12 Best Race Car Drivers In The World [2022 Update] (2024)

Are you wondering who are the best race car drivers in the world and how they are different from others? If yes, this article is prepared just right for you.

Racing can be classified into multiple sports based on its nature, but we collectively brought the following figures.

People who are much into racing don’t care about the vehicle being used but the port itself. These extreme risk-takers are the topic for today, and we certainly will talk about the best of them in this article.

However, virtual reality games have made playing racing games online while sitting comfortably at their own home.

While online-based racing games are becoming popular, real-life racing drivers are about overcoming hurdles and challenges.

Many factors determine what makes a driver worthy of being considered one of the greatest.

Obviously, there are many things to consider: pole positions, fast tags, winning races, championships, etc.

And it is important to look at the car, and the team that a certain driver was campaigning for, as one of the most impressive races in history was won by rivals and underdogs.

12 Best Race Car Drivers In The World

Considering the various factors, we have enlisted the 12 best race car drivers in the world.

12. Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon is a former American race car driver, currently a Fox NASCAR announcer, and senior executive of Hendrick Motorsports.

As a laid-back driver, in our opinion, Jeff Gordon deserves to be included in this list for his victory and style.

Likewise, an enthusiastic, unfettered racer, Gordon is one of NASCAR’s best drivers of all time. He has won 88 victories, four championships, and three Daytona 500 cups in his outstanding career.

Some critics say he wants a fifth NASCAR title to join the discussion as one of the best drivers in history. However, Gordon will definitely have more games in his name if it weren’t for the ever-changing circ*mstances.

Gordon has been one of NASCAR’s most exciting drivers throughout his career. He has got a racing flair and competitiveness of his own. He is a champion in each sense of the term.

11. Scott Dixon

Scott Ronald Dixon CNZM is a talented New Zealand racer. Since joining IndyCar, Dixon has won the championship in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2020.

Moreover, he has won the 92nd Indianapolis 500 in pole position in 2008.

Scott Dixon may not be the most popular driver in the IndyCar industry, but he’s probably one of IndyCar’s best. So it is possible that the pound runner, one of the best single-seater racers right now.

In the 2018 season, Dixon won his fifth IndyCar title after a season-long battle with rising star Alexander Rossi. He had also won the Indy 500 back in 2008.

Unfortunately, he did not add another win to the series, despite recently taking a position at Indy in 2017. However, his 43 wins and 29 bouts are likely to go up as the years go by.

10.Simona De Sil Vestro

Simona de Silvestro is a Swiss race car driver employed by Porsche as a factory driver.

She initially had competed for Amlin Andretti during the 2015/16 season of FIA Formula E Championship season, and she had spent a few years in the IndyCar Series.

Moreover, she has also been given nicknames like ‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Swiss Miss.’

Ashley first appeared in the Top Alcohol category in 2004 and became a professional in 2007. The father and daughter are the first in history to compete in a single year.

Similarly, she won her first funny car against her father in 2008 and became the first woman to win the show. Courtney also scored the additional victories in 2009, finishing the season in second place.

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9. Alain Prost

Alain Prost is France’s most famous race car driver. Form four-time formula One Champion, Prost has the second most F1 titles of all time.

Also, from 1987 to 2001, he held the record for most Grand Prix victories in history, which is impressive enough.

However, Prost also enjoyed many old fights with other drivers in the 1980s and 1990s, especially with Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell. In 1986, during the season’s final race, he beat Mansell in a Formula One championship.

The instinctive driver, Prost, was known for his smooth, comfortable style behind the wheel.

Named “The Professor” for his professional racing style, in 1999, Prost won the World Sports Awards of the Century in the motorsport category.

8. A.J. Foyt

Known as “Super Tex” to friends and enemies, AJ. Foyt is one of America’s best race car drivers, distinguished by his race in various types of motorsport. This includes Automobile Club Champ cars and midget cars as well.

Moreover, he also raced stock cars in NASCAR and held the USAC’s job with 159 wins. Along with America’s racing championship racing career record with 67 first place trophies.

In addition, Super Tex is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, 24 hours in Daytona, and 24 hours in Le Mans.

Furthermore, A.J. Foyt has won the International Race of Champions all-star racing series in 1976 and 1977.

Also, at the NASCAR, he has won the 1964 Firecracker 400 and the 1972 Daytona 500, which left him with a lifelong injury. No wonder AJ. Foyt has been inducted into many motorsport Hall of Fame.

7. Niki Lauda

Andreas Nikolaus Lauda was an Austrian F1 racer as well as an entrepreneur. He was the F1 World Drivers’ Champion three times, in 1975, 1977, and 1984.

Also, he was the only driver in F1 history ever to win both Ferrari and McLaren, the most famous producers in the sport.

He started Formula Two in 1971 and moved on to Formula One. He drove for March with BRM until he settled with Ferrari, driving from 1974 to 1977.

Moreover, he won the Spanish Grand Prix and six pole positions, becoming an outstanding Formula One driver in 1976.

He was seriously injured that year at the Nurburgring Grand Prix, concerned for safety on the circuit.

Six weeks later, Lauda ran to overcome his fears, showing incredible courage to face the race track while on the sidelines of his accident.

Sadly, Niki’s injury forced him to retire from the Japan Grand Prix, which caused a split with Ferrari.

However, it was a good 1977 season when he saw him as a champion driver, after which he left Ferrari.

He had an on-field dispute with British driver James Hunt, and they competed for the position of the track while maintaining a close friendship off the track.

6. Jimmie Johnson

As a current race car driver, some people might also feel premature to include Jimmie Johnson on the list.

However, Johnson has achieved a lot in his career so far. The American race car driver has already won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series six times.

He won his first trophy in 2006, followed by additional victories in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Jimmie Johnson is the only driver in NASCAR history to have won five consecutive championships, and in 2013, he defended his sixth title. Jimmie Johnson also won the Daytona 500 twice, with victories in 2006 and 2013.

In addition, between 2002 and 2015, Johnson won 72 wins, 292 top 10 finishes, and 33 pole positions.

Moreover, Jimmie Johnson is also distinctive in being the first race car driver named an Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 2009.

And he has won the Driver of the Year five times, most recently in 2013.

Furthermore, Forbes magazine also named Johnson as the Most Influential Athlete in 2011 and 2012. Also, Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase series every year since it started back in 2004.

5. Milk Duno

Milka Duno is a Venezuelan driver competing in the IndyCar Series and the ARCA Racing Series.

She is best known for having the highest female driver record in 24 hours in Daytona. In addition, in 2014, she joined the NASCAR National Series.

Milka is also rated as one of the hottest female athletes. Formerly, Venezuela 47, IndyCar, and ARCA Racing series have a good record.

Duno also participated in the American Le Mans Series, in which she has participated twice in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Moreover, she won five ALMS class victories between 2000 and 2004 and finished second in 2001.

4.Danica Patrick

Danica Sue Patrick is an old American race car driver. She is the most famous female racer in the American history of open-air racing car driving.

In addition, her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 was the first woman to win the IndyCar Series race.

The talented driver has inspired other female drivers to compete in a sport that men have long dominated. Danica Sue Patrick started driving in 1998 at the age of 16.

Competing in the junior formula races, IndyCar Series, and NASCAR, she’s got the only female win in IndyCar.

And her best season was in 2009. In addition, Patrick has competed twice in Daytona 24 Hours.

3.Giancarlo Fisichella

Giancarlo Fisichella is a well-known driver in Formula One of Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, India Force, and Ferrari. He is also known as Fisico, Giano, or Fisi, is a talented Italian race car driver.

He could boast of the dramatic speed change in his day. But the problem with ‘Fisi’ is that he has never been reliable enough like Alonso or Hamilton to start a good season together.

He has won three Grand Prix wins and four pole positions. One of which was the impressive pole for the new Force India team in 2009.

Similarly, Fisichella did not win the stardom that Alonso, his Renault teammate, could have achieved.

2.Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel is a German racing car driver to competes in Formula One. In addition, he is a four-time world champion of Formula One.

He has won consecutive titles with Red Bull Racing from 2010 to 2013. And he is considered one of the best drivers in the history of the sport.

His first victory in 2010 saw him become the youngest Formula 1 World champion. Vettel is currently the 52nd winner with 55 pole positions and is still chasing Ferrari’s first title.

But 2018 still sees some amazing races from this man, and it would have been shocking if he hadn’t added at least one title to his figure before retirement.

1.David Pearson

David Gene Pearson is an American race car driver who competed in the NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series from 1960 to 1986.

Moreover, David Pearson has won the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award in 1960 and three Cup Series championships.

In addition, he has also won the record seven times for the Daytona 500. But Petty still holds two NASCAR records that are unlikely to be broken.

As well as two hundred wins in his distinguished career and 27 wins in a single season, including 10 in a row in 1967. For the achievements, he’s still going to be known as “The Lord,” and rightly so.

Summary

Many factors determine what makes a driver worthy of being considered one of the greatest. Based on the various factors, we have prepared a top list of the 12 best racing car drivers in the world below.

1.David Pearson

2.Sebastian Vettel

3.Giancarlo Fisichella

4.Danica Patrick

5. Milk Duno

6. Jimmie Johnson

7. Niki Lauda

8. A.J. Foyt

9. Alain Prost

10.Simona De Sil Vestro

11. Scott Dixon

12. Jeff Gordon