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F1 has seen 34 different drivers clinch the world championship but only a few have retained the same level of performance after winning a title.
Winning a driver's championship is the ultimate goal for any motorsports driver across the globe. To be crowned with this honor a driver has to put in years of hard work and dedication. When someone achieves this topmost glory in motor racing their names go down in the annals of history.
Yet some drivers who were enshrined with such an honor have seen their careers fall off a cliff.
There is a popular quote that says reaching the top of the mountain is not as tough as staying on top. The same applies in the world of Formula 1 where many drivers have taken a tumble after reaching the summit.
Let us take a look at three drivers whose careers took a similar trajectory.
3 F1 champions whose career fell off a cliff
#1 Kimi Raikkonen (2007 F1 champion)
It's hard to believe that a driver like Kimi Raikkonen is not a multi-time F1 champion. The 'Iceman' went toe to toe with Micheal Schumacher at his peak and also challenged Fernando Alonso in the super-quick Renault.
Kimi's stupendous drives for McLaren didn't earn him a championship but he managed to do so in his debut year with Ferrari in 2007. However, the hangover from his title-winning campaign never seems to have left him.
The Finn was handily beaten by teammate Felipe Massa in 2008 and left Formula 1 in 2010 as Ferrari turned to Fernando Alonso. After returning to the sport with Lotus, his Ferrari reunion didn't work well as he was demolished by Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
It's tough to say if Raikkonen was putting in his best efforts post-2007 as he had accomplished his goal so early in his career.
#2 Damon Hill (1996 F1 champion)
The British F1 legend once raced alongside legendary teammates like Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. He took over the reins to lead the Williams outfit after Senna's tragic death in 1994.
After a heroic yet valiant effort in 1994 and a scrappy season the following year, Damon Hill achieved championship glory in 1996. Despite winning the title, Williams didn't renew his contract, leaving him in the dry.
Hill's career never saw the same peaks again as he landed a seat in the less competitive Arrows team followed by a two-year stint with Jordan. His only highlight post his Williams stint was his victory in the chaotic 1998 Belgian GP.
The Brit didn't show the same speed after his title-winning campaign and subsequently left Formula 1 after a disappointing 1999 season.
#3 Jacques Villeneuve (1997 F1 champion)
Canadian sensation Jacques Villeneuve stormed into the Formula 1 scene after winning the 1995 IndyCar championship. He had a stellar debut season with Williams in 1996, finishing runner-up in the championship standings.
He continued his dominant form, winning the title in 1997, to establish himself as champion across multiple racing series. But what followed his title-winning campaign was truly dismal.
Villeneuve's decline began with Williams becoming less competitive in 1998 and his subsequent career move to the much-hyped BAR team. The team was a bust as the Canadian driver and the team failed to score a single point in 1999.
His subsequent moves to Renault and Sauber weren't successful either as he left F1 midseason in 2006.
