The best British drivers who never won at home in Formula 1

In the 75 years since the world championship began, just 12 British drivers have been able to celebrate a Formula 1 win in front of their home crowd.

Lewis Hamilton, Nigel Mansell, Johnny Herbert and Stirling Moss are among those who have tasted F1 victory at either Silverstone, Brands Hatch or Aintree, which leaves more than 150 UK Formula 1 drivers who never (or who haven’t yet) won the British Grand Prix.

Most won’t surprise you, but among the list are world champions and multiple race-winners who often came close to that special win. Below are seven British drivers who could — even should — have won

The best UK F1 drivers who never won the British Grand Prix

Jenson Button 

The 2009 World Champion might have totalled up 15 wins during his time in Formula 1, but a victory at Silverstone was never on the cards. In fact, Jenson Button never managed to make it onto the podium at all at his home race. His best result was fourth, which he managed in 2004, 2010 and 2014. 

Graham Hill 

The only man to have won all of motorsport’s triple-crown events, Graham Hill, saw success at Monaco, Le Mans and Indianapolis, but never at a British Grand Prix during his time in Formula 1. His best chance was in 1960 when he took the lead of the British GP with 22 laps to go, but brake problems put paid to his hopes when he spun at Copse with just five laps to go. Hill stalled and handing the win to World Champion Jack Brabham.

John Surtees

The only man to have won world championships on both two and four wheels, John Surtees never won the British Grand Prix during his time in Formula 1. His silverware from races at Aintree, Silverstone and Brands Hatch attest to how close he came, without ever making it onto the top step of the podium.

Two second place results in 1962 and 1963 were his best shots, with a third place in his title-winning year in 1964 and the same result the following season. 

Eddie Irvine

Racing with Ferrari, Eddie Irvine missed out on a home win to David Coulthard by 1.829sec in 1999. In a race where his team-mate Michael Schumacher crashed at Stowe, breaking his leg, Irvine had just inherited the role of No1 driver, with all of Ferrari’s efforts swinging behind him in the hunt for that year’s world championship.

Irvine was in the hunt for victory, running close behind Coulthard after the final pitstops, but couldn’t get past. Winning would have earned him four more championship points. He lost that year’s title race by two.

Mike Hawthorn 

1958 drivers’ champion Mike Hawthorn won just a single race during his title-winning year, and three in total across his time in Formula 1 with none of them being a home event. He did finish on the podium in several British Grands Prix, however, with top three results for Ferrari in 1954, 1957 and 1958. His first home podium was with Cooper in 1952. 

Lando Norris 

McLaren’s Lando Norris has had two consecutive career podiums at Silverstone in 2023 and 2024, but has yet to make it to the top step. That could all change in 2025, which looks to be his best chance of his career to date. He’s even got an entire grandstand decorated in his name this weekend, packed with Norris fans. The championship contender has seven Formula 1 wins to his name. Will this be the weekend he can join the list of Brits to win in front of their home crowd?

George Russell

Another proven race winner who makes the list is George Russell. He managed a pole position at Silverstone last year but was forced to retire with a water leak during the 2024 British Grand Prix. If the conditions stay cool, as they are forecast to do, then Russell’s confidence going in to the weekend could be rewarded with a shot of victory. It would also help silence any doubters about his Formula 1 future at Mercedes.