Racing can be a family tradition. A family that loves speed and technology, drive for passion passed down from generation to generation. What we say as the phrase “Like Father Like Son” holds a lot of weight in the realm of Formula 1. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport racing and it is a surprising virtue that we saw the children of some of the most successful former racers in F1. In recent years, we have seen some of the most prominent surnames that won and became one of the best duos to upkeep their family legacy in F1.
Following your father's footsteps and chasing your dreams often made your father proud. But how many of them succeed? Mick Schumacher lost a potential seat in F1 at an early stage and his father Michael Schumacher, was the man of the myth and the legend. It is not just one but many of them are behind the scenes. In this article, we will cover the most successful father-son duos in F1 history in terms of World Championship wins, Grand Prix wins, and the ones who still making a way for unprecedented success in F1.
7. Jan Magnussen- Kevin Magnussen
(Jan Magnussen won 24 races between 1995-97/ Kevin Magnussen was the second most successful driver from Denmark)
Jan Magnussen is one of the few drivers in F1 who did not get enough chance to show their true potential in Formula 1. Debuted in 1995 in McLaren and finished sixth in his first race at the Canadian Grand Prix. Apart from F1, Jan is also a 4-times GT Class winner at Le Mans since his debut in 1999. He also won a 24 Hours Of Daytona in 2015. His son Kevin Magnussen went on to race and won the Renault 3.5 Championship in 2013.
The same year Kevin got an F1 seat in McLaren in 2013. Like his father, he scored a second-place finish in his first-ever race at the Australian Grand Prix. This result proved to be one of the best race finishes ever by him to date. For the 2024 season, he rejoins Haas and holds a special position in the team upliftment. Apart from F1 he also drove for Cadillac Racing and Chip Ganassi in the North American Sportscar championship league.
6. Michael Suchumacher- Mick Schumacher
(Michael Schumacher- 7 World Championship Titles/ Mick Schumacher- Mercedes Reserve driver)
The name Schumacher is one of the most prestigious surnames ever engraved in the history of Formula 1. We even can’t have the list without mentioning their names. Michael Schumacher is one of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen. With 7 World Championship titles under his reign, Schumacher was the unbeaten driver in the early 2000s. Whereas, Mick won FIA Formula 3 and F2 World Championship titles but struggled to get his first win in F1. He competed in F1 with Hass in 2021 and 2022 but lost a potential chance for the 2023 season.
In 2024, he got a chance to be a reserved driver for the Mercedes Petronas AMG F1 Team. With team principal Toto Wolff he travels with the team on race weekends. The 24-year-old Mick tests some simulator works for the team and hoping to get behind the wheel for the next upcoming season. Currently, he is driving for the Renault-Alpine Racing team in World Endurance Championship Racing. Since his debut in F1 in 2021 for Haas, Mick has scored some points in 2021 but went from few to zeros in the next 2022 season. As an F1 fan, many want Mick to be seen in F1 but hope he will return soon to the paddock.
5. Joe Verstappen- Max Vertsappen
(Joe Verstappen holds 106 GP starts/ Max Verstappen- 3 Times World F1 Championship Titles)
Joe Verstappen holds 106 GP starts in his 10 years of racing. He started racing in 1994 for Benetton. Yes, you thinking right, the team that won Michael Schumacher his first-ever F1 title. Joe was a partner driver alongside Schumacher. At the peak of his career, Joe scored points with most of the teams present on the grid such as Simtek, Footwork, Tyrell, Stewart, and Arrows but never won a race. He retired from racing with Mirandi in 2003. However, his achievements in F1 were not good but what he learns passes on to his son, Max Verstappen.
The teachings from his father have made what really Max Verstappen is. He is the youngest driver ever to win a grand prix in the history of F1. Moreover, what his father never won in F1, Max won his first ever F1 Championship title in 2021 and later went on to win 2 more consecutively in 2022 and 2023 recently. In 2024, we can still see the rise of Max’s dominance in F1. He is currently at the top of the driver’s championship table and eagerly waiting for his fourth F1 title with Red Bull.
4. Nelson Piquet Sr- Nelson Piquet Jr
(Nelson Piquet Sr- Won 3 F1 Driver Championship Titles/ Melson Piquet Jr- 2015 Formula E Champion Title)
Nelson Piquet Sr. was one of the most successful drivers of the 1980s. He won two F1 world championship titles with the Brabham racing team in 1981 and 1983. Later on, he won his third and last F1 driver titles with Williams Racing in 1987. His success in F1 is not just here. He withstands a championship win in the Indy 500 and the 24 hours of Le Mans. His two sons also followed in his footsteps and went on to go for racing drivers as their careers.
Nelson Piquet Jr. debuted in F1 with Renault in 2008 and scored a second podium finish in his first race at the German Grand Prix. However, he was caught in a controversial act known as the Crashgate in F1 and got banned from his team to race in F1 for the next two years. He, later on, joined Formula e and won the first-ever driver championship titles in 2015.
3. Gilles Villeneuve- Jacques Villeneuve
(Gilles Villeneuve-Most successful Canadian driver/ Jacques Villeneuve- 1997 F1 World Driver Title)
Gilles Villeneuve is regarded as one of the most successful Canadian racers of all time. He was one of the most successful racers of Ferrari. With Ferrari, he won most of the races in his career before losing his life during the 1982 Belgium Grand Prix. Yet never won a championship title but scored a second-place finish on the podium in 1979 alongside Jody Scheckter to whom he lost a driver title.
From winning the Indy Car 500 and the 1995 Championship Title. Gilles’s son Jacques Made his F1 debut with Williams in 1996. Within one year of his career as an F1 driver, Jacques Villeneuve won his first-ever F1 Championship driver title in 1997. He raced for more years and finally left the sport in 2006.
2. Keke Rosberg- Nico Rosberg
(Keke Rosberg won the World F1 Championship Title in 1982/ Nico won the F1 Title in 2016 with Mercedes F1)
Both Rosberg were successful in the world of F1 racing. Keke Rosberg won his first-ever and only F1 driver championship title in 1982. However, in that year he won only one grand prix in that season but scored at every point finish of the 1982 FIA World F1 Championship. His racing stats were quite impressive with 4.4% of the total race wins in his career, he is undoubtedly one of the best Racers from Finland. But his son is more successful than him.
Nico Rosberg won the F1 World Championship title in 2016 beating his teammate Lewis Hamilton with just five points. Debuted with Willaims Racing in 2006 and left the team after 2009. From Williams Nico was a potential mover to Mercedes Petronas F1 team in 2010. There he was successful with the Mercedes Turbo V6 hybrid-era engine winning 23 grand prix and 57 podium finishes in his career. He is the only Mercedes driver to date that fought Lewis Hamilton to secure the F1 driver’s title.
1. Graham Hill- Damon Hill
(Graham Hill won 2 F1 Titles/ Damon Hill won the 1996 F1 Driver Title)
Graham Hill and Damon are one of the most successful father-son duos in the history of F1. Graham Hill was one of the most famous racers in the 1960s in F1 and he is the only racer to win the triple crown in the world of motorsport. He won the IndyCar 500 in 1966, The 24 Hours Of Le Mans in 1972, and the Monaco GP win the same year. Graham won two driver championship titles in F1 in 1962 and 1968. Unfortunately, he died in a plane crash in 1975.
Damon Hill started his F1 career as a motorcycle racer but then moved to F1 after seeing his father securing titles at international levels. He debuted in F1 with Brabham Racing but won a Driver Championship Title with Willams in 1996. He is still one of the few racers who can be seen working as a commentator for the official Sky Sports F1 broadcast during race weekends.
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