Who is the most underserving F1 World Champion?
34 different drivers have been crowned as an F1 world champion in the sport's long history.
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Keke Rosberg driving the 1982 Williams (Via F1)
Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. The first-ever F1 world championship took place in 1950. Over the years, hundreds of drivers have tried to emerge victorious in the sport with only 34 ever being crowned as an F1 world champion. Drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have undoubtedly solidified themselves as all-time greats through their title victories. However, many have often wondered who has been the most undeserving champion in the sport.
Keke Rosberg is often considered the most undeserving F1 world champion. The Finnish driver won the 1982 title for Williams. Rosberg just won a single race out of the sixteen rounds of the season with only five podiums to his name. The Finnish driver became the title favorite in 1982 after the tragic death of Gilles Villeneuve. Many believe that Villeneuve would’ve gone on to win the title for Ferrari if he had survived the fatal incident at the Belgian GP weekend.
It was Rosberg who was the most consistent driver throughout the season compared to his rivals. Despite Williams running a normally aspirated Ford engine, compared to its turbocharged competitors, Keke Rosberg managed to secure enough points to take the world championship. The Finn had a five-point lead compared to Didier Peroni and John Watson who both scored 39 points.
Did Keke Rosberg deserve the 1982 World Championship?
Keke Rosberg might’ve just won a single race in his championship campaign. However, the 1982 season witnessed eleven different race winners from seven different teams. No driver scored more than two victories throughout the year. Subsequently, Rosberg’s consistency ensured that he amassed the most points by the final round of the year.
Gilles Villeneuve’s death did remove Rosberg’s biggest competitor from the picture. However, F1 is a dangerous sport and it was not unusual for such incidents to affect the championship. One could claim that James Hunt did not deserve the 1976 championship due to Niki Lauda’s life-threatening accident at the Nuerburgring as well.
Formula 1 is a brutal sport. Drivers push themselves to the limit in a bid to win the world championship every season. As such, no F1 champion is ever truly undeserving of the title. Keke Rosberg’s solid results throughout the season ensured that scored the most points that year in a less powerful car compared to his rivals. Nevertheless, when it comes to the question of the most undeserving F1 champion, Rosberg perhaps comes the closest to such a title.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)