F1 is currently going through a period of domination as Red Bull cruised towards the 2022 and 2023 championships and look set to do the same in 2024.
This has seen the team and its star driver Max Verstappen set many records in the process like most victories in a season, most consecutive wins and most championship points in a campaign.
But it is not the first time F1 has had one team dominating.
Mercedes won a record-breaking eight consecutive constructors’ championships from 2014 to 2021, Ferrari won six straight from 1999 to 2004, while McLaren and Williams dominated across the 1980s and 1990s.
As a result, many 1-2s were claimed by the dominant outfit although on occasion, a midfield constructor might claim a shock 1-2 like Jordan did at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.
So, who are the five F1 teams with the most 1-2s in history?
F1 teams with the most 1-2s in history
Ferrari - 85
|
F1 debut |
1950 Monaco Grand Prix |
|
Driver with the most victories at Ferrari |
Michael Schumacher (72) |
|
Partnership with the most 1-2s at Ferrari |
Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello (24) |
|
Ferrari’s first F1 1-2 |
1951 Italian Grand Prix |
|
Ferrari's most recent F1 1-2 |
2024 Australian Grand Prix |
Ferrari has the most 1-2s in F1 history, although that comes as no surprise given it is the oldest constructor on the current grid. The Italian squad is the only team to have driven in every F1 season since its inaugural year in 1950 and during that time the factory Ferrari outfit has claimed an impressive 85 1-2s.
Its first came at the 1951 Italian GP when Alberto Ascari led Jose Froilan Gonzalez across the finish line with everybody else at least a lap down. The following season was dominant as Ascari claimed his maiden world championship while Ferrari finished 1-2 in five of eight races.
Ferrari was clearly the team to beat in the 1950s, represented by its 17 1-2s that decade, but it claimed just five the following decade despite winning two championships in the 1960s. Its winning form continued into the 1970s but a slump came the following decade as 1983 was Ferrari’s final title for 16 years.
However, once that drought ended, the Scuderia started achieving unprecedented success. From 1999 to 2004, Ferrari claimed 26 1-2s as Michael Schumacher often led the way with Rubens Barrichello serving as a solid second driver. Although, it has not quite been the same since.
Ferrari achieved just five 1-2s in the 2010s, but a 1-2 at the 2022 Bahrain GP brought optimism that it could end a 14-year championship drought in the new ground-effect era.
However, those hopes died emphatically as Red Bull eventually overtook Ferrari and claimed the title with three rounds to spare. It has since struggled to catch up and the 2024 Australian GP has been Ferrari’s only 1-2 since as it capitalised on Verstappen retiring and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez being off the pace.
Mercedes - 59
|
F1 debut |
1954 French Grand Prix |
|
Driver with the most victories at Mercedes |
Lewis Hamilton (82) |
|
Partnership with the most 1-2s at Mercedes |
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (31) |
|
Mercedes’ first F1 1-2 |
1954 French Grand Prix |
|
Mercedes’ most recent F1 1-2 |
2022 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Mercedes made its long-awaited debut at round four of the 1954 F1 season when the team had a powerful straight-eight engine that instantly put the squad ahead of its rivals. As a result, Mercedes finished 1-2 on its debut with Juan Manuel Fangio winning the 1954 French GP after leaving Maserati for the Silver Arrows midway through the campaign.
Fangio eventually won that year’s title, while the W196’s next four 1-2s came in 1955 as the Argentine once again became champion. But that was to be the end. Mercedes quit motorsport at the end of 1955 because of the Le Mans disaster, which killed 84 people when Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes was flung into the crowd after hitting a barrier.
It took 55 years for the Mercedes team to return to F1, as it bought reigning champions Brawn GP for the 2010 season. After a few years in the midfield, Mercedes mastered the switch to turbo-hybrid engines as its all-star line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg claimed a record-breaking 11 1-2s in 2014.
Mercedes beat its own record the following season with 12 as the Silver Arrows was so far ahead of any of its rivals. That was made especially clear when Mercedes claimed eight more 1-2s in 2016 and over that three-year period, the Silver Arrows twice sealed a record-equalling five consecutive 1-2s to match Ferrari from 1952 and 2002.
Its truly dominant form ended in 2021 when Mercedes won the constructors’ title but lost the drivers’ in a year where it failed to clinch any 1-2s. So, from 2014 to 2020 Mercedes claimed an astonishing 53 1-2s. The 2022 Brazilian GP is its only 1-2 since, as Verstappen suffered wing damage and a five-second penalty from a Turn 2 collision with Hamilton.
McLaren - 48
|
F1 debut |
1966 Monaco Grand Prix |
|
Driver with the most victories at McLaren |
Ayrton Senna (35) |
|
Partnership with the most 1-2s at McLaren |
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost (14) |
|
McLaren’s first F1 1-2 |
1968 Canadian Grand Prix |
|
McLaren’s most recent F1 1-2 |
2021 Italian Grand Prix |
McLaren’s glory days are long gone as it has won just one championship in the 21st century, but it is still one of the most successful F1 teams ever. Just two years after its debut, McLaren claimed its first 1-2 at the 1968 Canadian GP when Denny Hulme won ahead of team founder Bruce McLaren.
However, McLaren’s next 1-2 did not arrive for another 15 years despite winning a constructors’ championship and two drivers’ titles during that time. It was at the 1983 United States GP West as John Watson won with Niki Lauda in second after Ron Dennis’ takeover in 1981 had completely changed McLaren’s fortunes.
So much so, it ended a 10-year stint without the constructors’ championship in 1984 as part of 22 1-2s across the 1980s. This included setting a record in 1988 for the most 1-2s in a year with 10, before Mercedes eventually broke it. McLaren’s form continued into the next decade with three more 1-2s in 1991, however a lull period soon followed.
Its next 1-2 was not until the 1997 European GP, when Mika Hakkinen led David Coulthard in Jerez. It claimed eight more 1-2s over the next two years while Hakkinen became a double world champion with McLaren.
McLaren also started the 2000s as a front-running outfit, with nine of its 40 victories that decade being a 1-2. None came in Hamilton’s 2008 championship-winning year though, as Heikki Kovalainen struggled in the other McLaren and was rarely at the front.
The team claimed three more 1-2s in 2010, but no more would come for 11 years. This was due to the turbo-hybrid regulations, which caused McLaren to drastically drop off as it finished next-to-last in 2015.
Things gradually improved with McLaren’s first podium in five years at the 2019 Brazilian GP. It then eventually ended a nine-year winless drought with a shock 1-2 at the 2021 Italian GP, as championship rivals Hamilton and Verstappen both retired after colliding into one another handing victory to Daniel Ricciardo ahead of Lando Norris.
Williams - 33
|
F1 debut |
1977 Spanish Grand Prix |
|
Driver with the most victories at Williams |
Nigel Mansell (28) |
|
Partnership with the most 1-2s at Williams |
Nigel Mansell and Ricardo Patrese (8) |
|
Williams’ first F1 1-2 |
1979 German Grand Prix |
|
Williams' most recent F1 1-2 |
2003 French Grand Prix |
Williams is another team whose glory days are long gone as it has struggled to compete financially in recent years. But, that was not the case in the 20th century as Williams claimed its first 1-2 at the 1979 German GP, just two years after its debut, when Alan Jones led Clay Regazzoni before winning the team its maiden championship the following season.
Jones’ title victory started a glorious decade for Williams, who won four constructors’ titles in the 1980s while claiming 12 1-2s. The partnership of Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet proved particularly successful, as the pair finished 1-2 six times across 1986 and 1987 with Piquet clinching the 1987 crown.
Williams’ most successful decade was the 1990s though, where it had 17 1-2s with five constructors’ championships. The signing of Adrian Newey for 1991 proved to be the difference maker as he helped design the dominant FW14B, which gave Mansell the 1992 drivers’ crown while Williams had six 1-2s that year.
The team achieved three more 1-2s over the next three years and then 1996 arrived, which was another dominant year for Williams. Damon Hill won the championship amid six 1-2s for the team, who had designed the revolutionary FW18.
Williams backed that up with the 1997 championships, but its form then dropped after the departure of Newey and engine supplier Renault. The 2002 Malaysian GP ended Williams’ six-year drought without a 1-2, as Ralf Schumacher led Juan Pablo Montoya before the pair claimed two 1-2s the following season. However, it has now been 21 years since Williams’ last 1-2 with just two victories in that time: 2004 Brazilian GP and 2012 Spanish GP.
Red Bull - 31
|
F1 debut |
2005 Australian Grand Prix |
|
Driver with the most victories at Red Bull |
Max Verstappen (57) |
|
Partnership with the most 1-2s at Red Bull |
Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber (16) |
|
Red Bull’s first F1 1-2 |
2009 Chinese Grand Prix |
|
Red Bull's most recent F1 1-2 |
2024 Japanese Grand Prix |
Red Bull is almost the complete opposite to McLaren and Williams as its success has come in more recent years. Red Bull arrived in F1 after buying Jaguar for the 2005 season, however, it took a few years to get to the front.
The 2009 Chinese GP was its maiden victory in what was also a 1-2, as Sebastian Vettel led Mark Webber to end Brawn’s winning start to the year. That was the first of four 1-2s in that campaign which then led into Red Bull’s first era of success.
Red Bull started the 2010s with four consecutive double championships, and across that period it claimed 12 1-2s with 2010 and 2013 being the years it had the most in a season (four).
The team struggled with the regulation change though and just one more 1-2 followed in the 2010s, with Ricciardo winning the 2016 Malaysian GP ahead of Verstappen. Another dominant period eventually followed though and Red Bull’s first 1-2 of the 2020s - its 18th overall - was the 2022 Emilia Romagna GP.
Verstappen won ahead of Perez, which caused the early momentum to shift from Ferrari to Red Bull who won the next five grands prix. Of those five, two were 1-2s as Red Bull claimed another couple before the end of 2022.
Its winning form continued into 2023 as Red Bull won 21 of 22 grands prix. However, Red Bull may be disappointed that it did not take more 1-2s that year, as it only got six despite winning so many races.
The problem was the form of Perez, who had a difficult season with only nine podiums as he constantly struggled to match Verstappen’s pace. Perez’s form improved in the early parts of 2024 though, as he helped Red Bull claim three 1-2s - all won by Verstappen - in the opening four grands prix and the Austrian outfit will likely move up this order soon.
Other F1 teams to have claimed a 1-2
|
Team |
Total |
|
Brabham |
8 |
|
Tyrrell |
|
|
Lotus |
7 |
|
BRM |
5 |
|
Alfa Romeo |
4 |
|
Brawn |
|
|
Kurtis Kraft |
3 |
|
Cooper |
2 |
|
Epperly |
|
|
Watson |
|
|
Matra International |
|
|
Renault |
|
|
Benetton |
|
|
Maserati |
1 |
|
Ligier |
|
|
Jordan |
|
|
BMW-Sauber |
