Formula 1: 5 Best Teams of all Time.

F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain
F1 Grand Prix of
Bahrain

Throughout the 68-year long history of Formula 1, many teams have come and gone. Some of them are barely remembered and only exist in the pages of history books, while others have made an indelible mark for themselves in history.

Teams such as Ferrari have become world famous, while teams like Benetton, Toyota and Maserati have been consigned to the history books. Today we take a look at arguably the 5 best teams in F1 of all time, basing our rankings on factors such as longevity, success, and innovation.


#5 Mercedes Benz (1954-1955, 2010 - present)

Goodwood Festival of Speed
Mercedes W196

Mercedes first competed in the FIA F1 World Championship in the year 1954. They were an instant success, winning the FIA Drivers' Championship in the year 1954 and 1955. The tragic 1955 Le Mans disaster led to the team withdrawing from motor racing.

Though the team existed in various guises most notably as an engine manufacturer in the 1990s, the team returned to F1 in 2010. The change in the engine regulations in the year 2014 brought back the days of glory for the team.

Since the year 2014, the Mercedes F1 team has participated in 79 races securing pole position in 71 races and winning 63. This culminated in the team winning 4 consecutive Drivers' and Constructors Championship since 2014.

#4 Lotus (1958-1994)

1984 Belgian Grand Prix
Lotus with the special John Player Livery

Lotus is a team synonymous for innovation. This team was founded by the legendary Colin Chapman in the late 1950's entering its first F1 race at Monaco in 1958. The team was driven by the genius of Colin and became pioneers of sorts in the coming decades.

The team was the first team to receive commercial support in 1968 with "Gold Leaf" branding on their cars. They also were one of the first teams to introduce major aerodynamic changes into the sport which have now become a mainstay of sportscars.

The high level of innovation by the team translated to success on the track with the team winning 7 Constructors Championships and 6 Drivers' Championships.

#3 Williams (1978-present)

Riccardo Patrese, Grand Prix Of Great Britain
Riccardo Patrese in the FW14

Sir Frank Williams formed the Williams racing team in the year 1977. Williams won their first race at the 1979 British Grand Prix and haven't looked back since.

The team is one of just 3 teams to have won more than 100 races and has won 9 Constructors Championships which is the second-best record in the sport.

The team have won 7 Drivers' Championships and have 114 Grand Prix victories to their name.

#4 Mclaren(1966-present)

Goodwood Festival of Speed
The MP4/4 pictured at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Mclaren was founded in the year 1963 by Bruce Mclaren. They are the second oldest active team to be a part of the FIA F1 World Championships as well as the second most successful team.

The teams most successful years were between the years 1984 and 1991 during which it won 6 Constructors Championships and 7 Drivers' Championships while attracting legendary drivers like Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna to the team.

The team also produced extremely competitive cars like the MP4/2 and the MP4/4 which is arguably the best F1 car of all time.

#5 Ferrari (1950-present)

F1 Grand Prix of Spain
Michael Schumacher driving the F2004

Ferrari was founded by Enzo Ferrari, which is the oldest active team in the FIA F1 world championships having taken part in every championship since 1950.

They are also the most successful team in every aspect. Ferrari has won a total of 16 Constructors Championships, 15 Drivers' Championships and has 231 race victories to its name which is the highest among all teams to have ever competed in F1.

The dream for every F1 racer is to drive to the team nicknamed the Prancing Horse. Some of the legendary drivers who drove for Ferrari are Alberto Ascari, Juan-Manuel Fangio, John Surtees, Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher to name a few.

Which is your favorite team in Formula One? and Why?

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Edited by Nishant Jayaram