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Paris - Since the 1950s, there have been a total of 33 different champions in the F1 Drivers' championship.
The list of champions through the decades are some of the greatest drivers in motorsport.
Former Mercedes driver, Nico Rosberg, is the current champion, having won the 2016 title and subsequently retiring from the sport.
Current top drivers
Among the current crop of drivers, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel achieved the most recent 11 championships.
Raikkonen was the last Ferrari driver to achieve an F1 title (2007).
F1 legends
The championship was first won in 1950 by Giuseppe Farina while the first driver to win multiple championships was Alberto Ascari (1952 and 1953). Michael Schumacher holds the record for the most titles (seven) as well as the record for most consecutive championships, winning five from 2000 to 2004.
Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher... we reflect on Formula 1 world champions ahead of the start of the 2017 season in Melbourne.
READ: 2017 F1 championship: All the teams and drivers
F1 world champions: year, driver, nationality and team
1950 Guiseppe Farina (ITA) Alfa Romeo
1951 Juan Manuel Fangio (ARG) Alfa Romeo
1952 Alberto Ascari (ITA) Ferrari
1953 Alberto Ascari (ITA) Ferrari
1954 Juan Manuel Fangio (ARG) Maserati, Mercedes
1955 Juan Manuel Fangio (ARG) Mercedes
1956 Juan Manuel Fangio (ARG) Ferrari
1957 Juan Manuel Fangio (ARG) Maserati
1958 Mike Hawthorn (ENG) Ferrari
1959 Jack Brabham (AUS) Cooper
1960 Jack Brabham (AUS) Cooper
1961 Phil Hill (USA) Ferrari
1962 Graham Hill (ENG) BRM
1963 Jim Clark (SCO) Lotus
1964 John Surtees (ENG) Ferrari
1965 Jim Clark (SCO) Lotus
1966 Jack Brabham (AUS) Brabham
1967 Denis Hulme (NZL) Brabham
1968 Graham Hill (ENG) Lotus
1969 Jackie Stewart (SCO) Matra
1970 Jochen Rindt (AUS) Lotus
1971 Jackie Stewart (SCO) Tyrrell
1972 Emerson Fittipaldi (BRA) Lotus
1973 Jackie Stewart (SCO) Tyrrell
1974 Emerson Fittipaldi (BRA) McLaren
1975 Niki Lauda (AUT) Ferrari
1976 James Hunt (ENG) McLaren
1977 Niki Lauda (AUT) Ferrari
1978 Mario Andretti (USA) Lotus
1979 Jody Scheckter (RSA) Ferrari
1980 Alan Jones (AUS) Williams
1981 Nelson Piquet (BRA) Brabham
1982 Keke Rosberg (FIN) Williams
1983 Nelson Piquet (BRA) Brabham
1984 Niki Lauda (AUT) McLaren
1985 Alain Prost (FRA) McLaren
1986 Alain Prost (FRA) McLaren
1987 Nelson Piquet (BRA) Williams
1988 Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren
1989 Alain Prost (FRA) McLaren
1990 Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren
1991 Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren
1992 Nigel Mansell (ENG) Williams
1993 Alain Prost (FRA) Williams
1994 Michael Schumacher (GER) Benetton
1995 Michael Schumacher (GER) Benetton
1996 Damon Hill (ENG) Williams
1997 Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) Williams
1998 Mika Hakkinen (FIN) McLaren
1999 Mika Hakkinen (FIN) McLaren
2000 Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2001 Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2002 Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2003 Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2004 Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2005 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault
2006 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault
2007 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari
2008 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren
2009 Jenson Button (GBR) Brawn
2010 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull
2011 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull
2012 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull
2013 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull
2014 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes
2015 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes
2016 Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes