F1's One-Hit Wonders: Drivers With Exactly One Career Win
Jarno Trulli made 256 F1 starts but won exactly one Grand Prix — the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix.
The story of Formula 1 is dominated by serial winners — the Hamiltons, Schumachers, and Verstappens of the world. But scattered across the record book are drivers who climbed onto the top step of the podium exactly once, then never again. Some seized a single chaotic race; others simply ran out of car or career before winning a second time.
This list ranks single-race winners by their total Grand Prix starts. The longer the career, the more remarkable the single-win record becomes — these are drivers who lined up dozens or hundreds of times, took the chequered flag first only once, and then settled back into the midfield for the rest of their time in the sport.
Career starts behind a single win
Visualization · 10 entries
The Ranking
- 01Rank
256 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix for Renault.
Starts: 256Win: 2004Team: Renault256Career starts - 02Rank
202 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix for Ferrari.
Starts: 202Win: 1995Team: Ferrari202Career starts - 03Rank
183 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix for Alpine F1 Team.
Starts: 183Win: 2021Team: Alpine F1 Team183Career starts - 04Rank
181 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 2020 Italian Grand Prix for AlphaTauri.
Starts: 181Win: 2020Team: AlphaTauri181Career starts - 05Rank
158 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix for Ligier.
Starts: 158Win: 1996Team: Ligier158Career starts - 06Rank
112 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix for McLaren.
Starts: 112Win: 2008Team: McLaren112Career starts - 07Rank
107 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix for McLaren.
Starts: 107Win: 1975Team: McLaren107Career starts - 08Rank
99 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix for BMW Sauber.
Starts: 99Win: 2008Team: BMW Sauber99Career starts - 09Rank
96 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix for Williams.
Starts: 96Win: 2012Team: Williams96Career starts - 10Rank
85 Grand Prix starts and exactly one race win — the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix for BRM.
Starts: 85Win: 1972Team: BRM85Career starts
Single wins tend to come from a specific kind of race. Wet-weather chaos. Mid-season political moments where leading teams faltered. Mid-grid cars catching the right strategy when half the field retired. Each entry on this list points back to a Sunday afternoon that, for the driver involved, defined an entire career.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most famous F1 one-hit wonder?+
Why do some F1 drivers only win once?+
Has a one-hit-wonder ever won the F1 World Championship?+
Are sprint race wins counted as career wins?+
More Insights
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