If Formula 1 is about consistency at the sharp end, then podiums are the truest currency of greatness. Wins get the glory, but it’s the regular top-three finishes that define an era.
The all-time record
- Lewis Hamilton holds the record with 197 career podiums (and counting). From his debut in 2007 to his Ferrari switch in 2025, Hamilton has been a fixture on the rostrum — averaging nearly a podium every other race across an almost two-decade career.
Chasing pack
- Michael Schumacher — 155 podiums. The benchmark for a generation until Hamilton smashed through it.
- Sebastian Vettel — 122 podiums, most of them collected during Red Bull’s four-title run.
- Alain Prost — 106 podiums, a total that stood for decades as one of the sport’s highest.
- Fernando Alonso — still adding to his tally in his mid-40s, over 100 podiums and counting.
The drivertalk take
Podiums tell the story of a driver’s era. Hamilton isn’t just ahead, he’s operating in a different statistical universe. Nobody else has managed to combine speed, longevity, and adaptability at that level. The record might stand for a long, long time — unless Verstappen keeps racking them up at his current terrifying rate.
