The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC) is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to the most successful Formula One racing car driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results.
The Drivers' Championship was first awarded in 1950, to Nino Farina.
The first driver to win multiple Championships was Alberto Ascari, in 1952 and 1953.
British driver's have won the World Championships on 14 seasons, Brazil 8 and Germany 8.
The FIA does not declare the Champion until the end of the season, but a driver is said to have "clinched" the Championship after it is no longer possible for another to obtain more points than him, even if the former driver were to not compete in the remaining races of the season, and the latter to score the maximum number of points possible. The Drivers' Championship has been won in the final race of the season 25 times in the 61 seasons it has been awarded. The earliest in a season that the Drivers' Championship has been clinched was in 2002, when Michael Schumacher secured the title with six races remaining.
Overall, thirty two different drivers have won the Championship, with German Michael Schumacher holding the record for most titles, at seven. Schumacher also holds the record for most consecutive Drivers' Championships, winning five from 2000 to 2004.
Great Britain has produced the most World Championship winning drivers with ten, followed by Brazil and Finland with three each.
| Year | Driver | Team | Wins | Top 3 | Clinched |
Pts. Margin |
||
| 1950 |
 |
Nino Farina |
|
Alfa Romeo | 3 | 3 | 7/7 | 3 |
| 1951 |
 |
Juan Manuel Fangio |
|
Alfa Romeo | 3 | 5 | 8/8 | 6 |
| 1952 |
|
Alberto Ascari |
|
Ferrari | 6 | 6 | 6/8 | 12 |
| 1953 |
|
Alberto Ascari |
|
Ferrari | 5 | 5 | 8/9 | 6.5 |
| 1954 |
|
Juan Manuel Fangio |
|
Maserati | 6 | 7 | 7/9 | 16.86 |
 |
Mercedes | |||||||
| 1955 |
|
Juan Manuel Fangio |
|
Mercedes | 4 | 5 | 6/7 | 16.5 |
| 1956 |
|
Juan Manuel Fangio |
|
Ferrari | 3 | 5 | 8/8 | 3 |
| 1957 |
|
Juan Manuel Fangio |
|
Maserati | 4 | 6 | 6/8 | 15 |
| 1958 |
 |
Mike Hawthorn |
|
Ferrari | 1 | 7 | 11/11 | 1 |
| 1959 |
 |
Jack Brabham |
|
Cooper | 2 | 5 | 9/9 | 4 |
| 1960 |
|
Jack Brabham |
|
Cooper | 5 | 5 | 8/10 | 9 |
| 1961 |
 |
Phil Hill |
|
Ferrari | 2 | 6 | 7/8 | 1 |
| 1962 |
|
Graham Hill |
|
BRM | 4 | 6 | 9/9 | 12 |
| 1963 |
|
Jim Clark |
|
Lotus | 7 | 9 | 7/10 | 21 |
| 1964 |
|
John Surtees |
|
Ferrari | 2 | 6 | 10/10 | 1 |
| 1965 |
|
Jim Clark |
|
Lotus | 6 | 6 | 7/10 | 14 |
| 1966 |
|
Jack Brabham |
|
Brabham | 4 | 5 | 7/9 | 14 |
| 1967 |
 |
Denny Hulme |
|
Brabham | 2 | 8 | 11/11 | 5 |
| 1968 |
|
Graham Hill |
|
Lotus | 3 | 6 | 12/12 | 12 |
| 1969 |
|
Jackie Stewart |
 |
Matra | 6 | 7 | 8/11 | 26 |
| 1970 |
 |
Jochen Rindt |
|
Lotus | 5 | 5 | 12/13 | 5 |
| 1971 |
|
Jackie Stewart |
|
Tyrrell | 6 | 7 | 8 of 11 | 29 |
| 1972 |
 |
Emerson Fittipaldi |
|
Lotus | 5 | 8 | 10/12 | 16 |
| 1973 |
|
Jackie Stewart |
|
Tyrrell | 5 | 8 | 13/15 | 16 |
| 1974 |
|
Emerson Fittipaldi |
|
McLaren | 3 | 7 | 15 of 15 | 3 |
| 1975 |
|
Niki Lauda |
|
Ferrari | 5 | 8 | 13/14 | 19.5 |
| 1976 |
|
James Hunt |
|
McLaren | 6 | 8 | 16/16 | 1 |
| 1977 |
|
Niki Lauda |
|
Ferrari | 3 | 10 | 15/17 | 17 |
| 1978 |
|
Mario Andretti |
|
Lotus | 6 | 7 | 14/16 | 13 |
| 1979 |
 |
Jody Scheckter |
|
Ferrari | 3 | 6 | 13/15 | 4 |
| 1980 |
|
Alan Jones |
|
Williams | 5 | 10 | 13/14 | 13 |
| 1981 |
|
Nelson Piquet |
|
Brabham | 3 | 7 | 15/15 | 1 |
| 1982 |
 |
Keke Rosberg |
|
Williams | 1 | 6 | 16/16 | 5 |
| 1983 |
|
Nelson Piquet |
|
Brabham | 3 | 8 | 15/15 | 2 |
| 1984 |
|
Niki Lauda |
|
McLaren | 5 | 9 | 16/16 | 0.5 |
| 1985 |
|
Alain Prost |
|
McLaren | 5 | 11 | 14/16 | 20 |
| 1986 |
|
Alain Prost |
|
McLaren | 4 | 11 | 16/16 | 2 |
| 1987 |
|
Nelson Piquet |
|
Williams | 3 | 11 | 15/16 | 12 |
| 1988 |
|
Ayrton Senna |
|
McLaren | 8 | 11 | 15/16 | 3 |
| 1989 |
|
Alain Prost |
|
McLaren | 4 | 11 | 15/16 | 16 |
| 1990 |
|
Ayrton Senna |
|
McLaren | 6 | 11 | 15/16 | 7 |
| 1991 |
|
Ayrton Senna |
|
McLaren | 7 | 12 | 15/16 | 24 |
| 1992 |
|
Nigel Mansell |
|
Williams | 9 | 12 | 11/16 | 52 |
| 1993 |
|
Alain Prost |
|
Williams | 7 | 12 | 14/16 | 26 |
| 1994 |
|
M. Schumacher |
|
Benetton | 8 | 10 | 16/16 | 1 |
| 1995 |
|
M. Schumacher |
|
Benetton | 9 | 11 | 15/17 | 33 |
| 1996 |
|
Damon Hill |
|
Williams | 8 | 10 | 16/16 | 19 |
| 1997 |
 |
Jacques Villeneuve |
|
Williams | 7 | 8 | 17/17 | 39 |
| 1998 |
|
Mika Hakkinen |
|
McLaren | 8 | 11 | 16/16 | 14 |
| 1999 |
|
Mika Hakkinen |
|
McLaren | 5 | 10 | 16/16 | 2 |
| 2000 |
|
M. Schumacher |
|
Ferrari | 9 | 12 | 16/17 | 19 |
| 2001 |
|
M. Schumacher |
|
Ferrari | 9 | 14 | 13/17 | 58 |
| 2002 |
|
M. Schumacher |
|
Ferrari | 11 | 17 | 11/17 | 67 |
| 2003 |
|
M. Schumacher |
|
Ferrari | 6 | 8 | 16/16 | 2 |
| 2004 |
|
M. Schumacher |
|
Ferrari | 13 | 15 | 14/18 | 34 |
| 2005 |
 |
Fernando Alonso |
|
Renault | 7 | 15 | 17/19 | 21 |
| 2006 |
|
Fernando Alonso |
|
Renault | 7 | 14 | 18/18 | 13 |
| 2007 |
|
Kimi Raikkonen |
|
Ferrari | 6 | 12 | 17/17 | 1 |
| 2008 |
|
Lewis Hamilton |
|
McLaren | 5 | 10 | 18/18 | 1 |
| 2009 | | Jenson Button | | Brawn | 6 | 9 | 16/17 | 11 |
| 2010 | | Sebastian Vettel | | Red Bull | 5 | 10 | 19/19 | 4 |
