World Drivers' Championship

The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC) is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to the most successful Formula One racing car driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results.

The Drivers' Championship was first awarded in 1950, to Giuseppe Farina. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Alberto Ascari, in 1952 and 1953. The current Drivers' Champion is Nico Rosberg, who won his one and only World Championship in 2016.

A driver becomes the World Champion each season as soon as it is no longer mathematically possible for another to beat him whatever the outcome of the remaining races. The Drivers' Championship has been won in the final race of the season 29 times in the 67 seasons it has been awarded. The earliest in a season that the Drivers' Championship has been clinched was in 2002, when Michael Schumacher secured the title with six races remaining.

Overall, thirty-three different drivers have won the Championship, with German Michael Schumacher holding the record for most titles, at seven. Schumacher also holds the record for most consecutive Drivers' Championships, winning five from 2000 to 2004. The United Kingdom has produced the most World Championship winning drivers with ten; Brazil, Germany and Finland are next with three each. Of the 33 drivers to win the World Championship, 20 are still alive. The most recently deceased is John Surtees (1934–2017). Among teams, Scuderia Ferrari has produced the most World Championship winning drivers with 15.

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