List of Formula One World Drivers' Championship Runners-up

List Of Formula One World Drivers' Championship Runners-up

This is a list of drivers who finished runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship.

Alain Prost and Stirling Moss have each finished as runner up four times, Prost in 1983 for Renault, 1984 and 1988 for McLaren and 1990 for Ferrari, and Moss in 1955 for Mercedes, 1956 and 1957 for Maserati and 1958 for Vanwall. This also makes Moss the driver with the most runners up spots without ever taking the title.

The United Kingdom has taken the most runners-up spots among the countries, with 21. These were Moss's between 1955 and 1958, Tony Brooks for Ferrari in 1959, Jim Clark for Lotus in 1962, Graham Hill for BRM in 1963, 1964 and 1965, John Surtees for Ferrari in 1966, Jackie Stewart for Matra in 1968 and Tyrrell in 1972, Nigel Mansell for Williams in 1986, 1987 and 1991, Damon Hill for Williams in 1994 and 1995, Eddie Irvine for Ferrari in 1999, David Coulthard for McLaren in 2001, Lewis Hamilton for McLaren in 2007 and Jenson Button for McLaren in 2011.

Ferrari has had the most drivers in the runners-up spot over the years, also with 21. These were Alberto Ascari in 1951, Giuseppe Farina in 1952, Jose Froilan Gonzalez in 1954, Tony Brooks in 1959, Wolfgang von Trips in 1961, John Surtees in 1966, Jacky Ickx in 1970, Clay Regazzoni in 1974, Niki Lauda in 1976, Gilles Villeneuve in 1979, Didier Pironi in 1982, Michele Alboreto in 1985, Alain Prost in 1990, Michael Schumacher in 1998 and 2006, Eddie Irvine in 1999, Rubens Barrichello in 2002 and 2004, Felipe Massa in 2008 and Fernando Alonso in 2010 and 2012.

The smallest ever margin between 1st and 2nd was in 1984, when just 0.5 points separated McLaren team mates Alain Prost and champion Niki Lauda. The largest margin was in 2011, when (under a new scoring system) 122 points separated McLaren driver Jenson Button and Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel.

The most ever wins by a runner up is 7, by Alain Prost for McLaren in 1984 and 1988, Kimi Räikkönen for McLaren in 2005 and Michael Schumacher for Ferrari in 2006. Two drivers have become runner up without winning any races - Giuseppe Farina for Ferrari in 1952 and Ronnie Peterson for March in 1971.

Fernando Alonso, driving for Ferrari in 2012, holds the record for the most points scored by a runner up, with 278. Stirling Moss, driving for Mercedes in 1955, has the least, with 23.

Two drivers have claimed the runners-up spot posthumously - Wolfgang von Trips for Ferrari in 1961 and Ronnie Peterson for Lotus in 1978.

Read more about List Of Formula One World Drivers' Championship Runners-up:  By Season, By Driver

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