Who is the best racecar driver ever?

There isn’t a single, universally accepted “best” racecar driver ever. On pure statistics in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton has the strongest case; adjusted for era and team-hopping dominance, Juan Manuel Fangio is often historians’ pick; for raw speed and mystique, Ayrton Senna remains a touchstone; and in the current era, Max Verstappen’s sustained dominance has entered the all-time conversation. Across other disciplines, names like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson, Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier, and Tom Kristensen are frequently cited. The answer depends on what “best” means—dominance, versatility, longevity, competition strength, or cross-discipline success.

What “best” means in motorsport

Greatness in racing can be measured in many ways, from titles and wins to versatility across series, the quality of competition, and performance relative to machinery and era. Below are the main lenses experts use when debating the greatest of all time.

• Dominance and titles: How comprehensively a driver won and how many championships they secured.
• Win rate and peak seasons: Efficiency—wins and poles per start; single-season dominance.
• Versatility: Success across multiple categories (open-wheel, stock cars, rally, endurance).
• Era adjustment: Accounting for safety, reliability, and parity differences across decades.
• Team and equipment context: Performing above car/team expectation is a hallmark of greatness.
• Longevity and adaptability: Sustained performance across rule changes and generational shifts.

Taken together, these criteria help compare drivers who never faced each other, in different machines and under very different risks.

The leading candidates in Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton

A record-holder for most Grand Prix wins and pole positions, Hamilton is a seven-time F1 world champion (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017–2020). He extended his career win record with a triumphant 2024 British Grand Prix, and is the only driver to have won a race in 16 different F1 seasons. His case rests on unprecedented statistical breadth, peak dominance in the hybrid era, and remarkable longevity.

Michael Schumacher

Level with Hamilton on seven world titles, Schumacher amassed 91 wins and defined the early 2000s with Ferrari, taking five consecutive championships (2000–2004). His relentless development work, racecraft, and winning culture reshaped modern F1 operations.

Juan Manuel Fangio

Fangio won five world championships in the 1950s—across four different teams—and holds one of the highest win rates in F1 history (about 46%). He excelled amid fragile machinery, minimal safety, and fierce competition, including a legendary 1957 Nürburgring drive. Era-adjusted, many historians rate him the benchmark.

Ayrton Senna

Senna captured three world titles and set the gold standard for qualifying brilliance and wet-weather mastery, with 65 poles and 41 wins. His legacy blends statistical excellence with an aura of transcendent speed and intensity, crystallized in duels with Alain Prost.

Max Verstappen

The dominant force of the early 2020s, Verstappen has amassed multiple world titles and set modern benchmarks: a single-season win record (19 in 2023) and a record streak of consecutive victories. With more than 50 career wins already, his trajectory positions him firmly in the all-time elite.

Other F1 legends in the conversation

Jim Clark (peerless win/pole rates and a 1965 Indy 500 win), Alain Prost (four titles and cerebral consistency), Jackie Stewart (three titles and safety reform leadership), Niki Lauda (three titles and a historic comeback), and Sebastian Vettel (four straight titles) round out the inner circle.

Beyond F1: greatness across disciplines

Any all-time debate that includes the breadth of motorsport must consider champions outside Formula 1. The following names are touchstones in their domains and, in some cases, across multiple series.

• IndyCar/USAC: A.J. Foyt (seven national championships; four Indy 500 wins), Rick Mears (four Indy 500s), Scott Dixon (six-time IndyCar champion), Alex Palou (multiple-time champion), Helio Castroneves (four Indy 500s), Josef Newgarden (series titles and back-to-back Indy 500 wins in 2023–2024).
• NASCAR: Richard Petty (200 Cup wins; seven titles), Dale Earnhardt (seven titles), Jimmie Johnson (seven titles), Jeff Gordon (93 wins; four titles).
• Rally (WRC): Sébastien Loeb (nine world titles; record WRC wins), Sébastien Ogier (eight titles), both exemplars of car control and adaptability on every surface.
• Endurance/Sports cars: Tom Kristensen (record nine 24 Hours of Le Mans wins), Jacky Ickx (six Le Mans wins), plus modern multi-time winners in the World Endurance Championship era.
• Versatility icons: Mario Andretti (1978 F1 champion; 1969 Indy 500; 1967 Daytona 500; multiple Sebring wins), Dan Gurney (winners’ circle in F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, Trans-Am), and Graham Hill—the only driver to complete the unofficial Triple Crown of Motorsport (Monaco GP, Indy 500, Le Mans).

When versatility is weighted heavily, Andretti and Gurney often surge to the top, while discipline-specific debates tend to elevate the most decorated within each series.

Records and metrics that inform the debate

Big-picture statistics don’t settle everything, but they frame the argument and reveal different paths to greatness. Here are key metrics and illustrative benchmarks.

1. Championships: F1’s record is seven (Schumacher, Hamilton); WRC’s is nine (Loeb); NASCAR’s Cup Series record is seven (Petty, Earnhardt, Johnson).
2. Win rate: Fangio’s career win rate in F1 is about 46%; Jim Clark’s is roughly 35%. Verstappen set a modern single-season pace with 19 wins in 2023 (86% win rate).
3. Poles and qualifying speed: Hamilton holds the F1 record for pole positions; Senna’s 65 poles at retirement set the template for one-lap brilliance.
4. Versatility milestones: Andretti’s résumé spans open-wheel, stock cars, and endurance victories at the sport’s crown jewels.
5. Endurance crowns: Kristensen’s nine Le Mans wins remain unmatched; sustained stamina and precision over 24 hours define a different kind of greatness.
6. Era dominance: Fangio (5 titles in 7 full seasons), Schumacher (five straight with Ferrari), Hamilton (six titles in seven seasons from 2014–2020), and Verstappen (record-setting early-2020s run) each dominated their time.

No single metric captures “best,” but the pattern across these categories consistently elevates a small group of names.

Verdict

If forced to choose one cross-era name, Juan Manuel Fangio is the most defensible pick once you adjust for era, safety, car fragility, and his unique feat of winning five titles with four teams. On pure modern statistics, Lewis Hamilton’s case is unmatched. For peak, almost mystical speed, many still point to Ayrton Senna. And if Verstappen sustains his trajectory, he could ultimately own both the numbers and the aura.

Methodological caveats

Comparing drivers across eras and disciplines carries inherent limitations. The points below outline why reasonable people disagree—and why the debate remains vital.

• Discipline differences: Skills in rally, stock cars, open-wheel, and endurance are overlapping but distinct.
• Era effects: Safety, reliability, and field depth vary dramatically across decades.
• Team and equipment: Especially in F1 and NASCAR, machinery and organizational excellence heavily influence outcomes.
• Rules and scoring changes: Evolving formats and points systems distort direct comparisons.
• Data gaps and survivorship bias: Incomplete historical data and the risks of earlier eras complicate clean rankings.

These caveats don’t invalidate rankings; they underscore that “best ever” depends on the lens you choose.

Summary

There is no singular, uncontested “best racecar driver ever.” Adjusted for era, Fangio is a compelling choice; by modern metrics, Hamilton leads; for peak speed and influence, Senna endures; in the present, Verstappen is building an all-time case. Across disciplines, Andretti, Foyt, Petty, Johnson, Loeb, Ogier, and Kristensen define greatness in their domains. Ultimately, the answer depends on whether you prize dominance, versatility, longevity, or the audacity to transcend machinery and moment.

Who is considered the greatest race car driver of all time?

Perhaps the best there has ever been, Ayrton Senna is a giant of motor racing, which is why he’s our best for both the 80’s and 90’s. The brilliant Brazilian was crowned Formula One King on 3 occasions, 1988, 1990 and 1991. Racking up 41 race wins and 65 pole positions in the process.

Who is considered the best NASCAR driver ever?

Richard Petty is called “The King” for good reason. Petty has racked up most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185).

Who is considered the greatest F1 driver of all time?

The Best Formula 1 Drivers of All Time

• Lewis Hamilton.
• Juan Manuel Fangio.
• Alain Prost.
• Niki Lauda.
• Sebastian Vettel.
• Jim Clark.
• Jackie Stewart.
• Fernando Alonso.

Who is the no. 1 racer in F1?

Max Verstappen has used number 1 since 2022, following his titles in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.