Another Best-of-all-time ranking for the Formula 1 Drivers Championship. The ranking awards points for wins, poles and podiums.

The score is adjusted with a C-factor* allowing a fair comparison between drivers from different decades. 

*See "Criteria" below

1) Hamilton (7) has dropped from his best position in 2021 (5) and is gradually approaching Moss (8). 

2) Verstappen's (12) meteoric rise brings him close to the Top 10, but by mid-season 2024 his winning streak comes to a halt.

3) Alonso dropped from 40th to 44th. He is punished by the OneFormula model for changing to  a second tier team in his twilight years. The same happened to Vettel.

4) Piastri is the rising star; Russell and Sainz swapping positions during the entire season 2024.

The ranking is different from most other rankings:

1. Percentages

Percentages are used instead of absolute numbers. Drivers who are active longer than others will not automatically rank higher. 

This is a Best-of-all-time, not a Longer-of-all-time ranking.

2. Points
Points are awarded for 

1. Wins

2. Poles 

3. Podiums*

*Second and third place only

Weighting factors are applied:

• Wins  - factor 3

• Poles  - factor 2

• Podiums  - factor 1

3. DNF's

F1 is a technical sport where cars have a dominant share in the outcome. If you want to produce a credible ranking for a Drivers Championship, technical DNFs* should be kept out of the equation; driver related DNF's not.  

That is why percentages of wins, poles and podiums are calculated over a driver's total Grands Prix minus the ones in which he did not finish due to team- or car related DNFs.

*Did not finish

The graph below shows how important this is for a Driver ranking: in the 60s, almost 50% of all cars did not make it to the finish because of technical DNFs:

4. Competition

"You can't compare the first decades of Formula 1 with today: competition was less in the 50s and 60s". 

This is a widespread myth. Let us have a closer look at the levels of competition
-C-levels- for all seasons in Formula 1:

OneFormula uses a tool that defines the level of competition a driver has faced in his career:
the C-factor.

With it, drivers from different decades can be compared with each other in a correct way.

If the average of C-levels within a driver's career years is higher than the average of all C-levels from 1950-2024, the C-factor is > 1. Same applies for the opposite.

Consequently, a driver's score will be adjusted accordingly.

Examples of high and low
C-factors are: 

If you are interested in the calculation methods for the C-levels, please go to the full version of this blog. If not, continue reading here.

This brings us to the final formula:

ds = (3wi + 2pp + 1pd) x cf

ds = driver score

wi = % wins

pp = % pole positions

pd = % podiums

cf = c-factor

You may also be interested in a format to make F1 races attractive again: OneFormula

• formula1points.com offers an interesting approach, whereby visitors can select from a number of criteria and their weighting factors. Based on the selection, the site produces a ranking. Using the same criteria and weighting factors, the ranking appears similar to the OneFormula ranking   

• Stats F1 is used as the preferred database for the OneFormula model.

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