Betrayals, eternal loves, redemptions: who has raced the most GPs with the same team?
01/06/2025 09:19 AM
Between eternal loves and tormenting betrayals, here's who has raced the most GPs with the same team in F1. It's an intriguing statistic, with 24 drivers surpassing the milestone of 100 races in the same colors. This achievement has been reached six times by Ferrari drivers, who occupy two spots in the absolute Top 4. In first and second place, however, are two legends of our time.
The concept of a “flag bearer” is often associated with football or traditional team sports. It describes someone who, with commitment and unshakable loyalty, embodies and represents their team's identity, colors, or city. Based on this definition, we can also identify some “flag bearers” in Formula 1.
Looking through the history of F1, one might think of Jim Clark: the flying Scot, world champion in 1963 and 1965, who spent his entire Formula 1 career with Colin Chapman's Lotus, racing in 72 Grands Prix. And how can we forget Gilles Villeneuve, who, after a single race with McLaren, raced the following 66 under the banner of the Drake?
Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Max Verstappen: loves, betrayals, redemptions
With the lengthening of race calendars, it's no surprise to find many recent-era drivers at the top of this unique ranking. Leading the list is Lewis Hamilton: the new Ferrari driver is, in every sense, a flag bearer for Mercedes. He raced 246 Grands Prix with the Silver Arrows, rising to 356 if you include McLaren's Mercedes-powered years.
Behind the British champion is Max Verstappen, who has spent his entire career within the Red Bull family, starting from the Junior Team. He has competed in 186 races for the Milton Keynes-based team. In third place is Ferrari's symbolic driver, Michael Schumacher, the Kaiser, who raced 180 Grands Prix with the Prancing Horse. But he's not the only Ferrari driver to have surpassed 100 races.
In fourth place is Kimi Raikkonen, with 151 races in red between 2007 and 2009, and then between 2014 and 2018. Another Ferrari driver sits in seventh place: Felipe Massa, with 139 races for the Scuderia and a world championship dream that slipped away at the last moment. Charles Leclerc ranks 14th with 126 races, while other drivers with at least 100 races for Ferrari include Sebastian Vettel (118) and Rubens Barrichello (102).
Who has raced the most GPs with the same team? The Top 10:
– Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes – 246
– Max Verstappen, Red Bull – 186
– Michael Schumacher, Ferrari – 180
– Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari – 151
– David Coulthard, McLaren – 150
– Kevin Magnussen, Haas – 145
– Felipe Massa, Ferrari – 139
– Nico Rosberg, Mercedes – 136
– Jenson Button, McLaren – 136
– Jacques Laffite, Ligier – 132
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