Räikkönen jumped between a few teams after leaving Ferrari in 2009, even taking a temporary leave of absence from the sport altogether between 2010-11. 2007 progressed to see Räikkönen crowned world champion in Brazil, despite entering the final race in third place in the standings with the top three separated by just a single point. In his maiden season with the Scuderia after leaving McLaren, Räikkönen hit the ground running and became only the third driver in history to be crowned champion in their first season with the legendary Italian team.Īfter putting his Ferrari on pole, earning the fastest lap, and winning his first race for the team in Australia, Räikkönen was already keeping up with Ferrari’s reputation for dominance at the time. Officially the most experienced driver in F1 history, Kimi Räikkönen secured his one and only world championship triumph in 2007. Such speed for a new team was unheard of, but it provided Button with enough pace to win six of the opening seven races in 2009.ĭespite losing ground to Red Bull as the team’s development slowed, Button and Brawn held on to secure a double championship win at the penultimate grand prix in Brazil. They were proven wrong though, as Button and Brawn were 1.5 seconds quicker than the rest of the field in pre-season testing. Given the team’s infancy, their use of a double diffuser, and the late change to Mercedes power, nobody expected this newcomer team to be quick. Fortunately, team boss Ross Brawn swooped in at the eleventh hour and bought the remains of the former Honda team, creating Brawn GP. Jenson Button and his infamous Brawn BGP 001 stole all the headlines in 2009, from the start of the season to the very end.Īt the end of 2008, Honda officially pulled out of F1 due to the global financial crisis, a decision that threatened the future of their 700 Brackley-based staff. Arguably, with his natural talent and skill behind the wheel, he should have won many more titles, but it wasn’t meant to be. With a reputation such as his and the cult following he had, it’s easy to assume he won multiple world championships. With some truly legendary performances that have marked the history books, Mansell made a name for himself as one of the most iconic F1 drivers. He went on to enjoy his most prolific period across the following two seasons, winning 14 races and the 1992 F1 World Championship. After a successful first year with the Italian team, their signing of Frenchman Alain Prost appeared to unsettle the Brit, and after retiring from the lead of his home race, Mansell announced he would walk away from F1 at the end of the year.įortunately, Williams owner Frank Williams stepped in and convinced Mansell to re-join the team for 1991. Mansell had actually called time on his F1 career mart way through 1990 while racing for Ferrari. He is also one of two drivers to ever win a race in NASCAR, F1, and the Indianapolis 500, along with Juan Pablo Montoya.īritish motorsport legend Nigel Mansell might be misremembered for having won multiple world titles but, in fact, he only managed to win one. To this day, he remains the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and the F1 World Championship. He finished the season as champion with 64 points, 13 clear of title rival Ronnie PetersonĪfter an impressive 12-year career in F1, Andretti returned stateside in 1982. As one of the most successful Americans in motorsport history, it’s a small wonder he became F1 world champion in 1978.Īndretti had enormous success with Lotus in 1978, accumulating seven podiums throughout the season, six of which were race wins. Mario Andretti is currently the last American F1 driver to win a world championship. After winning the championship in Abu Dhabi, Rosberg shocked the F1 world just days later by announcing his plans to retire. In just nine races, he turned a nine-point deficit into a 12-point lead. When the season resumed at the Belgian Grand Prix, Rosberg’s form soared. This didn’t go unnoticed, and the team’s non-executive chairman Niki Lauda paid a visit to Rosberg’s house during the summer break to coach him back to peak performance. After a season-long battle with teammate and long-time rival Lewis Hamilton, during which he seemed to be cracking under pressure, Rosberg secured his first and only world title at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Īfter the Mercedes pair’s iconic clash at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg seemed to lose his confidence and surrendered the lead of the championship to Hamilton. Likely the most famous of all single-championship-winners is Nico Rosberg, the most recent winner on this list having triumphed in 2016. Here’s a look at 10 drivers who did so only once. In 71 years of competition, only 33 drivers have won it. Not every driver who competes in Formula 1 can be crowned world champion.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |