Since Formula 1 exists, there has been a debate without reaching a definitive conclusion: who is the best driver in history?
To find out, each driver’s performance is evaluated against his teammates, however, there is a question that is asked less frequently despite its importance: who were the best teammates?
We have tried to answer this question with the help of a mathematical model, taking into account the drivers who were at the side of each world champion.
The value of each teammate is determined by an imperfect but purely statistical calculation: the sum of the win rate multiplied by two, the pole rate multiplied by two and the podium rate.
The score of each one will be weighted according to the number of grand prizes in which they have participated, even if it is a single race. To give an example, Valtteri Bottas has teamed up with Lewis Hamilton in 100 of the latter’s 288 appointments, that is, 34.72%. Therefore, Bottas’ success rate has a coefficient of 0.3472 on Hamilton’s final score.
There was a time when teams involved more than two cars. In this case, we have tried to take into account teammates when they are associated permanently and not exceptionally. In cases where the question is raised, races without a teammate are not taken into account. In fact, drivers such as John Surtees , Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt have contested nearly 50 Grands Prix without any of their teams putting a second car on track.
Nico Rosberg would therefore be the driver with the most points, having been with Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, two of the most successful drivers in history, for seven of his eleven seasons in Formula 1.
Giuseppe Farina is the runner-up, having competed alongside Juan Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari . Our model, which we remember is imperfect, makes these two the best of all time, statistically speaking.
Alain Prost occupies the third step of this curious classification, and he impresses because, of his ten teammates, nine have been on the podium, while eight of them are winners of a race.
At the other extreme, James Hunt’s teammates have a total of three grand prix wins. Max Verstappen, who has only had Daniel Ricciardo as a reference driver, and Jim Clark , normally associated with rather low profile drivers before Graham Hill joined Lotus, are only ahead of the 1976 world champion.
The world champions and their teammates
| Pilot | Teammates | Punctuation |
|---|---|---|
 |
M. Webber, A. Wurz, K. Nakajima, M. Schumacher, L. Hamilton | 125,31 |
 |
L. Fagioli, JM Fangio, P. Taruffi, A. Ascari, L. Villoresi, M. Hawthorn | 111.00 |
 |
J. Watson, R. Arnoux, E. Cheever, N. Lauda, K. Rosberg, S. Johansson, A. Senna, N. Mansell, J. Alesi, D. Hill | 74.28 |
 |
A. Ascari, G. Farina, L. Villoresi, JF González, M. Trintignant, P. Collins, L. Musso, W. von Trips | 66.49 |
|
L. Villoresi, P. Taruffi, JF González, G. Farina, M. Hawthorn | 60.23 |
|
R. Schumacher, G. Fisichella, J. Trulli, J. Villeneuve, T. Sato, R. Barrichello, L. Hamilton, S. Pérez, K. Magnussen, F. Alonso | 59,86 |
|
F. Alonso, H. Kovalainen, J. Button, N. Rosberg, V. Bottas | 56.88 |
 |
R. Peterson, JP Beltoise, C. Regazzoni, C. Reutemann, J. Watson, N. Piquet, A. Prost | 53.37 |
 |
E. Fittipaldi, C. Serra, D. Daly, J. Laffite, N. Mansell, A. Prost | 52.65 |
|
N. Heidfeld, D. Coulthard, JP Montoya, F. Massa, R. Grosjean, F. Alonso, S. Vettel, A. Giovinazzi | 49.59 |
|
C. Allison, J. Bonnier, T. Brooks, R. Ginther, J. Stewart, J. Clark, J. Oliver, J. Rindt, T. Schenken, C. Reutemann, W. Fittipaldi, G. Edwards | 47,71 |
|
A. Prost, D. Coulthard, J. Villeneuve, P. Diniz, R. Schumacher, H.H. Frentzen | 47,67 |
 |
E. de Angelis, J. Dumfries, S. Nakajima, A. Prost, G. Berger, M. Andretti | 47,27 |
|
E. de Angelis, K. Rosberg, N. Piquet, R. Patrese, G. Berger, A. Prost | 44.90 |
 |
L. Fagioli, G. Farina, F. Bonetto, O. Marimon, H. Hermann, K. Kling, S. Moss, E. Castellotti, P. Collins | 43.78 |
 |
J. Brabham, B. McLaren, A. de Adamich, P. Gethin, P. Revson, E. Fittipaldi | 40.36 |
 |
R. Salvadori, B. McLaren, D. Gurney, D. Hulme, J. Rindt, J. Ickx | 40,13 |
|
B. McLaren, J. Surtees, P. Rodríguez, J. Brabham, G. Hill, J. Miles | 37,57 |
|
M. Brundle, R. Patrese, J. Herbert, E. Irvine, R. Barrichello, F. Massa, N. Rosberg | 37,19 |
|
S. Bourdais, M. Webber, D. Ricciardo, K. Räikkönen, C. Leclerc, L. Stroll | 36.49 |
 |
P. Depailler, G. Villeneuve | 33.86 |
 |
J. Ickx, C. Regazzoni, G. Nilsson, R. Peterson, C. Reutemann, E. de Angelis, B. Giacomelli | 33.78 |
|
J. Herbert, M. Brundle, M. Blundell, D. Coulthard | 33.73 |
|
N. Lauda, R. Zunino, H. Rebaque, R. Patrese, T. Fabi, M. Surer, N. Mansell, S. Nakajima, A. Nannini, R. Moreno | 30.80 |
|
B. Lunger, R. Patrese, C. Regazzoni, C. Reutemann, P. Tambay | 29.77 |
|
W. von Trips, O. Gendebien, T. Brooks, C. Allison, D. Gurney, R. Ginther, W. Mairesse, R. Rodríguez, G. Baghetti, B. McLaren | 29,75 |
|
R. Salvadori, L. Bandini, J. Rindt, J. Oliver | 29,47 |
|
G. Hill, M. Spence, J. Servoz-Gavin, J.P. Beltoise, F. Cevert | 28,69 |
 |
T. Marques, J. Trulli, G. Fisichella, L. Hamilton, N. Piquet Jr, F. Massa, K. Räikkönen, J. Button, S. Vandoorne, E. Ocon | 28.45 |
|
R. Wisell, D. Walker, R. Peterson, D. Hulme, J. Mass, K. Rosberg | 25,03 |
 |
D. Hill, H.H. Frentzen, R. Zonta, O. Panis, J. Button, F. Massa, N. Heidfeld | 23,93 |
|
I. Ireland, T. Taylor, P. Arundell, M. Spence, G. Hill | 16,65 |
 |
C. Sainz, D. Ricciardo, P. Gasly, A. Albon, S. Pérez | 14.13 |
|
J. Mass, B. Giacomelli, P. Tambay | 11,73 |
