Don't bother looking for Raikkonen and Piquet - they missed the event
The Bahrain Grand Prix organisers brought together 18 of the 20 living F1 champions for a special event to mark the 60th anniversary of the world championship last weekend.
Between them these 18 drivers won 36 world titles and 391 races – that’s almost half the 821 F1 championship races since 1950.
The oldest of the living champions is Australian Sir Jack Brabham. He won the first of his three world championships in 1959, then aged 33. Now 83, and not in great health, he still made it to Bahrain for the event – which is more than can be said for some of the younger successors to his crown.
Four of the 18 are still racing in F1 and may yet add to their successes. They’re in impressive company, as the record of their achievements below shows (click the drivers’ names for their biographies):
Name Champion in Wins Poles F’laps Starts Alain Prost 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993 51 33 41 199 Alan Jones 1980 12 6 13 116 Nigel Mansell 1992 31 32 30 187 Mika Hakkinen 1998, 1999 20 26 25 161 Jacques Villeneuve 1997 11 13 9 163 Keke Rosberg 1982 5 5 3 114 Jody Scheckter 1979 10 3 5 111 Michael Schumacher 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 91 68 76 249 Damon Hill 1996 22 20 19 115 Fernando Alonso 2005, 2006 22 18 14 139 Jenson Button 2009 7 7 2 171 Niki Lauda 1975, 1977, 1984 25 24 24 171 Mario Andretti 1978 12 18 10 128 Jack Brabham 1959, 1960, 1966 14 13 14 126 Jackie Stewart 1969, 1971, 1973 27 17 15 99 John Surtees 1964 6 8 10 111 Emerson Fittipaldi 1972, 1974 14 6 6 144 Lewis Hamilton 2008 11 17 3 53 Total 36 391 334 317 2,557Two former champions were missing from the party. Nelson Piquet (three championships, 23 wins, 24 pole positions and 23 fastest laps) probably stayed away due to the fall-out from the Singapore 2008 controversy.
It’s not clear why Kimi Räikkönen (one championship, 18 wins, 16 pole positions and 35 fastest laps) didn’t go. He switched from F1 to the World Rally Championship this year but he wasn’t at a rally last weekend.
The remaining champions have all passed away. They are Giuseppe Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, James Hunt and Ayrton Senna.
F1’s greats in Bahrain – PicturesThe 18 champions are pictures below with Bernie Ecclestone, FIA president Jean Todt and Todt’s partner Michelle Yeoh:
Back: Alain Prost, Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell, Mika Hakkinen, Jacques Villeneuve, Keke Rosberg, Jody Scheckter, Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill. Front: Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Niki Lauda, Bernie Ecclestone, Mario Andretti, Jeat Todt, Michelle Yeoh, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, Emerson Fittipaldi, Lewis Hamilton
Here are the 18 drivers plus the rest of the 2010 F1 drivers:
F1's former champions plus the 2010 F1 drivers
Original Story:
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