Formula 1 and IndyCar: Two 5-time champions crowned in 2018

By Asher Fair | Nov 1, 2018

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 28: 2018 F1 World Drivers Champion Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with his team after the Formula One Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 28, 2018 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

Both Scott Dixon and Lewis Hamilton became five-time champions in 2018. Dixon won his fifth career IndyCar championship and Hamilton won his fifth career Formula 1 championship.

Among Formula 1, IndyCar and the NASCAR Cup Series, there were just seven five-time champions coming into 2018. Formula 1 had two of them, IndyCar had one of them, the NASCAR Cup Series had three of them, and Formula 1 and IndyCar combined to have an additional one of them.

Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio earned seven and five championships, respectively, in their Formula 1 careers. A.J. Foyt earned seven championships in his IndyCar career. Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt earned seven championships in their NASCAR Cup Series careers, and active driver Jimmie Johnson has also done so.

Mario Andretti earned four IndyCar championships and one Formula 1 championship throughout his racing career, so he can also technically be considered a five-time champion when it comes to these three major series.

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While the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship has still not been decided, there are no four-time champions who can become five-time champions this year. In fact, aside of Johnson, who has already been eliminated from championship contention, there are not even any two-time champions in the sport right now.

However, Formula 1 and IndyCar entered the 2018 season with a combined four four-time champions. Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel entered the year with four Formula 1 championships each and Scott Dixon and Sebastien Bourdais entered the year with four IndyCar championships each (four Champ Car championships for Bourdais).

Dixon clinched his fifth career IndyCar championship with his second place finish in the 17th and final race of the season, the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma, as he held off Alexander Rossi, who was trying to clinch his first career title, as well as Will Power and Josef Newgarden, who were both trying to clinch their second career titles. He won his first four championships in the 2003 season, the 2008 season, the 2013 season and the 2015 season.

Hamilton clinched his fifth career Formula 1 championship with his fourth place finish in the 19th of the season’s 21 races, the Mexican Grand Prix, as he mathematically eliminated Vettel, his closest competitor in the driver standings, from championship contention, thus preventing the four-time champion from securing his fifth career title. Hamilton won his first four championships in the 2008 season, the 2014 season, the 2015 season and the 2017 season.

As a result, within the matter of less than one and a half months, the number of drivers who have become five-time champions in Formula 1, IndyCar and/or the NASCAR Cup Series has increased by 28.57% from seven to nine.

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Who will be the next driver to win five career championships in Formula 1, IndyCar and/or the NASCAR Cup Series? Will Sebastien Vettel ever become a five-time Formula 1 champion? Will Sebastien Bourdais ever become a five-time IndyCar champion? Which young drivers in each of these three series have the best chances to rack up several championships throughout their careers?

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