# Who is the best Williams F1 driver of the 1980s?

> Two world champions, a late-decade rivalry and a few drivers who passed through Grove on the way to something bigger.

*By YPB Team · Published October 24, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-williams-f1-driver-of-the-1980s*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Nelson Piquet** — score 1000/1000
   Brazilian triple champion who won his 1987 title at Williams amid a fierce rivalry with his team-mate.
2. **Keke Rosberg** — score 733/1000
   Flying Finn who won the 1982 world title for Williams with a single race victory.
3. **Jacques Laffite** — score 599/1000
   Veteran Frenchman who scored podiums for Williams in 1983 and 1984 after his Ligier years.
4. **Thierry Boutsen** — score 599/1000
   Belgian who joined Williams in 1989 and won two races, including a wet Canadian Grand Prix.
5. **Alan Jones** — score 0/1000
   Australian who gave Williams its first drivers' title in 1980 after a dominant 1979-81 run.
6. **Carlos Reutemann** — score 0/1000
   Argentine who took Williams wins in 1980 and 1981 and lost the 1981 title by a single point.
7. **Nigel Mansell** — score 0/1000
   Fearless Briton who won 14 races for Williams in the 1980s and narrowly missed the 1986 title.
8. **Riccardo Patrese** — score 0/1000
   Italian who returned to Williams in 1988 and began the partnership that would peak in the early 1990s.

Tags: 80s, formula-1, drivers, williams