Top five American F1 teams ranked: Haas, Penske and more

American interest in Formula 1 is on the up. The success of the United States Grand Prix in Austin has contributed to Miami joining the calendar, with Las Vegas set to make it three American races on the 2023 schedule.

Michael Andretti also wants to bring his team to the grid. He faces some tough hurdles but, if successful, it would be the second American squad in F1, joining Haas.

Given (or perhaps because of) the strength of American motorsport, there have been few American F1 squads since the world championship began in 1950. We’re excluding the numerous teams that appeared at the Indianapolis 500 when that counted for the world championship between 1950 and 1960, because they were not F1 teams and didn’t contest GPs.

There were a number of privateer American entries that made sporadic appearances at their home GP, perhaps most bizarrely Indy legend Rodger Ward with his Leader Cards Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser Midget racer in the 1959 US GP. But we’re looking at the teams that ran serious F1 efforts across multiple races.

So, here are our top five American F1 teams, based on their success, impact and longevity.

For the record, the UK-based Team Haas (USA) Ltd that ran Lolas at the end of 1985 and most of 1986 scored six points from its 19 starts. Its best finish came in the 1986 Austrian GP, when Alan Jones led home team-mate Patrick Tambay in a 4-5, albeit two laps behind Alain Prost’s winning McLaren.

We’d also like to give an honourable mention to the Scarab team, which made just two world championship starts in 1960. The front-engined machine was obsolete by the time it arrived, but it makes a tremendous sight and has proved a competitive proposition against its contemporaries in historic racing.

PLUS: The American