Formula One has never been more popular than it is at present. The owners of the elite motor-racing league, Liberty Media, have finally managed to crack the US market after what feels like decades of trying with the assistance of Netflix. The streaming giant has created a docuseries named Drive to Survive, which has shown Formula One in a light never before seen, and it seems to have worked a treat for those stateside.
The reality TV-style nature of the show was clearly designed to engage Americans, and that is exactly what has happened. As such, an unprecedented three Grand Prix will take place in the Land of the Free this season, with Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas all hosting races. It marks a stark contrast from the late 2000s when the sport didn't hold a single race in the country for half a decade.
But while Formula One is currently riding the crest of a wave, who are the drivers that have owned the sport over the years? Well, the current dominant driver is Max Verstappen. The Flying Dutchman is the reigning back-to-back world champion, and he is well on course for his third straight crown. In fact, he is in such a dominant position that online bookmakers aren't even offering F1 season odds on him, such has been his dominance. He has won all but ten races across the last two years, and further victories look set to follow.
Super Max will even feature on this list, a fact made even more impressive considering he is just 25 years of age. But with that being said, which drivers have won the most Formula One Grand Prix over the years? Let's take a look.
Lewis Hamilton - 103 Grand Prix Victories
Standing alone at the top of the mountain is the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, with a total of 103 Grand Prix wins throughout his storied 16-year career. His maiden victory came in his rookie year back in 2007 when he picked up the win at the Canadian Grand Prix. A whopping 102 more victories have followed in the nearly two decades since, victories which have led him to seven world championships and a plethora of other records.
He may very well have had a record-breaking eighth world title under his belt as well, had it not been for the controversial decision-making of race director Michael Masi back in 2021. His decision to only allow certain lapped cars to unlap themselves cost him his job and handed Max Verstappen the world championship in that season-defining race, and Hamilton never recovered. He is currently without a victory in 38 races in a baron spell that spans almost two years.
Michael Schumacher - 91 Grand Prix Victories
Next on our list is Michael Schumacher, who retired with 91 Grand Prix wins. The German maestro was the first driver to win seven world championships - a number that was eventually matched by the aforementioned Hamilton - and many consider him the greatest driver of all time. He led Ferrari back to its former glories at the turn of the millennium, winning five start world titles in the early 2000s. He was eventually caught at the front of the grid by up-and-comers such as Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, but not before he amassed a whopping 91 race victories, the last of which came at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel - 53 Grand Prix Victories
Following Schumacher is Sebastian Vettel, a four-time world champion with 53 Grand Prix wins under his belt. Vettel claimed his first world championship in dramatic circumstances at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He entered the race as the ranked outsider for glory in a four-way battle between himself, his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
Following poor strategic decisions from the pit wall, Webber and Alonso's title challenges faded, allowing Vettel to romp to glory, and he wouldn't look back. He would win the next three world championships on the spin, with the 2011 and 2013 campaigns being particularly impressive. He would make the switch to Ferrari in 2015 and battle it out with Hamilton for two further titles however, it was the British star who came out on top.
Alain Prost - 51 Grand Prix Victories
Fourth on the list is Alain Prost, the French driver who was a four-time world champion with 51 Grand Prix wins. Prost's driving style was unique - not relying on outright speed but placing emphasis on strategy and precision. It is this style that led him to success, with his calm and calculated approach often banding him rewards, particularly in the latter phase of his career while driving for Williams.
Max Verstappen - 47 Grand Prix Victories
Finally, we have Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver who has taken Formula One by storm. The Flying Dutchman is still just 25 years of age however, he is on course for his third straight world championship. For many years he was considered a prodigy, breaking records and amassing some 16 wins by the end of his first championship-winning season in 2021. He has been on a warpath since, smashing everyone in front of him and his stranglehold on the sport doesn't look set to end any time soon.