My Top 10 Favourite F1 Drivers Ever!

This is the first in a little series covering a number of championships, so expect more bizarre opinions and contradiction over the coming weeks! Cutting down an initial list of 22 to 10, there's a number of drivers who I really like who haven't made it. However, for one reason or another, these 10 drivers stand out as my all-time favourites.

10. David Coulthard

My obligatory British driver through the 2000s, DC was probably the driver that set me on the path to being a Red Bull fan. Coulthard was always the bridesmaid, never the bride, backing up Damon Hill, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen in title battles, but a capable race winner in his own right and one of my favourites.

9. Mark Webber

Another Red Bull driver, another man who did his time backing up his teammate, Webber’s personality shown on and off track, as well as his underdog status against teammate Sebastian Vettel, made the Aussie one of the most likable drivers on the grid.

8. Felipe Massa

Another who never quite got that title, Massa was my favourite after his move to Ferrari in 2006. The Brazilian couldn’t have been closer to a title in 2008 and was never the same after a terrifying accident in 2009, but he still helped Williams to successful years in 2014 and 2015 before he retired and the team hit their decline.

7. Kamui Kobayashi

I like Japanese drivers, and Kobayashi is the first of two on the list. Kobayashi’s aggressive, fast or crash style in F1 was ridiculously entertaining. Now enjoying success in WEC, hopefully Kobayashi and his number seven Toyota team will taste success in the Championship and at Le Mans soon.

6. Lando Norris

I’ve left drivers such as Russell and Albon out due to them not being in F1 for long enough, however, I’ve made an exception here. Norris is a driver I’ve watched since his Ginetta Junior days and through F2 and now F1 he’s shone more and more on and off track. Whether streaming or driving, Norris is a character.

5. Niki Lauda

One of two on this list who haven’t driven in my lifetime, the straight talking Austrian was an intriguing man and one of the greatest of all time. Immortalised through stories and the film Rush, Lauda is greatly missed and will never be forgotten.

4. Takuma Sato

The second Japanese driver in my 10, and very much of the same mold as Kobayashi. Sato’s rapid pace and aggressive style was often his undoing but made him immensely entertaining to watch. An Indy 500 champion, Sato continues to light up the track in IndyCar.

3. Daniel Ricciardo

The only man stopping Sato from being the happiest man in motorsport, Ricciardo is known in the paddock and by fans for his smile, sense of humour and fun loving antics. One of the best currently on the grid, the late-braking master hasn’t had a car to match his talent at Renault, but his move to McLaren for 2021 could see him back on the podium, and not a moment too soon.

2. Max Verstappen

Straight talking, hot-headed, immensely fast, Verstappen is almost the Red Bull brand in a driver. I believe the Dutchman is the best driver currently on the grid, and he always entertains in the face of Mercedes dominance. Possibly the most marmite driver on the grid, it took a special man to keep Verstappen off the top of my favourites list.

Honourable Mentions:

First up are those who weren't or haven't yet been in the sport for long enough. Jaime Alguersuari and the late Jules Bianchi were personal favourites in the mid-2010s but weren't quite around enough to cement their place. As I eluded to earlier, George Russell and Alex Albon are two current favourites but not quite worthy of a spot just yet. Other current drivers who miss out are Carlos Sainz Jr., Kimi Raikkonen and Lance Stroll, I like them but they fall just short of favourite status.

Kazuki Nakajima was the closest to pushing DC out, possibly just beating out Kobayashi as my favourite WEC driver, I watched Kamui just a little bit more in F1, hence he made it over Kazuki. Robert Kubica, Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya round out the honourable mentions.

1. Ayrton Senna

Sadly gone before I was born, what Senna could still have achieved in the sport is scary to think about. As close to the perfect driver you’ll ever see, the Brazilian genius finished in the championship’s top three more times than he didn’t. In my opinion Senna is F1’s greatest of all time, and takes the number one spot here. The definition of legend.