In the high-stakes world of Formula One, some drivers have carved out long careers without ever standing on the top step of the podium, and here, SportsCasting takes a look at the 10 drivers with the most F1 starts without winning a race.
These drivers, though talented, have faced a mix of bad luck, unreliable machinery, or simply the misfortune of racing in eras dominated by other F1 stars.
Below, we explore the 10 drivers with the most F1 starts without a win, highlighting their careers and how close they came to winning a Formula One Grand Prix. The numbers are accurate as of April 23, 2025.
The 10 Drivers With The Most F1 Starts Without Winning A Race
10. Eddie Cheever – 132
American driver Eddie Cheever had a journeyman career in Formula One between 1978 and 1989. During that time, he raced for teams including Renault, Ligier, Arrows, Tyrrell among others.
His best years came in the early 1980s scoring seven podiums, across the 1982 and 1983 seasons.
Cheever’s closest calls to victory came in the 1982 Detroit Grand Prix and 1983 Canadian Grand Prix – finishing second on both occasions.
The 1983 season was his finest season with four podiums in 15 races and finishing seventh in the championship.
Cheever took two more podiums with the Arrows team at the end of the 1980s. His nine podiums without a win tie him with Jean Behra and Martin Brundle for fifth-most in this category.
The American found success in IndyCar, where he won the 1998 Indy 500.
9. Jean-Pierre Jarier – 134
Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jarier was active for 13 seasons in Formula One from 1971 to 1983.
Entering F1 with promise, he led 79 laps across his career but never clinched a victory – despite taking three pole positions and three podiums.
Driving for teams like March, Shadow and Lotus, Jarier’s closest call came at the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix.
He started on pole for Lotus and led 49 laps before an oil leak forced him out of the race.
Jarier was desperately unlucky in 1975 as he took pole in the Argentine Grand Prix only to break down in the warm-up which prevented him from starting.
He took pole again at the very next race in Brazil, only to retire with a fuel system failure on Lap 32.
8. Derek Warwick – 146
British driver Derek Warwick, active from 1981 to 1993, endured persistent bad luck.
At the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix for Renault, he led before retiring with suspension issues. Declining a 1985 Williams seat—later taken by Nigel Mansell, who won races and challenged for championships—marked a pivotal moment.
Ayrton Senna also vetoed Warwick’s potential 1986 Lotus seat in another race-winning car. His heartbreak came at the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix, leading for Arrows before an engine failure on Lap 40; Senna, who overtook him, later retired.
With four podiums, Warwick never won in F1 but triumphed at the 1992 Le Mans 24 Hours with Peugeot.
7. Martin Brundle – 158
Now an iconic F1 commentator, Martin Brundle raced from 1984 to 1996 for Tyrrell, Benetton, McLaren and Jordan, among others.
He notched up nine podiums during his career, with second-place finishes at the 1992 Italian Grand Prix and the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix.
Brundle was famously teammates alongside Michael Schumacher in 1992 and another former champion, Mika Hakkinen in 1994.
His 1992 Canadian Grand Prix retirement remains a painful what-if. Brundle passed teammate Schumacher and was closing in on leader Gerhard Berger before his transmission failed.
Brundle’s nine podiums is currently tied-fifth for the drivers who have the most podiums not to win a race alongside Eddie Cheever and 1950s star Jean Behra.
I received this great 1992 image from René Fagnan which was captured by Charles Gauthier. My Benetton had just broken down in a a race which looked certain to be my first F1 victory. Ayrton had stopped in the same place. He said to me “bad luck, it hurts doesn’t it?” It did 😢 pic.twitter.com/Af9bITbmwu
— Martin Brundle OBE (@MBrundleF1) January 2, 2025
6. Lance Stroll – 171
Canadian driver Lance Stroll is a polarising figure in Formula One. There are strong arguments that he wouldn’t have driven so many races in F1 if it wasn’t for his father’s ownership of the Aston Martin team.
Despite criticism, Stroll has shone in mixed conditions, notably at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, where he took pole, led 32 laps, but finished ninth after front-wing damage
He has notched up three podiums during his career, though all of which came in chaotic races where drivers in the top team hit problems.
Given Aston Martin’s lack of pace in 2025, Stroll’s place on this list could grow. He will be hoping that Adrian Newey can provide a winning car in 2026.
Lance Stroll – Turkey, 2020 pic.twitter.com/CGCGPs5voZ
— Inigo Sim 🇵🇭 (@inigo_sim) February 18, 2021
5. Romain Grosjean – 179
French-Swiss driver Romain Grosjean raced from 2009 to 2020 for Renault, Lotus and Haas.
During that time he amassed 10 podiums, making him one of the most successful non-winners in Formula One history.
His closest call to victory came at the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix where he finished just 2.5 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton in second.
He also came close at the 2013 United States Grand Prix, finishing six seconds behind Sebastian Vettel. In 2013, Grosjean looked like a future race winner after stepping on the podium six times.
However, he never had a car that was capable of challenging for podiums and race wins after that season.
Grosjean was known for his speed but occasional errors and his F1 career ended dramatically with a fiery crash in 2020.
4. Nick Heidfeld – 183
Nicknamed “Quick Nick,” German driver Nick Heidfeld competed in Formula One from 2000 to 2011 for the likes of Sauber, Prost and Jordan.
He holds the record for most podiums (13) without a win – including eight second-place finishes.
His closest call was the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, where he finished just 4.3 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton.
A year later, he could have won at the same track but was told to let teammate Robert Kubica through as he was on a different strategy where he had to stop again for tyres.
Heidfeld later said: “So that he could use his strategy I let him pass – the team had calculated that they would either get first place for me and fourth for Robert, or if I helped then a one-two.”
The German also took a pole position in 2005 at the Nurburgring, but finished second behind Fernando Alonso.
His pace deserved a win but he is fourth on the list of drivers with the most F1 starts without winning a race.
3. Kevin Magnussen – 185
When a driver finishes on the podium in their very first race race you would expect them to go on to become a Grand Prix winner.
However, that never happened for Kevin Magnussen, as that proved to be the only podium of his career as he never had the machinery to really challenge at the top.
Magnussen, whose father Jan also raced in F1 in the 1990s, holds the unwanted record for the most starts without leading a lap.
He claimed a shock pole at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix but retired early in the race.
With 185 starts to his name, his career in Formula One ended at the end of 2024. He has now switched to endurance racing with BMW where he will hope to find more success.
#OnThisDay 🇦🇺 2014@KevinMagnussen’s F1 career got off to a flying start at Albert Park five years ago with a P2 finish 🇩🇰💪#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/K2VtcQcqEP
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2019
2. Andrea De Cesaris – 208
Italian racer Andrea de Cesaris was unfortunately dubbed “De Crasheris” for his accident-prone reputation.
He holds the second spot in the list for most F1 race starts without a win, after making 208 starts between 1980 and 1994.
De Cesaris showed early speed driving for Alfa Romeo in the 1980s taking pole position at the 1981 Long Beach Grand Prix.
He could have won the chaotic 1982 Monaco Grand Prix but was classified third after running out of fuel.
The Italian took two second-places in 1983. He could have also won that year’s Belgian Grand Prix only for a botched pit stop and engine failure which put him out of the race.
De Cesaris nearly gave Jordan a race-win in their first season in Formula One in 1991. He was closing up on Ayrton Senna and likely would have overtaken him before his engine failed with three laps remaining.
He shares the record for most retirements (147) from a race. This is a big reason why he failed to win a Grand Prix.
1. Nico Hulkenberg – 232
Topping the list of drivers with the most F1 starts without winning a race is Nico Hulkenberg. As of the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix he has 232 starts without a win.
He also holds the record for the most starts without a podium. These are both cruel statistics on his career, given that his pace deserved a victory.
There was early promise with a pole position for Williams in his debut season back in 2010.
His closest brush with victory was at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. He led in wet conditions before a collision with Lewis Hamilton took him out of contention.
A 2025 win with Sauber seems unlikely given their form. However, Sauber’s transition to Audi in 2026, with the manufacturer’s strong racing pedigree, offers hope that Hulkenberg might yet shed this record.
