Vettel Remains Ferrari's Most Successful Driver of the Hybrid Era
As F1's hybrid era concludes, Sebastian Vettel remains Ferrari's most successful driver of the period with 14 wins, ahead of Charles Leclerc's 8, highlighting the team's long-standing title challenge.
Sebastian Vettel has been statistically crowned Ferrari's most successful driver of the hybrid era (2014-2025), edging out current star Charles Leclerc in terms of Grand Prix wins. Despite the team's current focus on Leclerc, the four-time world champion's 14 victories for the Scuderia remain the benchmark during this technically complex period of Formula 1.
Why it matters:
As Formula 1 closes the chapter on its first hybrid era, this retrospective highlights the shifting fortunes and challenges at Maranello. It serves as a reminder of the immense pressure and high expectations placed on Ferrari drivers, and how even a four-time world champion like Vettel ultimately fell short of delivering the ultimate prize, a theme that continues to define the team's modern history.
The Details:
- Sebastian Vettel secured 14 race wins for Ferrari between 2015 and 2020, making him the team's most successful driver in the hybrid era. His campaigns, particularly in 2015, 2017, and 2018, saw him mount serious title challenges.
- Charles Leclerc, with the team since 2019, has amassed 8 victories. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, he often contended with machinery that was not consistently competitive enough to challenge for the championship.
- Carlos Sainz, who drove for Ferrari from 2021 to 2024, managed 4 wins, including a standout victory at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, which was the only non-Red Bull win that season.
- Kimi Räikkönen contributed a single win during this period, taking the checkered flag at the 2018 US Grand Prix.
- Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton also drove for Ferrari in this era. Alonso secured two podiums in 2014 but no wins, while Hamilton's 2025 season marked the first time in his career he finished a season without a podium, though he did win a Sprint race in China.
The Big Picture:
The statistics underscore a difficult period for Ferrari, characterized by near-misses and what-ifs. Vettel's tenure, while statistically successful, is remembered for coming agonizingly close to a championship. Leclerc's ongoing struggle to surpass Vettel's win tally reflects the team's continued battle to produce a consistently dominant car capable of ending its long-standing championship drought.
Looking Ahead:
With the dawn of a new set of regulations in 2026, Ferrari and Leclerc are hoping to turn the page. The goal will be not just to win races, but to build a campaign capable of finally mounting a sustained championship challenge, a feat that has eluded the team since the hybrid era began.