Formula 1 drivers, by and large, are the best of the best. After all, you don't get a seat on the world's most exclusive grid until you've first won a ton of silverware, right?
In reality, the road to F1 is far more complex than that. Generally, the best do rise to the top, but as we will demonstrate, that isn't always the case. There are plenty of drivers among the class of 2021 that haven't tasted a championship win for many years. As you will later see, one driver hasn't won a title of any description.
The table below demonstrates the true reality of being a Formula 1 driver. Unless you are Lewis Hamilton, or you have just entered the sport as a champion of a junior series, your wait for ultimate glory could be very long indeed. For instance, even the great Max Verstappen hasn't won a series since his karting days.
The table below shows each F1 driver's last championship win, and which series it was achieved in.
| Driver | Series Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | Formula 1 | 2020 |
| Schumacher | Formula 2 | 2020 |
| Alonso | WEC | 2019 |
| Tsunoda | Formula 4 | 2018 |
| Russell | Russell | 2018 |
| Leclerc | Formula 2 | 2017 |
| Norris | Formula 3 | 2017 |
| Gasly | GP2 | 2016 |
| Stroll | Formula 3 | 2016 |
| Ocon | GP3 | 2015 |
| Giovinazzi | Formula 3 | 2015 |
| Sainz | Formula Renault 3.5 | 2014 |
| Vettel | Formula 1 | 2013 |
| Verstappen | Karting | 2013 |
| Latifi | Karting | 2012 |
| Bottas | Formula 3 | 2011 |
| Ricciardo | Formula 3 | 2009 |
| Raikkonen | Formula 1 | 2007 |
| Perez | Formula 3 | 2007 |
| Mazepin | - | - |
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