How many Russian drivers have there been in F1?
Four Russian drivers have started World Championship races, all of them between 2010 and 2021. None of them has won a race or taken a pole; the best result is Daniil Kvyat’s second place at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix.
| Driver | Seasons | Teams | Starts | Points | Best finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitaly Petrov | 2010–2012 | Renault, Caterham | 57 | 64 | 3rd |
| Daniil Kvyat | 2014–2017, 2019–2020 | Toro Rosso, Red Bull, AlphaTauri | 110 | 202 | 2nd |
| Sergey Sirotkin | 2018 | Williams | 21 | 1 | 10th |
| Nikita Mazepin | 2021 | Haas | 21 | 0 | 14th |
This article counts only official Grand Prix sessions — races and Friday practice. Tests outside race weekends, simulator work and the reserve driver role don’t count. All the figures come from the f1db results database.
Vitaly Petrov, the first Russian in F1
Vitaly Petrov, from Vyborg, made his debut with Renault at the Bahrain Grand Prix on 14 March 2010 and became the first Russian driver in the World Championship. He scored his first points in his fourth race, finishing seventh in China. At the 2010 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Petrov finished sixth, just ahead of Fernando Alonso, who lost the title to Sebastian Vettel that day.
His biggest result came in 2011: on 27 March, at the Australian Grand Prix, Petrov finished third — the first podium for a Russian driver in Formula 1. He ended the 2011 season tenth with 37 points, the best finish of his career. In 2012 Petrov drove for Caterham and scored no points; the Brazilian Grand Prix on 25 November 2012 was his last race.
Over 2010–2012 Petrov made 57 starts and scored 64 points; he had one podium and one fastest lap, the latter at the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix.
Daniil Kvyat, the highest scorer
Daniil Kvyat, from Ufa, has the biggest numbers of any Russian: 110 starts, 202 points and three podiums between 2014 and 2020. In his first race, the 2014 Australian Grand Prix with Toro Rosso, he finished ninth and, at 19, became the youngest points scorer in F1 up to that time.
In 2015 Kvyat moved up to Red Bull. On 26 July 2015 he finished second at the Hungarian Grand Prix — the best result ever by a Russian driver — and ended the season seventh with 95 points, three ahead of his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.
In 2016 Kvyat was third at the Chinese Grand Prix. After the fourth round, in Russia, Red Bull swapped their drivers: Kvyat went back to Toro Rosso and Max Verstappen took his place. Kvyat raced for Toro Rosso until the 2017 United States Grand Prix, sat out the 2018 season and returned in 2019.
On 28 July 2019 Kvyat finished third at the German Grand Prix — the team’s second podium ever, after Vettel’s win in 2008. He spent his last season, 2020, with AlphaTauri, as Toro Rosso had been renamed, and his best result was fourth place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Sergey Sirotkin: a season with Williams
Before his debut, Sergey Sirotkin drove in seven Friday practice sessions: for Sauber in 2014 and for Renault in 2016–2017. He raced for one season, 2018, with Williams, alongside Lance Stroll.
Sirotkin scored his only point on 2 September 2018 at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing tenth. Williams finished last in the 2018 Constructors’ Championship, tenth with 7 points, and Sirotkin was 20th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Nikita Mazepin: a season with Haas
Nikita Mazepin made his debut with Haas at the Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March 2021; his team-mate was another rookie, Mick Schumacher. He started 21 races that season without scoring a point, and his best result was 14th at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Haas also went without a point in 2021 and finished last in the Constructors’ Championship.
On 5 March 2022, before the season began, Haas terminated Mazepin’s contract, and on 9 March they announced that Kevin Magnussen would drive alongside Schumacher. The 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix remained Mazepin’s last championship race.
Who drove only in Friday practice
Two Russians have driven in official Grand Prix sessions without ever starting a race: Artem Markelov and Robert Shwartzman. Teams give Friday practice seats to young drivers, but such outings don’t make them championship drivers: practice brings no starts and no points.
- Artem Markelov: one session — the 2018 Russian Grand Prix, with Renault.
- Robert Shwartzman: six sessions — with Ferrari in 2022 (United States, Abu Dhabi) and 2023 (Netherlands, Abu Dhabi), and with Kick Sauber in 2024 (Netherlands, Mexico).
Shwartzman was born in Tel Aviv; the f1db database lists two nationalities for him, Russian and Israeli. Kvyat — twice in 2013, with Toro Rosso — and Sirotkin also drove in Friday practice before their race debuts. What it takes to get into such a session, and then into races, is covered in the article “How to become an F1 driver”; what a reserve driver does is explained in the glossary.
FAQ
Are there any Russian drivers in F1 now?
There are no Russians among the drivers of the 2026 season. The last time a Russian started a championship race was on 5 December 2021 — Nikita Mazepin at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Who is the most successful Russian F1 driver?
Daniil Kvyat: 202 points and three podiums in 2014–2020, with a best result of second place in Hungary in 2015. His numbers side by side with Petrov’s are on the Kvyat vs Petrov page.
Has a Russian ever won an F1 race?
No. Russian drivers have no wins and no poles; the closest to a win was Kvyat’s second place at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Did Russia have its own Grand Prix?
Yes: the Russian Grand Prix was part of the World Championship from 2014 to 2021 and was held eight times, in Sochi. The best result by a Russian at his home race was Kvyat’s fifth place in 2015. The first race was the 2014 Russian Grand Prix.
Has a Russian ever been world champion?
No. The best championship finish by a Russian is seventh place, by Kvyat in 2015. Every champion, year by year, is in the article “F1 champions by year”.
