Formula 1 is rightly celebrated for its breathtaking speed, brave overtakes and cutting‑edge technology. Yet when championship trophies are handed out at the end of a long season, it is often not the driver who took the most spectacular wins but the one who scored points week after week. In a sport where a single retirement can swing the F1 drivers’ championship or decide the constructors’ championship by a handful of points, consistency is the quiet superpower that underpins every title run.

In this feature we explore the drivers who exemplified reliability. We’ll look at the record‑setting points streaks, podium chains and finishing percentages that illustrate why consistent scoring beats boom‑and‑bust driving in the long game of Formula 1. We’ll also examine how the current F1 points system works – particularly the changes introduced for the 2025 season – and how those rules reward dependable performers. Finally, we’ll set today’s stars in context by reviewing the 2025 drivers’ standings and highlighting the next generation of consistency specialists.

Why consistency matters: understanding the F1 points system

Since 2010 the Formula 1 points system has rewarded the top ten finishers at each grand prix: 25 points for the winner, 18 for second, 15 for third, then 12‑10‑8‑6‑4‑2‑1 down to tenth place. Additional points come from sprint races, introduced in 2021 and refined over the years. In 2025 there are six sprints, each offering 8 points to the winner down to 1 point for eighth place. Shortened races have their own scaled‑down columns of points if less than 75 % of the distance is covered.

Two important rule changes make consistency even more valuable in 2025:

No fastest‑lap point: The bonus point for setting the fastest lap, provided the driver finishes in the top ten, has been scrapped. That removes a small but strategic incentive for a late‑race pit stop and instead keeps the focus on outright finishing positions. To learn more about the now‑defunct bonus, see our explainer on fastest‑lap points history.
More races, more points: The calendar features 24 grands prix and six sprints, meaning a maximum of 648 points are available to a driver. Winning alone is no longer enough; missing just a handful of races or failing to finish can destroy a championship campaign.

The constructors’ points system mirrors the drivers’ system but sums the points of both team cars. Our primer on how the constructors’ points work explains why mid‑field teams chase consistent double finishes just as eagerly as a front‑runner chases wins.

Tie‑breakers come into play if two drivers or teams finish the season level on points. The FIA breaks the tie by comparing the number of wins first; if still equal, second places are compared, then third places and so on. When everything else is equal, simple reliability – finishing more races in the points – can make the difference. See our guide on F1 tie‑breaker rules for details.

Defining consistency: points, podiums and finishing streaks

Consistency isn’t just about never retiring; it’s about always being there when points are handed out. We can measure it in several ways:

Points‑scoring rate: The percentage of race starts that result in a points finish. Lewis Hamilton leads the all‑time list with points in over 88 % of his starts. Juan Manuel Fangio (84.3 %) and Max Verstappen (83.9 %) follow.
Consecutive points finishes: A run of races in which a driver finishes inside the points. Hamilton holds the record with 48 consecutive points finishes from the 2018 British Grand Prix to the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen strung together 43 races from Imola 2022 to Australia 2024, while Kimi Räikkönen scored points in 27 straight races during his Lotus comeback.
Consecutive podiums: Finishing in the top three is harder than simply scoring points. Michael Schumacher holds the record with 19 consecutive podium finishes between the 2001 United States and 2002 Japanese grands prix. Hamilton has had several 16‑race podium runs, and Fernando Alonso achieved 15 podiums in a row in 2005‑06.
Consecutive classified finishes: Sometimes a driver’s knack for finishing races outshines their trophy cabinet. Nick Heidfeld completed 41 grands prix in a row from July 2007 to September 2009, the longest unbroken finishing streak in history.

With those benchmarks in mind, let’s celebrate the drivers whose careers were defined by relentless scoring.

Lewis Hamilton – the consistency benchmark

It’s almost cliché to call Lewis Hamilton the yardstick for modern drivers, but the numbers back it up. The seven‑time world champion owns:

The highest points‑finish percentage: Hamilton has scored points in 326 of his 370 starts – 88.11%. No other driver with more than 50 starts comes close.
The longest points streak: 48 consecutive races from Britain 2018 to Bahrain 2020. He also had a 33‑race streak in 2016‑18.
Three separate podium streaks of 16 races or more. When Hamilton finishes, he usually finishes near the front.
Most podiums ever: 202 podium finishes as of August 2025.

Hamilton’s consistency has underpinned his six drivers’ championships with Mercedes and his fairytale 2021 title with Ferrari. Even as his outright win tally slowed after 2022, his ability to bank points kept him in the hunt. For fans of reliability, Hamilton remains the gold standard.

Michael Schumacher – podium perfection

Before Hamilton there was Michael Schumacher, whose Ferrari dominance in the early 2000s hinged on never giving his rivals a break. Schumacher’s records include:

19 consecutive podium finishes across the 2001–02 seasons – still unbeaten.
Three seasons with at least 14 consecutive podiums.
A 24‑race points streak between the 2001 Hungarian and 2003 Malaysian grands prix.
A perfect podium season: In 2002 Schumacher finished on the podium in every race, collecting 11 wins and five second‑place finishes.

Schumacher’s dominance came during an era with fewer races and points awarded only to the top eight (later ten) finishers, making his streaks even more impressive. He proved that a champion’s job is to win when the car is dominant and finish second or third when it isn’t.

Max Verstappen – modern efficiency

Red Bull’s talisman Max Verstappen may be best known for smashing win records – 15 wins in a season, 10 in a row – but his current run shows a driver who has learned to maximise points without taking unnecessary risks. His consistency résumé features:

A 43‑race points streak from Emilia Romagna 2022 to Australia 2024, the second‑longest ever.
14 consecutive podiums from Bahrain to Monza in 2023.
117 podium finishes by mid‑2025.
An 83.86 % points‑finish rate, third‑best among drivers with more than 50 starts.

Verstappen’s maturity is evident in the way he manages risk when he doesn’t have the fastest car. The 2025 season has been tougher for Red Bull, but he still sits third in the drivers’ standings with 187 points thanks to regular podiums and an ability to maximise sprint points. Should he stay loyal to Red Bull or switch teams for 2026, his consistency will keep him in championship contention.

Fernando Alonso – relentless point‑scorer

Two‑time champion Fernando Alonso built his reputation on out‑driving the car beneath him. Statistics reveal just how relentless he was:

23 consecutive points finishes from the 2011 European Grand Prix to the 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix.
15 consecutive podiums across the 2005–06 seasons.
106 career podiums.

Despite spending large parts of his career in machinery that was “best of the rest”, Alonso’s consistency kept him in championship fights long after others had faded. Even during his 2021–24 comeback with Alpine and Aston Martin he regularly sneaked points, and in 2025 he still shares 11th place in the standings on 26 points. Alonso’s ability to extract points from sub‑optimal cars makes him one of the most complete racers in history.

Sebastian Vettel – the metronome

Four‑time champion Sebastian Vettel often gets remembered for his Red Bull dominance, but the German was also incredibly consistent:

Two separate runs of 19 consecutive points finishes – from Brazil 2010 to India 2011 and from Hungary 2018 to Austria 2019.
Three seasons with 17 podiums and a record‑breaking 15 consecutive top‑two finishes in 2013.
122 career podiums.

Vettel’s ability to deliver podium after podium under intense championship pressure helped him seal four consecutive titles from 2010–13. Even in less competitive Ferrari and Aston Martin machinery later in his career he was usually in the points. That metronomic regularity is a hallmark of a driver who rarely made mistakes when silverware was on the line.

Kimi Räikkönen – the points machine

Nicknamed “The Iceman” for his cool demeanour, Kimi Räikkönen quietly assembled one of the most impressive consistency records in F1 history:

27 consecutive points finishes during his Lotus return in 2012‑13.
103 career podiums.
A world championship with Ferrari in 2007, built on a run of podiums and consistent points rather than outright dominance.

Räikkönen’s ability to finish races was legendary. While his single‑lap pace may not have matched Hamilton or Verstappen, his knack for staying out of trouble and bringing the car home paid dividends for every team he drove for.

Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna – disciplined rivals

Consistency is not solely a modern trait. Alain Prost, known as “The Professor” for his cerebral approach, amassed 106 podiums and four world titles in an era with far fewer races. He often sacrificed all‑out pace for points, leading to epic championship duels with his McLaren team‑mate Ayrton Senna. Senna recorded 80 podiums and three titles, and while his raw speed often made headlines, he also strung together long runs of podiums and pole positions in the late 1980s.

Juan Manuel Fangio – percentage king

Five‑time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio competed in just 51 F1 races but scored points in 43 of them for an astonishing 84.31% points‑finish rate. Racing in the 1950s was perilous, with unreliable machines and minimal safety, yet Fangio finished and scored more often than not. His consistency across multiple teams and his ability to save the car when it was failing set the template for future champions.

Nick Heidfeld – the unbreakable streak

Though he never won a race, Nick Heidfeld deserves a place on any consistency list. The German holds the record for consecutive classified finishes, completing 41 grands prix from July 2007 to September 2009. He also scored points in 33 consecutive races during that span, a feat only surpassed in recent years. Heidfeld’s reliability showed that even midfield drivers can make history by simply finishing every Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas and modern midfield metronomes

Drivers like Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri exemplify how today’s midfield stars maximise consistency. Bottas logged a 22‑race points streak with Mercedes in 2018‑19 and sits tenth on the all‑time podium list with 67 rostrum visits. Norris and Piastri, now at the sharp end of the 2025 drivers’ championship, have translated raw speed into relentless scoring: after 14 rounds of 2025, Piastri leads the standings with 284 points, Norris is second on 275, and Verstappen is third on 187. Their McLaren team tops the constructors’ standings with 559 points, comfortably ahead of Ferrari on 260.

Piastri and Norris have scored in every race so far, with Piastri winning three grands prix and Norris two. Their ability to convert poles and front‑row starts into podiums is reminiscent of Hamilton’s early years. Rookie Kimi Antonelli has also impressed by scoring 64 points for Mercedes, showing that consistent points finishes can put even a newcomer into the spotlight.

Consistency across eras: a changing landscape

Comparing drivers from different eras is tricky. Early F1 seasons had as few as seven races, points were only awarded to the top five or six finishers and reliability was poor. Modern seasons feature 24 races, double the opportunities to score but also more chances for something to go wrong. Additionally, today’s cars are bullet‑proof compared with their predecessors, so finishing is less about nursing the machinery and more about avoiding incidents and executing strategy.

However, what remains constant is that champions minimise zero scores. Fangio and Jim Clark nursed fragile cars; Prost and Senna raced with turbos that could explode without warning; Hamilton and Verstappen manage tyres and hybrid power units. The drivers celebrated above adapted to whatever era they raced in, prioritising consistency when championships were on the line. As F1 evolves with new technical regulations in 2026 and further innovations like active aerodynamics, the ability to bring the car home in the points will remain the bedrock of any title assault.

FAQs

Who are the most consistent Formula 1 drivers ever?

Based on points‑finish percentage, podium streaks and finishing runs, Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher top most lists. Hamilton has scored points in 88.11 % of his starts and holds the record for 48 consecutive points finishes. Schumacher delivered 19 consecutive podiums and finished on the rostrum in every race of 2002. Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen also boast impressive streaks.

How does the F1 points system work in 2025?

Points are awarded to the top ten finishers in each grand prix on a 25‑18‑15‑12‑10‑8‑6‑4‑2‑1 scale. Sprint races award 8 points for the winner down to 1 point for eighth. Half‑points or reduced points are given if a race is stopped before 75 % distance. From 2025 onwards there is no bonus for fastest lap. For more detail, see our guides on sprint race points and standings in shortened race.

What are the current 2025 F1 standings?

After 14 rounds (Hungary, 3 August 2025), Oscar Piastri leads the drivers’ championship with 284 points, ahead of his McLaren team‑mate Lando Norris on 275 points and Max Verstappen on 187. In the constructors’ championship McLaren tops the table with 559 points, with Ferrari (260) and Mercedes (236) next. The season resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on 31 August.

Why is consistency more important in today’s F1 than ever before?

With 24 races and six sprints on the calendar, the potential points haul is enormous. Missing a race due to injury, failing to finish because of a mechanical issue or making a strategic error in a sprint can cost a driver 30–40 points – roughly the gap currently separating Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The removal of the fastest‑lap bonus point and the tightening of reliability rules mean there are fewer “free” points to claw back. A driver who finishes every race inside the top six will almost certainly challenge for the title, while one or two retirements can end a championship bid.

How do tie‑breakers decide the champion when drivers are level on points?

If two or more drivers finish the season with the same number of points, the FIA compares the number of wins first. If still equal, second places are compared, then third places, and so on. Only if all results are identical will non‑points criteria (such as qualifying positions) be considered. Tie‑breakers emphasise the importance of occasional wins, but as seasons get longer the likelihood of equal points decreases. For more on tie‑breakers, check our Formula 1 points explained article.

Consistency may not make the highlight reels, but it wins championships. The drivers profiled here understood that finishing every race and scoring points whenever possible is the surest route to glory. As the 2025 season unfolds and the new generation of stars chase the likes of Hamilton and Schumacher, one thing remains true: in Formula 1, fast is good - but consistent is king.

Want to dive deeper into F1 strategy and rules? Check out our explainers on F1 qualifying and race weekend format, sprint race points and how F1 awards points in shortened races.