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15 different Australian drivers have started a Formula 1 Grand Prix, but only five of those have ever taken a victory.
Jack Brabham, the country’s first victor, is one of F1’s all-time greats with three world championship wins. 10 years after he retired, Alan Jones won the title for Williams.
Australia’s winning drought would then last three decades before Mark Webber’s success at Red Bull. Webber passed the torch to Daniel Ricciardo when he retired, and Ricciardo handed it to Piastri in turn.
Here, F1 Oversteer ranks the five Australian drivers who have stood on the top step of the podium.
5. Daniel Ricciardo
There was a period around 2016 when was Daniel Ricciardo was arguably the best driver in F1, pound-for-pound. Ricciardo won seven Grands Prix in the midst of Mercedes’ dominance.
After comfortably beating Sebastian Vettel, who had won four straight titles at Red Bull, he outscored Max Verstappen in 2017. The Dutchman was 19 for most of that season but Ricciardo remains the only driver to beat him in the championship.
However, his ranking suffers because of his predominantly poor form in the 2020s. Aside from a remarkable win for McLaren at Monza, Ricciardo was unrecognisable, which is why he lost his seat in ignominious circumstances twice in the space of two years.
Let us know your 1, 2, 3…
4. Mark Webber
Ricciardo may have beaten Vettel, something Webber couldn’t manage, but he never competed for a world championship as the New South Wales native did in 2010.
Yes, Ricciardo was unfortunate to come up against the Mercedes juggernaut, but this is still a mark against him in all-time discussions. Webber’s 2010 peak, which saw him win four races and score 10 podiums, gives him the edge.
He lost out to Vettel in heartbreaking circumstances at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, and couldn’t challenge the German consistently after that, though he felt he received inferior treatment at times. It should be noted that Webber also impressed further down the field with Minardi and Jaguar.
3. Oscar Piastri
Another driver who lost out on the title at Yas Marina is Piastri, though he was always an outsider. Having led for much of the season, Piastri finished 13 points behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
It’s difficult to evaluate the 24-year-old so early in his career, but he has already equalled Webber’s win tally. With more potential to unlock, Piastri looks like a multiple world champion in the making.
A slump in the final third of last season highlighted the weaknesses he must overcome, both on and off the track. But Piastri appears to have a higher ceiling than the two drivers below him.
Finish the sentence: In his Formula 1 career, Oscar PIastri will win ____ titles
2. Alan Jones
While Piastri, Webber and Ricciardo can justifiably be swapped around, Jones categorically deserves second place on the list. His championship win, up against the mighty Nelson Piquet, separates him from the 21st-century generation, but he isn’t quite as big a legend as Brabham.
Jones was Williams’ first F1 champion, playing a crucial role in the ascent of one of the sport’s greatest teams. He also posted third-place finishes either side of his title-winning campaign.
1. Jack Brabham
Only six drivers in the history of F1 have won more world championships than Jack Brabham. But what sets him apart is that, in 1966, he did it in his own car.
Brabham became the first F1 driver to win the title in a mid-engined car at Cooper, making him a pioneer in more ways than one. He then set up his eponymous team in 1962.
60 years on, he remains the last driver to win the world championship in his 40s. He finished his career with 14 wins and 31 podiums from 123 starts.
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