The Biggest Names in Formula 1 Racing History

The roots of Formula 1 originated in the decades preceding WWII from the European Grand Prix. Following the war, the rules for Formula 1, initially known as Formula A, were firmly established. By 1950 a World Championship for drivers using Formula 1 rules was officially in place. As time passed, great drivers, teams and engine builders emerged.

The three Italian teams of Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari (about the history of Ferrari) were poised to command the early years of the sport with Nino Farina winning the inaugural championship in 1950 and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1951, both driving for the Alfa Romeo team.

Enzo Ferrari's team suddenly rose to prominence with his legendary driver Alberto Ascari winning consecutive championships in 1952 and 1953. Mercedes-Benz and Lancia entered the Formula 1 fray in 1954 and they hired the top drivers with Fangio going to Mercedes and Ascari with Lancia. Mercedes dominated the sport the next two seasons, winning almost every race, but a horrific crash at Le Mans, killing 83 people, precipitated a hasty exit with Mercedes-Benz disappearing from the sport for forty years.

Juan Manuel Fangio won an unprecedented fifth championship in 1957 driving for the Maserati team, a record that stood for 46 years. In 1958 the Cooper Car Company, with Stirling Moss behind the wheel, captured the Argentine Grand Prix. The mid-engine Cooper was the first vehicle to win a Formula 1 race with an engine placed behind the driver. Initially underpowered, the vehicles came into their own when more powerful engines were developed and they quickly rose to the top in Formula 1.

While Enzo Ferrari resisted, the mid-engine revolution inundated the sport with Lotus and BRM quickly converting to mid-engine machines. Jack Brabham won consecutive championships in 1959 and 1960 driving a Cooper mid-engine vehicle.

Along with an era of technological revolution, a new breed of drivers emerged in the 1960's, including the very successful and popular Jim Clark and Graham Hill. At the time of his tragic death in 1968, Clark had won more Formula 1 races and poles than any driver in history. Clark is still considered by many to be the greatest Formula 1 driver ever. Between Hill and Clark, the tandem won four championships in the 1960's. As Formula 1 technology continued evolving, companies such as Ford and Repco became major players in engine development.

The 1970's ushered in a sport now fully sponsored and a host of new drivers in contention for the championship. Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi and Niki Lauda were most successful during the 1970's with the trio capturing six championships. Ferrari, Lotus and McClaren continued to be very successful on the track.

The end of the 1970's featured dramatic innovations in car design including ground effects and turbocharged engines. Mario Andretti captured the 1978 championship driving a Lotus employing the new radical ground effect designs. During the 1980's, three drivers emerged as the best of Formula 1. Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna captured seven championships and Senna also captured the 1990 and 1991 championships. McClaren and Williams were clearly the dominant teams and Honda temporarily emerged as a leader in engine design.

After the stunning death of triple champion Aryton Senna, Michael Schumacher emerged as the premier Formula 1 driver, winning seven championships between 1994 and 2004. Mika Häkkinen managed to supplant Schumacher long enough to capture consecutive championships in 1998 and 1999. Honda, Toyota and BMW pulled out of the series by 2008 with Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault dominating as the premier engines in the series over the past decade. The reigning 2010 Formula 1 champion is Sebastian Vettel.