Best F1 Teams of All Time

What are the best F1 teams of all time and why have they made the top 5 list?

McLaren (1966 – Present):

McLaren Founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963, McLaren are the second oldest active team in the F1 World Championships.

As the second most successful team of all time – featuring legendary drivers Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Aytron Senna – McLaren’s best racing years in terms of success, range from 1984 to 1991 during which the team won 6 Constructors Championships and 7 Drivers’ Championships.

As one of the best teams of all time, McLaren also produced arguably the best F1 car of all time, the MP4/4.

Mercedes Benz (1954-1955, 2010 - present)

No other team has dominated Formula One in quite the way Mercedes did for two years in the mid 1950s; their first competition in the FIA F1 World Championship was in 1954. An instant success – they won the FIA Drivers’ Championship in both 1954 and 1955.

However, tragedy struck which meant the team had to withdraw from motor racing all together. In 1955, the team's unprecedented success was completely overshadowed by Pierre Leveigh's horrific accident in a Mercedes at Le Mans, killing over 80 spectators. The team announced its withdrawal from all motorsports at the end of the season and the Mercedes name didn't appear as a constructor in F1 for another 55 years. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history.

The team continued to exist in various forms, most significantly as an engine manufacturer up until 2010 when they returned to F1. Since then, Mercedes have participated in 79 races, winning 63 of them.

Lotus (1958-1994)

Lotus is a team renowned for innovation. Founded by the legendary Colin Chapman in the 1950s, Lotus entered their first race in Monaco 1958.

Famously, the Lotus team was the first of its kind to receive commercial support in 1968 with "Gold Leaf" branding on their cars. Additionally, they were also one of the first world-leading teams to introduce major aerodynamic changes in to motorsport; these changes have since become the backbone of technology for all modern sports cars.

The team was driven by the genius, Colin Chapman, as they became pioneers of sorts throughout their lifespan. However, yet another tragedy ended an era of motorsport for the F1 team, as Jim Clark (once regarded as the best driver in the sport) was tragically killed racing in a Formula 2 event in Germany.

Nevertheless, the high level of innovation by the team translated in to success on the track; throughout the years, Lotus won 7 Constructors Championships and 6 Drivers' Championships.

Williams (1978-present)

Williams team have won a total of 7 Drivers’ Championships and have an incredible 114 Grand Prix victories to their name. As one of only 3 teams that have won more than 100 races, and 9 Constructors Championships, they hold the second-best record in motorsport history.

Formed in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams, Williams racing team won their first race at the 1979 British Grand Prix and have progressed continuously ever since.

In 1993 Williams won the title with arguably the most technologically advanced car ever seen in Formula One. Active suspension, anti-lock brakes and traction control advances meant that Williams shifted the bias from driver skill to car technology.

From a design perspective, Williams’s 1993 FW15C car was a modern phenomenon, built to fully incorporate active suspension and aerodynamics.

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Ferrari (1950-present)

Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1947, Ferrari is the oldest active team in the FIA F1 world championships, having taken part in every championship since 1950.

Arguably, the Ferrari team is the most successful F1 team ever, in every aspect. In total, Ferrari has won 16 Constructors Championships, 15 Drivers’ Championships and has 231 race victories to its name (the highest number among all teams throughout F1 history).

Formula 1 racers believe that to drive for the "Prancing Horse" would be a career dream come true. Some of the most famous drivers in the world have raced for Ferrari: Alberto Ascari, Juan-Manuel Fangio, John Surtees, Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher are just a few world-class names.

Michael Schumacher is the team's most successful driver. He joined in 1996 and departed in 2006, winning 5 drivers’ titles and 72 Grand Prix for the Ferarri team. Ferrari's reign at the top of the sport in the early 2000s set new standards in teamwork, not to mention several records along the way.

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