Since the inception of the Formula One World Championship, over 250 drivers have competed for the title. So what makes a great driver? Someone who can make those title aspirations come true? Generally speaking, the same qualities that make any great sportsperson will apply - excellent physical and mental fitness, great reflexes and hand-eye coordination, and a highly competitive spirit and attitude. There are, however, a number of other factors which contribute to a successful title bid, such as:

• Great management - Driving ability alone will not guarantee a seat in the Championship. It is up to the agents to get their client drivers the best deal in terms of team quality.

• The right equipment - Or at least the means to find it. It is natural to want to drive with the best car available, but if that is not possible the next best thing is to find a team with the greatest potential for improvement and work with what they can provide.

• A great team - An obvious element, but the combination of engineers, pit crew, tactical analysts and management all have to work well together as well as they do in their individual fields.

Below are just some of the people who possessed these factors and were able to turn them into success.

A selection of the Greatest Formula One Drivers...

Juan Manuel Fangio

The first superstar of Formula One, Fangio dominated the Championship in the 1950s. Between 1951 and 1957, he won the World title five times, driving for four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Ferrari and Maserati). He retired in 1958, but continued to act as an ambassador for the sport for many years.

Graham and Damon Hill

The only father-and-son combination to both be World Champion, Graham in 1962 and 1968, Damon with the Williams team in 1996. A member of a select club of two-time Champions also including Jim Clark, Alberto Ascari, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mika Hakkinen, Graham was the first man to complete the treble of F1 World Championship, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans victories, before his untimely death in a 1975 light aircraft crash. Damon had success in motorcycle racing before switching to cars - he retired a year after his winning season, and now runs businesses connected with motor racing.

Niki Lauda

One of the handful of three-time Championship winners - only Fangio, Prost, Schumacher, Piquet, Ayrton Senna, Jack Brabham and Jackie Stewart have equalled or bettered this feat. Austrian-born Lauda's F1 career ran from 1972 to 1985. His defining season came in 1976, following his first Championship), he returned from a devastating crash, scarred badly yet only missing two races to finish runner-up for the season by only a single point. Two of his title successes were with Ferrari, the other with McLaren in 1984, with whom he worked closely until the 2001 season when he switched to Jaguar.

Nigel Mansell

Mansell's Formula One career had lasted 12 years before he finally captured the Championship in 1992. After attempts in Lotus and Ferrari cars, it was with Williams that success was achieved. The two years following his triumph were spent racing Indy Cars, winning that Championship at the first attempt. He made a brief comeback to Formula One before retiring in 1995. Since then, he has competed in other motor sports such as touring cars.

Nelson Piquet

A veteran of karting and sports car racing before entering F1, the Brazilian enjoyed a 13-year career at the top level. He had two Championship wins with Brabham in 1980 and 1983, and added a third with Williams in 1987. He also raced for Ensign (who gave him his first drive) and Benetton.

Alain Prost

France's most successful racing driver took the F1 crown on no less than four occasions, three times with McLaren, and once with Williams in 1993, his final season. Prost gained a reputation for being outspoken, one of his favourite subjects being his rival, and one-time teammate, Ayrton Senna. After 12 years of racing, he moved into team management by buying the Ligier team in 1997 which was subsequently renamed after him.

Michael Schumacher

Arguably one of the greatest ever F1 drivers, German-born Schumacher claimed his third Championship in 2000, ending Ferrari's 20-year title drought. His first two Driver's title wins came back-to-back when he drove for the Benetton team in 1994 and 1995. Initially a kart racer, Schumacher competed in sports cars, and Formula Three, and raced once for the Jordan team before gaining his Benetton seat in 1991. Although it took five years at Ferrari to finally gain another Driver's crown, he has in the process closed in on a number of all-time F1 records, including most individual Grand Prix wins.

Jacques Villeneuve

Canadian Villeneuve followed his father Gilles into Formula 1 in 1996 after a successful run in Indy Cars ¹. The move almost paid dividends immediately as he finished a close runner-up in the title race to his Williams teammate Damon Hill. He was not to be denied a second time, as he fought hard with Michael Schumacher to claim the Driver's Championship in the final race of the 1997 season. That remains, to date, his only title success, as he subsequently moved to the newly-formed British American Racing (BAR) team and put his energies into making them competitive at the top level.

World Champions

The modern era of Formula One is considered to have begun in 1950 with the holding of the first World Championship organised since a failed attempt at a championship in the 1920s. The drivers' title has been contested every year since then and in 1958 a Constructors' Championship was added for the teams and engine builders. This list is current through the 2002 season.

Manufacturers

Engines

Grand Prix Winners

Below are tables listing the Grand Prix wins by driver, manufacturer and engine during the modern era which began with the 1950 season. Where the number of wins are the same, the victors are listed in alphabetical order. Lists are current through the 2002 season.

Drivers

Manufacturers

Engines

NB: * = Winner of the Indianapolis 500 from 1950 to 1960 inclusive. During these years the Indy 500 was considered to be a World Championship event, contributing points towards Formula One.

Pole Positions

Below are lists for the winners of at least one pole position for a Formula One event. Lists are sorted by driver, manufacturer, and engine, for convenience. As before, the statistics are current through the 2002 season.

Drivers

Manufacturers

Engines

NB: * = Again, denotes a Pole Position winner at the Indianapolis 500 from 1950 to 1960 inclusive.

Fastest Laps

Below are lists for the drivers who have captured the fastest lap for at least one Formula One event. Lists are sorted by driver, manufacturer, and engine for convenience. The statistics are current through the 2002 season.

Drivers

Manufacturers

Engines

NB: * = Fastest lap at the Indianapolis 500 from 1950 to 1960 inclusive.