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The F1 Drivers Who Racked Up the Most Retirements in Their Careers

Elizabeth Blackstock
·7 min read
Nigel Mansell, one of our featured drivers on this list, gives Ayrton Senna a lift after the 1991 British Grand Prix.
Nigel Mansell, one of our featured drivers on this list, gives Ayrton Senna a lift after the 1991 British Grand Prix.

When we celebrate Formula 1 history, we tend to go for the positives: The drivers with the highest win rates, or the most World Championships, or the greatest skill. But motorsport is a fickle beast, and today, I want to talk about that. Specifically, I want to talk about the drivers that have racked up the most race retirements in their careers.

I’ve ranked these by number of retirements in a career — not by the percentage of retirements to the driver’s career starts (though I did include those stats too, just because they’re fun). I’ve also included the first and last retirements for each driver. As a result, there aren’t tons of drivers from the early eras of F1 included here, since there just weren’t as many races in an F1 calendar back then.

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This includes every retirement a driver has made as well: both where the driver was technically classified as having finished the race because, despite retiring, he had completed 90 percent of the race distance; and in cases where the car was disqualified after the race.

Martin Brundle

Martin Brundle takes a shortcut in his McLaren at the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Martin Brundle takes a shortcut in his McLaren at the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 72

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 45.57

  • First Retirement: 1994 Belgian GP

  • Last Retirement: 1996 Belgian GP

Back before he had made his career in broadcasting, Martin Brundle tried his hand at Formula 1. His time as a driver, though, was admittedly pretty fraught with issues, leading him to retire from 72 races.

Mario Andretti

Lotus Ford driver Mario Andretti in action during the 1977 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix in Monaco
Lotus Ford driver Mario Andretti in action during the 1977 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix in Monaco

  • Retirements: 72

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 56.25

  • First Retirement: 1968 United States GP

  • Last Retirement: 1982 Caesars Palace GP

Mario Andretti may be one of the most storied American racers, but that doesn’t mean every aspect of his career has been, well, impressive. Unless you count his ability to rack up 72 retirements in his F1 career — over half of his race starts!

Giancarlo Fisichella

Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy stands by his broken down Jordan Peugeot during the 1997 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy stands by his broken down Jordan Peugeot during the 1997 Brazilian Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 74

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 32.31

  • First Retirement: 1996 Australian GP

  • Last Retirement: 2009 Turkey GP

The sheer length of Giancarlo Fisichella’s career has saved his percentage ratio here — but 74 retirements is still enough to earn him a place on this list.

Jenson Button

Jenson Button of Great Britain and McLaren Honda climbs out of his car after retiring in the 2015 British Grand Prix.
Jenson Button of Great Britain and McLaren Honda climbs out of his car after retiring in the 2015 British Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 75

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 24.51

  • First Retirement: 2000 Australian GP

  • Last Retirement: 2017 Monaco GP

We’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Jenson Button fairly regularly this past week thanks to his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series start at Circuit of the Americas. The one-time F1 Champion may have been an impressive driver, but 75 retirements in his career means he’s earned a place here.

Graham Hill

Formula 1 driver Graham Hill out of the 1968 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch after his Lotus-Cosworth suffered a mechanical failure.
Formula 1 driver Graham Hill out of the 1968 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch after his Lotus-Cosworth suffered a mechanical failure.

  • Retirements: 77

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 43.75

  • First Retirement: 1958 Monaco GP

  • Last Retirement: 1974 Dutch GP

Graham Hill’s pencil mustache will go down in history as one of the finest examples of motorsport facial hair — which has helped distract from his retirement record. The man competed in a notoriously unreliable era and tried to help develop fledgling cars. What else would you expect?

Johnny Herbert

Johnny Herbert of Great Britain and Jacques Villeneuve of Canada spin off the track after a collision on the first corner during the 1997 Australian Grand Prix.
Johnny Herbert of Great Britain and Jacques Villeneuve of Canada spin off the track after a collision on the first corner during the 1997 Australian Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 78

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 48.75

  • First Retirement: 1989 Belgian GP

  • Last Retirement: 2000 Malaysia GP

Johnny Herbert’s F1 career was a series of vague mishaps sandwiching his best season in 1995. He was plagued by unreliability for much of his career, leaving him walking back to the pits about as frequently as he was taking the checkered flag.

Niki Lauda

Austrian Formula One driver Niki Lauda at the1977 Dutch Grand Prix.
Austrian Formula One driver Niki Lauda at the1977 Dutch Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 80

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 46.78

  • First Retirement: 1971 Austrian GP

  • Last Retirement: 1985 Australian GP

Niki Lauda’s ability to secure three Championships is actually impressive when you consider he failed to finish about half of the races he started.

David Coulthard

Williams Renault driver David Coulthard of Great Britain walks back to the pits after spinning off the track during the 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Williams Renault driver David Coulthard of Great Britain walks back to the pits after spinning off the track during the 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 81

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 32.93

  • First Retirement: 1994 Spanish GP

  • Last Retirement: 2008 Brazilian GP

The first time I met David Coulthard, he made a joke about getting naked in a conference room with Daniel Ricciardo. I feel like I should be allowed to add that to his DNF total.

Derek Warwick

Derek Warwick of Great Britain drives the No. 9 USF&G Arrows Arrows A11 Ford Cosworth DFR V8 during practice for the 1989 Grand Prix of Monaco.
Derek Warwick of Great Britain drives the No. 9 USF&G Arrows Arrows A11 Ford Cosworth DFR V8 during practice for the 1989 Grand Prix of Monaco.

  • Retirements: 84

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 57.53

  • First Retirement: 1981 Caesars Palace GP

  • Last Retirement: 1993 Japanese GP

I also would have retired from the Caesars Palace GP, if only so I wouldn’t have to race that godforsaken track. Good on you, Derek Warwick.

Eddie Cheever

Arrows Megatron driver Eddie Cheever of the USA sits under an umbrella before the 1988 Brazilian Grand Prix at the Rio circuit in Brazil. Cheever finished in eighth place.
Arrows Megatron driver Eddie Cheever of the USA sits under an umbrella before the 1988 Brazilian Grand Prix at the Rio circuit in Brazil. Cheever finished in eighth place.

  • Retirements: 84

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 64.63

  • First Retirement: 1978 South Africa GP

  • Last Retirement: 1989 Australian GP

Eddie Cheever had high hopes of being the next big American star in F1, but a series of messy cars and messier sponsorships made that a challenge — and left him retiring far more than he finished races.

Nelson Piquet

Nelson Piquet of Brazil drives the No. 11 Camel Team Lotus Lotus 101 Judd V8 during the 1989 French Grand Prix.
Nelson Piquet of Brazil drives the No. 11 Camel Team Lotus Lotus 101 Judd V8 during the 1989 French Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 86

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 42.16

  • First Retirement: 1978 German GP

  • Last Retirement: 1991 Hungarian GP

Back before he was getting fined for using racial slurs, Nelson Piquet was retiring from 86 races in his F1 career.

Jacques Laffite

Portrait of Ligier Ford driver Jacques Laffite of France before the 1980 British Grand Prix at the Brands Hatch circuit in England. Laffite retired from the race after he crashed.
Portrait of Ligier Ford driver Jacques Laffite of France before the 1980 British Grand Prix at the Brands Hatch circuit in England. Laffite retired from the race after he crashed.

  • Retirements: 86

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 48.86

  • First Retirement: 1974 German GP

  • Last Retirement: 1986 British GP

For having an F1 career that spanned over a decade, there are scant few photos of Jacques Laffite within my current editorial photo subscriptions. That’s simply criminal for a six-time winner who also boasted an exceptional mane of hair.

Jean Alesi

Jean Alesi of France spins off the track in his Tyrrell Cosworth during the 1990 Italian Grand Prix.
Jean Alesi of France spins off the track in his Tyrrell Cosworth during the 1990 Italian Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 87

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 43.28

  • First Retirement: 1989 British GP

  • Last Retirement: 2001 Japanese GP

Despite the fact that Jean Alesi theoretically raced for a series of good teams, he scored one single meager win and failed to finish 43 percent of all the races he started.

Jarno Trulli

Alexander Wurz of Austria driving the No. 6 Mild Seven Benetton Playlife Benetton B198 Playlife V10 overturns in the gravel trap during a crash with Jarno Trulli in the No. 12 Gauloises Prost Peugeot Prost AP01 Peugeot V10 at the start of the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix.
Alexander Wurz of Austria driving the No. 6 Mild Seven Benetton Playlife Benetton B198 Playlife V10 overturns in the gravel trap during a crash with Jarno Trulli in the No. 12 Gauloises Prost Peugeot Prost AP01 Peugeot V10 at the start of the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 90

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 35.71

  • First Retirement: 1997 Monaco GP

  • Last Retirement: 2011 Singapore GP

Jarno Trulli’s F1 career took a while to get off the ground, but when it did, he had a handful of great years where he managed to score some points and even a win at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Nigel Mansell

Nigel Mansell of Great Britain spins into the gravel trap on lap 9 driving the No. 5 Canon Williams Renault Williams FW14 Renault RS3 V10 during the 1991 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix.
Nigel Mansell of Great Britain spins into the gravel trap on lap 9 driving the No. 5 Canon Williams Renault Williams FW14 Renault RS3 V10 during the 1991 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 93

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 49.73

  • First Retirement: 1980 Austrian GP

  • Last Retirement: 1995 European GP

I think Nigel Mansell’s fantastic mustache helps me forget that he didn’t finish about half of the races he entered. He’ll always have a place in my heart for celebrating his F1 Championship win by sweeping up yet another championship in American open-wheel racing.

Gerhard Berger

Gerhard Berger of Austria hitches a ride with Benetton teammate Jean Alesi of France during the 1996 German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring, Germany.
Gerhard Berger of Austria hitches a ride with Benetton teammate Jean Alesi of France during the 1996 German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring, Germany.

  • Retirements: 95

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 45.24

  • First Retirement: 1984 Austrian GP

  • Last Retirement: 1997 San Marino GP

My knowledge of 1990s Formula 1 is fairly constrained — so the anecdotes I have about Gerhard Berger all involve his prodigious history of pranks.

Rubens Barrichello

Rubens Barrichello of Brazil and Brawn GP crashes and causes the session to be red flagged during qualifying for the 2009 Singapore Formula One Grand Prix.
Rubens Barrichello of Brazil and Brawn GP crashes and causes the session to be red flagged during qualifying for the 2009 Singapore Formula One Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 97

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 30.03

  • First Retirement: 1993 South Africa GP

  • Last Retirement: 2011 German GP

In a career as long as Rubens Barrichello’s, you’d expect a fair amount of retirements. His 97 DNFs might be a high number, but it doesn’t even account for a full third of his race starts.

Michele Alboreto

Michele Alboreto of Italy in action in his Scuderia Ferrari during the 1987 Monaco Grand Prix at the Monte Carlo circuit in Monaco. Alboreto finished in third place.
Michele Alboreto of Italy in action in his Scuderia Ferrari during the 1987 Monaco Grand Prix at the Monte Carlo circuit in Monaco. Alboreto finished in third place.

  • Retirements: 102

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 52.58

  • First Retirement: 1981 San Marino GP

  • Last Retirement: 1994 Australian GP

Michele Alboreto’s claim to fame was chasing down Alain Prost for the 1985 F1 World Championship; the Frenchman was unbeatable, and that’s largely because Alboreto retired from six races that year alone.

Riccardo Patrese

Riccardo Patrese of Italy spins off the track in his Williams Renault during the 1992 German Grand Prix.
Riccardo Patrese of Italy spins off the track in his Williams Renault during the 1992 German Grand Prix.

  • Retirements: 145

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 56.64

  • First Retirement: 1977 Belgian GP

  • Last Retirement: 1993 Australian GP

Riccardo Patrese may have one of the most enjoyable names to say, but he certainly didn’t enjoy his 145 retirements — which resulted in over half of his races ending before the checkered flag flew.

Andrea de Cesaris

Andrea de Cesaris of Italy walks away from his Jordan Ford during the 1991 British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit in England.
Andrea de Cesaris of Italy walks away from his Jordan Ford during the 1991 British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit in England.

  • Retirements: 149

  • Percentage of Race Starts: 71.63

  • First Retirement: 1990 Canadian GP

  • Last Retirement: 1994 European GP

Oh, Andrea de Cesaris. In a fairly brief career, the Italian driver managed to rack up a frankly impressive DNF record, failing to finish a whopping 149 races. That means that, of all the races he started, de Cesaris didn’t finish over 70 percent of the time. It’s not easy being an F1 driver.

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