In Formula 1, crossing the finish line is one thing, but standing on the podium is the ultimate goal of any racer. It’s where the champagne flows, the national anthems play, and the drivers do their best not to trip while hoisting a trophy half their size. Whether a driver finishes in P1, P2, or P3, a podium finish is a big deal. The middle step may be the highest, but being on that rostrum is enough to etch your name into F1 History, after all, you’re never remembered for finishing mid-field.
What To Know
- Lewis Hamilton holds the all-time record with 202 podiums (and counting).
- Max Verstappen set the single-season podium record with 18 in 2021.
- Michael Schumacher remains the only driver with a podium in every race of a season (2002).
Since the Formula One World Championship began in 1950, over 200 drivers (as of writing this in 2025) have stood on the podium. But while some made brief appearances before fading into everyday life, others practically took up permanent residence on the steps. So, who are the most prolific top-three race finishers in F1 history?
Who has the most podiums in F1 history?
Lewis Hamilton (202)
That honour unsurprisingly belongs to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the GOAT of modern F1. As of 2025, the British racing legend has clocked up a staggering 202 Formula 1 podium finishes—and, he’s still going.
Hamilton burst onto the scene in 2007 with McLaren and immediately made a statement: nine podiums in his first nine races. Not bad for a rookie carrer. He kicked things off with a third-place debut in Australia, then claimed his first victory just a few races later at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix.
Fast forward to his dominant years at Mercedes, and Hamilton has stacked up more silverware than most teams have in their entire history. Seven world championships, record-breaking wins, and a level of consistency that’s borderline absurd have made him a fixture on the rostrum.
Can anyone catch him? Max Verstappen is making a solid case with over 100 podiums already and a rocket ship of a car at Red Bull. However, Hamilton’s record seems insurmountable if he continues to stand on the podium in the remaining years of his career.
Top 10 drivers with most podium finishes in F1 history
| Rank | Driver | Podiums | Active Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 202 | 2007–present |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | 155 | 1991–2006, 2010–12 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | 122 | 2007–2022 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | 115 | 2015–present |
| 5 | Alain Prost | 106 | 1980–1991, 1993 |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | 106 | 2001–present |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | 103 | 2001–2009, 2012–21 |
| 8 | Ayrton Senna | 80 | 1984–1994 |
| 9 | Rubens Barrichello | 68 | 1993–2011 |
| 10 | Valtteri Bottas | 67 | 2013–2024 |
Drivers’ don’t luck their way to 100+ podiums. A podium finisher is a mix of pure talent, team performance, strategic genius, and the occasional sprinkle of race-day chaos. Being fast helps. But being consistently fast across multiple seasons, rule changes, car updates, and team politics, that’s where the legends of Formula 1 are born.
From Hamilton’s hybrid-era dominance with Mercedes to Schumacher’s absolute stranglehold on the early 2000s with Ferrari, each driver mastered the long game. Vettel’s Red Bull reign saw him rack up podiums with clinical precision, while Prost and Senna proved in the ‘80s and ‘90s that rivalry fostered greatness.
With Lewis Hamilton still active in F1 (and somehow aging in reverse), his record is still growing. But the most likely heir to the podium throne is Max Verstappen. After finally pairing his raw speed with Red Bull’s dominant cars, Verstappen has been collecting podiums at a rate of knots—and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Behind him, drivers like Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and George Russell are still in the earlier chapters of their F1 careers. But as the sport continues to evolve, it’s only a matter of time before new names elbow their way onto the all-time list.
Most Podium Finishes in a Single F1 Season
When it comes to securing the most podiums in a season, Max Verstappen takes the crown. In 2021, the Dutch driver landed on the podium a record-breaking 18 times in a single season, out of 22 races. That year, he claimed 10 wins and eight P2 finishes, en route to his first (and very dramatic) world title. His 2023 season records are even more amazing.
Formula One History Recommends
Before Verstappen’s record-breaking campaign, the benchmark for most podiums in a season sat at 17, shared by a trio of F1 giants: Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton actually hit that number in five different seasons.
Michael Schumacher remains the only driver in F1 history to finish on the podium in every single race of a season. That was back in 2002, when the German driver was in his Ferrari prime. He racked up 11 wins, five second-place finishes, and one third place across a 17-race calendar.
So while Verstappen holds the record for most podiums in a season, Schumacher still owns the crown for perfect podium finishes.
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