These are America’s five F1 race winners

America’s home motorsport scene is without doubt one of the strongest on this planet, which maybe explains why so few drivers from the US have made a huge impact in Method 1. It pays to remain at house.

With rising American curiosity in grand prix racing, that would change within the years to come back however – as of 2026 – simply 5 American drivers have gained a world championship F1 race.

We’re excluding the wonderful winners of the Indianapolis 500, which counted for the world championship between 1950-60 however had virtually no crossover (and largely totally different equipment) with the remainder of the F1 calendar.

So, listed here are the well-known 5 that did crack F1 at the very least as soon as…

Richie Ginther

Wins: 1
Begins: 52
Greatest championship place: third (1963)

A wonderful take a look at driver with good mechanical sympathy, Richie Ginther helped Ferrari and BRM win constructors’ titles within the early Nineteen Sixties.

Following success in American sportscar racing, Ginther was inspired to go to Europe by buddy Phil Hill. Ginther scored a podium in simply his second world championship begin, ending runner-up to Stirling Moss within the 1961 Monaco GP after a efficiency Ginther would later choose because the race of his life.

Though hardly ever a match for team-mates Hill and Wolfgang Von Trips, Ginther added one other couple of podiums as Ferrari dominated the season. He then joined BRM for 1962 and supported Graham Hill’s title problem, enjoying his half in a 1-2 at Monza.

Given the unreliability of the time, Ginther’s 1963 marketing campaign was exceptional and he scored factors in all however two rounds. That was sufficient for third within the factors, behind solely runaway champion Jim Clark and Graham Hill, and forward of race winner and Ferrari workforce chief John Surtees.

Private points hampered Ginther’s 1964 season, however he nonetheless scored two podiums and completed fifth within the desk earlier than becoming a member of the fledgling Honda operation. As soon as once more, Ginther’s expertise and onerous work bore fruit and this time he bought to reap the rewards, taking his one and solely world championship victory within the 1965 Mexican finale.

There have been only sporadic outings thereafter as Ginther focused on other things, together with workforce administration, however his tally of 14 podiums has solely been surpassed by three different Individuals.

Peter Revson

Peter Revson, McLaren M19C Ford

Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs

Wins: 2
Begins: 30
Greatest championship place: fifth (1972, 1973)

Peter Revson’s preliminary foray into F1 as a 25-year-old in 1964 was unsuccessful, however issues had been totally different the second time round. Having constructed his expertise and standing in America, Revson gained the 1971 Can-Am title and certified on pole for that yr’s Indy 500, each with McLaren.

He joined the workforce’s F1 squad for 1972, alongside Denny Hulme. Revson took pole for the Canadian GP within the M19C and scored 4 podiums on his method to fifth within the factors, two spots behind 1967 world champion Hulme.

Crushed solely by one in all Jackie Stewart’s biggest drives within the 1973 South African GP, Revson then bought to drive Gordon Coppuck’s good M23. It was on this automotive that Revson would take his two world championship successes.

Revson, who had certified on the entrance row with the identical time as team-mate Hulme, prevented the mayhem brought on by Jody Scheckter on the British GP. Revson battled the Lotuses of Emerson Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson after the restart and took the lead on lap 39 of 67 earlier than happening to win by 2.8 seconds, with Hulme on Peterson’s tail in third.

Revson once more certified on the entrance row in Canada (forward of fellow M23 driver Scheckter). He initially fell again in a moist race however held his nerve amid a chaotic occasion, which included F1’s first use of a tempo/security automotive, to take victory – as soon as there’d been an investigation to verify Fittipaldi hadn’t gained!

Revson once more completed the yr fifth within the standings, however this time he was forward of Hulme. He was coming of age as an F1 driver.

Revson joined Shadow for 1974 and confirmed flashes of tempo within the DN3 earlier than a front-suspension failure in testing pitched him off at Kyalami. Revson, who had began simply 30 world championship F1 races, was killed and America misplaced one in all its most promising drivers.

Phil Hill

Phil Hill, Ferrari 156

Photograph by: David Phipps

Wins: 3
Begins: 49
Titles: 1 (1961)

Hill was the primary American to style success on this planet championship. After a one-off outing for Maserati, Hill joined Ferrari and instantly helped team-mate Mike Hawthorn win the drivers’ title by stepping apart on the Moroccan GP finale.

Having performed second fiddle to Tony Brooks in 1959, Hill grew to become the primary American to win a world championship GP on the 1960 Italian race, albeit on a day the main British groups boycotted attributable to the usage of the infamous Monza banking.

Higher issues had been to come back in 1961. Armed with Ferrari’s 156 ‘Sharknose’ that set the tempo at the beginning of the 1500cc period, Hill battled team-mate von Journeys for the crown. Having taken 5 podiums from six races, together with heading a Ferrari 1-2-3-4 at Spa, Hill went to the penultimate round at Monza 4 factors behind two-time winner von Journeys.

When von Journeys was killed in a crash that additionally took the lives of 15 spectators and Hill gained, the 34-year-old grew to become America’s first world champion in tragic circumstances. And with each titles wrapped up, Ferrari missed the season finale at Watkins Glen, so the newly topped champion didn’t get to compete in entrance of his house crowd.

Already a sportscar star, Hill had also won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1961 and added a 3rd success within the French basic the next yr. However in F1 phrases, issues went downhill rapidly.

Ferrari was quickly caught and overcome by Lotus and BRM, although Hill managed three podiums at the beginning of 1962. He then joined the Ferrari walkout to drive for the disastrous ATS operation and a season with Cooper in 1964 yielded only a single level.

Hill’s time in F1 was subsequently transient, however he took his one probability to scoop the largest prize.

Dan Gurney

Dan Gurney

Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs

Wins: 4
Begins: 86
Greatest championship place: 4th (1961, 1965)

Absolutely ok to be a world champion, Dan Gurney was by no means fairly in the fitting place on the proper time, however he did win F1 races for 3 totally different groups.

One other to impress in sportscars earlier than breaking into F1, Gurney took two podiums in his first three world championship outings with Ferrari in 1959. His 1960 marketing campaign with BRM was disastrously unreliable, however consistency with Porsche in 1961 helped Gurney internet fourth within the factors. He additionally practically gained the French GP, being outpowered by Giancarlo Baghetti’s Ferrari on the run to the road at Reims.

Gurney lastly bought his breakthrough win on the 1962 French GP, which was additionally Porsche’s first world championship success, and added a third place in the epic German GP at the Nurburgring following a race-long battle with Graham Hill and Surtees.

Gurney joined Brabham for 1963 and rapidly demonstrated he was faster than workforce boss Jack Brabham, earlier than giving the squad its first world championship win within the 1964 French GP. Gurney ought to have been a title contender within the BT7 however poor luck – corresponding to working out of gasoline whereas dominating at Spa – restricted him to 2 victories and sixth within the standings.

Gurney scored 5 podiums on his method to fourth in 1965 and will have gotten his arms on the Brabham-Repco that may win two title doubles throughout 1966-67 had he not left to arrange his personal operation.

Anglo American Racers actually made an impression with its distinctive Eagles. Reliability was suspect however Gurney famously gained the 1967 Belgian GP at Spa, only a week after taking victory (and spraying champagne) at Le Mans with AJ Foyt and Ford.

The AAR F1 venture got here to an finish in 1968 and Gurney solely made a handful of begins earlier than retiring in 1970, however his impression continued as a workforce boss and main participant in motorsport for many years.

Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti, Lotus 79 Ford

Photograph by: Motorsport Photographs

Wins: 12
Begins: 128
Titles: 1 (1978)

One of many biggest racing drivers ever, Italian-born Mario Andretti is by far essentially the most profitable American in F1 historical past to this point.

The USAC IndyCar star took pole for his first world championship GP at Watkin Glen in 1968 and secured victory on his Ferrari debut on the 1971 South African GP. But it surely was when he joined forces with Lotus boss Colin Chapman for a full-scale F1 assault that Andretti actually made his mark.

Andretti had been a part of the Parnelli outfit, which had abruptly pulled out of F1 early in 1976 attributable to an absence of funding. On the similar time, Lotus was within the doldrums and Chapman’s squad was on the lookout for a lift.

Andretti toiled away with the Lotus 77, profitable the 1976 Japanese GP finale, whereas the workforce developed floor impact. Andretti and the Lotus 78 was the quickest mixture of 1977 however unreliability – often with the event Cosworth DFV engines – restricted Andretti to ‘solely’ 4 wins and third within the standings.

There was no stopping Andretti and Lotus in 1978, although. He gained the Argentinian GP opener and took second at Lengthy Seashore with the 78 earlier than getting his arms on the elegant 79 from spherical six in Belgium.

At Zolder, Andretti took pole by 0.79s and led each lap, whereas team-mate Peterson completed second within the ‘previous’ 78.

Thereafter, Andretti and Peterson, now additionally driving the 79, tended to set the tempo wherever they went. Andretti gained each race he completed, other than at Monza (when he gained on the highway however bought a penalty for a jump-start) and Montreal (early conflict). His sixth spot within the Italian GP was sufficient to safe the title with two rounds to go, however his pleasure was misplaced when Peterson died unexpectedly after being concerned in a multi-car begin crash.

Lotus rapidly misplaced its benefit and Andretti by no means gained one other GP, however there was nonetheless another F1 spotlight. Known as as much as drive for Ferrari, which was nonetheless reeling from the demise of Gilles Villeneuve and severe crash for Didier Pironi, Andretti certified on pole for the Italian GP.

A sticking throttle restricted him to 3rd – his nineteenth F1 podium – however Andretti had already performed simply sufficient to be considered an all-time legend.

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– The Motorsport.com Group