Australia has a rich history in Formula 1 that dates back to the 1950s.
The nation has two former champions, six drivers with podiums and two current drivers in the competition.
With the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne set to dominate the headlines this weekend, The Sporting News looks at the country’s success in F1.
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Australian F1 world champions
Australia has had two F1 world champions since the racing discipline emerged in 1950.
Jack Brabham won the drivers’ championship three times in 1959, 1960 and 1966.
Incredibly, Brabham is the only driver to win a title in his own car, which was named a ‘Brabham’.
Alan Jones clinched the title once in 1980.
List of Australian F1 world champions
| Driver | Year |
|---|---|
| Jack Brabham | 1959, 1960, 1966 |
| Alan Jones | 1980 |
Australian F1 race winners
Four Australians have won F1 races, including the two former champions and current driver Daniel Ricciardo.
List of Australian F1 race winners
| Driver | Active Years | Race Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Brabham | 1955-1970 | 14 |
| Alan Jones | 1975-81, 1983, 1985-86 | 12 |
| Mark Webber | 2002-2013 | 9 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | 2011-2023 | 8 |
Australian F1 podium finishes
Six Aussie drivers have finished on the podium, including the four race winners.
Only two drivers from Down Under – current racer Oscar Piastri and 1970s competitor Tim Schenken – have podium finishes but haven’t won a race.
List of Australian podium finishes
| Driver | Active Years | Podiums |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Webber | 2002-2013 | 42 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | 2011-current | 32 |
| Jack Brabham | 1955-1970 | 31 |
| Alan Jones | 1975-81, 1983, 1985-86 | 24 |
| Oscar Piastri | 2023 | 2 |
| Tim Schenken | 1970-74 | 1 |
Current Australian F1 drivers
Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo has been an F1 starter since 2011 and currently drives for the Visa Cash App Red Bull team.
He became one of Australia’s most popular sporting athletes after succeeding at the beginning of the social media age.
While he is yet to win an F1 championship, Ricciardo finished third in the standings twice in 2014 and 2016.
He has eight career finishes in the top 10 of the drivers’ championship.
Across his career, Ricciardo has secured eight wins and 32 podium finishes from 241 starts.
Oscar Piastri
The new kid on the block, 22-year-old Piastri races for McLaren and is showing exceptional promise.
He has two podiums from only 24 starts and appears to be edging closer to a race victory.
Piastri’s podiums came in back-to-back races last season in Japan and Qatar.
In 2024, the Aussie has an eighth-place finish in Bahrain and a fourth-place effort in Saudi Arabia.
Piastri will be Australia’s best chance of success both in Melbourne and across the entire season.