Famous 21st Century F1 Drivers

The name Lewis Hamilton has become synonymous with Formula One, and such is the greatness of Hamilton. Honoured with MBE by the Queen, Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful Formula One Grand Prix Racing Driver. Hamilton was the first Black driver to win the Championship and has 6 World Championship titles and 90 race victories to his name.

With seven Formula One championship under his belt, Michael Schumacher is the most successful racer of Formula 1 and one of the greatest motor sports driver in the world. The retired German racer was the face of Ferrari for a decade and with his tremendous on track success also became one of best paid athletes in the sport’s history.

Austrian Formula One driver and aviation entrepreneur Niki Lauda was a three-time F1 World Drivers' Champion. Considered to be one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, he was once involved in a near-fatal accident. He founded and ran three airlines as an aviation entrepreneur and also served as the team manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team.

Widely considered one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history, Sebastian Vettel holds a number of records, including most podium finishes and most consecutive race wins. Sebastian has a unique habit of naming his cars as he feels it is important to share a close relationship with the cars that he drives.

Two-time FIA Hall of Fame inductee Fernando Alonso began go-carting at age 3 and won several trophies by 10. The youngest to win the F-1 World Championship, for Renault, he later led a Ferrari team. When he isn’t racing, he is busy managing his e-sports team and working for UNICEF.

With 21 Grands Prix wins Kimi-Matias Räikkönen, nicknamed ‘The Iceman’, thrived as the most successful Finnish racing driver with regard to Formula One race wins. He was the winner of the 2007 Formula One World Championship competing for Scuderia Ferrari. He took 103 podium finishes and with this became one of the five drivers who have taken more-than 100 podiums.

Juan Pablo Montoya is a Colombian racing driver who currently competes for DragonSpeed Racing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In 1998, Montoya won the Formula 3000 International Championship title. The following year, he went on to win the CART FedEx Championship Series. In October 2009, Juan Pablo Montoya was named in Times Online's Top 50 Formula One Drivers list.

Jenson Button is a British racing driver best known for winning the Formula One World Championship title in 2009. A popular driver, Button is the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy and the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy. In 2017, Jenson Button was made an inductee of the FIA Hall of Fame.

Felipe Massa is a Brazilian racing driver who participated in Formula One from 2002 to 2017, during which he gained 11 Grand Prix victories. In 2006, he became the first Brazilian after Ayrton Senna da Silva to win the Brazilian Grand Prix.

British Formula One race-car driver Stirling Moss won several contests such as the British Grand Prix and the New Zealand Grand Prix. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, too. He later had a broadcasting career with Wide World of Sports and narrated Roary the Racing Car.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One. He made his first entry at 2015 Australian Grand Prix. Son of former Formula One racing-driver Jos Verstappen, Max has emerged as the most successful Dutch driver who has scored most career points, won a Formula One World Championship in 2021 and achieved a pole position.  

Starting racing at age 6, Mexican racing driver Sergio Pérez, nicknamed Checo, scripted history by scoring more points than any Mexican in Formula One history. The winner of titles such as the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he is now associated with Red Bull Racing.

Daniel Ricciardo is an Italian-Australian racing driver. He currently competes in Formula One for McLaren. Over the years, Ricciardo has had eight Grand Prix victories, including a win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, in Formula One. He has also received several awards like BRDC The Bruce McLaren Trophy. In 2014, he was named GQ Australia Sportsman of the Year.

The son of former Formula One world champion Keke Rosberg, Nico Rosberg followed in his father's footsteps to win the 2016 Formula One world championship. After announcing his retirement as a racing driver, Nico Rosberg became an eco-entrepreneur, helping with the construction of self-autonomous and electric vehicles. Rosberg has also worked with charities like Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli.

Romain Grosjean is a racing driver who spent nine Formula One seasons with several teams. In 2011, he won the GP2 Series as well as the GP2 Asia Series, becoming the first two-time GP2 Asia champion. He currently competes in the US-based IndyCar Series.

Nico Hülkenberg initially worked as a forwarding agent at his father’s shipping company. He had started his racing career with go-karting at age 10 and grew up to race for Formula BMW, Formula Three, and GP2, among others. He scripted history by winning the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in his first attempt.

Christian Horner is a British retired racing driver. He is currently serving as the Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, which competes in Formula One. Over the years, he has helped the team win many world titles, including five World Drivers' Championship titles. Christian Horner has also served as the head of Arden International, which competed in International Formula 3000.

Ralf Schumacher is a German former racing driver who first drove in Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix for the 1997 season. He is the younger brother of former Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher. He began karting at three and took to automobile racing as a young adult. He has since retired from motorsport and now mentors young drivers. 

Rubens Barrichello is a Brazilian racing driver best known for competing in Formula One and scoring 11 Grand Prix wins between 1993 and 2011. From 2000 to 2005, he drove for Ferrari as Michael Schumacher's teammate and contributed to five constructors' titles for Ferrari.

Valtteri Bottas is a Finnish racing driver who competes in popular promotions like Formula One, where he is currently competing for Alfa Romeo. Over the course of his career, Valtteri Bottas has won several prestigious awards like the Sky Sports Award and Lorenzo Bandini Trophy. In 2019, he was named AKK-Motorsport Driver of the Year.

Brazilian racing driver Hélio Castroneves is a 4-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. Though accused of tax evasion once, he was eventually acquitted the charge. He has also been part of the show Dancing with the Stars and gained the nickname Spider-Man for his unique way of celebrating one of his track victories.

The son of Canadian business tycoon Lawrence Stroll and Belgian designer Claire-Anne Callens, Lance Stroll began his motorsport career with karting at age 10. He became F1’s youngest rookie podium finisher at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. His achievements include wins at the 2014 Italian F4 and the 2016 FIA European Formula 3.

Retired Austrian Formula One racer Helmut Marko most notably won the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans. He lost his left eye during the 1972 French Grand Prix. He now serves as the advisor of the Red Bull GmbH Formula One teams and heads the driver development program of Red Bull.

Justin Wilson was a British open-wheel racing driver who took part in the IndyCar Series as well as the Formula One. He won many races, including the International Formula 3000 Championship title and the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2006 and 2007, Justin Wilson was honored with the prestigious Greg Moore Legacy Award.  

Scott Dixon is a racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series. He has won the IndyCar Championship on six occasions. He is also counted among the greatest drivers in the history of Indianapolis 500. Dixon has won the Bruce McLaren Trophy and the Jim Clark Trophy. In 2008 and 2013, he was named New Zealand’s Sportsman of the Year.

Eddie Irvine is a retired racing driver who participated in F1 races between 1993 and 2002, finishing second in the World Drivers' Championship in 1999. Apart from F1, Eddie Irvine has also competed in Jaguar Racing, Formula 3000 Championships, and Formula Three. Since his retirement, Irvine has established himself as a media personality.

Paul di Resta is a British racing driver who competed for Force India in Formula One from 2011 to 2013. Currently, he is one of the reserve F1 drivers for McLaren. Paul di Resta also works as a commentator for Sky Sports.

Giancarlo Fisichella, also known as Giano, has three Formula One World Championship wins in his kitty. The popular racing driver also captains the Nazionale Piloti football team. Throughout his career, he has raced for teams such as Renault, Force India, and Ferrari. He is related to a Sicilian noble family.

Mark Webber is an Australian former racing driver. From 2002 to 2013, Webber competed in Formula One, winning the 2010 British Grand Prix. From 2014 to 2016, he competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the 2015 season for Porsche alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. In 2019, Mark Webber was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame.

New Zealand racing driver Brendon Hartley soared to fame with his 2 WEC Championship wins. He has competed for teams such as the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 and has also won two 24 Hours of Le Mans contests. He has also been part of the United States Grand Prix.

German racing driver Sophia Flörsch is also skilled in activities such as karting, wind surfing, and skiing. She now competes for Abt Sportsline and the Richard Mille Racing Team. In 2020, she received the Laureus Comeback of the Year award for surviving a deadly accident on track and a spinal surgery.

Johnny Herbert is a British retired racing driver who competed in Formula One between 1989 and 2000, during which he represented seven different teams. After retiring from competitive racing, Johnny Herbert became a TV personality and is currently working for Sky Sports F1.

Former German racing driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen is best known for ending up as the 1997 Formula One World Drivers' Championship runner-up. He is part of the elite club of 7 German drivers who have ever won the country a Grand Prix. He also had a 3-year racing stint at DTM.

Tiff Needell is a British racecar driver and TV presenter. A former co-presenter of Fifth Gear and Top Gear, Needell currently presents a show called Lovecars. As far as his racing career is concerned, Tiff Needell has competed in popular races, such as Formula One and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Alan Stanley Jones is an Australian retired professional motor racing driver best known for winning the first Formula One World Championship in 1980 and only the second Australian to achieve the feat after three-time world champion Jack Brabham. In 1989, Alan Stanley Jones was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

When British racing driver Max Chilton made his Formula 3 debut at 16, he became the youngest deriver to do so. He now represents the North American racing series IndyCar. While he initially wished to be a farmer, he began his racing career at age 10, racing in karts.

Currently a semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, Greg Biffle gained his first recognition as a racer during the 1995–1996 Winter Heat Series. Shortly, he began his NASCAR career with Roush Fenway Racing, winning 19 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, 20 races in Xfinity Series and 17 in Camping World Truck Series, concurrently competing in numerous other series.

Martin Donnelly is a motor racing driver best known for competing in popular races, including the Formula 3000 International Championship and Formula Three. He also competed in Formula One before a serious crash ended his F1 career. Since then, Martin Donnelly has been an important driving coach and works with Lotus Cars.

Padua-born Riccardo Patrese had begun karting at age 9 and was equally skilled in swimming and skiing. In the 1990 British Grand Prix, he became the first Formula One driver to earn 200 Grand Prix starts. He has six Formula One race wins in his kitty and took to showjumping post-retirement.

Mathias Lauda is an Austrian racing driver who is currently racing as a factory driver for Aston Martin Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He is best known as the son of the famous three-time F1 world champion, Niki Lauda.

Enzo Fittipaldi is a Brazilian-American racing driver. He is the grandson of two-time Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi. He currently drives for Charouz Racing System in the FIA Formula 2 Championship and was previously associated with FIA Formula 3 Championship. He was one of the five drivers invited to join the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016.