Has any Formula 1 team won all the races in a season?

Formula 1 is one of the most competitive sports in the world. Every season, teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars to gain an edge over their rivals. This gives fans a treat as constructors such as Ferrari and Mercedes go head-to-head during a season. However, sometimes a team might be able to extract a lot more performance and subsequently obliterate the competition.

Brawn GP remains a fan favorite in providing a fairytale story to victory in Formula 1. Ross Brawn rescued the former Honda team on the verge of its closure. Thankfully, the team got the chance to race and utterly dominated the 2009 season with its double diffuser. On the other hand, Mercedes annihilated the paddock at the start of the 2014 F1 season under the new turbo hybrid era.

Yet, not one team has ever won all the races in a Formula 1 season. Red Bull Racing might be looking closely at claiming this record in the 2023 season, as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are miles clear of getting a true challenge from rivals for the world title. In 2022, the Austrian team won 17 out of the 22 races, giving a winning rate of 77.27%. But let’s dive deep into the teams who have been closest to winning 100% of the races in a single season.

3. Scuderia Ferrari 2002 – 88.2%

The new millennia saw the onset of an unprecedented time in Formula 1. Scuderia Ferrari reshaped the F1 landscape under the leadership of Jean Todt. The famous trio of Todt, Michael Schumacher, and Ross Brawn would witness a record-breaking streak of victories. The 2002 season would be remembered as arguably the most dominant season during this era.

Ferrari went on to win 15 of the 17 races in the 2002 Formula 1 calendar. This gave the Prancing Horse a winning rate of a staggering 88.2%. Michael Schumacher was in his own league as the German legend won 5 of the first 6 races of the season. Interestingly, Schumacher finished all races of the year on the podium spot. The 7-time world champion finished first or second for all the races barring the Malaysian GP.

This season was shaped by Schumacher as he bagged records. Michael won 11 Grand Prixes in 2002. This became the record for the most wins in a single Formula 1 season. Although the German later broke this record with 13 wins in 2004. Presently, Max Verstappen holds this record with 15 races won in 2022.

The 2002 season might have seen sheer dominated by the Scuderia. Yet, there were glimpses of others shining through. The season opener in Australia witnessed Michael Schumacher facing stiff competition from the Williams of Juan Pablo Montoya. At the same time, Michael’s brother took the win at the second race of the season in Malaysia. While David Coulthard took the prestigious win at Monaco for McLaren’s only win of the season.

2. Mercedes 2016 – 90.4%

Mercedes dominated Formula 1 from the start of the turbo hybrid era. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg went head-to-head for the title as the rest of the grid trailed behind the Silver Arrows. For 2016, things got even worse for the competition as Mercedes strengthened its grip on the championship. This was also Nico Rosberg’s last season in the sport after he abruptly retired post his championship victory.

The Silver Arrows won 19 of the 21 races on the F1 calendar in 2016. This season was the longest one yet in F1. Yet, Mercedes managed to sustain its lead throughout the year, with a winning rate of over an incredible 90%. Nico Rosberg won 9 races over the course of the year. At the same time, runner-up Hamilton bagged 10 wins.

Nico was unchallenged at the start of the season as the former world champion clinched race victories in the first 4 Grand Prix. Undoubtedly this would become crucial for his title prospects in the latter half of the season. The Spanish GP was a disaster for Mercedes, as Rosberg and Hamilton collided at the start of the race. This further soured the relations between the two drivers. Max Verstappen won this race as his first outing for Red Bull Racing. Daniel Ricciardo got the only other Non-Mercedes win at the Malaysian GP.

Thus, the 2016 Formula 1 season saw Mercedes give no chance to rivals. The Silver Arrows stayed ahead of the rest of the grid, and many believed this to be the most dominant performance by a team in the modern era. The Brackley squad would continue to win the world titles for a few years, but it would never be able to replicate the success it had during this period.

1. McLaren 1988 – 93.8%

The 1988 season remains iconic in the eyes of millions of fans. This was the year when the legendary McLaren MP4/4 raced in Formula 1. A car often remembered as the most dominant F1 car in the history of the sport. The car was a perfect balance of aerodynamics and a powerful V6 turbo Honda engine. Consequently, drivers Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna were miles ahead of their rivals as they drove this masterpiece.

The McLaren driver line of this season is often considered one of the best-ever line-ups in Formula 1. Senna and Prost were the best drivers during that period. Subsequently, the two were at odds with each other throughout their careers. McLaren went on an easy win for the world championship as the team won 15 out of the 16 races on the calendar. As a result, this remains the most dominant F1 season for any team.

The two McLarens locked out the front row on 12 occasions while clocking in the fastest laps in 10 races. However, things heated up between Senna and Prost. Evidently, tensions began to rise as the two drivers swapped wins throughout the year. Ayrton Senna won the Formula 1 championship with 8 race wins. At the same time, Prost managed to clinch 7 victories. Hence, the 1988 season is the closest to an F1 team winning all races of the season. McLaren could’ve accomplished this feat if not for Senna crashing out in the ending stages of the race while lapping a backmarker. Nevertheless, this year is considered the peak of the British team’s glory in Formula 1.

This shows that there has been no season in Formula 1 when a team could walk away with winning all the races. F1 is a complex sport with a variety of influencing factors. Be it car performance, driver skills, strategic calls, or luck. Consequently, it will never be easy for any team to beat McLaren’s record. Even Red Bull Racing continues to combat issues despite having the fastest car by a big margin this season.

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