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For now at least, Max Verstappen is the new Formula One world champion, dethroning Lewis Hamilton – but just how many F1 world champions are there in grand prix racing?
Verstappen’s title was in doubt after Mercedes lodged two protests with the FIA about the ending of the grand prix and the safety car restart.
The FIA promptly threw both appeals out, thereby confirming Verstappen as the 2021 world champion, ending Hamilton’s four-year reign as champion.
But how many F1 world champions have there been in the 72 years of the world championship?
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Lets take a look:
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F1 world champions revealed
In total, 770 drivers have taken part in a world championship grand prix since the very first one at the 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
111 of them have become grand prix winners with Esteban Ocon the latest at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
But even fewer number have been able to call themselves ‘Formula 1 World Champion.’
Verstappen is the 34th driver to claim the world title – and the first Dutch driver to do so.
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He is the first non British or German driver to take the crown since Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.
Graham Hill (1962, 1968) and Damon Hill (1996) were the first father/son duo become world champions.
The Rosbergs (Keke, 1982) and Nico (2016) have since matched that feat.
The only posthumous world champion was Jochen Rindt in 1970, killed at Monza before he could claim his title.
Which countries are they from?
In total 15 different countries have provided a world champion.
Great Britain has had 10 drivers crowned, with Germany, Brazil and Finland on three the most successful.
Argentina, France, Spain, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and now the Netherlands have all provided one world champion each.
Who are the F1 world champions?
Below is a list of champions, sorted by the world champion number they hold.
- 1. Giuseppe Farina – Italy – one title
- 2. Juan Manuel Fangio – Argentina – five
- 3. Alberto Ascari -Italy – two
- 4. Mike Hawthorn – Great Britain – one
- 5. Jack Brabham – Australia – three
- 6. Phil Hill – United States – one
- 7. Graham Hill – Great Britain – two
- 8. Jim Clark – Great Britain – two
- 9. John Surtees – Great Britain – one
- 10. Denny Hulme – New Zealand – one
- 11. Jackie Stewart – Great Britain – three
- 12. Jochen Rindt (below) – Austria – one (posthumous)
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- 13. Emerson Fittipaldi – Brazil – two
- 14. Niki Lauda – Austria – three
- 15. James Hunt – Great Britain – one
- 16. Mario Andretti – United States – one
- 17. Jody Scheckter – South Africa – one
- 18. Alan Jones (below) – Australia – one
- 19. Nelson Piquet – Brazil – three
- 20. Keke Rosberg – Finland – one
- 21. Alain Prost – France – four
- 22. Ayrton Senna – Brazil – three
- 23. Nigel Mansell – Great Britain – one
- 24. Michael Schumacher – Germany – seven
- 25. Damon Hill – Great Britain – one
- 26. Jacques Villeneuve – Canada – one
- 27. Mika Hakkinen – Finland – one
- 28. Fernando Alonso – Spain – two
- 29. Kimi Raikkonen – Finland – one
- 30. Lewis Hamilton (below) – Great Britain – seven
- 31. Jenson Button – Great Britain – one
- 32. Sebastian Vettel – Germany – four
- 33. Nico Rosberg (below) – Germany – one
- 34. Max Verstappen – Netherlands – one
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