US F1 drivers ranked: Logan Sargeant 18th and Phil Hill beaten to No.1 spot

Believe it or not, over 50 American drivers have entered a Formula 1 Grand Prix (not counting the Indianapolis 500, which was included on the F1 calendar between 1950 and 1960). But where does latest US racer Logan Sargeant rank among these drivers?

To compile this list, we’ve looked at every American driver to race in the United States; while their Formula 1 results have been prioritized in this ranking, we have also included these drivers’ results in other series to show the full scope of their talents. Further, several drivers entered races but did not qualify, start, or arrive; they have also been left off this list.

49 – 34: The one-off American F1 drivers

Several American drivers contested exactly one Grand Prix; rather than being ranked here, each driver will be mentioned in brief.

Harry Blanchard contested the 1959 US Grand Prix behind the wheel of a self-entered Porsche RSK Formula 2 car; he finished seventh. He died a few months later in a crash during the 1000km of Buenos Aires.

George Constantine also entered the 1959 US Grand Prix driving a Cooper T45, but he retired. He found greater success as a sports car driver.

Jay Chamberlain entered three Grands Prix in 1962 but only started one, the British Grand Prix, at which he finished 15th.

Bob Drake — a racer, naval diver, stunt performer, and restauranteur — entered the 1960 US Grand Prix with a privateer Maserati 250F. He finished 13th.

Fred Gamble, a sports car racer turned journalist turned director at Goodyear tires, competed in the 1960 Italian Grand Prix after many F1 teams boycotted the event. He finished 10th in a Formula 2 car.

Gus Hutchinson, a former SCCA driver, entered the 1970 US Grand Prix driving a Brabham BT26. He retired from the race.

Herbert MacKay-Fraser contested exactly one Formula 1 race — the 1957 French Grand Prix, from which he retired driving a BRM P25. He was killed a week later driving a Lotus at Reims-Gueux.

Timmy Mayer, younger brother of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, had his moment of glory at the 1962 US Grand Prix end too soon, when his Cooper T53 retired.

Robert O’Brien contested the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix in a Simca-Gordini 15, where he finished 14th. Later in life, unsubstantiated rumors circled that he was a spy for the CIA.

Lance Reventlow entered three F1 races but only started one of them, the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix driving a Scarab F1. He’s better known for developing the Scarab racing cars.

Lloyd Ruby, a USAC icon, tried his hand at the 1961 US Grand Prix with a Lotus 18, but he ultimately retired.

Troy Ruttman was an Indy 500 champion when he jetted off to the 1958 French Grand Prix with the Scuderia Centro Sud team. He finished 10th in the race.

Bob Said was an exceptional sports car racer who started the 1959 US Grand Prix driving a Connaught Type C but ultimately retired.

Rob Schroeder drove a John Mecom-entered Lotus 24 at the 1962 US Grand Prix, where he finished 10th.

Alfonso Thiele was an Abarth test driver and sports car racer who entered the 1960 Italian Grand Prix in a Cooper T51, only to retire.

Bobby Unser, a racing legend in America, failed to start the 1968 Italian Grand Prix, but he got his only F1 start at the US GP later that year. His BRM P138, however, retired.

33 – 20: The occasional racer

The drivers in this section contested more than one Grand Prix, but fewer than 10, and with very little success.

Skip Barber is best known for his eponymous racing schools, but he also entered a handful of F1 races in both 1971 and 1972, where his best finish was 16th.

Chuck Daigh started three Grands Prix in 1960: Belgium, Great Britain, and the US. He only finished in the US, where he came home 10th, but he found far more success in American sports car racing.

John Fitch started the Italian Grand Prix twice, once in 1954 and once in 1955. He finished ninth in his second attempt — but Fitch’s massive success in American sports car racing and his dedication to safety made him a legend.

Walt Hangsen, a three-time SCCA National Champion, entered the US Grand Prix in both 1961 and 1964. In his latter attempt, he finished fifth, earning him two World Championship points.

Pete Lovely attempted F1 in 1959, 1960, 1969, 1970, and 1971, but he only started Grands Prix in 1960 (the US Grand Prix, where he finished 11th) and 1969 (the Canadian, US, and Mexican Grands Prix, where he finished seventh, retired, and ninth, respectively).

Danny Ongais, known as the “Flyin’ Hawaiian,” entered two races in 1977 with Interscope Racing; he retired from the US Grand Prix and finished seventh in Canada. With Ensign the next year, he retired from the first two races of the season.

Roger Penske may not have found success as a Formula 1 driver — finishing eighth at the 1961 US GP, ninth the subsequent year — but did win one race as a Formula 1 team owner.

Sam Posey, an iconic sports car driver, entered the US Grand Prix in both 1971 and 1972. He retired from his first outing and finished 12th at his second.

Bobby Rahal is better known for his American open-wheel results, but he did enter two F1 races with Walter Wolf Racing in 1978: the US Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix. He finished 12th in the first event, then retired from the second.

Tony Settember finished 11th at his F1 debut at the 1962 British Grand Prix, but his five subsequent starts in both 1962 and 1963 ended in retirements.

Hap Sharp contested four US Grands Prix and two Mexican Grands Prix, taking a best finish of seventh at Mexico in 1963. A Can-Am legend, Sharp was less impressive in open-wheel cars.

Carroll Shelby made history with his 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but his F1 outings in 1958 and 1959 were less auspicious. Over his seven starts, he secured a best finish of eighth — though he did share a car with Masten Gregory at the 1958 Italian Grand Prix. The car came home fourth but was ineligible for points.

Fred Wacker made waves in early US sports car racing, but his three starts in F1 were less grand. He debuted in ninth place at the 1953 Belgian GP, then in 1954, he retired from the Swiss Grand Prix and took sixth in Italy.

Rodger Ward is better known as an Indy 500 winner, though he did try his hand at two US Grands Prix — one in 1959 and one in 1963. He retired from both.

Ok, now let’s get into the nitty gritty.

19. Alexander Rossi

The moment Alexander Rossi stepped out of the F1 universe, he went on to become the winner of the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 — but his five Grands Prix as a Manor Marussia driver were as good as they could have been in back-of-the-field equipment.

18. Logan Sargeant

Logan Sargeant currently sits 18th on our list of American F1 drivers; despite scoring a point in 2023, he was still classified as the 21st-place finisher in a 20-driver championship, and his performance with his Williams hasn’t been promising enough during his sophomore season to allow him to retain his seat.

17. Brett Lunger

Brett Lunger fell in love with racing in his 20s and, with the Du Pont family fortune behind him, was able to progress quickly through the racing ranks and into Formula 1 in 1975 when he was just 29. Lunger raced for a series of lower-tier teams throughout his career, preventing him from scoring anything higher than a seventh place; his career-defining moment came when he helped free Niki Lauda from his burning Ferrari at the 1976 German Grand Prix.

16. Scott Speed

During Scott Speed’s season-and-a-half with Scuderia Toro Rosso, he would have finished in the points several times… had F1 been using the same points system it uses today. As it stood, Speed never scored a single point during his stint in F1, then eventually lost his seat to Sebastian Vettel. Speed took victories in American stock car racing, as well as in the now-defunct Global Rallycross Championship.

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15. Ronnie Bucknum

Ronnie Bucknum was one of the first drivers contracted by Honda when the Japanese automaker decided it was time to get into Formula 1. Bucknum contested a handful of races with the burgeoning team, ultimately taking a best finish of fifth at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix in a career primarily characterized by retirements. He balanced his F1 obligations with a career in USAC (where he took one win) and in endurance racing, taking two thirds in class at Le Mans,

14. Bob Bondurant

Bob Bondurant, another American driver who would go on to found a racing school, raced sporadically in F1 for two years, taking a best finish of fourth place at the Monaco Grand Prix. However, his skillset primarily laid in the road racing scene, resulting in a class win at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans.

13. George Follmer

George Follmer was a dedicated member of the Shadow team, racing with them in Can-Am and in F1. His debut with the team came when he was 39 years old, making him the oldest rookie in F1 history — which he celebrated with a third-place finish in Spain. He was a phenom at Le Mans and won the 1972 Can-Am championship with Penske Racing.

12. Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan’s 1983 season with Tyrrell was highlighted by a fifth-place finish in Monaco, but he was overshadowed by his more experienced teammate and returned to America to race in CART for 1984. It was a great call, where he won 17 races and took the 1988 title as well as the 1985 Indianapolis 500.

11. Jim Hall

Jim Hall’s seventh-place finish on debut at the 1960 US Grand Prix may not seem all that impressive on paper — until you realize he was racing in outdated machinery and still managed to keep up with the best. He was offered a full-season ride with BRP for 1963 and took home two points-paying finishes before his career concluded. However, Hall’s influence on F1 runs much deeper, as he’s considered the pioneer of everything from aerodynamics to composites to ground effect in motorsport.

10. Michael Andretti

Michael Andretti only had one season in Formula 1, when he raced with McLaren in 1993. Still, he secured points in both Spain and France, followed by a podium in Italy before he and the team parted ways. Andretti would go on to win a CART title and found the extremely successful IndyCar team that is currently looking to expand operations to Formula 1.

9. Masten Gregory

Known as the Kansas City Flash, Masten Gregory made waves by securing a third-place finish on his F1 debut at the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix. He secured three podiums in 38 starts between 1957 and 1965, and also won at Le Mans — once overall, and once in his class.

8. Mark Donohue

Mark Donohue earned the nickname “Captain Nice” thanks to his easygoing demeanor — but Donohue was a fierce competitor and an exceptionally talented engineering mind. He secured a podium at his debut F1 race at the 1971 Canadian Grand Prix, and while he only made 14 starts in F1, he had a hugely successful overall career that included victories at the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona, along with a Can-Am Championship. Donohue was killed testing a Penske Formula 1 machine.

7. Harry Schell

Harry Schell was the first American racer to drive in Formula 1; though he was able to secure two podiums throughout his decade-long career, Schell was better known for his safe and prudent driving style than for his spectacular skill. He was killed in practice for the International Trophy at Silverstone, but prior to his death, he had advocated for the introduction of roll bars on F1 cars that were similar to the ones he was familiar with in America.

6. Eddie Cheever

Eddie Cheever participated in more Formula 1 Grands Prix than any other American driver thanks to his 132 starts with nine different teams over an 11-year period. Though he never scored a win, Cheever did take an impressive nine podiums. After his F1 career ended, he was a regular podium finisher in CART and a winner in the IRL series.

5. Richie Ginther

While Richie Ginther’s time in F1 was very up-and-down, he’s memorable for many reasons — primarily for being the first driver to take a win for Honda. Out of his 52 F1 starts, he secured 14 podiums, finishing third-place in the overall F1 championship in 1963.

4. Peter Revson

Peter Revson — part of the Revlon Cosmetics family — was an on-and-off competitor in Formula 1. He debuted in 1964 but didn’t return for three years. While driving for McLaren in 1972 and 1973, he had a massive run of success, winning two races and securing several podiums to leave him fifth in the overall championship standings both years. Sadly, he was killed in 1974 as he was helping the Shadow team develop its F1 efforts. In 1971, Revson was also Can-Am champion behind the wheel of a McLaren M8F.

3. Dan Gurney

Dan Gurney is an American legend; he was the first of three racers to win in sports cars, F1, and NASCAR (the other two being Mario Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya). His win at the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix behind the wheel of his All American Racers Eagle remains the only F1 win for an American built car and an American licensed team.

2. Phil Hill

Phil Hill became the first-ever American to win the Formula 1 World Championship when he did so in 1961. The Ferrari driver was in a heated title battle with his teammate Wolfgang von Trips; after von Trips was killed at Monza, Hill was guaranteed the title. However, his endurance-racing victories at both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans cemented him as one of the best all-around drivers of his era.

1. Mario Andretti

It shouldn’t be too controversial to give Mario Andretti the first slot on this list. The American racer became the second from the U.S. to ever with the Formula 1 World Championship when he took victory for Lotus in 1978 — but he’s also one of the few WDCs in history who also secured an Indianapolis 500 victory.

His victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Daytona 500, and Pikes Peak have made him a multi-disciplinary legend, and easily the best F1 driver from America.

Read next: The next Logan Sargeant? The American drivers in line for an F1 ride