Verstappen has penned some of the most glamorous articles in Formula 1 history since becoming the newest first-time world champion in 2021. However, for some previous world champions, the achievements they accomplished during their time at the highest level were not always positive.
Over the past few decades, numerous former Formula 1 champions have experienced extended periods without adding to their Grand Prix victories. These winless droughts have stretched across many years.
In this article, we will examine the longest periods in which former world champions have gone without adding to their Grand Prix triumphs. Unlike the current high-flying Dutchman, their titles did not grant them a sense of invincibility.
Fernando Alonso unfortunately holds the record for the longest winless streak of any world champion in F1 history. He aims to put an end to this streak in the 2024 season. In terms of betting for the remaining races of the current season, he is given odds of 7/4 to win at least one GP and halt the growth of his record.
Alonso expressed his contentment with finishing in the top 5 in Jeddah and thanked his team for their hard work over the past 3 weeks away from home. He looks forward to the next race with Aston Martin F1.
The Spaniard achieved back-to-back Formula 1 titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. He followed that up with three world championship runner-up finishes with Ferrari between 2010 and 2013. However, since winning his home GP in 2013, he has not secured a single race victory.
Alonso’s winless streak has now lasted nearly 11 years in terms of calendar time, and he has participated in 182 races without reaching the top of the podium as of the Australian GP in March.
The Spanish icon is desperate to finally break the streak in 2024, as otherwise he could go beyond 200 races without a victory before the 2025 season.
Alonso’s growing winless streak is by far the longest in Formula 1 history, with Jacques Villeneuve’s streak coming in a distant second.
The Canadian driver won his first and only Formula 1 title in 1997, and his winless streak began in that same championship-winning season. After a victory in the Luxembourg GP, he was disqualified in Japan and finished third in the European GP season finale.
While the failure to win in the final two races did not affect Villeneuve’s 1997 Drivers’ Championship, it did mark the start of a record winless streak. Over the next nine seasons, he was unable to secure a single race victory, leaving his tally at retirement at 130 races without a win.
Villeneuve’s rapid decline after becoming a Formula 1 world champion was arguably the most devastating drop-off witnessed in the sport.
The streak of consecutive winless races for Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula 1 world champion, is the shortest among three former champions who have surpassed a hundred races without a win. From 2013 to 2018, the Finnish driver endured a total of 112 races without a victory.
Although Raikkonen won the first race of the 2013 season in Australia, he had to wait until deep into 2018 to finally break his losing streak in the United States, three races before the end of the season.
Being a Formula 1 world champion does not guarantee continuous success throughout a driver’s career. Some champions have experienced significant periods in which they have aimed to build on their previous victories but ultimately failed.
Fernando Alonso currently holds the record for the longest winless streak, which continues to grow. However, Jacques Villeneuve’s streak is arguably the most disappointing, as it occurred during a season in which he won the F1 world title.