 and then continued with Formula Renault, Formula 3, and GP2 in 2006, where he won the GP2 championship at the first try.
But it was in Formula 1 that Hamilton’s potential was unleashed in its full glory. The British legend broke records in most areas, including:
-
The first and the only black driver (as of 2023) to race in the F1 series
-
The most consecutive podium finishes from debut (9)
-
The most joint wins in a debut season (4)
-
The most points in a debut season (109)
-
Most races with a single constructor
-
Most podium finishes at the United States Grand Prix
-
Most consecutive seasons with at least one podium finish
-
The youngest driver to win the championship (23 years and 301 days), a record which he held until 2010 when he lost it to Sebastian Vettel
Lewis Hamilton’s driving profile recommends him as a complete driver with no weaknesses and outstanding strengths. He is considered an aggressive driver who never takes unnecessary risks, never loses control, and has a deep understanding of his car’s limits.
There’s no doubt that Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest in the sport, and at 39 years old, he’s still going as strong as ever.
Lando Norris
Credit: talksport.com
Lando Norris is among the youngest British drivers (24 years old), but one with great achievements and an even greater future prospect. He’s got no championship wins so far, but he prides himself on 106 start entries, 13 podiums, 645 points, and multiple awards between 2016 and 2023.
He also got the 6th position in 2023 with 205 points, an achievement which he plans to build upon in 2024.
Lando Norris is a prodigy, having won his first pole position at age 7 in his first national karting event. Everything went smoothly from that point on. He won the CIK-FIA European Championship, in 2013, the CIK-FIA World Championship in 2014, and signed with Carlin Motorsports in 2015.
His fiery debut was quickly followed by an equally exhilarating career, with the obligatory ups and downs along the way.
What’s important is that Lando Norris started the 2024 season with a brand-new multi-year contract with McLaren. This alone is a validation of Norris’s aptitudes and potential. Only time will tell how this move will impact his career moving forward.
George Russell
Credit: thesun.co.uk
George Russell is another bright addition to the UK’s 2024 roster with an impressive profile and commendable achievements. Russell started his career in karting at the age of seven, in 2006, and by 2009, he was already an MSA and Open British champion.
He went on to collect several awards in karting until 2013, when he eventually quit and moved into Formula Renault 2.0. Several podiums later, in 2014, he switched to Formula 4, then Formula 3 in 2015, GPT3 series in 2017, and FIA Formula 2 in 2018.
Russell’s first taste of a Formula 1 experience came in 2015 when he got the opportunity to test a McLaren MP4-26 at the Silverstone Circuit. His official rookie season unfolded between 2019 and 2021, after which Russell signed his multi-year contract with Williams in October of 2018.
Up and Coming British Drivers
Credit: ferrari.com
Oliver James Bearman is a young prospect who found his way onto UK’s 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix roster. The young phenom joined his first Formula 1 event in October 2023, during a private session on a Ferrari.
This achievement was the culmination of Bearman’s 13 years of experience in karting, Formula 3, and Formula 2. His free practice debut took place shortly after, at the Mexico City Grand Prix, as part of the Haas F1 Team. Bearman finished 15th in that event but managed to impress Haas.
A strike of luck brought Bearman as a reserve driver for Ferrari on the 27th of January, 2024. The same type of luck put him as a replacement for Carlos Sainz Jr. in the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after the former was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to drop off the roster.
This allowed Bearman to make his mark, as he finished 7th, impressed Lewis Hamilton, and became the youngest driver to score any points during his debut.
How Many British Drivers Have Won Championships?
The UK has 10 Championship winners on its roster, which is a memorable feat of its own:
| Name | Championship Year | Number of Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Hawthorn | 1958 | 1 |
| Graham Hill | 1962 & 1968 | 2 |
| Jim Clark | 1963 & 1965 | 2 |
| John Surtees | 1964 | 1 |
| Jackie Stewart | 1969, 1971 & 1973 | 3 |
| James Hunt | 1976 | 1 |
| Nigel Mansell | 1992 | 1 |
| Damon Hill | 1996 | 1 |
| Jenson Button | 2009 | 1 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 | 7 |
While Lewis Hamilton is at the front of the pack with a considerable lead, the UK has some of the most prolific F1 drivers in the world. No other country comes close to the UK’s number of champions and historical achievements in the motorsport space.