F1 drivers with the most podium finishes in history

Then, once the winning national anthems have been played, part of the F1 tapestry involves rivers uncorking a bottle of champagne and spraying each other in jubilation.

It is a sight that never fails to capture the magic of F1 and some drivers have made it their business to be in the top three as often possible.

RadioTimes.com brings you the top five podium makers.

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5. Fernando Alonso – 106 podiums

Alonso is the most experienced F1 racer in history, so it seems only too right that he makes the top five of drivers finishing on the podium.

For the vast majority of his F1 career, he has fought close to the front of the grid, winning two titles in 2005 and 2006 with Renault.

His first taste of the podium came in the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix in just his second outing for Renault.

His last came in Zandvoort in 2023, meaning he also holds the record for longest gap between first and most recent podium.

4. Alain Prost – 106 podiums

Prost was the most successful driver through the 1980s and 1990s and it was rare to see him slide out of the top three during his entire career.

The Frenchman achieved is first podium in 1981, finishing third in the 1981 Argentine Grand Prix, a season that would see Prost also win his first race.

When driving for McLaren between 1984 and 1989, it was difficult to knock him out of the top three.

Only mechanical faults in the British and Italian Grand Prix of 1988 prevented him from finishing in the top two and he bowed out in the same way, finishing in the top three in 12 of 16 races en route to the 1993 title.

3. Sebastian Vettel – 122 podiums

Vettel took 122 podiums throughout his sparkling career and first emerged into the post-race celebrations in the 2008 Italian Grand Prix when his Toro Rosso won surprisingly in changeable weather conditions.

After that, he was a magnet to the podium and in 2011, he collected trophies in 17 of 19 races – a fourth place in the German Grand Prix and retirement in Abu Dhabi prevented him from getting a clean sweep.

2013 proved to be another trophy-laden year for Vettel and again, he was denied a full year of podium finishes by two races – a pair of fourth places in China and Spain.

Vettel’s final podium came in the 2021 Azerbaijan Grad Prix and was denied another that season in Hungary for a disqualification due to issues with his fuel sample.

2. Michael Schumacher – 155 podiums

Schumacher first stepped onto the podium in just his eighth race, as he came home third in the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix for Benetton.

It was the first of 155 podiums the legendary German would go on to achieve during his career and he would achieve the feat every year up until his first retirement in 2006.

Schumacher holds the record for most number of podiums in a single season. In 2002, he finished in the top three in every single race.

His made the decision to come out of retirement to drive for the new Mercedes team on 2010 and the three years he spent there did not go to plan.

However, his sole (and final) podium came in the 2012 European Grand Prix at the Valencia street circuit. It was undoubtedly one of the most popular results of that particular season.

1. Lewis Hamilton – 197 podiums

Hamilton did what very few other drivers have done and finished on the podium in his very first race as an F1 driver, finishing third in the 2007 Australian Grand Prix.

In fact, every one of his first nine races saw him step onto the podium with the number one spot coming in Canada and the USA that year.

103 of his 197 podiums have been on the top step and it seems inevitable he will make it to 200 if the Mercedes car can improve upon its below-par year in 2023.

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