There have been some truly amazing drivers in Formula One history who never managed to win a championship. Some of them came close, but ultimately fell just short. Others had their careers cut short by injury or other unfortunate circumstances. In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the best drivers who never won an F1 championship.
When you think of the greatest drivers in Formula One history, names like Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost come to mind. But there are others as well – many of whom are virtually unknown outside of their home countries or even within them for that matter. These include such names as Carlos Reutemann, Gilles Villeneuve and Ronnie Peterson. One factor which has contributed to the lack of recognition given to these drivers is because they never won an F! championship during their careers (although some came very close).
#1. Gilles Villeneuve
The first driver on this list is Gilles Villeneuve. He was an exceptional talent and fan favourite, but he never won a championship. Unfortunately, his career was cut short after being killed in a tragic accident at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982. If he had lived longer than just 26 years old, it’s likely he would have won more than one championship.
He is considered to be one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history, but he only managed to win six races during his career and never won a world championship. This was mainly due to the fact that he drove for uncompetitive teams such as Ferrari and McLaren who were not able to give him a car which was fast enough to challenge for race wins or championships. Gilles Villeneuve is also remembered for being one of the most spectacular drivers on the grid, often crashing out while battling for position near the front of the pack.
#2. Stirling Moss
The next driver is Stirling Moss, who was considered to be the greatest British racing driver of all time by many people. He never won a championship, but he did come close in 1958 when he finished second to Mike Hawthorn by just one point. Unfortunately for him though, his career ended when he suffered a serious injury in 1962.
#3. Ronnie Peterson
He finished second place in the drivers’ standings three times and third on four occasions, but he never managed to win a title despite being fast enough to do so (he had 103 podium finishes). He lost out because he was driving for inferior teams or cars which were not reliable enough to last an entire race distance without breaking down. Peterson was just 34 years old when he died following complications from a crash at Monza in 1978 where his car caught fire after hitting another one head-on during practice for the Italian Grand Prix that year.
#4. Carlos Reutemann
His career as a racing driver was cut short when he suffered an injury during practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1982. He was only 32 years old at the time and had just won his first world championship that year – becoming Argentina’s second champion after Juan Manuel Fangio (who also never won another title). Reutemann finished third on four occasions but never managed to win it all despite being considered one of F!’s best drivers during his era.
#5. Alan Jones
He is perhaps most famous for winning Australia’s first world championship in 1980, but he could have added more titles if not for some bad luck with reliability issues throughout much of his career. Alan Jones started out as a Formula Atlantic driver and won two championships before moving up to Formula One where he was given an underpowered Surtees TS16 by Frank Williams Racing Cars. He finished second place in the drivers’ standings three times but never managed to win it all despite being considered one of F!’s best drivers during his era.
#6. Jack Brabham
The third Australian on this list, Jack Brabham is perhaps most famous for winning Australia’s first world championship in 1960. However, he could have added more titles if not for some bad luck with reliability issues throughout much of his career as a racing driver which meant that he often retired from races while leading them due to mechanical problems or other factors beyond his control such as accidents.
#7. Gerhard Berger
The fourth Austrian driver on this list, Gerhard Berger started his F! career driving for Benetton in 1984. He then moved to Ferrari in 1990 and stayed there for six seasons, winning ten races – including the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix twice. Berger retired from Formula One at the end of 1997 and was considered one of the most consistent drivers on the grid during his time as a professional racer.
#8. Didier Pironi
He is perhaps best remembered for being involved in a controversial incident with Gilles Villeneuve while they were both driving for Ferrari during the 1982 season. This led to Pironi becoming somewhat of a hated figure within the F! community, but he was still considered to be one of the quickest drivers on the grid. Unfortunately, an accident during practice for the German Grand Prix that year caused him to retire from the sport at the age of 33.
#9. Nigel Mansell
He is considered to be one of the greatest British drivers in Formula One history, but he only managed to win 31 races and never won a world championship. This was mainly due to the fact that he drove for uncompetitive teams such as Ferrari and Williams who were not able to give him a car which was fast enough to challenge for race wins or championships. Nigel Mansell is also remembered for being one of the most aggressive drivers on the grid, often crashing out while battling for position near the front of the pack.
#10. Rubens Barrichello
The fourth Brazilian driver on this list, Rubens Barrichello started his Formula One career driving for Jordan in 1993. He then moved to Ferrari in 2000 and stayed there for eleven seasons, winning 11 races – including the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix twice. Barrichello retired from Formula One at the end of 2011 and was considered one of the most consistent drivers on the grid during his time as a professional racer.
#11. Jacky Ickx
The sixth Belgian driver on this list, Jacky Ickx started his Formula One career driving for Brabham in 1966. He then moved to Ferrari in 1973 and stayed there for six seasons, winning twelve races – including the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix twice. Ickx retired from Formula One at the end of 1980 and was considered one of the most versatile drivers on the grid during his time as a professional racer.
#12. Mark Webber
The twelfth and final driver on this list, Mark Webber started his Formula One career driving for Jaguar in 2002. He then moved to Williams in 2005 and stayed there for two seasons, winning three races. Webber then moved to Red Bull in 2007 and stayed there for seven seasons, winning nine races – including the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix twice. Webber retired from Formula One at the end of 2013 and was considered one of the most consistent drivers on the grid during his time as a professional racer.