Top 25 Worst Races by F1 Legends
25. Fernando Alonso – Abu Dhabi 2010
Fernando Alonso was the favorite to win the world title at the 2019 title decider. Unfortunately, a bad strategy call from Ferrari got him stuck behind Vitaly Petrov, allowing Sebastian Vettel to win the championship.
24. Daniel Ricciardo – Monaco 2021
Daniel Ricciardo was a shadow of his former self at the 2021 Monaco GP. The Australian driver got lapped by his teammate Lando Norris. This was arguably the lowest point in Ricciardo's career.
23. Niki Lauda – Monaco 1975
Niki Lauda crashed from the lead at the Monaco GP in 1975. This handed victory to his teammate Clay Regazzoni.
22. Jenson Button – Monaco 2017
Jenson Button subbed in for Fernando Alonso at the 2017 Monaco GP, as the Spaniard went to race at the Indy 500. Button had a peculiar collision with Pascal Wehrlein and flipped the car sideways. A poor final race for the 2009 champion.
21. Lewis Hamilton – China 2007
Lewis Hamilton could've won the world champion at the 2007 Chinese GP. Unfortunately, he beached his McLaren in the pitlane gravel trap and retired from the race.
20. Juan Manuel Fangio – Monza 1950
Juan Manuel Fangio lost the 1950 world title to Giuseppe Farina at the Italian GP. Fangio simply didn't have the pace to defeat his rival.
19. Michael Schumacher – Monaco 2012
Michael Schumacher did get pole at Monaco in 2012. However, the German driver collided with Romain Grosjean in the race, that forced him to retire the car.
18. Lewis Hamilton – Baku 2021
In the late restart at the 2021 Azerbaijan GP, Lewis Hamilton accidentally pressed the brake magic button that locked his wheels into Turn 1. He went from P2 to the back of the grid, and scored no points.
17. Damon Hill – Hungary 1999
Damon Hill had a poor showing at the 1999 Hungarian GP. While his teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen was fighting for victory, Hill was a lap down in P7.
16. Gilles Villeneuve – Hockenheim 1980
Gilles Villeneuve was struggling with Ferrari's turbo car at Hockenheim in 1980. The Canadian driver could only finish in P7.
15. Mika Häkkinen – Monza 1999
Mika Hakkinen spun at the first chicane at Monza and was forced to retire from the lead in 1998. The Flying Finn had tears in his tires as he tried to comprehend his fatal error.
14. Nelson Piquet – Canada 1987
Nelson Piquet was vastly overshadowed by Nigel Mansell at the 1987 Canadian GP. It was the worst race from Piquet throughout the year.
13. Fernando Alonso – Singapore 2009
Fernando Alonso did win the Singapore GP in 2008. However, the Crashgate scandal was the reason why he took victory in the first place, thus it negated the value of his drive.
12. Ayrton Senna – Brazil 1994
Ayrton Senna struggled at his home race at Interlagos. Despite taking pole position, he spun out as he tried to match Michael Schumacher.
11. Sebastian Vettel – Turkey 2010
Sebastian Vettel collided with Mark Webber at the 2010 Turkish GP. This sparked one of the biggest intra-team rivalries in F1.
10. Michael Schumacher – Monaco 1996
Michael Schumacher crashed out on the first lap after starting from third place. Though, the 1996 Monaco GP only had four finishers.
9. Lewis Hamilton – Brazil 2007
Lewis Hamilton made a mistake and then suffered from a gearbox problem at the 2007 title decider. The Briton lost the title by just one point after finishing in P7.
8. Jim Clark – Monaco 1965
Jim Clark did not compete at the 1965 Monaco GP, as he went to the Indy 500. His absence makes this list as it allowed Graham Hill to extend his lead in the standings. Though Clark sealed the title later that year
7. Nigel Mansell – Monaco 1984
Nigel Mansell lost grip on a drying track at the 1984 Monaco GP. The British driver crashed out from the lead.
6. Kimi Räikkönen – European GP 2005
Kimi Raikkonen flat spotted a tire while leading the 2005 European GP. The Finn had refused to pit in order to hold track position. A suspension failure forced him to retire on the final lap.
5. Fernando Alonso – Brazil 2015
Fernando Alonso's frustrations with Honda reached a new peak in Brazil in 2015. The Spaniard's car broke down in practice, that led to an iconic meme for fans as he waited on-track.
4. Alain Prost – Japan 1989
Alain Prost infamously collided with Ayrton Senna at the 1989 Japanese GP. Many accused Prost of crashing on purpose to win the championship.
3. Sebastian Vettel – Germany 2018
Sebastian Vettel crashed from the lead at his home race in 2018. This completely shattered the German driver who could be heard holding back tears on team radio.
2. Michael Schumacher – Monaco 2006
Michael Schumacher parked his Ferrari at Rascasse during Qualifying. Stewards claimed that Schumacher did it on purpose, and he was forced to start from the back of the grid.
1. Ayrton Senna – Monaco 1988
At the 1988 Monaco GP, Ayrton Senna was pulling off one of the best drivers of his career with a massive lead. Unfortunately, he crashed at Portier and retired from the race.
