Formula One drivers from France

Last updated

Formula One drivers from France
Flag of France.svg
Drivers 74
Grands Prix994
Entries3193
Starts2962
Best season finish1st (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)
Wins 81
Podiums 312
Pole positions 79
Fastest laps 92
Points3656.47 [a]
First entry 1950 British Grand Prix
First win 1955 Monaco Grand Prix
Latest win 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix
Latest entry 2025 Australian Grand Prix
2025 drivers Pierre Gasly
Isack Hadjar
Esteban Ocon
Alain Prost in 2012 Festival automobile international 2012 - Photocall - Alain Prost - 013.jpg
Alain Prost in 2012

There have been 74 Formula One drivers from France, the most successful of them being Alain Prost, who won the World Drivers' Championship four times.

Contents

World champions and race winners

The title has been won by a French driver on four occasions, all of which were victories for Alain Prost. [3] Thirteen other drivers have won at least one race, though they are all far behind Prost's tally of 51 wins. [4]

Rene Arnoux in 2008 Rene Arnoux WSR2008 HU.png
René Arnoux in 2008
Didier Pironi in 1982 Didier Pironi 1982.jpg
Didier Pironi in 1982
Patrick Depailler in 1975 PatrickDepailler-ar.jpg
Patrick Depailler in 1975
Jean Alesi in 2001 Jean Alesi 2001.jpg
Jean Alesi in 2001
Gasly driving for AlphaTauri at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix FIA F1 Austria 2021 Nr. 10 Gasly.jpg
Gasly driving for AlphaTauri at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix
Ocon driving for Alpine-Renault at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix FIA F1 Austria 2021 Nr. 31 Ocon.jpg
Ocon driving for Alpine-Renault at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

Driver statistics

Jean-Pierre Jabouille in 1975 JeanPierreJabouille1975.jpg
Jean-Pierre Jabouille in 1975
DriversActive YearsEntriesWinsPodiumsCareer PointsPolesFastest LapsChampionships
Eugène Chaboud 19501951 300100-
Philippe Étancelin 19501952 1200300-
Yves Giraud-Cabantous 19501953 1300500-
Pierre Levegh 19501951 600000-
Henri Louveau 19501951 200000-
Guy Mairesse 19501951 300000-
Robert Manzon 19501956 29 (28 starts)021600-
Eugène Martin 1950 200000-
Charles Pozzi 1950 100000-
Louis Rosier 19501956 38021800-
Raymond Sommer 1950 500300-
Maurice Trintignant 19501964 86 (81 starts) [b] 210 [18] 72 1⁄301-
Aldo Gordini 1951 100000-
Georges Grignard 1951 100000-
André Simon 19511952, 19551957 12 (11 starts)00000-
Marcel Balsa 1952 100000-
Élie Bayol 19521956 8 (7 starts)00200-
Jean Behra 19521959 53 (52 starts) [c] 0951 1⁄701-
Roger Loyer 1954 100000-
Jacques Pollet 19541955 500000-
Jean Lucas 1955 100000-
Mike Sparken 1955 100000-
André Guelfi [21] 1958 100000-
François Picard 1958 100000-
Jean Lucienbonnet 1959 1 (0 starts)00000-
Bernard Collomb 19611964 6 (4 starts)00000-
Guy Ligier 19661967 13 (12 starts)00100-
Jo Schlesser 19661968 300000-
Jean-Pierre Beltoise 19671974 88 (86 starts)187704-
Johnny Servoz-Gavin 19671970 13 (12 starts)01900-
Henri Pescarolo 19681974, 1976 64 (57 starts)011201-
François Cevert 19691973 48 (47 starts)1138902-
Jean-Pierre Jarier 1971, 19731983 143 (135 starts)0331.533-
Max Jean 1971 100000-
François Mazet 1971 100000-
Patrick Depailler 1972, 19741980 95219139 (141) [22] 14-
François Migault 1972, 19741975 16 (13 starts)00000-
José Dolhem 1974 3 (1 start)00000-
Jean-Pierre Jabouille 19741975, 19771981 55 (49 starts)222160-
Jacques Laffite 19741986 180 (176 starts)63222877-
Jean-Louis Lafosse 1974 1 (0 starts)00000-
Gérard Larrousse 1974 2 (1 start)00000-
Michel Leclère 19751976 8 (7 starts)00000-
Patrick Tambay 19771979, 19811986 123 (114 starts)21110352-
René Arnoux 19781989 165 (149 starts)7221811812-
Didier Pironi 19781982 72 (70 starts)31310145-
Patrick Gaillard 1979 5 (2 starts)00000-
Alain Prost 19801991, 1993 202 (199 starts)51106768.5 (798.5) [22] 33414 (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)
Jean-Louis Schlesser 1983, 1988 2 (1 start)00000-
Philippe Alliot 19841990, 19931994 116 (109 starts)00700-
François Hesnault 19841985 21 (19 starts)00700-
Philippe Streiff 19841988 55 (53 starts)011100-
Yannick Dalmas 19871990, 1994 49 (24 starts)00000-
Pascal Fabre 1987 14 (11 starts)00700-
Pierre-Henri Raphanel 19881989 17 (1 start)00000-
Jean Alesi 19892001 202 (201 starts)13224124-
Éric Bernard 19891991, 1994 47 (45 starts)011000-
Olivier Grouillard 19891992 62 (41 starts)00100-
Érik Comas 19911994 63 (59 starts)00700-
Paul Belmondo 1992, 1994 27 (7 starts)00000-
Bertrand Gachot 1992, 19941995 43 (32 starts)00100-
Jean-Marc Gounon 19931994 900000-
Franck Lagorce 1994 200000-
Olivier Panis 19941999, 20012004 158 (157 starts)157600-
Jean-Christophe Boullion 1995 1100300-
Stéphane Sarrazin 1999 100000-
Franck Montagny 2006 700000-
Sébastien Bourdais 20082009 2700600-
Romain Grosjean 2009, 20122020 181 (179 starts)01039101-
Charles Pic 20122013 3900000-
Jean-Éric Vergne 20122014 58005100-
Jules Bianchi 20132014 3400200-
Esteban Ocon 20162018, 20202025 157 (156 starts)1444501-
Pierre Gasly 20172025 155 (153 starts)1543603-
Isack Hadjar 20252025 1 (0 starts)00000-

Current drivers

In the 2025 Formula One season there are three French drivers.

Pierre Gasly made his debut for Scuderia Toro Rosso at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix. He was then promoted to Red Bull Racing for 2019 after Daniel Ricciardo left the team, before being demoted back to Toro Rosso mid-season. At the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, Gasly became the first French driver to win an F1 race since Olivier Panis in 1996.

Esteban Ocon made his debut at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix. As of 2024 he is the most recent race winner, having won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Isack Hadjar is set to make his debut for Racing Bulls in the 2025 season.

See also

Notes

  1. 2 points less than what's shown on StatsF1, [1] since Nano da Silva Ramos is incorrectly listed there as racing under French license while he was actually racing under Brazilian license. [2]
  2. Trintignant got sick before the race at Italy in 1951, and was secretly replaced by Jean Behra. Team principal Amédée Gordini did not inform the race organizers about the switch as it would have cut the team's starting fee. Since the organizers were not informed about the driver change Trintignant was initially credited with the race start and some sources still do. [16] [17]
  3. Behra secretly replaced the unwell Maurice Trintignant for the race of the 1951 Italian Grand Prix. Team principal Amédée Gordini did not inform the race organizers about the switch as it would have cut the team's starting fee. Behra competed in the race but wasn't officially credited with the race start. [19] [20]

References

  1. "Statistics – Nations – Points – By Number". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. Paolozzi, Rémi (27 December 2002). "A Brazilian tune in Paris". 8W.forix.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  3. "Drivers". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Alain Prost". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  5. "René Arnoux". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  6. "Jacques Laffite". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  7. "Didier Pironi". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  8. "Patrick Tambay". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  9. Williamson, Martin. "Maurice Trintignant". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  10. "Drivers: Maurice Trintignant". GrandPrix.com. Inside F1, Inc. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  11. "Patrick Depailler". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  12. "Jean-Pierre Jabouille". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  13. "François Cevert". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  14. "Jean-Pierre Beltoise". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  15. "Big hitters – Button joins the 200-plus club". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. July 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  16. "Jean Behra - Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  17. "Seasons - Italy 1951". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  18. Total of 10 podiums includes both 2nd and 3rd places at the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix
  19. "Jean Behra - Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  20. "Seasons - Italy 1951". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  21. "Grand Prix of Marocco (1958)". The Formula One Archives..
  22. 1 2 Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.