25 F1 Greats with Nightmare Debuts
25. Charles Leclerc — 2018 Australian GP (Sauber)
Charles Leclerc might be Ferrari's golden boy. But the Monegasque only managed a P13 result in his debut race with Alfa Romeo Sauber 7 years ago.
24. Daniel Ricciardo — 2011 British GP (HRT)
Daniel Ricciardo made his debut in F1 with HRT. A slow car gave the Australian no chance to compete. He finished the British GP in last place.
23. Jacques Villeneuve — 1996 Australian GP (Williams)
Jacques Villeneuve joined Williams in 1996. He took pole at the Australian GP. However, an oil leak forced him to second place. A remarkable debut overshadowed by a nightmare issue.
22. Gilles Villeneuve — 1977 (McLaren)
Gilles Villeneuve had a decent showing with McLaren at his debut season. However, the Canadian was not on anyone's radar that year. His success would only come later with Ferrari.
21. Nelson Piquet — 1978 (Ensign)
Nelson Piquet joined Ensign in 1978. His early outings were marred with retirements.
20. Mario Andretti — 1968 Italian GP (Lotus)
Mario Andretti was forced to retire from the Italian GP due to mechanical problems with his Lotus. This took away his chance of getting a solid result.
19. James Hunt — 1973 Monaco GP (March)
James Hunt suffered from mechanical failures at March in 1973. This forced him to stop the car at Monaco.
18. Ronnie Peterson — 1970 (March)
Ronnie Peterson had a similar situation as James Hunt at March. The small outfit never gave Peterson a good chance in his debut campaign.
17. Jim Clark — 1960 (Lotus)
Jim Clark was another legend who had unreliability issues in his debut year. This didn't allow Clark to truly showcase his brilliance.
16. Stirling Moss — 1951 Swiss GP (HWM)
Stirling Moss' performance at the 1951 Swiss GP for HWM was marred with external issues, overshadowing his drive.
15. Juan Manuel Fangio — 1950 British GP (Alfa Romeo)
Juan Manuel Fangio may have won five world titles. However, his first race at the 1950 British GP was a retirement due to an oil pipe issue.
14. Emerson Fittipaldi — 1970 British GP (Lotus)
Emerson Fittipaldi finished the 1970 British GP 2 laps behind the race winner Jochen Rindt. He finished P8 in a face that had only 9 finishers.
13. Jack Brabham — 1955 British GP
Jack Brabham suffered from an engine failure at the 1955 British GP, another woeful start to a legend's career.
12. Graham Hill — 1958 Monaco GP (Lotus)
Graham Hill was forced to retire from the 1958 Monaco GP for Lotus due to a mechanical failure. A recurring trend on this list.
11. Jackie Stewart — 1965 South African GP (BRM)
Jackie Stewart finished the 1955 South African GP 2 laps down from the race winner Jim Clark. Not the best way to start the career for the Briton.
10. Jenson Button — 2000 Australian GP (Williams)
Jenson Button was making good progress at the 2000 Australian GP. Unfortunately his engine failed, ending his race.
9. Kimi Räikkönen — 2001 (Sauber)
Kimi Raikkonen had a mediocre debut season at Sauber. The Finn simply have a car to truly showcase his capabilities.
8. Nigel Mansell — 1980 Austrian GP (Lotus)
Nigel Mansell retired from his first-ever F1 race at the 1980 Australian GP. An engine failure was cited as the reason.
7. Alain Prost — 1980 Argentine GP (McLaren)
Alain Prost could only manage P6 on debut for McLaren at the 1980 Argentine GP. While not a bad result as such, it was still underwhelming considering his future success.
6. Niki Lauda — 1974 Austrian GP (March)
Niki Lauda started his maiden F1 race with March from the back of the grid. He was forced to retire in front of his home crowd after mechanical problems.
5. Sebastian Vettel — 2007 United States GP (BMW Sauber, substitute drive)
Sebastian Vettel was fined for speeding in the pitlane during his first-ever F1 weekend. This kind of overshadowed his highly-anticipated sub-in for Robert Kubica that weekend.
4. Fernando Alonso — 2001 Australian GP (Minardi)
Fernando Alonso was just a sitting duck at Minardi. The Spanish driver could not outdrive the uncompetitive machinary.
3. Ayrton Senna — 1984 Brazilian GP (Toleman)
Ayrton Senna qualified in P17 in front of his home crowd at his first-ever F1 race. He had to stop the car after a turbocharger failure on Lap 8.
2. Michael Schumacher — 1991 Belgian GP (Jordan)
Michael Schumacher was the biggest talking point during the weekend after he qualified a Jordan in P7. Unfortunately a technical issue forced him to retire the car, stripping him away of a good debut result.
1. Lewis Hamilton — 2007 season (McLaren)
Lewis Hamilton almost won the 2007 title. However, his debut campaign was marred with issues, notably tensions with teammate Fernando Alonso, as well as the Spygate scandal.
