Grand Slam F1
Perhaps you've heard of it before: a Grand Slam in Formula 1. And no, achieving a Grand Slam doesn't mean that Lewis Hamilton is winning a tennis tournament. RacingNews365 will explain the meaning of the Grand Slam in detail.
What is a Grand Slam F1?
A Grand Slam is an unofficial title awarded to a driver after a race weekend when he or she:
- Starts the race from pole position
- Leads every racing lap
- Sets the fastest lap time
- Wins the Grand Prix
In short, to achieve a Grand Slam, also known as a Grand Chelem, a driver must be extremely dominant in both qualifying and the race.
F1 Hat-trick
A Grand Slam in Formula 1 is often confused with a Hat-trick. That makes sense, since they do not differ much from each other. For a Hat-trick, the driver must meet the following conditions:
- Starting from pole position;
- Setting the fastest race lap;
- Winning the Grand Prix.
What is the difference between a Hat-trick and a Grand Slam?
The only difference between a Hat-trick and a Grand Slam is that scoring a Hat-trick does not require you to have been in the lead for all race laps.
So to make it easy: a Grand Slam is always a Hat-trick, but a Hat-trick is not yet a Grand Slam. Easy, right?
Drivers with a Grand Slam to their name
To this day, only 26 drivers have managed to secure a Grand Slam. The first Formula 1 driver to achieve this feat was Argentinean Juan Manuel Fangio during the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix. Max Verstappen most recently scored a Grand Slam during the Spanish Grand Prix in 2023.
F1 driver with the most Grand Slams
When it comes to the most Grand Slams, the record holder is British driver Jim Clark. This Scottish driver claimed the prestigious title a remarkable eight times in just three years.
Consecutive Grand Slams in Formula 1
Only Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, and Sebastian Vettel have managed to score a Grand Slam in two consecutive race weekends. This occurred during the following events:
- German Grand Prix and Dutch Grand Prix (Ascari, 1952)
- Dutch Grand Prix and French Grand Prix (Clark, 1963)
- Singapore Grand Prix and Korean Grand Prix (Vettel, 2013).
All drivers with a Grand Slam in F1
| Name | Amount | Race(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Clark | 8 | 1962 British Grand Prix, 1963 Dutch Grand Prix, 1963 French Grand Prix, 1963 Mexican Grand Prix, 1964 British Grand Prix, 1965 South African Grand Prix, 1965 French Grand Prix, 1965 German Grand Prix |
| Lewis Hamilton | 6 | 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix, 2015 Italian Grand Prix, 2017 Chinese Grand Prix, 2017 Canadian Grand Prix, 2017 British Grand Prix, 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| Alberto Ascari | 5 | 1952 French Grand Prix, 1952 German Grand Prix, 1952 Dutch Grand Prix, 1953 Argentine Grand Prix, 1953 British Grand Prix |
| Michael Schumacher | 5 | 1994 Monaco Grand Prix, 1994 Canadian Grand Prix, 2002 Spanish Grand Prix, 2004 Australian Grand Prix, 2004 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Max Verstappen | 5 | 2021 Austrian Grand Prix, 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix |
| Jackie Stewart | 4 | 1969 French Grand Prix, 1971 Monaco Grand Prix, 1971 French Grand Prix, 1972 United States Grand Prix |
| Ayrton Senna | 4 | 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix, 1989 Spanish Grand Prix, 1990 Monaco Grand Prix, 1990 Italian Grand Prix |
| Nigel Mansell | 4 | 1991 British Grand Prix, 1992 South African Grand Prix, 1992 Spanish Grand Prix, 1992 British Grand Prix |
| Sebastian Vettel | 4 | 2011 Indian Grand Prix, 2012 Japanese Grand Prix, 2013 Singapore Grand Prix, 2013 Korean Grand Prix |
| Nelson Piquet | 3 | 1980 United States Grand Prix West, 1981 Argentine Grand Prix, 1984 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 2 | 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, 1956 German Grand Prix |
| Jack Brabham | 2 | 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, 1966 British Grand Prix |
| Mika Hakkinen | 2 | 1998 Brazilian Grand Prix, 1998 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Nico Rosberg | 2 | 2016 Russian Grand Prix, 2016 European Grand Prix |
| Mike Hawthorn | 1 | 1958 French Grand Prix |
| Stirling Moss | 1 | 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix |
| Jo Siffert | 1 | 1971 Austrian Grand Prix |
| Jacky Ickx | 1 | 1972 German Grand Prix |
| Clay Regazzoni | 1 | 1976 United States Grand Prix West |
| Niki Lauda | 1 | 1976 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Jacques Laffite | 1 | 1979 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Gilles Villeneuve | 1 | 1979 United States Grand Prix West |
| Gerhard Berger | 1 | 1987 Australian Grand Prix |
| Damon Hill | 1 | 1995 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Fernando Alonso | 1 | 2010 Singapore Grand Prix |
| Charles Leclerc | 1 | 2022 Australian Grand Prix |
Grand Slam
The Grand Slam is not only relevant in Formula 1. The term is used in numerous sports, including the Grand Slam of Darts, the Grand Slam in tennis, and the Grand Slam in baseball.
What is a Grand Slam in F1?
Did Verstappen get a Grand Slam?
How many Grand Slams does Lewis Hamilton have?
What is a Grand Slam in racing?
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