Hamilton, Vettel, Schumacher, Alonso: 10 greatest F1 drivers of all time ranked

Sebastian Vettel has announced his retirement from Formula One at the of the 2022 season and will go down as one of the all-time greats.

He’s currently in a struggling Aston Martin towards the back end of the grid, exiting the sport further down the standings than he should be, but he wants to dedicate his time to being a better father and husband.

Autosport have compiled a list of the 10 greatest drivers statistically, judging  on a range of factors such as races started, race wins and championships.

10. Jim Clark

Jim Clark is a two-time world champion, winning the crowns in 1963 and 1965, with his career cut short after his untimely death in a Formula 2 race at the Hockenheimring.

9. Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda won the 1975, 1977 and 1984 titles during his career, racking up 25 wins and 24 pole positions. His legacy is cemented by his advisor role with Mercedes from 2013 until his death in 2019. He was instrumental in getting Hamilton to the team and their following success.

8. Jackie Stewart

Jackie Stewart will go down as a legend of the sport, not only for his three world titles and 27 race wins, but also for his role in improving safety within the sport after seeing friends and colleagues pass away unnecessarily.

7. Nigel Mansell

Arguably one of the most unluckiest drivers to ever take to the track, Mansell retired with a world title which looked like it could elude him. He was runner-up in three different seasons, it could’ve been so different for the 1992 world champion.

6. Fernando Alonso

The Spaniard is a two-time world champion, winning consecutive titles in 2005 and 2006. Like Mansell, he had a few near misses as well in terms of gunning for the title, but still driving today, he’s proving his ability into his 40s.