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.

Download f1 world champion 1978