Champion

Last Friday, Fernando Alonso was officially crowned world champion. That's obviously a big thing for a sportsman (or woman) and I got round to thinking how many world champions have there been?

Well, the World Championship officially started in 1950, there had been other chmpionships, especially the pre-war European one, but that was the first time it was officially recognised. So, there have been 56 championships, but obviously (step forward Mr Schumacher) some drivers have won the championship more than once.

So I thought I'd have a go and try the list from memory:

1950s
Farina
Fangio
Ascari
Ascari
Fangio
Fangio
Fangio
Fangio
Hawthorn
Brabham

1960s
Brabham
Hill P
Hill G
Clark
Surtees
Clark
Brabham
Hulme
Hill G
Stewart

1970s
Rindt
Stewart
Fittipaldi
Stewart
Fittipaldi
Lauda
Hunt
Lauda
Andretti
Scheckter

1980s
Jones
Piquet
Rosberg
Piquet
Lauda
Prost
Prost
Piquet
Senna
Prost

1990s
Senna
Senna
Mansell
Prost
Schumacher
Schumacher
Hill D
Villeneuve
Häkkinen
Häkkinen

2000s
Schumacher
Schumacher
Schumacher
Schumacher
Schumacher
Alonso

I have to admit that's the corrected version. I got a bit lost around 1985 in the Piquet/Prost/Senna years, but 53 right out of 56 isn't too bad, I guess.

Anyway, it appears that the number of drivers ever to win the championship is 26. Which works out at an average of just over two each. Of course the great drivers have won more than their fair share; the drivers that have won three or more championships (seven drivers) have walked off with half off all the championships, leaving a further seven drivers to score a pair, and 19 to win just once.

So Fernando can be incredibly proud to have achieved what only 25 others have done before him. And if he can win again, it's an even more select band. But it really makes you think just how difficult it must be to become champion, and how amazing that drivers like Fangio and Schumacher managed to totally dominate for several years in a row.