The history of Formula 1 racing is studded with the tales of legendary drivers, their iconic victories, and the indelible marks they’ve left on the sport. Among the current drivers, three World Champions have etched their names into the annals of F1 history, standing amongst the top five highest-scoring drivers of all time.
The modern-day scoring system, implemented in 2010, has significantly influenced the ranking of all-time point scorers. Previously, the winner was awarded 10 points, but the revised system increased this to 25, inevitably skewing the rankings towards recency. Furthermore, the current system rewards all top 10 finishers, bestows points for the fastest lap, and Sprint races, thereby further benefiting the current crop of drivers.
The Ferrari prodigy, Charles Leclerc, who started his F1 journey with Sauber in 2018, has been a consistent scorer. His recent win at the United States Grand Prix in the 2024 season pushed him into the all-time top 10, overtaking Daniel Ricciardo. As he gears up for another season with Ferrari, his position is expected to rise further.
The legendary Michael Schumacher, a seven-time World Champion, is often considered the greatest F1 driver of all time. However, his position in the all-time points ranking doesn’t do his illustrious career justice. He raced during a time when the older points system was in place, which resulted in a lower points total. Notably, had Schumacher raced under the modern-day system, his points tally would be an impressive 4,660.2, second only to Lewis Hamilton.
Nico Rosberg, who spent the majority of his career under the revised points system, comfortably sits in the top 10. Despite retiring early, his career points total of 1594.5 even surpasses Schumacher’s 1566. This stark contrast underscores the impact the 2010 points system revision had on the rankings.
Sergio Perez, who debuted a year after the points system overhaul, has also moved ahead of Schumacher and is expected to climb up the ranks with continued strong performances. Similarly, Valtteri Bottas, who took over from Rosberg at Mercedes in 2017, aims to close the gap with his compatriots in the top five.
Kimi Raikkonen, who recently retired, had his career bifurcated between the old and new points systems. Despite this, he amassed a total of 1873 points. If his career had entirely coincided with the revised points system, he would have finished with a whopping 3,043 points.
Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, who have their careers neatly divided between the two points systems, are fourth and third on the all-time list, respectively. Alonso’s competitive Aston Martin and Verstappen’s dominant Red Bull are expected to add more to their tallies.
Sebastian Vettel, a four-time World Champion, stands second in the all-time rankings with 3098 points. His points haul could potentially increase if he decides to return to racing.
Unsurprisingly, the top spot is held by the formidable Lewis Hamilton. With a career spanning the higher-points system era and a consistently front-running car, Hamilton’s flawless consistency and knack for maximizing results have made him the highest points scorer in F1 history with a staggering 4862.5 points. His unparalleled dominance and lack of self-inflicted errors have set him apart in the annals of F1 history.
