Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull: Which 21st-century powerhouse dominated F1 most?
Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull: Which 21st-century powerhouse dominated F1 most?
Mercedes' sixth-straight title double was secured at the Japanese Grand Prix – a run of sequential success never before seen in Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas will add the drivers' title to the constructors' championship crown secured at Suzuka, with the Briton in pole position for his sixth title overall and fifth since leaving McLaren for the Silver Arrows in 2013.
Hamilton has racked up individual success like only one man before, Michael Schumacher, in the intervening period and is well-fancied to wipe out most of the German's iconic milestones before hanging up his racing gloves for good.
But what of Mercedes? Their run atop F1 has often been written off as the lucky result of gambling on getting F1's new engine right when the regulations changed for 2014.
However, two more rounds of regulation changes have come and gone since then and still the Silver Arrows are largely unbeatable.
So how do they compare to the other two teams to enjoy sustained success in the modern era, Ferrari and Red Bull? Let's take a look…
MERCEDES: 117 Grands Prix (Australia 2014 - Japan 2019)
6 Constructors' titles (100%)
6* Drivers' titles (100%) [*Hamilton or Bottas in 2019]
86 victories (73.50%)
92 pole positions (78.63%)
60 fastest laps (51.28%)
174 podiums (74.35%)
47 one-twos (40.17%)
RED BULL: 77 Grands Prix (Bahrain 2010 – Abu Dhabi 2013)
4 Constructors' titles (100%)
4 Drivers' titles (100%)
41 victories (53.25%)
52 pole positions (67.53%)
35 fastest laps (45.45%)
95 podiums (61.69%)
11 one-twos (14.29%)
FERRARI: 102 Grands Prix (Australia 1999 – Brazil 2004)
6 Constructors' titles (100%)
5 Drivers' titles (83.33%)
63 victories (61.76%)
54 pole positions (52.94%)
48 fastest laps (47.06%)
135 podiums (66.18%)
27 one-twos (26.47%)
The numbers make for stark reading, especially given the Silver Arrows have been continually compared to the Schumacher-era Ferrari in recent years.
While both Ferrari and Red Bull are viewed as truly dominant teams, and rightly so, they were not as ragingly superior in every category as Mercedes have been since 2014.
Even in McLaren's legendary stint atop the sport from 1988 to 1991 with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna at the wheel, the only measure by which they outstrip Mercedes is in taking 79.69% of the pole positions on offer across four seasons, and the margin isn't exactly wide.
For reference, here are the numbers from what is widely accepted as the sport's most dominant run.
McLaren: 64 Grands Prix (Brazil 1988 – Australia 1991)
4 Constructors' titles (100%)
4 Drivers' titles (100%)
39 victories (60.94%)
51 pole positions (79.69%)
27 fastest laps (42.19%)
79 podiums (61.72%)
17 one-twos (26.56%)
Of course the ever-improving reliability, and more races per season play into Mercedes' hands here, but the averages remain instructive.
Perhaps it is time to start rethinking F1 history, and Mercedes' true place within it, for good.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 Results Today: Chinese Grand Prix practice times as SURPRISE driver tops charts
- 2 hours ago
F1 Chinese Grand Prix weather forecast - latest today from Shanghai
- 2 minutes ago
Young F1 star set to make McLaren debut in injury replacement
- 28 minutes ago
Hamilton makes STUNNING claim on F1 future amid Ferrari contract uncertainty
- 1 hour ago
F1 News Today: Red Bull and Verstappen dealt title blow as bizarre FIRE halts Chinese GP practice
- 2 hours ago
Chinese Grand Prix practice red flagged after BIZARRE fire
- 3 hours ago
Related news
Wolff 'p*****' by Verstappen error as star makes Mercedes debut
Hamilton to open Wolff talks at Mercedes amid Ferrari F1 move uncertainty
Mercedes announce MAJOR £5.9 million loss in profits
Verstappen admits new Mercedes relationship with F1 future update
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860