Who was the best F1 driver never to win a race?

Who was the best F1 driver never to win a race?





Can be from any era, but they have to have raced in Formula One (so no NASCAR only drivers). Please provide some sort of support for your choice.|||Chris Amon. Brilliant but unlucky. I'd put him above Jeannot Behra, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Ricardo Rodriguez and Derek Warwick.





Amon was superb in the wet, and was highly rated by Enzo Ferrari, so much so that he was a works Ferrari driver for 3 seasons (Mike Hawthorn held the record with 4 seasons at that point) and he left of his own accord.





There were so many races which he could or should have won; the 1970 Belgian GP was one example of his bad luck. His stunning drive should have brought victory, but it was one of the very few occasions where the hugely powerful BRM of Pedro Rodriguez held together to the finish...Amon was all over the back of the BRM in the corners, but couldn't get by on the straights. It was the same story at Brands Hatch in 1968 - on a rare occasion where Seppi Siffert's private Lotus entry finished, it was Amon who followed him over the line in second place. Or the 1972 French GP at Clermont Ferrand, where he led for half the race before a puncture dropped him down the field; his comeback drive to third place would have been worth the win on it's own.





For the stats:





96 starts


45 retirements (of which only 5 were accidents - 3 of those at the N眉rburgring)


183 laps in the lead (comparison: Heidfeld has led 25 laps)|||Jean Behra, a French F1 Driver.


Of the 53 GPs he started;


9 were podiums


15 were in the top 5


23 were in the top 8


He was subject to 26 retirements, only one of which was an accident, the rest were reliability problems with the car.





He never won, but did very well in his 8 year career, and to be able to stay motivated when you are caused to retire 26 times in your career, when you are capable of scoring 3 consecutive 3rd places.





Current drivers would be Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber, but Mark Webber may not be a member of this list for much longer|||Cicco 's Tom Pryce and rosbif's Chris Amon are the 2 stand out top non race winners.


A few not so great but extremely good non race winners are;


Mike Hailwood, one of the few to jump from 2 to 4 wheels and be good, only ever drove awful Surtees cars in the 1970s, a career highlight was 2nd at the 1972 Italian GP


Stuart Lewis- Evans, only ever started 14 grand prixs in the late 1950s but shone so brightly, 2 3rd places in the 1958 Vanwall before crashing in the Moroccan GP, dying from terrible burns 6 days later.


Stefan Jhohansson, he got some great cars in F1 but seemed to never settle into his role as a no.2. 2 second places at Ferrari in 1985 and 2 for McLaren in 1987 but with his talent, he should of achieved more, only has his conscience and Alian Prost as a team mate to blame.


Martin Brundle%26amp; Andrea De Cesaris were another 2 who could of won, if in the right place at the right time.


How some are saying still current drivers beggars belief and who ever gave rosbif 2 TD's should avoid this section and go to polls and surveys|||It麓s not an easy question, as good drivers always find a way to win a race. There are lots who are not so great that won one race or more.





Not counting recent rookies who still have a careerr ahead of them there are three good F1 drivers with no wins that come to my mind





Nick Heidfield. - Always quick, never quick enough. For some reason he has never been on the top of the podium. He is a very good driver with not so much luck.





Ricardo Rodriguez. He was the young brother of Pedro Rodriguez. Was a young racing promise during the sixties who was killed during a race.





Tom Pryce. A very fast driver whose career ended prematurely when he was killed in South Africa during a GP,|||In recent years, I'd say Nick Heidfeld. He's been a quality driver for several years but things have never quite turned out right for him. He's been in a few good cars but has yet to find himself in the likes of a Ferrari or McLaren (despite the fact that he came up through the McLaren Mercedes system as a youth).|||I'd have to agree with rosbif about Chris Amon. I remember seeing him in a screaming Matra at Mosport but his luck was terrible. He was still a fave of mine though.|||Jean-Pierre Jarier in my opinion.|||Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber.|||Nick Heidfeld