Formula 1: Top 10 drivers with most F1 wins but no World Championship title

These racers have been on the receiving end of some heart-breaking outcomes.

Formula 1 has witnessed some of the greatest drivers in history, who have won numerous races across varied championships. However, there have been a few exceptional drivers who have achieved an incredible number of race wins but have never managed to secure the coveted World Championship title.

These drivers have proven their talent, dedication, and determination at the world's loftiest motorsport platform, but due to a mixture of factors, a championship victory eluded them. In this article, we will delve into the careers of the top ten drivers with the most Formula 1 wins but no World Championship title.

10. Jacky Ickx and Daniel Ricciardo (8 Wins)

Jacky Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1967 to 1979. He raced for several teams throughout his career, including Ferrari, Brabham, Lotus, and McLaren. Over the course of his career, he won eight Grand Prix races and finished on the podium 25 times. He also achieved eight pole positions and set 13 fastest laps. Ickx was a two-time runner-up in the Drivers' Championship, finishing second in 1969 and 1970.

Daniel Ricciardo is an Australian racing driver who currently is the reserve driver in Formula One for the Red Bull F1 Team. He began his racing career in karting before moving on to compete in Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula Renault 3.5. He made his Formula One debut with HRT in 2011 before moving on to Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing, and Renault.

During his career, Ricciardo has won eight Grand Prix races and finished on the podium 32 times. He has also achieved three pole positions and 16 fastest laps. Ricciardo is known for his aggressive and daring driving style of pushing and late braking, and his ability to pull off spectacular overtaking maneuvers.

9. Mark Webber (9 Wins)

Mark Webber is a retired Australian racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2002 to 2013. He raced for several teams throughout his motorsport career, including Minardi, Jaguar, Williams, Red Bull Racing, and Porsche. Over the course of his career, he won nine Grand Prix races and finished on the podium 42 times. He also achieved 13 pole positions and set 19 fastest laps.

Webber's breakthrough season came in 2009 when he joined Red Bull Racing and finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship. He continued to drive for Red Bull Racing for the next four seasons, finishing third in the championship in 2010 and 2011, and second in 2013. Webber was a key member of the Red Bull Racing team during their dominant period from 2010 to 2013, and his partnership with teammate Sebastian Vettel was one of the most intense and closely-watched rivalries in the history of the sport.

6. Gerhard Berger, Valtteri Bottas and Ronnie Peterson (10 Wins)

Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1970 to 1978. He raced for several teams throughout his career, including March, Lotus, and Tyrrell. Over the course of his career, he won 10 Grand Prix races and finished on the podium 26 times. He also achieved 14 pole positions and set 9 fastest laps. Peterson was a two-time runner-up in the Drivers' Championship, finishing second in 1971 and 1978. He tragically died from injuries sustained in a crash during the 1978 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and his loss was deeply felt by the entire motorsport community.

Valtteri Bottas is a Finnish racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for the Alfa Romeo Formula One Team. Bottas began his career in karting before moving on to compete in Formula Renault, Formula 3, and GP3. He made his Formula One debut with Williams in 2013 before moving to Mercedes in 2017 and later shifting to Alfa Romeo in 2022.

Over the course of his career, Bottas has won 10 Grand Prix races and finished on the podium 67 times. He has also achieved 20 pole positions and set 19 fastest laps. Bottas is known for his smooth and consistent driving style, and his ability to work well with his team to develop the car. He has finished as runner-up in the Drivers' Championship on two occasions - in 2019 and 2020, where he was overshadowed by his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Gerhard Berger is an Austrian former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1984 to 1997. He raced for several teams throughout his career, including ATS, Arrows, Benetton, Ferrari, and McLaren. Berger was known for his aggressive driving style and his ability to handle difficult conditions, particularly in wet weather. Over the course of his career, he won ten Grand Prix races and finished on the podium 48 times. He also achieved 12 pole positions and set 21 fastest laps. Berger was a two-time runner-up in the Drivers' Championship, finishing second in 1988 and 1994. He retired from racing at the end of the 1997 season and has since remained involved in the sport as a team owner and ambassador.

5. Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa (11 Wins)

Rubens Barrichello began his career in Formula One with the Jordan team in 1993, before moving on to drive for Stewart, Ferrari, Honda, Brawn GP, and Williams. Over the course of his career, he competed in a record-breaking 322 Grand Prix races, winning 11 of them and finishing on the podium 68 times.

He also achieved 14 pole positions and set 17 fastest laps. Barrichello is widely regarded as one of the most consistent and reliable drivers in the history of the sport and was known for his smooth, precise driving style. He finished as runner-up in the Drivers' Championship twice - in 2002 and 2004 - and was a key member of the Ferrari team during their dominant period in the early 2000s.

Felipe Massa began his Formula One career with Sauber in 2002, before moving on to drive for Ferrari, Williams, and finally, his own team, Venturi Racing. Over the course of his career, he competed in 269 Grand Prix races, winning 11 of them and finishing on the podium 41 times. He also achieved 16 pole positions and set 15 fastest laps.

Massa was known for his aggressive and determined driving style, and his ability to push his car to the limit. He finished as runner-up in the Drivers' Championship in 2008, losing out on the title to Lewis Hamilton by a single point in a dramatic finale in Brazil. Massa was also a key member of the Ferrari team during their dominant period in the late 2000s.

3. Carlos Reutemann (12 Wins)

Carlos Reutemann was an Argentine racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1982. Reutemann on his best day was literally unstoppable. Reutemann made his Formula One debut with the Brabham team in 1972 and showed promise early on, scoring his first points in just his second race. He would go on to race for several other teams throughout his career, including Ferrari, Lotus, and Williams.

Over the course of his career, Reutemann won 12 Grand Prix races, finished on the podium 45 times, and achieved 6 pole positions. Despite his impressive record, he never won a Drivers' Championship, finishing as runner-up on three occasions - in 1980, 1981, and 1982.

2. David Coulthard (13 Wins)

Despite a career that lasted 15 years, Coulthard was never able to achieve the World Drivers’ Championship. Coulthard in his early years was always the No.2 driver behind World Champions like Damon Hill and Mika Hakkinen. When he got the No.1 spot for his team, a young Kimi Raikkonen entered the F1 scene and outshone David Coulthard. He spent his career’s last four years with RedBull and eventually retired in 2008.

Coulthard is second behind Stirling Moss in the list of most victories without a World Championship, with 13 wins under his belt. His best days in F1 were overshadowed by the great Michael Schumacher and his powerful Ferrari.

1. Sir Stirling Moss (16 Wins)

Sir Stirling Moss, a British driver, was considered one of the most iconic figures in the world of Formula One (F1) and has been described as “the greatest driver never to win the Formula One World Championship.” Throughout his career, Moss won 16 races out of 66. He has finished runner-up four times in the Drivers’ Championship and finished third on three occasions.

1958 was a heart-breaking season for Sir Stirling Moss as he lost the Drivers’ Championship to Mike Hawthorn by just one point. Moss had to finish first with the fastest lap of the race and hoped that Hawthorn would not finish higher than third. Moss executed his part perfectly but Hawthorn finished in second place, just ahead of Phil Hill by less than one second.