Other meanings of Formula One World Drivers' Championship
Motorsport
The Formula One World Drivers' Championship is the premier international single-seater racing series, organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It awards an annual title to the most successful driver over a season of Grand Prix races. The championship has been contested since 1950, with 34 different drivers having won the title. The current champion is Max Verstappen, who secured his fourth consecutive title in 2024.
The championship was established in 1950, with the first race held at Silverstone, United Kingdom. The title is awarded based on points accumulated over a season, with the current points system rewarding the top ten finishers (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1) plus a bonus point for the fastest lap. The format has evolved significantly, from a single race in 1950 to a 24-race calendar in 2024. The championship is open to drivers competing for teams that meet FIA technical and sporting regulations.
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton hold the record for most titles, each with seven. Juan Manuel Fangio won five titles in the 1950s, a record that stood for decades. Other multiple champions include Alain Prost (4), Sebastian Vettel (4), and Max Verstappen (4). The youngest champion is Sebastian Vettel, who won in 2010 at age 23. The oldest is Juan Manuel Fangio, who was 46 when he won his last title in 1957. Only two women have ever entered a Grand Prix weekend, with Lella Lombardi scoring half a point in 1975, the only female points scorer.
The points system has changed multiple times to reflect the sport's growth. In 1950, points were awarded to the top five (8-6-4-3-2) with a bonus point for fastest lap. The system was revised in 1961, 1991, 2003, and 2010, with the current system introduced in 2010 and modified in 2019 to include a fastest-lap bonus. The 1950s also saw a rule where drivers could only count their best four results, which was later abolished. The current system rewards consistency, as seen in 2024 when Verstappen won despite not winning every race.
Several obscure facts enrich the championship's history. In 1952 and 1953, the championship was run to Formula Two regulations due to a lack of Formula One cars. The 1950 championship included the Indianapolis 500, which was part of the calendar but rarely contested by European drivers. The 1964 season ended with a dramatic finale where John Surtees won the title by one point, despite his teammate Graham Hill leading the race. Surtees remains the only person to have won world championships on both two wheels and four. The 1976 season saw Niki Lauda survive a fiery crash and return to finish second in the championship. The 1984 season was decided by half a point, with Lauda beating Prost by the smallest margin in history. The 2021 season ended with a controversial last-lap decision that gave Verstappen his first title.
The championship is distinct from the Constructors' Championship, which is awarded to the most successful team.
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