What Formula 2/ GP2 drivers have become Grand Prix winners?

Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, Ollie Bearman at Haas, Jack Doohan at Alpine, Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson at Red Bull and reigning Formula 2 champion Bortoleto at Sauber make up the rookie class of 2025 – the largest since 2001 when the grid had four rookies.

While excelling in junior categories is a strong indicator of talent, history suggests that success in Formula 2 does not guarantee stardom in F1. Of the many drivers who have won the F2 or its predecessor GP2 championship, only three have gone on to claim the World Drivers’ Championship.

The first-ever F2 champion, Jack Brabham, went on to become a three-time F1 world champion, winning in 1959, 1960, and 1966. Nico Rosberg claimed the 2016 title, while Lewis Hamilton remains the most successful, equalling Michael Schumacher’s record with seven world championships.

Out of 43 F2 and GP2 champions, only three have won the F1 title. Some came close, such as Jacky Ickx, who finished runner-up in the championship three times, and Charles Leclerc, who was second to Max Verstappen in 2022. Ronnie Peterson, another standout, finished as runner-up in 1971 and 1978 but never secured the championship.

While only a handful of Formula 2 champions have claimed an F1 title, the numbers improve when considering those who have won at least one Grand Prix. Sixteen of 43 champions have secured an F1 race victory, though only four—Hamilton, Rosberg, Brabham, and Peterson—won 10 or more.

Jacky Ickx and René Arnoux came close to that mark with eight and seven wins, respectively. Leclerc, with eight wins so far, could yet surpass the 10-win milestone.

In terms of career victories, Hamilton’s 105 F1 wins are far ahead of Rosberg (23), Brabham (14), and Peterson (10). No other F2 champion has reached double figures.

Twenty-two F2 champions have finished on an F1 podium, with the most recent addition being Oscar Piastri, who has already achieved 10 top-three finishes.

Hamilton holds the record for most podiums in F1 history with 202, followed by Rosberg (57), Leclerc (43), Jacques Laffite (32), and Brabham (31). It is worth noting that modern F1 seasons feature over 20 races, while earlier decades had significantly fewer events per year.

Pole positions also highlight the gap between F2 success and F1 performance. Only 16 F2 champions have secured at least one F1 pole.

While most F2 champions have transitioned to F1, some never made it onto the grid. The champions from 2009 to 2012—Andy Soucek, Dean Stoneman, Mirko Bortolotti, and Luciano Bacheta—did not secure an F1 race start. Their absence can be attributed to the dominance of GP2 at the time, which produced future F1 drivers such as Nico Hülkenberg, Pastor Maldonado, and Romain Grosjean.

Other GP2 champions, such as Davide Valsecchi and Fabio Leimer, also missed out on an F1 race seat. Leimer managed to participate in a single free practice session, while Valsecchi was heavily linked to a Lotus drive before the team opted for Heikki Kovalainen instead.

More recently, Felipe Drugovich, the 2022 F2 champion, remains a reserve driver for Aston Martin, having also worked with McLaren. His compatriot Bortoleto, however, has broken through and will compete as a full-time F1 driver with Sauber in 2025.

As Bortoleto and his fellow rookies prepare for their F1 debuts, history suggests that their futures remain uncertain. Success in the junior categories is only one step on the long road to F1 glory.