Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsports, is home to some of the best drivers in the world. It is the highest open-wheel racing series under FIA. A Formula 1 podium is the general term used for the drivers who finish first, second, and third during a race. The podium finishers in the race earned more points compared to the other 17 drivers. Formula 1 podiums are celebrated just after the race ends and may be changed due to disqualifications or any post-race penalties applied to drivers. George Russell was the most recent driver who got stripped of his win. He was disqualified from the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
Drivers with the Most F1 Podiums:
Lewis Hamilton has the most number of podium finishes in Formula 1 with 201 podiums to his name. He is the most successful driver in Formula 1 with the highest number of wins and 7 world titles to his name.
Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, and Valtteri Bottas are the only active drivers who have the most number of podiums in the sport.
| Rank | F1 Driver | Seasons | Podiums |
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 2007–ongoing | 201 |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | 1991–2006, 2010–2012 | 155 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | 2007–2021 | 122 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | 2016-ongoing | 110 |
| 5 | Alain Prost | 1980–1991, 1993 | 106 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | 2001, 2003–2018,2021-ongoing | 106 |
| 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | 2001–2009, 2012–2021 | 103 |
| 8 | Ayrton Senna | 1984–1994 | 80 |
| 9 | Rubens Barrichello | 1993–2011 | 68 |
| 10 | Valtteri Bottas | 2013-ongoing | 67 |
Who has the record for the most F1 podiums in a single season?
Max Verstappen collected 21 podium finishes in 2023, breaking the record for most podium finishes in a single season. Verstappen was the previous holder of the record, with 18 podium finishes during the 2021 season. However, Michael Schumacher is the only driver to attain a podium finish in every race in a Formula 1 season. Michael Schumacher won the 2002 driver's championship title by winning 11 out of 17 races, 5 second-place finishes, and 1 third-place.
| F1 Driver | Entries | No. of Podiums | Season |
| Max Verstappen | 23 | 21 | 2023 |
| Max Verstappen | 22 | 18 | 2021 |
| Michael Schumacher | 17 | 17 | 2002 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 19 | 17 | 2011 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 19 | 17 | 2015 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 21 | 17 | 2016, 2018, 2019 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 19 | 16 | 2013 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 19 | 16 | 2014 |
| Nico Rosberg | 21 | 16 | 2016 |
| Michael Schumacher | 18 | 15 | 2004 |
| Fernando Alonso | 19 | 15 | 2005 |
| Nico Rosberg | 19 | 15 | 2014, 2015 |
Which driver holds the record for the most consecutive podium finishes in F1?
Michael Schumacher was on the podium 19 consecutive times between the 2001 United States Grand Prix and the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix.
| Rank | Driver | Season | Consecutive podium finishes | Podiums |
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | 2001–2002 | 2001 United States–2002 Japanese | 19 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | 2014–2015 | 2014 Italian–2015 British | 16 |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | 2005–2006 | 2005 Turkish–2006 Canadian | 15 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | 2022-2023 | 2022 Abu Dhabi – 2023 Italian | 15 |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | 2010–2011 | 2010 Brazilian – 2011 British | 11 |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | 2013 | 2013 German – 2013 Brazilian | 11 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | 2018-2019 | 2018 Brazilian – 2019 French | 10 |
| 8 | Jim Clark | 1963 | 1963 Belgian – 1963 South African | 9 |
| 8 | Niki Lauda | 1975-1976 | 1975 Italian – 1976 Swedish | 9 |
| 8 | Nelson Piquet | 1987 | 1987 Monaco – 1987 Portuguese | 9 |
| 8 | Michael Schumacher | 2000-2001 | 2000 Hungarian – 2001 Brazilian | 9 |
| 8 | Michael Schumacher | 2004 | 2004 European – 2004 Italian | 9 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | 2007 | 2007 Australian – 2007 British | 9 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | 2018 | 2018 British – 2018 United States | 9 |
| 8 | Nico Rosberg | 2015 | 2015 Australian – 2015 British | 9 |
| 8 | Nico Rosberg | 2016 | 2016 Belgian – 2016 Abu Dhabi | 9 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | 2023-2024 | 2023 Japanese – 2024 Saudi Arabian | 9 |
FAQ on Drivers with the Most F1 Podiums
Lewis Hamilton has the most podiums in Formula 1.
Nick Heidfled has the most podiums finishes without a win in Formula 1.
Alain Prost was the first Formula 1 driver to achieve 100 podiums.
Max Verstappen has the record for the youngest point scorer in Formula 1.
Fernando Alonso has the longest career in Formula 1. He is racing in the 2024 Formula 1 championship.
