The 18 Greatest Italian F1 Drivers of All Time

From the nation's only world champions to plucky one-race wonders and a new prodigy carrying the tricolore, this lineup spans seven decades of Italian racing. Who tops the grid?

1

Luigi Musso

1950s Ferrari driver who shared victory at the 1956 Argentine Grand Prix.

1000pts

2

Nino Farina

The inaugural Formula 1 World Champion in 1950, driving for Alfa Romeo.

874pts

3

Alberto Ascari

Italy's only multiple world champion, winning back-to-back Formula 1 titles in 1952 and 1953 with Ferrari.

787pts

4

Vittorio Brambilla

The 'Monza Gorilla' who took a wild win in the rain-shortened 1975 Austrian Grand Prix.

702pts

5

Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Mercedes prodigy who became the first Italian Grand Prix winner in nearly two decades in 2026.

702pts

6

Michele Alboreto

Ferrari stalwart who finished runner-up in the 1985 championship and won five Grands Prix.

642pts

7

Lorenzo Bandini

Ferrari favourite of the 1960s who won the 1964 Austrian Grand Prix before his fatal Monaco accident in 1967.

562pts

8

Pierluigi Martini

Minardi mainstay who once led a lap of the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix for the plucky underdog team.

562pts

9

Riccardo Patrese

Long-serving racer who finished championship runner-up in 1992 and won six Grands Prix across 256 starts.

449pts

10

Alessandro Nannini

Benetton driver who won the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix before a helicopter crash ended his F1 career.

449pts

11

Antonio Giovinazzi

Modern Alfa Romeo driver who scored points across three full seasons in the late 2010s.

449pts

12

Elio de Angelis

Elegant Lotus driver who won two Grands Prix in the early 1980s before his fatal 1986 testing crash.

281pts

13

Ludovico Scarfiotti

Won the 1966 Italian Grand Prix at Monza for Ferrari, delighting the home crowd.

281pts

14

Andrea de Cesaris

Famously fast and crash-prone racer who held the record for most Grand Prix starts without a win.

281pts

15

Jarno Trulli

Qualifying specialist whose career highlight was a memorable victory at the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix.

0pts

16

Giancarlo Fisichella

Three-time Grand Prix winner whose 2006 Malaysia win was Italy's last for nearly twenty years.

0pts

17

Ivan Capelli

March and Ferrari driver who nearly won the 1990 French Grand Prix from the front.

0pts

18

Nicola Larini

Ferrari test driver who scored a podium at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

0pts