Who holds the record for the longest career mileage in F1 history? If we exclude races where drivers retired, many fans will immediately guess it’s the legendary Fernando Alonso. In this article, we’ll explore these incredible numbers that tell stories of endurance and longevity — a true marathon of speed and resilience.
Here are the Top 10 F1 drivers ranked by total career mileage:
10th – Daniel Ricciardo
Over 15 seasons, the Australian has accumulated 71,417 km, equal to circling the Earth 1.8 times. That’s like completing 21,403 laps in Monaco or 10,197 laps at Spa.
9th – Felipe Massa
The Brazilian also raced for 15 seasons, covering 74,310 km — again about 1.8 laps around Earth, or 22,270 laps in Monaco and 10,610 laps at Spa.
8th – Sergio Pérez
In his 15-season career, the Mexican has reached 78,600 km, equivalent to 1.9 Earth laps, 23,556 laps at Monaco, or 11,222 laps at Spa.
7th – Rubens Barrichello
A true veteran, Barrichello raced for 19 seasons, clocking 80,591 km. That equals two full Earth laps, or 24,152 Monaco laps and 11,506 Spa laps.
6th – Jenson Button
Across 17 seasons, the Brit accumulated 80,835 km, just over two Earth laps, equal to 24,225 laps in Monaco or 11,541 at Spa.
5th – Michael Schumacher
The seven-time world champion sits only fifth with 81,195 km over 19 seasons. That’s 24,332 Monaco laps or 11,593 at Spa.
4th – Sebastian Vettel
The four-time champion raced for 16 seasons, covering 82,891 km — about two Earth laps, equal to 24,840 Monaco laps or 11,835 Spa laps.
3rd – Kimi Räikkönen
The Iceman’s 19-season career amassed 92,599 km — equal to 2.3 Earth laps, or 27,756 Monaco laps and 13,221 Spa laps.
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
The Brit has completed 106,358 km across 19 seasons, about 2.6 Earth laps, or 31,847 laps at Monaco and 15,186 at Spa.
1st – Fernando Alonso
Still active after 22 seasons, the Spaniard has covered an astonishing 112,916 km, equal to 2.8 Earth laps, or 33,843 Monaco laps and 16,121 Spa laps.
Among all drivers, only Alonso and Hamilton have surpassed the 100,000 km milestone. By comparison, four-time champion Max Verstappen ranks just 13th, with 60,923 km by the 2025 Hungarian GP. That equals 1.5 Earth laps, or 18,257 Monaco laps and 8,698 Spa laps.
Ahead of him are Valtteri Bottas with 69,983 km and Nico Hülkenberg with 64,667 km. Most importantly, Alonso is still extending his record, while Hamilton could catch up. Currently, the two are separated by 6,600 km — roughly the distance of 22 Grands Prix.
In other words, if Hamilton manages to compete in just one more full season than Alonso, he could break the record. As for Verstappen, to surpass Alonso’s total, he would need to race at least 170 more Grands Prix, equivalent to seven full seasons. By then, he would be 35 years old.
So the big question remains: Will Verstappen still be racing in F1 at 35?
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