Who is the greatest Formula 1 Athlete of all time?

Lewis Hamilton leads Formula 1 with a verified GOAT Score of 96.1/100.

How is the Formula 1 GOAT ranking calculated?

Five verified categories are weighted against 143 reference records. Only eligible profiles receive a score.

How many Formula 1 drivers are ranked?

143 eligible Formula 1 athletes currently have a published GOAT Score, from 143 reference records.

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Formula 1: the greatest of all time

GOAT Rank's data-driven ranking

Championships, win rate and qualifying pace adjusted for machinery advantage. Each drivers below is scored on verified career data and normalised against the full Formula 1 reference cohort — no shortlists, no unverified provisional numbers.

Quick answer

According to GOAT Rank's current model, Lewis Hamilton is the highest-ranked of the drivers in Formula 1, with an in-sport GOAT Score of 96.1. Next are Michael Schumacher (94.8), Juan Manuel Fangio (92.8).

How the GOAT Score is calculated →

Showing 143 of 143 ranked drivers# = official in-sport rank

Category

RoleCountryEraStatusSort

#	Athlete	Era	World titles	Race wins	Pole positions	Podiums	Fastest laps	GOAT
1	🇬🇧Lewis HamiltonActive	2007–present	7	105	104	202	67	96.1
2	🇩🇪Michael SchumacherRetired	1991–2012	7	91	68	155	77	94.8
3	🇦🇷Juan Manuel FangioRetired	1950–1958	5	—	29	35	23	92.8
4	🇫🇷Alain ProstRetired	1980–1993	4	—	33	106	—	90.4
5	🇬🇧Jackie StewartRetired	1965–1973	3	—	17	43	15	87.2
6	🇪🇸Fernando AlonsoActive	2001–present	2	—	22	106	—	87.2
7	🇩🇪Sebastian VettelRetired	2007–2022	4	—	57	122	—	87.1
8	🇦🇹Niki LaudaRetired	1971–1985	3	—	24	54	24	86.8
9	🇳🇱Max VerstappenActive	2015–present	4	63	44	117	34	86.1
10	🇺🇸Mario AndrettiRetired	1964–1994	1	—	—	—	—	85.9
11	🇬🇧Jim ClarkRetired	1960–1968	2	—	33	32	—	85.4
12	🇮🇹Alberto AscariRetired	1947–1955	2	—	14	17	—	84.8
13	🇦🇺Jack BrabhamRetired	1955–1970	3	—	13	31	—	84.4
14	🇬🇧Graham HillRetired	1958–1975	2	—	—	—	—	84.0
15	🇨🇭Sébastien BuemiActive	2009–present	—	—	—	—	—	84.0
16	🇧🇷Nelson PiquetRetired	1978–1991	3	—	24	60	23	83.9
17	🇳🇿Brendon HartleyActive	2017–present	—	—	—	—	—	83.6
18	🇨🇦Jacques VilleneuveRetired	1994–2006	—	—	13	23	—	83.0
19	🇫🇮Kimi RäikkönenRetired	2001–2021	1	—	18	103	46	82.9
20	🇧🇷Ayrton SennaRetired	1984–1994	3	41	65	80	19	82.7
21	🇳🇿Denny HulmeRetired	1965–1974	1	—	—	33	—	82.7
22	🇿🇦Jody ScheckterRetired	1972–1980	1	—	3	33	—	82.3
23	🇧🇷Emerson FittipaldiRetired	1970–1996	2	—	—	35	—	81.9
24	🇬🇧Nigel MansellRetired	1980–1995	1	—	32	59	—	81.7
25	🇬🇧John SurteesRetired	1956–1972	—	—	—	24	—	81.2
26	🇺🇸Phil HillRetired	1958–1966	1	—	6	16	—	80.7
27	🇧🇷Lucas di GrassiActive	2010–present	—	—	—	—	—	80.6
28	🇮🇹Giuseppe FarinaRetired	1950–1955	1	—	5	20	—	80.4
29	🇬🇧Stirling MossRetired	1948–1962	—	—	16	24	—	80.3
30	🇧🇪Stoffel VandoorneActive	2016–present	—	—	—	—	—	79.6
31	🇫🇮Mika HäkkinenRetired	1991–2001	2	—	26	51	25	79.5
32	🇺🇸Jim RathmannRetired	1949–1963	—	—	—	—	—	79.1
33	🇧🇷Felipe MassaRetired	2002–2017	—	—	16	41	—	79.0
34	🇺🇸Dan GurneyRetired	1959–1970	—	—	3	19	—	78.9
35	🇦🇹Jochen RindtRetired	1964–1970	1	—	10	13	—	78.4
36	🇬🇧Mike HawthornRetired	1952–1958	1	—	—	18	—	77.9
37	🇸🇪Marcus EricssonActive	2014–present	—	—	—	—	—	77.8
38	🇩🇪Nico RosbergRetired	2006–2016	1	—	30	57	20	76.9
39	🇧🇪Jacky IckxRetired	1966–1979	—	—	13	25	—	76.9
40	🇺🇸Eddie CheeverRetired	1978–1998	—	—	—	—	—	76.9
41	🇬🇧Jenson ButtonRetired	2000–2017	1	—	8	50	8	76.8
42	🇮🇹Andrea Kimi AntonelliActive	2021–present	—	—	—	—	1	76.8
43	🇲🇽Sergio PérezRetired	2011–2024	—	—	3	39	—	76.6
44	🇫🇷Maurice TrintignantRetired	1950–1964	—	—	—	10	—	76.6
45	🇨🇭Clay RegazzoniRetired	1970–1980	—	—	5	28	—	76.4
46	🇦🇷Froilán GonzálezRetired	1950–1960	—	—	—	15	—	76.4
47	🇦🇹Gerhard BergerRetired	1984–1997	—	—	12	48	—	76.3
48	🇮🇹Michele AlboretoRetired	1981–1994	—	—	2	23	—	76.3
49	🇦🇺Mark WebberRetired	2002–2013	—	—	13	42	—	76.2
50	🇳🇱Nyck de VriesActive	2019–present	—	—	—	—	—	76.2

1–50 of 143 athletes

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Compare top two: Hamilton vs Schumacher

Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all time

The ten highest verified GOAT Scores across every era.

1🇬🇧Lewis Hamilton2007–present96.1
2🇩🇪Michael Schumacher1991–201294.8
3🇦🇷Juan Manuel Fangio1950–195892.8
4🇫🇷Alain Prost1980–199390.4
5🇬🇧Jackie Stewart1965–197387.2
6🇪🇸Fernando Alonso2001–present87.2
7🇩🇪Sebastian Vettel2007–202287.1
8🇦🇹Niki Lauda1971–198586.8
9🇳🇱Max Verstappen2015–present86.1
10🇺🇸Mario Andretti1964–199485.9

By position

Driver

1🇬🇧Lewis Hamilton2007–present96.1
2🇩🇪Michael Schumacher1991–201294.8
3🇦🇷Juan Manuel Fangio1950–195892.8
4🇫🇷Alain Prost1980–199390.4
5🇬🇧Jackie Stewart1965–197387.2

By country

United Kingdom

1🇬🇧Lewis Hamilton2007–present96.1
2🇬🇧Jackie Stewart1965–197387.2
3🇬🇧Jim Clark1960–196885.4
4🇬🇧Graham Hill1958–197584.0
5🇬🇧Nigel Mansell1980–199581.7

Germany

1🇩🇪Michael Schumacher1991–201294.8
2🇩🇪Sebastian Vettel2007–202287.1
3🇩🇪Nico Rosberg2006–201676.9
4🇩🇪Nico Hülkenberg2010–present74.1
5🇩🇪Wolfgang von Trips1956–196174.0

Argentina

1🇦🇷Juan Manuel Fangio1950–195892.8
2🇦🇷Froilán González1950–196076.4
3🇦🇷José Froilán González1950–196075.3
4🇦🇷Carlos Reutemann1972–198274.5
5🇦🇷Franco Colapinto2024–present58.7

France

1🇫🇷Alain Prost1980–199390.4
2🇫🇷Maurice Trintignant1950–196476.6
3🇫🇷René Arnoux1978–198975.9
4🇫🇷Romain Grosjean2009–202075.3
5🇫🇷Jacques Laffite1974–198675.0

Spain

1🇪🇸Fernando Alonso2001–present87.2
2🇪🇸Carlos Sainz Jr.2015–present73.0
3🇪🇸Jaime Alguersuari2009–201562.2

Austria

1🇦🇹Niki Lauda1971–198586.8
2🇦🇹Jochen Rindt1964–197078.4
3🇦🇹Gerhard Berger1984–199776.3

Netherlands

1🇳🇱Max Verstappen2015–present86.1
2🇳🇱Nyck de Vries2019–present76.2
3🇳🇱Christijan Albers1997–201468.4
4🇳🇱Jos Verstappen1994–200368.3

United States

1🇺🇸Mario Andretti1964–199485.9
2🇺🇸Phil Hill1958–196680.7
3🇺🇸Jim Rathmann1949–196379.1
4🇺🇸Dan Gurney1959–197078.9
5🇺🇸Eddie Cheever1978–199876.9

By era

1940s

1🇮🇹Alberto Ascari1947–195584.8
2🇬🇧Stirling Moss1948–196280.3
3🇺🇸Jim Rathmann1949–196379.1

1950s

1🇦🇷Juan Manuel Fangio1950–195892.8
2🇦🇺Jack Brabham1955–197084.4
3🇬🇧Graham Hill1958–197584.0
4🇬🇧John Surtees1956–197281.2
5🇺🇸Phil Hill1958–196680.7

1960s

1🇬🇧Jackie Stewart1965–197387.2
2🇺🇸Mario Andretti1964–199485.9
3🇬🇧Jim Clark1960–196885.4
4🇳🇿Denny Hulme1965–197482.7
5🇦🇹Jochen Rindt1964–197078.4

1970s

1🇦🇹Niki Lauda1971–198586.8
2🇧🇷Nelson Piquet1978–199183.9
3🇿🇦Jody Scheckter1972–198082.3
4🇧🇷Emerson Fittipaldi1970–199681.9
5🇺🇸Eddie Cheever1978–199876.9

1980s

1🇫🇷Alain Prost1980–199390.4
2🇧🇷Ayrton Senna1984–199482.7
3🇬🇧Nigel Mansell1980–199581.7
4🇦🇹Gerhard Berger1984–199776.3
5🇮🇹Michele Alboreto1981–199476.3

1990s

1🇩🇪Michael Schumacher1991–201294.8
2🇨🇦Jacques Villeneuve1994–200683.0
3🇫🇮Mika Häkkinen1991–200179.5
4🇧🇷Rubens Barrichello1993–201175.2
5🇬🇧Damon Hill1992–199974.2

2000s

1🇬🇧Lewis Hamilton2007–present96.1
2🇪🇸Fernando Alonso2001–present87.2
3🇩🇪Sebastian Vettel2007–202287.1
4🇨🇭Sébastien Buemi2009–present84.0
5🇫🇮Kimi Räikkönen2001–202182.9

2010s

1🇳🇱Max Verstappen2015–present86.1
2🇳🇿Brendon Hartley2017–present83.6
3🇧🇷Lucas di Grassi2010–present80.6
4🇧🇪Stoffel Vandoorne2016–present79.6
5🇸🇪Marcus Ericsson2014–present77.8

2020s

1🇮🇹Andrea Kimi Antonelli2021–present76.8
2🇯🇵Yuki Tsunoda2021–present66.0
3🇨🇳Zhou Guanyu2022–present62.7
4🇬🇧Oliver Bearman2024–present60.7
5🇦🇺Oscar Piastri2023–present60.0

By country · By position · By era

Formula 1 GOAT debates

The closest calls in the ranking, with a full side-by-side breakdown.

Hamilton vs Schumacher· Hamilton ranks higher at 96.1 versus Schumacher at 94.8, a margin of 1.3 points.Schumacher vs Fangio· Schumacher ranks higher at 94.8 versus Fangio at 92.8, a margin of 2.0 points.Fangio vs Prost· Fangio ranks higher at 92.8 versus Prost at 90.4, a margin of 2.4 points.Prost vs Stewart· Prost ranks higher at 90.4 versus Stewart at 87.2, a margin of 3.2 points.Stewart vs Alonso· Stewart ranks higher at 87.2 versus Alonso at 87.2, a margin of 0.0 points.

How the Formula 1 ranking works

Every athlete is scored on five verified components — Dominance (25%), Peak (20%), Longevity (20%), Honours (20%) and Statistics (15%) — normalised against the full Formula 1 reference cohort rather than a shortlist. A record only receives a published score once it is editorially verified and complete: a season-by-season series, at least three career metrics, documented honours and independent sources. Read the full methodology.

Formula 1 GOAT — frequently asked

Who is the greatest Formula 1 Athlete of all time?: Lewis Hamilton leads Formula 1 with a verified GOAT Score of 96.1/100.
How is the Formula 1 GOAT ranking calculated?: Five verified categories are weighted against 143 reference records. Only eligible profiles receive a score.
How many Formula 1 drivers are ranked?: 143 eligible Formula 1 athletes currently have a published GOAT Score, from 143 reference records.