 Formula One World Drivers' Championship trophy. The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC) is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to the most successful Formula One racing car driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results. The Drivers' Championship was first awarded in 1950, to Nino Farina. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Alberto Ascari, in 1952 and 1953. The FIA does not officially declare the Champion until the end of the season, but a driver is said to have "clinched" the Championship after it is no longer possible for another to obtain more points than him, even if the former driver were to not compete in the remaining races of the season, and the latter to score the maximum number of points possible. The Drivers' Championship has been won in the final race of the season 24 times in the 60 seasons it has been awarded. The earliest in a season that the Drivers' Championship has been clinched was in 2002, when Michael Schumacher secured the title with six races remaining. Overall, thirty one different drivers have won the Championship, with German Michael Schumacher holding the record for most titles, at seven. Schumacher also holds the record for most consecutive Drivers' Championships, winning five from 2000 to 2004. However Great Britain has produced, by far, the most number of World Championship winning drivers with ten (Brazil and Finland are next closest, with three each). The current Drivers' Champion is Jenson Button, who won his first World Championship in 2009. His success has increased the number of World Championships won by British drivers to a record 14, ahead of Brazil with 8 and Germany with 7. [edit] By season - * Indicates the team also won the Constructors' Championship (awarded since 1958).
- ^ The 1952 and 1953 championships were run to Formula Two regulations.
- ^ Fangio competed in the 1954 Argentine and Belgian Grands Prix with Maserati, then completed the season with Mercedes.
- ^ Rindt died during practice for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix (the tenth round of the season) but his Championship was not confirmed until two rounds later.
- ^ Michael Schumacher scored 78 points during the 1997 season, only 3 points behind Villeneuve. However, Schumacher was disqualified from the championship for colliding with Villeneuve at the final race of the season, the European Grand Prix. This left Villeneuve with a 39 point margin over Heinz-Harald Frentzen with 42 points.
[edit] By driver | Driver | Total | Season(s) | Championship Winner |  Michael Schumacher | 7 | 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 | 24th |  Juan Manuel Fangio | 5 | 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 | 2nd |  Alain Prost | 4 | 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993 | 21st |  Jack Brabham | 3 | 1959, 1960, 1966 | 5th |  Jackie Stewart | 3 | 1969, 1971, 1973 | 11th |  Niki Lauda | 3 | 1975, 1977, 1984 | 14th |  Nelson Piquet | 3 | 1981, 1983, 1987 | 19th | | Ayrton Senna | 3 | 1988, 1990, 1991 | 22nd |  Alberto Ascari | 2 | 1952, 1953 | 3rd | | Jim Clark | 2 | 1963, 1965 | 8th | | Graham Hill | 2 | 1962, 1968 | 7th | | Emerson Fittipaldi | 2 | 1972, 1974 | 13th |  Mika Häkkinen | 2 | 1998, 1999 | 27th |  Fernando Alonso | 2 | 2005, 2006 | 28th | | Nino Farina | 1 | 1950 | 1st | | Mike Hawthorn | 1 | 1958 | 4th |  Phil Hill | 1 | 1961 | 6th | | John Surtees | 1 | 1964 | 9th |  Denny Hulme | 1 | 1967 | 10th | | Jochen Rindt | 1 | 1970 | 12th | | James Hunt | 1 | 1976 | 15th | | Mario Andretti | 1 | 1978 | 16th |  Jody Scheckter | 1 | 1979 | 17th | | Alan Jones | 1 | 1980 | 18th | | Keke Rosberg | 1 | 1982 | 20th | | Nigel Mansell | 1 | 1992 | 23rd | | Damon Hill | 1 | 1996 | 25th |  Jacques Villeneuve | 1 | 1997 | 26th | | Kimi Räikkönen | 1 | 2007 | 29th | | Lewis Hamilton | 1 | 2008 | 30th | | Jenson Button | 1 | 2009 | 31st | [edit] By nationality | Country | Drivers | Total | Drivers by Name (titles) | | United Kingdom | 10 | 14 | Jackie Stewart (3), Jim Clark (2), Graham Hill (2), Mike Hawthorn (1), John Surtees (1), James Hunt (1), Nigel Mansell (1), Damon Hill (1), Lewis Hamilton (1), Jenson Button (1) | | Brazil | 3 | 8 | Nelson Piquet (3), Ayrton Senna (3), Emerson Fittipaldi (2) | | Germany | 1 | 7 | Michael Schumacher (7) | | Argentina | 1 | 5 | Juan Manuel Fangio (5) | | Finland | 3 | 4 | Mika Häkkinen (2), Keke Rosberg (1), Kimi Räikkönen (1) | | Australia | 2 | 4 | Jack Brabham (3), Alan Jones (1) | | Austria | 2 | 4 | Niki Lauda (3), Jochen Rindt (1) | | France | 1 | 4 | Alain Prost (4) | | Italy | 2 | 3 | Alberto Ascari (2), Nino Farina (1) | | United States | 2 | 2 | Phil Hill (1), Mario Andretti (1) | | Spain | 1 | 2 | Fernando Alonso (2) | | Canada | 1 | 1 | Jacques Villeneuve (1) | | New Zealand | 1 | 1 | Denny Hulme (1) | | South Africa | 1 | 1 | Jody Scheckter (1) | [edit] By constructor team Constructors in bold are still competing in the World Championship, Mercedes continue to provide engines but do not run a whole team.
[edit] By constructor nationality
[edit] By engine - The 1966 Repco engines were based on Oldsmobile engine blocks from the USA.
- The TAG engines were designed and built by German company Porsche.
- 10 of the constructors' championships for Ford engines were with the (Ford-financed) Cosworth DFV engine.
- Mercedes-Benz won 2 with their own team, 3 with McLaren and 1 with Brawn
Engine manufacturers in bold are still competing in the World Championship. [edit] By tyre manufacturer | Pos | Manufacturer | Country | Total | Seasons | | 1 | G | Goodyear | United States | 24 | 1966–1967, 1971, 1973–1978, 1980, 1982, 1985–1997 | | 2 | B | Bridgestone |  Japan | 10 | 1998–2004, 2007–2009 | | 3 | D | Dunlop | Great Britain | 8 | 1959–1965, 1969 | | 4 | P | Pirelli | Italy | 6 | 1950–1954[1][2], 1957 | | M | Michelin | France | 6 | 1979, 1981, 1983–1984, 2005–2006 | | 6 | F | Firestone | United States | 4 | 1952[2], 1968, 1970, 1972 | | 7 | C | Continental | Germany | 2 | 1954[1]–1955 | | E | Englebert |  Belgium | 2 | 1956, 1958 | Tyre manufacturers in bold are still competing in the World Championship. [edit] Records [edit] Youngest Drivers' Champion | Driver | Age | Season | | 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 23 years, 301 days | 2008 | | 2 | Fernando Alonso | 24 years, 58 days | 2005 | | 3 | Emerson Fittipaldi | 25 years, 273 days | 1972 | | 4 | Michael Schumacher | 25 years, 314 days | 1994 | | 5 | Niki Lauda | 26 years, 197 days | 1975 | | 6 | Jacques Villeneuve | 26 years, 200 days | 1997 | | 7 | Jim Clark | 27 years, 188 days | 1963 | | 8 | Kimi Räikkönen | 28 years, 4 days | 2007 | | 9 | Jochen Rindt | 28 years, 140 days | 1970 (posthumously) | | 10 | Ayrton Senna | 28 years, 223 days | 1988 | Bold text indicates driver is still competing in Formula 1. [edit] Oldest Drivers' Champion | Driver | Age | Season | | 1 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 46 years, 41 days | 1957 | | 2 | Nino Farina | 43 years, 308 days | 1950 | | 3 | Jack Brabham | 40 years, 155 days | 1966 | | 4 | Graham Hill | 39 years, 262 days | 1968 | | 5 | Nigel Mansell | 39 years, 8 days | 1992 | | 6 | Alain Prost | 38 years, 214 days | 1993 | | 7 | Mario Andretti | 38 years, 193 days | 1978 | | 8 | Damon Hill | 36 years, 26 days | 1996 | | 9 | Niki Lauda | 35 years, 242 days | 1984 | | 10 | Michael Schumacher | 35 years, 239 days | 2004 | [edit] Consecutive Drivers' Championships Eight drivers have achieved consecutive wins in the Formula One Drivers' Championship. [edit] See also [edit] References | Formula One World Drivers' Champions | | | | | |
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