15 best American F1 drivers ever ranked: USA representatives on the global track
American F1 drivers have played a pivotal role in the sport’s global narrative, even if their numbers remain few. Some of the best American F1 drivers include Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill and Peter Revson. While the F1 grid lacks a consistent U.S. presence today, these drivers helped carve America’s legacy in Formula 1.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Mario Andretti remains the last American to win an F1 Grand Prix.
- Phil Hill and Andretti are the only American F1 World Champions.
- Eddie Cheever made more F1 starts than any other American driver.
- Richie Ginther's win helped Honda become a serious F1 contender.
- Logan Sargeant is the latest full-time American driver in F1.
15 best American F1 drivers
In compiling the list of the best American F1 drivers, we used verified statistics, historical achievements, and performance data as of 2024. Our selections are informed by trusted motorsport sources, including Planet F1, Formula 1, and the RacingNews365. This ranking was based on wins, podiums, and the drivers’ overal influence in F1 competition.
| Rank | Driver name | Career points | Notable achievements |
| 1 | Mario Andretti | 180 | The only American F1 World Champion in the modern F1 era (1978). |
| 2 | Dan Gurney | 86 | First driver to win in F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, and sports cars. |
| 3 | Phil Hill | 98 | First American-born F1 World Champion (1961). |
| 4 | Peter Revson | 38 | Won two F1 Grands Prix and was a rising American talent. |
| 5 | Richie Ginther | 107 | Delivered Honda’s first F1 win at the 1965 Mexican GP. |
| 6 | Mark Donohue | 8 | Won the 1975 Austrian GP in Penske’s first F1 victory. |
| 7 | Eddie Cheever | 70 | Holds the record for most F1 starts by an American (132). |
| 8 | Masten Gregory | 14 | First American to podium in his debut F1 race. |
| 9 | George Follmer | 1 | Scored a point on his F1 debut in 1973. |
| 10 | Harry Schell | 8 | First American to officially start a World Championship GP. |
| 11 | Bob Bondurant | 0 | Competed in 9 F1 races and later founded a racing school. |
| 12 | Jim Rathmann | 0 | Finished 2nd in the 1957 Indy 500, counted in F1 at the time. |
| 13 | Tony Bettenhausen | 0 | Competed in multiple Indy 500s during F1’s early years. |
| 14 | Parnelli Jones | 0 | Led laps in the 1967 Indy 500 while his turbine car ran. |
| 15 | Sam Hanks | 0 | Won the 1957 Indy 500, part of F1’s calendar back then. |
15. Sam Hanks
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- Full name: Samuel Dwight Hanks
- Date of birth: 13 July 1914
- Place of birth: Columbus, Ohio
- Wins: 1
- Podiums: 4
- Career points: 20
Sam Hanks’ F1 record also comes from his Indianapolis 500 appearances (1950–1957). He competed in 8 World Championship events and earned 4 podiums with 20 points.
Hanks’s greatest achievement was winning the 1957 Indianapolis 500, giving him his sole “Formula 1” victory. The 1957 Indy 500 was the last race of his career. He also won numerous AAA/USAC stock car and dirt track titles.
14. Parnelli Jones
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- Full name: Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones
- Date of birth: 12 August 1933
- Place of birth: Texarkana, Arkansas
Parnelli Jones did not score any World Championship points as a driver, since his only races (the 1967 Indy 500 and 1970s team ownership) fell outside the championship. He is far more famous for his IndyCar and Trans-Am career.
Notably, the racing driver won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 and also won consecutive Baja 1000 desert races. In F1 lore, he founded the Vel's Parnelli Jones team that entered F1 in 1974/75.
13. Tony Bettenhausen
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- Full name: Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen
- Date of birth: 12 September 1916
- Place of birth: Tinley Park, Illinois
- Podiums: 1
- Career points: 11
Tony Bettenhausen’s F1 record comes entirely from Indianapolis 500 entries (which were part of F1 from 1950–1960). He entered 11 Indy 500 races and scored a single podium, securing third place in 1957.
His total was 11 World Championship points. Bettenhausen was a two-time AAA/USAC national champion (1951 and 1958) and won many American championship races, though he never won a World Championship event. Unfortunately, he died in 1961 in a testing accident.
12. Bob Bondurant
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- Full name: Robert Lewis Bondurant
- Date of birth: 27 April 1933
- Place of birth: Evanston, Illinois
Bob Bondurant raced only sparingly in World Championship Grands Prix (1965–1966). He competed at the 1965 U.S. and Mexican GPs (driving a Shelby-entered Ferrari and a Lotus) and in some non-championship events. Bondurant's F1 highlight was a 7th-place finish at Watkins Glen in 1965.
11. Jim Rathmann
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- Full name: Royal Richard "Jim" Rathmann
- Date of birth: 16 July 1928
- Place of birth: Alhambra, California
- Wins: 1
- Podiums: 4
- Career points: 29
Jim Rathmann's only World Championship start was the 1960 Indianapolis 500, which counted for points. In that race, he finished first, giving him 8 points and 1 win in the championship standings. In total, he scored 29 championship points. The sports personality won the Indy 500 in 1960 after a legendary duel with Rodger Ward.
10. George Follmer
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- Full name: George Richard Follmer
- Date of birth: 27 January 1934
- Place of birth: Phoenix, Arizona
- Podiums: 1
- Career points: 5
George Follmer’s Formula 1 involvement was brief; he raced only in the 1973 season with the Shadow team. He participated in 12 Grands Prix, achieving a single podium (third place at the 1973 German GP).
9. Masten Gregory
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- Full name: Masten Gregory (1932–1985)
- Date of birth: February 29, 1932
- Place of birth: Kansas City, Missouri (the “Kansas City Flash”)
- Podiums: 3
- Career points: 21
Masten Gregory raced in F1 from 1957 through 1965, with 44 Grand Prix starts. He scored 3 podium finishes and 21 points. Gregory drove for several teams, including Maserati, Cooper, Lotus, Lola, and BRM. He never won a World Championship race, but he twice finished 2nd (1961 Italian GP and 1962 Portuguese GP).
8. Mark Donohue
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- Full name: Mark Neary Donohue Jr. (1937–1975)
- Date of birth: 18 March 1937
- Place of birth: Haddon Township, New Jersey
- Podiums: 1
- Career points: 8
Mark Donohue had a brief F1 career driving for Team Penske (in 1971 and 1974–75). Over 14 starts, he scored 8 points, with a single podium finish. His one F1 podium came at the 1971 Canadian GP, where he finished 2nd in a Penske-entered McLaren.
Donohue is better known for success in other series: he won 6 IndyCar championships and famously won the 1972 Indianapolis 500 as Roger Penske’s driver. Donohue’s final race was the 1975 Austrian GP. Tragically, he was killed later in 1975, testing a Can-Am car.
7. Harry Schell
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- Full name: Harry Lawrence O’Reilly Schell
- Date of birth: 29 June 1921
- Place of birth: Paris, France (to an American family)
- Podiums: 2
- Career points: 32
Harry Schell raced in the very first decade of the World Championship, from 1950 to 1960. He started 56 Grands Prix, scoring 2 podiums and 32 points. Schell drove for a variety of teams, including Cooper, Maserati, Ferrari, Vanwall, and BRM.
Schell’s career highlight was his podium finish at the 1959 German Grand Prix (3rd place). Though he never won a Grand Prix, he twice finished 3rd (1957 Monaco and 1959 Dutch GPs). His debut was at the inaugural 1950 Monaco GP, making him the first American to enter an F1 race.
6. Eddie Cheever
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- Full name: Edward McKay Cheever Jr.
- Date of birth: 10 January 1958
- Place of birth: Phoenix, Arizona
- Podiums: 9
- Career points: 70
Eddie Cheever competed in Formula 1 from 1978 and 1980 to 1989 for nine different teams. Over 143 race entries (132 starts), he earned 9 podium finishes and scored 70 championship points. Although he never won a Grand Prix, Cheever's best year was 1983 with the Works Renault team, where he collected multiple podiums.
5. Peter Revson
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- Full name: Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson
- Date of birth: 27 February 1939
- Place of birth: New York City, New York
- Wins: 2
- Podiums: 8
- Poles: 1
- Career points: 61
Peter Revson was an American driver best known for his time at McLaren in the early 1970s. He competed in F1 mainly from 1971, and then from 1972 to 1974. Revson scored 2 Grand Prix victories (the 1973 British and Canadian GPs) and 8 podiums.
4. Richie Ginther
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- Full name: Paul Richard "Richie" Ginther (1930–1989)
- Date of birth: 5 August 1930
- Place of birth: Hollywood, California
- Wins: 1
- Podiums: 14
- Career points: 107
Richie Ginther raced in F1 from 1960 to 1967 for teams such as Ferrari, BRM and Honda. He started 52 Grands Prix and earned 14 podium finishes. His one Grand Prix win came at the 1965 Mexican GP driving a Honda – a landmark victory as Honda’s first F1 triumph.
Ginther also finished 3rd in the 1963 drivers’ championship with BRM. He scored a total of 107 points in his career. Ginther’s first race was the 1960 Monaco GP, and he last raced in the 1967 Dutch GP.
3. Dan Gurney
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Daniel Sexton Gurney
- Date of birth: April 13, 1931
- Place of birth: Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York
- Wins: 4
- Podiums: 19
- Poles: 3
- Career points: 133
Dan Gurney was a highly accomplished American driver in F1 (1959–1970), racing for teams like Porsche, Brabham, Lotus and his own Eagle team. He won 4 Grands Prix and achieved 19 podiums. Gurney made history as the first American to win a championship F1 race (1962 French GP for Porsche) and the first to score points in a Ferrari, Brabham, Lotus and Eagle.
2. Phil Hill
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- Full name: Philip Toll Hill Jr.
- Date of birth: 20 April 1927
- Place of birth: Miami, Florida
- Championships: 1 (1961)
- Wins: 3
- Podiums: 16
- Poles: 6
- Career points: 94
Phil Hill won the 1961 F1 World Championship for Ferrari, making him one of only two Americans ever to claim the title. Over his F1 career (1958–1966) he scored 3 Grand Prix victories and 16 podiums. Hill’s first F1 victory was the 1960 Italian GP; he sealed the 1961 championship by winning the season’s final race at Monza.
The F1 driver also earned six career pole positions. Hill raced primarily for Ferrari but also drove for ATS, Cooper and other teams. He scored a total of 94 points and his last race was the 1966 Italian GP.
1. Mario Andretti
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- Full name: Mario Gabriele Andretti
- Date of birth: 28 February 1940
- Place of birth: Montona, Istria, Kingdom of Italy
- Championships: 1 (1978)
- Wins: 12
- Podiums: 19
- Poles: 18
- Career points: 180
Mario Andretti stands as one of the most accomplished American drivers in the history of Formula 1. He clinched the 1978 World Championship with Team Lotus, marking the last time an American secured the title.
Throughout his F1 career, Andretti achieved 12 Grand Prix victories, 19 podium finishes, and 18 pole positions, amassing a total of 180 championship points. Andretti's first win came at the 1971 South African Grand Prix, and his final victory was at the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix.
Are there any American F1 drivers?
As of the 2024/2025 Formula One season, Logan Sargeant represents the United States as a full-time F1 driver with the Williams Racing team. He made his debut in 2023 and has since remained a consistent presence on the grid. His arrival marked a major milestone, as it ended a long absence of American talent in full-time F1 roles.
Who are the famous American F1 drivers?
The most famous American F1 driver is Mario Andretti, who clinched the 1978 World Championship and secured 12 Grand Prix wins. Phil Hill, another standout, was the 1961 World Champion and the first American-born driver to earn the title. These prominent F1 drivers have garnered success across multiple racing categories.
Who is the last American F1 driver before Sargeant?
Before Logan Sargeant’s full-time debut in 2023, the most recent American F1 driver was Alexander Rossi, who raced briefly for Manor Marussia in 2015. Rossi participated in five Grands Prix that season and delivered solid performances despite driving an uncompetitive car. His best finish was 12th at the United States Grand Prix.
The impact of American F1 drivers reaches far beyond the number of world titles or podiums. These racers each contributed to defining America's presence in a sport largely shaped by European dominance. From groundbreaking achievements to inspirational firsts, they carved out a unique place in motorsport history.
Legit.ng recently published an informative post about the youngest F1 drivers and their age at debut. In recent years, more drivers have entered F1 before the age of 20, reflecting a growing openness in the sport to nurturing young talent.
Max Verstappen made history by becoming the youngest Formula One driver to start a race at just 17 years old. Read on to discover the youngest F1 drivers at the time of debut.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
