The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC) is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to the most successful Formula One race car driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results. The Drivers' Championship was first awarded in 1950, to Nino Farina. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Alberto Ascari, in 1952 and 1953.

The FIA do not officially declare the Champion until the end of the season, but a driver is said to have "clinched" the Championship when no other driver can possibly obtain more points than them, even if they score the maximum in the remaining races of the season. The Drivers' Championship has been clinched in the final race of the season 23 times in the 56 seasons it has been awarded. The earliest in a season that the Drivers' Championship has been clinched was in 2002, when Michael Schumacher secured the title with six races remaining.

Overall, twenty-eight different drivers have won the Championship, with German Michael Schumacher holding the record for most titles, at seven. Schumacher also holds the record for most consecutive Drivers' Championships, winning five from 2000 to 2004. The current Drivers' Champion is Fernando Alonso, who has become the youngest driver ever in having clinched the world title.

Drivers Champions by Year

Season	Driver	Team	Poles	Wins	Podiums	Fastest Laps	Points	Clinched	Margin (pnts)
1950	Nino Farina	Alfa Romeo	2	3	3	3	30	Race 7 of 7	3
1951	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	4	3	5	5	31	Race 8 of 8	6
1952	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	5	6	6	6	36	Race 8 of 8	12
1953	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	6	5	5	4	34.5	Race 8 of 9	6.5
1954	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati, Mercedes	5	6	7	3	42	Race 7 of 9	16.9
1955	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	3	4	5	3	40	Race 6 of 7	16.5
1956	Juan Manuel Fangio	Ferrari	6	3	5	4	30	Race 8 of 8	3
1957	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	4	4	6	2	40	Race 6 of 8	15
1958	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	4	1	7	5	42	Race 11 of 11	1
1959	Jack Brabham	Cooper*	1	2	5	1	31	Race 9 of 9	4
1960	Jack Brabham	Cooper*	3	5	5	3	43	Race 8 of 10	9
1961	Phil Hill	Ferrari	5	2	6	2	34	Race 7 of 8	1
1962	Graham Hill	BRM*	1	4	6	3	42	Race 9 of 9	12
1963	Jim Clark	Lotus*	7	7	9	6	54	Race 7 of 10	21
1964	John Surtees	Ferrari*	2	2	6	2	40	Race 10 of 10	1
1965	Jim Clark	Lotus*	6	6	6	6	54	Race 7 of 10	14
1966	Jack Brabham	Brabham*	3	4	5	1	42	Race 7 of 9	14
1967	Denny Hulme	Brabham*	0	2	8	2	51	Race 11 of 11	5
1968	Graham Hill	Lotus*	2	3	6	0	48	Race 12 of 12	12
1969	Jackie Stewart	Matra*	2	6	7	5	63	Race 8 of 11	26
1970	Jochen Rindt	Lotus*	3	5	5	1	45	Race 12 of 13	5
1971	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell*	6	6	7	3	62	Race 8 of 11	29
1972	Emerson Fittipaldi	Lotus*	3	5	8	0	61	Race 10 of 12	16
1973	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell*	3	5	8	1	71	Race 13 of 15	16
1974	Emerson Fittipaldi	McLaren*	2	3	7	0	55	Race 15 of 15	3
1975	Niki Lauda	Ferrari*	9	5	8	2	64.5	Race 13 of 14	19.5
1976	James Hunt	McLaren*	8	6	8	2	69	Race 16 of 16	1
1977	Niki Lauda	Ferrari*	2	3	10	3	72	Race 14 of 16	17
1978	Mario Andretti	Lotus*	8	6	7	3	64	Race 14 of 16	13
1979	Jody Scheckter	Ferrari*	1	3	6	0	51	Race 13 of 15	4
1980	Alan Jones	Williams*	3	5	10	5	67	Race 13 of 14	13
1981	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	4	3	7	1	50	Race 15 of 15	1
1982	Keke Rosberg	Williams*	1	1	6	0	44	Race 16 of 16	5
1983	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1	3	8	4	59	Race 15 of 15	2
1984	Niki Lauda	McLaren*	0	5	9	5	72	Race 16 of 16	0.5
1985	Alain Prost	McLaren*	2	5	11	5	73	Race 14 of 15	20
1986	Alain Prost	McLaren*	1	4	11	2	72	Race 16 of 16	2
1987	Nelson Piquet	Williams*	4	3	11	4	73	Race 15 of 16	12
1988	Ayrton Senna	McLaren*	13	8	11	3	90	Race 15 of 16	3
1989	Alain Prost	McLaren*	2	4	11	5	76	Race 15 of 16	16
1990	Ayrton Senna	McLaren*	10	6	11	2	78	Race 15 of 16	7
1991	Ayrton Senna	McLaren*	8	7	12	2	96	Race 15 of 16	24
1992	Nigel Mansell	Williams*	14	9	12	8	108	Race 11 of 16	52
1993	Alain Prost	Williams*	13	7	12	6	99	Race 14 of 16	26
1994	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	6	8	10	8	92	Race 16 of 16	1
1995	Michael Schumacher	Benetton*	4	9	11	8	102	Race 15 of 17	33
1996	Damon Hill	Williams*	9	8	10	5	97	Race 16 of 16	19
1997	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams*	10	7	8	3	81	Race 17 of 17	39
1998	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren*	9	8	11	6	100	Race 16 of 16	14
1999	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren*	11	5	10	6	76	Race 16 of 16	2
2000	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari*	9	9	12	2	108	Race 16 of 17	19
2001	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari*	11	9	14	3	123	Race 13 of 17	58
2002	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari*	7	11	17	7	144	Race 11 of 17	67
2003	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari*	5	6	8	5	93	Race 16 of 16	2
2004	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari*	8	13	15	10	148	Race 14 of 18	34
2005	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari*	6	7	15	2	133	Race 17 of 19	21