The Best F1 Drivers Who Never Won a Championship: Moss, Villeneuve, Coulthard, Webber and More

Here's a fun list that Top Gear built. Not definitive, just their opinion.

Sir Stirling Moss

Who else would we start with?

Grabbed 16 wins in 66 races. Still more than anyone else who never won a championship. Runner-up four times, third three times.

Closest was '58 when he lost to Mike Hawthorn by one point. That doesn't tell you everything though. Moss could make a slower car win. His best? 1961 Monaco, holding off three faster Ferraris in his Lotus 18. Watch it if you haven't.

True gentleman too.

Ronnie Peterson

The Superswede. Sweden's best F1 driver. Nine seasons, 10 wins from 123 races, runner-up twice.

Crazy fast. 14 poles. Problem was usually the car breaking down, not his driving. Lotus, March, Tyrrell. Fans loved his rally style, dive-bombing corners then spinning the rears on exit.

Died in '78. Fighting Andretti for the championship, crashed at the Italian GP start. Other drivers pulled him from the burning Lotus but he had bad leg injuries and died in hospital.

Would've won at least one title if he'd lived.

Jacky Ickx

Belgian. Crazy talented. Won Bathurst, Can-Am, Dakar, Le Mans multiple times. Never F1 though.

116 races, 13 poles, 25 podiums, eight wins. Closest was '70, five points behind Jochen Rindt who died at Monza with three races left. Rindt's the only posthumous F1 champ ever.

Finished fourth three other times before fading mid to late '70s. Skill was obvious every time though.

Carlos Reutemann

Ten seasons, 12 wins, third with three different teams. Brabham '75, Ferrari '78, Williams '80.

Best shot was '81. Final race in Vegas, up one point over Piquet. Qualified on pole, finished eighth. Piquet fifth. Lost by nothing.

Started two races next season then quit because of Falklands War tension. Teammate Rosberg won the title. Big what if.

Gilles Villeneuve

Six seasons. Left his mark. Beat James Hunt in a race, Ferrari grabbed him.

First Canadian to win a championship race. Home race '78. In '79 lost to teammate Scheckter by four points, both won three races. Rarely had a fast car after but still won twice in '81, Monaco and Spain.

Next year died qualifying for Belgian GP trying to pass Mass. Car flew at 140. Huge promise cut short.

Didier Pironi

Second Ferrari tragedy that season.

After 11 races Pironi led by nine points despite skipping Belgium after Villeneuve died. Five races left.

German GP practice, hit Prost's slow Renault at 170 in heavy rain. Flew 200 feet, nose-first landing, crushed both legs. Surgery for months. Walked eventually but never raced again.

Enzo put a cup by his hospital bed: "Didier Pironi – the true 1982 World Champion." History says Rosberg won though, five more points in the last five races.

Ferrari had no luck.

Rubens Barrichello

Record 322 starts. 14 poles, 11 wins, 68 podiums, 658 points. Zero championships.

Always second fiddle, especially to Schumacher at Ferrari. Third in '01, second in '02 and '04. Five constructors' titles 2000 to 2005.

Joined Honda turned Brawn with Button. Button killed the start of '09, Barrichello chased, finished third. Button got it.

Last two years Williams 2010-2011. Not much despite all that experience.

David Coulthard

Second to only Moss for most wins without a title. 13 wins.

Fifteen seasons, never got it despite looking good early. First full Williams season '95, seven podiums including first win at Portugal, third overall. Pretty good for an unreliable car.

McLaren brought 12 wins and three more thirds in '97, '98, 2000. Closest in '01, second to Schumacher. Last four years Red Bull, quit after '08 right before Vettel took over.

Gerhard Berger

210 starts, 14 seasons. Super experienced, no championship.

Ten wins. Benetton two, Ferrari five, McLaren three. 48 podiums. Best was two thirds in '94 and '98. His first and last wins were Benetton's first and last. Eleven years apart.

Best memory? '89 San Marino when he hit Tamburello wall at 180, car burst into flames. Month later back driving.

McLaren next year with Senna, helped grab '90 and '91 constructors' titles.

Mark Webber

Surprised? Listen.

Showed talent at Minardi '02, then Jaguar, then Williams.

Red Bull looked promising. Nearly won in 2010. Bad tire strategy killed it. Watched from seventh as Vettel won the race and title.

After that totally sidelined. Vettel was number one. Three more thirds then quit 2013. 215 races, 13 poles, nine wins, 42 podiums.

Pretty good for a number two.