One-win wonders — every F1 driver with a single GP victory to their name

At the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, Maldonado inherited pole position when Lewis Hamilton failed to return an adequate fuel sample to the FIA and was ordered to start at the back of the grid. He drove excellently, holding off world champions Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso to take a famous win.

Alonso finished second, 3.1sec behind Maldonado after pressuring him for much of the race.

It was also Williams’ first race win since the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix.

However, the following season heMaldonado was regularly outqualified by rookie team-mate Valtteri Bottas. When he moved to Lotus in 2014, team-mate Romain Grosjean outshone the Venezuelan also. In F1, consistency is key, which Maldonado lacked.

Robert Kubica – Canada 2008

Robert Kubica became the first Polish driver in F1 when he signed for BMW Sauber in 2006. A fantastic driver who could have achieved more behind the wheel of a capable car, Kubica started 99 races and found the podium 12 times, with one pole position and fastest lap.

At the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, his car’s nose was lifted into the air by a broken front wing, and unable to brake or steer, it hit the concrete wall and ricocheted into the opposite barrier at a speed of 186.49mph. The car was destroyed, Kubica’s feet visible at the end of the broken car.

But a year later, the Pole was back at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and this time, in the most poetic of ways, he attained his only F1 race win.

Lewis Hamilton failed to heed a red light in the pit lane, the McLaren rear-ending Kimi Räikkönen’s Ferrari, with Nico Rosberg also crashing into the pair.

All this handed Kubica the lead, heading team-mate Nick Heidfeld home to score a BMW Sauber 1-2, the first time a German constructor had won a Grand Prix since 1962.

The Pole’s F1 career would ultimately peak on that day. He suffered a near-fatal crash at the 2011 Ronde di Andora Rally but returned to F1 in 2019, however he never reached the same heights as that famous race in Canada.

Alessandro Nannini – 1989 Japan GP

Wins don’t always happen in a perfect scenario, and Alessandro Nannini was not entirely happy with how he won his only F1 race.

The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix is infamously remembered for the culmination point of the rivalry between McLaren team-mates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, that clash ultimately bringing the Italian a debut win.

Nannini was sixth on the starting grid, whilst Senna was on pole but fell behind Prost at the start.

The Brazilian stayed behind until lap 40, diving up the inside at the final chicane. Prost turned in and the two collided.

It was the end of the Frenchman’s race but Senna restarted his car, overtook Nannini and eventually finished first. He was controversially disqualified for rejoining the race via an escape road though, handing Prost the championship and Nannini the race.

“I must say, I would prefer to win by actually crossing the line in first place,” commented Nannini afterwards.

A year after his victory, he was involved in a horrifying helicopter crash which severed his right forearm. Nannini never drove in an F1 race again.

Vittorio Brambilla – 1975 Austria GP

It was at the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix that Vittorio Brambilla, nicknamed ‘The Monza Gorilla’, took his sole victory.

Championship contenders Niki Lauda and James Hunt were on the front row, but the rainy conditions did not favour the former, who eventually fell down to sixth.

Jenson Button was closing in on the Renault driver but as Monaco is infamous for not presenting a clear opportunity to overtake, he finished second. Trulli took his maiden win by half a second. He was so overwhelmed that team-mate Fernando Alonso had to answer on his behalf during the post-race interviews.

Shortly after, however, he fell out of favour with team boss Flavio Briatore and moved to Toyota and then to Lotus. He could never find his mojo again. Mechanical failure, being outpaced by his team-mates, and just rotten luck ended his F1 career in 2012.

Innes Ireland – USA 1961

They say luck shines upon anyone associated in any way with Ireland, but despite his name, this was not the case for Innes Ireland. He could have gone to become one of the F1 greats. After all, he won three non-championship F1 races and finished fourth in the championship standings in 1960.

The Scot is often remembered for his comeback from that horrible accident at the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. During the final practice session, Ireland crashed and broke his leg. But just five months later, he was back in the driver’s seat at the 1961 United States Grand Prix, where he won for the only time in his F1 career.

On the third lap, his Lotus spun but he recovered well and continued to climb up the order. Sterling Moss was enjoying a comfortable lead of over 40 seconds but his car retired unexpectedly due to dropping oil pressure. Luck finally favoured Ireland as the lead dropped into his lap. He claimed victory by nearly 4.5 seconds over local Dan Gurney.

Ireland gave Lotus its first win but Jim Clark soon replaced him. Ireland accumulated a total of only 47 career points, and went on to become the president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club.

Piero Taruffi – Switzerland 1952

An F1 race that wasn’t really an F1 race… But it still counts. Due to Alfa Romeo pulling out of the world championship, it was decided that the race would be run according to Formula 2 rules. Alfa Romeo’s absence meant that Ferrari was the only competitive team under the regulations. But with Ferrari’s main drivers at the Indianapolis 500 and out due to injury, Piero Taruffi took the wheel.

Taruffi had a great nickname too. He was called ‘The Silver Fox’ because his hair went grey prematurely, and he was quick on the track. So when he raced at the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix, he occupied P2 on the grid, alongside Ferrari team-mate Nino Farina. The two dominated the race, Taruffi trailing behind Farina in his Ferrari 500.

Technical issues resulted in Farina losing power and dropping down the grid which gave Taruffi the lead. In a formidable drive, the Italian lapped every single driver except for second place finisher Rudi Fischer. He won his only race and also finished third in the drivers’ standings. He stood on the podium on four other occasions but never on the top step again.

Peter Gethin – Italy 1971

Sure, former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has two close finishes to his name. At the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Finn snatched P2 from Racing Point’s Lance Stroll, taking it by 0.105 seconds, and he took P3 from under Alpine’s Esteban Ocon’s nose at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by 0.102 seconds. But that can’t beat the photo finish at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix, which to date remains the closest finish in F1 history.

It was also a historic moment for Peter Gethin who bested the fastest of the pack and won his only F1 grand prix. Monza is one of the fastest circuits in the sport’s history, and the 1971 grand prix broke up into high-speed packs. Five drivers, including Gethin, battled it right down to the finish line to claim a spot on the podium. All of them finished within two-tenths of a second of each other.

Having never led a lap in a grand prix, Gethin jumped from fourth to first in the closing lap. He took the chequered flag by an airtight 0.01 seconds. But that was it. A series of retirements that resulted in zero podiums led to him leaving F1 for good in 1974.

Luigi Musso – Argentina 1956

Similar to Fagioli, Luigi Musso’s sole F1 win came from a shared drive with Fangio as well. At the 1956 Argentinian Grand Prix, Musso was racing for Ferrari, and all three Ferrari drivers occupied the top spots on the starting grid. But the race was dogged by controversy.

The team’s main man Fangio could barely do anything because of a faulty fuel pump. Musso, on the other hand, was leading the race when Ferrari called him into the pits. He was ordered to swap cars with Fangio. While they won as a shared drive, Musso was not pleased with the team call.

Seven races later, the scenario repeated itself at the Prancing Horse’s home race in Italy, but Musso refused to comply. The team was not happy with his insubordination. Fate was not on Musso’s side as a broken steering arm led to the car being stopped in its tracks three laps from the finish.

Gunnar Nilsson – Belgium 1977

Not often does a driver get labelled a future world champion by a team principal, but Gunnar Nilsson was right on track. Founder of the Tyrell F1 constructor, Ken Tyrell thought Nilsson would be one of the F1 greats. But his story remains one of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in F1 history, as he was diagnosed with terminal cancer a year after he started racing at the highest level.

In just his third race for Lotus, Nilsson finished third, proving that he was a promising young man. A year later, he would take his only win at the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix. He started third on a track that was wet due to rain earlier in the day. With only 15 drivers finishing the race, the Swede passed Niki Lauda for the lead, beating the legend at his own game. This race was also the only F1 race in which two Swedes shared the podium, with Tyrell’s Ronnie Peterson coming in third.

Nilsson signed for Arrows in 1978 but never raced due to his cancer being determined terminal. His legacy lives on in the form of The Gunnar Nilsson Cancer Treatment Trust Fund. An obituary read: “He was perhaps the most naturally gifted of the new generation of grands prix drivers.”

Heikki Kovalainen – Hungary 2008

To drive opposite a world champion would feel like a fever dream to any of us, but it isn’t all that great when you are actually doing it and are constantly overshadowed. Ask Valtteri Bottas. Such was also the fate of Heikki Kovalainen. The Finn replaced Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2008, and many thought this would be his big break. But his team-mate and future world champion Hamilton outdid him at every step.

A McLaren front-row lockout saw Hamilton starting from pole at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix. Felipe Massa took the lead in the opening laps, and in a race Hamilton would probably like to forget, he dropped down the order and finished fifth. Turns out Hamilton has always had trouble with his tyres.

Kovalainen was closing the gap to Massa when the latter’s Ferrari’s engine failed with three laps remaining. Kovalainen capitalised on this and won the grand prix. But he could never find his pace again. He was on the podium only four times in 111 starts. At the end of the 2009 season, he was signed by Lotus but disappeared in the sea of names.

Jean-Pierre Beltoise – Monaco 1972

Monaco packs a punch. It is a track where the most experienced drivers have failed to taste the champagne. But it also comes with surprises, considering it has been on this list thrice. Jean-Pierre Beltoise wasn’t even a car racer to begin with. He racked up 11 French national titles in motorcycling before making the move to F1 in 1967.

The Frenchman was a promising talent, standing on the podium eight times and setting four fastest laps in his F1 career. Claiming victory in – you guessed it – rainy conditions at Monaco must be on every driver’s bucket list. It is the peak and Beltoise conquered it.

18 of the 25 starters crossed the finish line. Beltoise charged up the field and finished with an astounding lead of 38 seconds. He even set the fastest lap in torrential conditions. But while he was hungry for more, he barely came close to another victory. He eventually grew tired of losing and retired from the sport after three seasons with BRM.

Francois Cevert – USA 1971

Talent and promise must run in the family when you have two brothers-in-law on the same list. Beltoise’s blue-eyed brother-in-law Francois Cevert burst onto the scene as defending champion and team-mate Jackie Stewart’s protege in 1970.

Premature decisions are never great, and Scarfiotti would have been delighted when he backtracked on his as he enjoyed what would have been the best day of his life thanks to F1. At the 1966 Italian Grand Prix, he started on the front row and immediately took the lead. He was fighting with Surtees, Mike Parkes and Graham Hill for the win. But a split petrol tank resulted in Surtees dropping out and Scarfiotti swooped in to take the chequered flag. Scarfiotti became the first Italian in 15 years to win the Italian Grand Prix, and he is also the last Italian to have won it as no one has come close to breaking this record.

The Italian died at a hillclimbing event in Germany a year later. He wrecked his Porsche 910 which flew into the trees, ejecting Scarfiotti from the cockpit. Numerous fractures resulted in his passing away in the ambulance itself.

Jo Bonnier – Netherlands 1959

Some people are just meant for other things, and this was true in the case of Jo Bonnier. He was the first Swede to participate in F1 and raced for 15 years but stood on the podium only once in 104 starts. Business suited him more. He was, after all, from a wealthy family involved in the publishing business.

Nevertheless, Bonnier never lost his cool while racing against the biggest names in the sport. BRM owes its first victory to Bonnier who drove excellently at the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix. The car was notorious for breaking down but that day at Zandvoort, it held it together, claiming a 14 second victory over Jack Brabham. He also subbed in as a replacement driver for Lotus, Brabham and Honda.

However, Bonnier’s work was focused more on safety. Alongside Jackie Stewart, he campaigned for better safety regulations. He criticised Le Mans for being too dangerous, and he was proven right in the end when he lost his life there in 1972.

Ritchie Ginther – Mexico 1965

As a works team, Honda hasn’t had a long history in F1. During the 1964-68 era, however, it exceeded expectations. American Ritchi Ginther switched teams from BRM to Honda and delivered a spectacular maiden victory to the Japanese team.

Honda introduced the formidable RA272 chassis during the 1965 season, and at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix, its hard work paid off. Ginther qualified third for the main event, running behind Jim Clark and compatriot Dan Gurney. Ginther shot off and took the lead during the first lap. Clark developed an engine problem and Gurney just could not overtake Ginther regardless of his efforts.

Ginther averaged 94.3mph on the track, beating Gurney’s record of 93.321mph which he set the previous year. This was also the first time Honda had entered the Mexican Grand Prix and the first time that it did, it won the race. The team won only two other grands prix as a works team.

As for Ginther, he stood on the podium 14 times and accumulated 107 championship points before retiring out of the blue in 1967. Bandini was a close friend of his and his death pushed Ginther past the breaking point. He never raced in F1 after that, but he earned a place in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2008.

Pierre Gasly – Italy 2020

Pierre Gasly’s tale is a story of redemption. Following an impressive rookie season, he was rewarded with a big move to Red Bull. That stint, however, ended after just 12 races and he was demoted back to Toro Rosso. But, this is where he re-found his mojo and he was standing on the podium in Brazil before the season end.

And then the following season, amid a global pandemic, he was able to go one better with a fantastic victory in Monza after many of the front-runners had a race to forget. Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel all retired, while Hamilton was given a ten-second stop-go penalty for boxing despite the pit lane being closed.

This meant it was time for someone new to shine.

On lap 18, Kevin Magnussen caused a safety car and Gasly pitted under those conditions but because the Haas driver stopped close to the pit entry, the lane was closed right after the Frenchman had made his stop.

Hence, luck was on Gasly’s side.

Once it re-opened, everybody else piled in and this bumped him up to third behind Hamilton and Lance Stroll. Although, shortly after conditions went green again, Leclerc crashed heavily at Parabolica to cause a red flag and upon the standing start, Gasly was able to jump Stroll into second with only Hamilton ahead, who was still to serve a penalty.

Hamilton then got out of the way and despite a surging Carlos Sainz behind, Gasly held on to win by 0.4 seconds.

Esteban Ocon – Hungary 2021

Less than 12 months later, a different Frenchman was standing on the top step in yet another shock result. In treacherous conditions, Valtteri Bottas misjudged his braking and caused a big collision heading into turn one on the opening lap.

This put himself, Sergio Perez and two others drivers out of the race while also caught up in the mayhem, Verstappen was forced to compete with a heavily damaged car. However, conditions then dried up rapidly but Mercedes misjudged this and kept Hamilton on the intermediate tyres while everybody else went to slicks under the red flag.

The Mercedes driver then had no option but to pit after a lap of racing and he re-joined at the back of the pack while Ocon was put into the lead. Vettel was in second but the Alpine driver had enough to hold him off and the only driver with the pace to challenge for first was Hamilton, but he had an almighty task ahead.

Despite cutting through the field rapidly, he then got to Ocon’s team-mate and Fernando Alonso was able to keep the seven-time world champion behind in fifth for twelve laps. This halted Hamilton’s progress and it was enough to stop him from getting to Ocon in time, who gave the Enstone team their first victory since Kimi Raikkonen in 2013.

At just the age of 25, Ocon has a long future ahead of him and like Gasly, there is plenty of time to remove themselves from this list.

Carlos Sainz Jr – Great Britain 2022

In his eighth year of F1, Sainz finally won a race following a tricky start to the season. With new regulations for 2022, Ferrari now have a car that can challenge consistently at the front but time and time again, Sainz has fell short of Verstappen and Leclerc.

On various occasions, it looked like Sainz might get that win – Monaco and Montreal 2022 – but it never quite happened for him. It then got to a point where people were labelling him as a number two driver and that Ferrari should favour Leclerc, like Red Bull do with Verstappen.

But, at a packed British GP weekend, it finally came.

It started off with pole on the Saturday ahead of Verstappen, whose final lap was halted by a yellow flag. The next day, however, Red Bull’s man got one back but shortly after taking the lead Verstappen ran over some debris which damaged his car. Sainz was back in P1, but Leclerc was then next to overtake him yet a late safety car came to the Spaniard’s aid.

While he pitted under such conditions, Ferrari bewilderingly kept Leclerc out and on much fresher tyres, Sainz got by his team-mate pretty quickly and the victory was his. With a car at the front and still only 27, it shouldn’t be too long before he wins a second race.

George Russell – Brazil 2022 

In a season which looked winless for Mercedes, George Russell captured his first victory at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing second to complete an unlikely 1-2 finish for the team.

Having left his long term post at Williams at the end of 2021, replacing Valtteri Bottas for the 2022 season, Russell had set his sights on a title bid with a team that looked poised to continue fighting at the front of the F1 grid, but found himself on the back foot in a temperamental car.

He still captured seven podiums in the run-up to Interlagos where he won his first sprint race, lining him up on pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix – Hamilton alongside him.

After safety car restart on lap seven, Hamilton and Verstappen collided, allowing Russell to cruise to a relatively uneventful first win.