All the American Drivers That Have Raced in Formula 1

Years Active: 1968-1972, 1974-1982
Teams: Lotus, STP Corporation (March), Scuderia Ferrari, Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing, Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo, TAG Williams
Entries: 131
Starts: 126
Podiums: 19
Wins: 12

Italian-born Mario Andretti is America’s greatest F1 icon. He’s one of two American drivers to win a World Championship, and his storied career has included stints with some of the most iconic teams on the grid.

His exceptional racing career has included IndyCar Championships, an Indy 500 win, a Daytona 500 win, a Le Mans class win, and more.

Years Active: 1993
Teams: McLaren
Entries: 13
Starts: 13
Podiums: 1
Wins: 0

Son of the iconic Mario Andretti, Michael had a significant weight on his shoulders when he entered the F1 scene. Unfortunately, his single season left a lot to be desired — perhaps mostly because he was a newbie partnered with an icon, Artyon Senna. His season was characterized primarily by retirements, though he did score a podium at the Italian Grand Prix.

Years Active: 1971-1972
Teams: Gene Mason Racing (March)
Entries: 6
Starts: 5
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Skip Barber’s F1 career just sort of... happened. In 1971, the racer bought a March 711, which he planned to race in the Formula 5000 series in America. But since the car was already overseas, well, he might as well take part in a few Grands Prix while he was at it. He didn’t qualify at Monaco and wasn’t classified in the Netherlands. For the end of 1971 and into 1972, Barber only competed at the Canadian and US Grands Prix.

Years Active: 1959
Teams: Blanchard Auto Co. (Porsche)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Blanchard’s first and only F1 start came at the 1959 US Grand Prix at Sebring International Raceway, where he finished seventh in a Porsche Formula 2 car. He died later that year when his car flipped at the 1000km Buenos Aires.

Years Active: 1965-1966
Teams: North American Racing Team (Ferrari), Reg Parnell Racing (Ferrari), Team Chamaco Collect (BRM), Anglo American Racers (Eagle)
Entries: 9
Starts: 9
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

After establishing himself in the California racing scene, Bob Bondurant joined up with Carroll Shelby’s Ford Cobra team. After winning the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bondurant decided to give F1 a try. A top 10 in the 1965 US Grand Prix followed by a retirement in Mexico wasn’t the greatest entrance, but Bondurant made up for it by finishing fourth in Monaco the following year, scoring three points. That, though, would be the highlight of a career that also saw him take Dan Gurney’s Eagle onto the track at Watkins Glen and in Mexico City.

Years Active: 1964-1966
Teams: Honda
Entries: 11
Starts: 11
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Ronnie Bucknam holds a fascinating record in motorsport: He was the first person to ever drive a Honda-engined F1 car, which he did at the 1964 German Grand Prix. In a retirement-filled career, Bucknam scored a best finish of fifth at the 1965 Mexico Grand Prix, which earned him two points.

Years Active: 1959
Teams: Phil Cade (Maserati)
Entries: 1
Starts: 0
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Like Blanchard, Phil Cade only entered the 1959 US GP at Sebring, which he did in a self-entered Maserati. He did qualify for the event but claimed his engine had “expired” before the start of the event. He regularly raced until 1962 but entered events until his death in 2001.

Years Active: 1963
Teams: Ecurie Excelsior (Lotus)
Entries: 3
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Jay Chamberlain took a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1957. As a Lotus dealer in Burbank, California, he had the connections to enter three F1 events in 1963 behind the wheel of a non-works Lotus. A 15th place was his best finish at the British Grand Prix; he failed to qualify for the following two events.

You could forgive him for his confidence; the previous year, Chamberlain entered multiple non-championship F1 events, during which time he scored a fifth-place finish in the Lavant Cup.

Years Active: 1978, 1980-1989
Teams: Theodore Racing, Hesketh, Oselia Squadra Corse, Team Tyrrell, Equipe Talbot Gitanes (Ligier), Equipe Renault Elf, Benetton Team Alfa Romeo, Haas Lola, USF&G Arrows
Entries: 143
Starts: 132
Podiums: 9
Wins: 0

Eddie Cheever’s three-decade racing career consisted of a significant stint in Formula 1 after working his way up through the ranks of the European Karting Championships. He didn’t qualify for his first two F1 races, finally getting his first start in South America in 1978. It took until 1981, when he joined up with Tyrrell, before Cheever was really able to find any success, and he finished in the points five times that year.

The following two years, though, were Cheever’s best. He joined with Equipe Talbot Gitanes, a Ligier team, and scored three podiums, one each in Belgium, Detroit, and Caesars Palace. In 1983, Cheever moved to Equipe Renault Elf, getting four further podiums, one each in France, Belgium, Canada, and Italy.

He ultimately retired from F1 after the 1989 season, moving over to CART in America instead.

Years Active: 1980-1981
Teams: RAM (Williams), Tyrrell
Entries: 2
Starts: 0
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Kevin Cogan had established himself in SCCA and USAC Mini-Indy when he made two entrances in the Formula 1 World Championship — once with RAM at the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix and again with Tyrrell at the following year’s United States Grand Prix West. He failed to qualify for either race, then moved into American open-wheel racing.

However, Cogan’s career was tarnished by the 1982 Indy 500. Approaching the start of the race, Cogan swerved into the car of A.J. Foyt before bouncing into Mario Andretti. He was unofficially “blacklisted” by fans and media in the aftermath, ultimately being fired by Roger Penske at the end of the season. Cogan continued within the sport, but never with much success.

Years Active: 1959
Teams: Mike Taylor (Cooper)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Constantine competed behind the wheel of a Cooper at the 1959 US Grand Prix, though he retired and was classified 15th.

Years Active: 1960
Teams: Reventlow Automobiles Inc. (Scarab), Cooper Car Company
Entries: 8
Starts: 3
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Chuck Daigh got his break in F1 with Lance Reventlow’s Scarab team thanks to the fact that he had been one of the engineers on the project and winning the 1958 United States Sports Car Grand Prix. He didn’t arrive to the season opener at Argentina, then failed to start or finish a race for the team for the rest of the year. A one-off with Cooper at the British Grand Prix also ended in retirement.

Years Active: 1963
Teams: Frank Dochnal (Cooper)
Entries: 1
Starts: 0
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

A St. Louis mechanic with a few local race wins under his belt, Frank Dochnal was confident enough in himself to enter the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix with his Cooper. At 43, he was one of the oldest drivers in the field. His bid for victory ended when he crashed in an unofficial practice session. After that, Dochnal retired from racing.

Years Active: 1971, 1974-1975
Teams: Penske-White Racing (McLaren), Penske Cars (Penske, March)
Entries: 16
Starts: 14
Podiums: 1
Wins: 0

Driver and engineer Mark Donohue was, alongside Roger Penske, a dominant force in the American racing scene during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Donohue’s impressive resume includes multiple USAC Champ Car wins, a NASCAR win, victories at the International Race of Champions events, and complete Can-Am dominance.

He entered his first F1 event with Penske at the 1971 Canadian Grand Prix, where he finished third. He failed to start the following event, and his next entries in F1 wouldn’t come until the tail end of the 1974 season. He intended to complete a full season with Penske in 1975, but Penske’s PC1 chassis was a mess. The team swapped to a March, and Donohue was undergoing F1 testing in Austria when he was killed after sustaining a head injury from a crash that resulted in a cerebral hemorrhage.

Years Active: 1960
Teams: Joe Lubin (Maserati)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

There’s very little information on Bob Drake, but we do know he entered a non-works Maserati in the 1960 United States Grand Prix at Riverside International Raceway. He finished 13th in the event.

Years Active: 1967
Teams: Mike Fisher (Lotus)
Entries: 2
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Mike Fisher privately entered two Formula 1 races in 1967: The Canadian Grand Prix, which he finished 11th, and the Mexican Grand Prix, which he failed to start.

Years Active: 1953, 1955
Teams: HW Motors (HWM), Stirling Moss Ltd. (Maserati)
Entries: 2
Starts: 2
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

John Fitch is one of the most important lesser-known American drivers who competed in F1. He won multiple important sports car races, including the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Mille Miglia, along with several SCCA races. He took a stab at Formula 1 with one entry in both 1953 and 1955, both at the Italian Grand Prix. He retired from the 1953 event but finished ninth in 1955.

During his racing career, Fitch invented a slew of new technologies for cars, but he’s likely best known for the Fitch Barrier, which was inspired by the sand-filled fuel cans he used to protect his tent during World War II. He was also heavily involved in research regarding racing and automotive safety.

Years Active: 1973
Teams: UOP Shadow (Shadow)
Entries: 13
Starts: 12
Podiums: 1
Wins: 0

George Follmer was a successful American road racer with wins in USAC Champ Car and Can-Am, along with podiums in NASCAR and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At age 39, his 1973 debut at the South African Grand Prix made him the oldest F1 rookie since the 1950s. His UOP Shadow Racing Team, though, wasn’t exactly impressive. He scored points with a sixth-place finish in South Africa, and he took third in Spain, but he failed to start for Monaco and retired in five other events.

Years Active: 1960
Teams: Camoradi USA (Behra-Porsche)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Fred Gamble had made a successful sports car racing career for himself in America, leading to his first and only entry in an F1 event, the 1960 Italian Grand Prix. He finished 10th.

Years Active: 1960-1967
Teams: Scuderia Ferrari, Reventlow Automobiles Inc. (Scarab), Owen Racing Organization (BRM), Honda, Cooper, Anglo American Racers (Eagle), Advance Muffler/Bruce Bromme (Eagle)
Entries: 54
Starts: 52
Podiums: 14
Wins: 1

Richie Ginther’s racing career started thanks to a love of tinkering with hot rods that ultimately saw him pursue motorsport professionally after a stint in the Korean War. He impressed the right people, ultimately able to make his F1 debut with Ferrari at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix.

No matter the team, Ginther generally found some success, finishing third in the Championship with Owen Racing Organization’s BRM before taking Honda’s very first F1 win at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix.

Years Active: 1957-1963, 1965
Teams: Scuderia Centro Sud (Maserati, Cooper, BRM), H.H. Gould (Maserati), Owen Racing Organization (BRM), Temple Buell (Maserati) Cooper, Camoradi International (Behra-Porsche), UDT Laystall Racing Team (Lotus), Tim Parnell (Lotus), Reg Parnell Racing (Lotus, Lola)
Entries: 46
Starts: 38
Podiums: 3
Wins: 0

Masten Gregory, known as the “Kansas City Flash,” used his inheritance to buy his first race car and enter his first race in 1952. After finding some success, he moved to Europe in 1954 and ultimately signed with Scuderia Centro Sud, a privateer team running Maseratis at the time; in his debut race at Monaco, he finished third. Despite only contesting four of the season’s eight events, he ended the season sixth in points.

After two podiums in 1959, though, Gregory’s F1 career fizzled. Thankfully he was able to find ample success in sports car racing.

Years Active: 1959-1968, 1970
Teams: Scuderia Ferrari, Owen Racing Organization (BRM), Porsche, Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel (Lotus), Brabham, Anglo American Racers (Eagle), Bruce McLaren Motor Racing
Entries: 87
Starts: 86
Podiums: 19
Wins: 4

Dan Gurney is the kind of legend who needs no introduction. His storied international success includes wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and multiple within the NASCAR series. For a long time, he was also one of America’s greatest representatives in the international scene, taking multiple podiums and victories in F1.

Gurney’s greatest accomplishment, though, was likely his 1967 win at the Belgian Grand Prix, which he did behind the wheel of his very own open-wheel car, called the Eagle. He was considered by Jim Clark to be one of the finest racers in the world; Gurney was allegedly the only driver Clark ever feared.

Years Active: 1960-1963
Teams: Jim Hall (Lotus), British Racing Partnership (Lotus)
Entries: 12
Starts: 11
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

A co-founder of the Chaparral sports car alongside Hap Sharp, he also competed in a handful of Formula 1 events. He competed in a handful of one-offs with his own privately entered Lotus before joining with British Racing Partnership for a full 1963 season. He finished in points-scoring positions with a sixth place at the 1963 British Grand Prix and a fifth at the subsequent German Grand Prix. He found much more success in America, both as a driver and as a manufacturer.

Years Active: 1961, 1964
Teams: Momo Corporation (Cooper), Team Lotus
Entries: 2
Starts: 2
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Walt Hangsen is probably best known for introducing Mark Donohue to racing, but the New Jersey driver was also deeply successful in SCCA. He entered the US Grand Prix in both 1961 and 1964; the latter entry was his most successful, seeing him finish in fifth place and score two points.

Hangsen was killed testing a Holman & Moody Ford GT car at Le Mans.

Years Active: 1958-1964, 1966
Teams: Jo Bonnier (Maserati), Scuderia Ferrari, Yeoman Credit Racing Team (Cooper), Porsche, Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS), Ecurie Filipinetti (Lotus), Cooper, Phil Hill (Lotus, McLaren), Anglo American Racers (Eagle)
Entries: 52
Starts: 49
Podiums: 16
Wins: 3

Phil Hill was America’s first Formula 1 World Champion, a title he secured in 1961. He studied business in college, ultimately dropping out to head to England as a Jaguar trainee. By 1956, he had signed to Ferrari, though his debut in F1 was with a Maserati team. With his win at the 1960 Italian Grand Prix, Hill became the first American to win a Grand Prix since Jimmy Murphy had won the 1921 French Grand Prix.

But his Championship was marred with tragedy. A tight 1961 title fight between himself and teammate Wolfgang von Trips ended in Italy when von Trips crashed, killing both himself and 15 spectators. Hill won the event and the Championship, and Ferrari opted against traveling to the United States to compete in Hill’s home race. Hill raced in F1 until he moved on to sports car racing, where he had excelled prior to his F1 career.

A fun fact: Only three drivers with the surname “Hill” have competed in F1. All three of them have won a World Championship.

Years Active: 1970
Teams: Gus Hutchison (Brabham)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Hutchison had found some success in SCCA when he decided to purchase a Brabham open-wheeler and enter the 1970 United States Grand Prix. He ultimately retired with a fuel leak, then returned to the SCCA.

Years Active: 1967
Teams: Tom Jones (Cooper)
Entries: 1
Starts: 0
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Tom Jones has been one of the bigger enigmas of F1 racing; he seemed to come out of nowhere to compete in the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix, but he failed to qualify thanks to electrical problems that had him deemed too slow by stewards. He entered the British Grand Prix the following year but ultimately withdrew his entry. Despite seemingly disappearing after that, it has come to light that the man continued his racing career until 1980.

Years Active: 1958
Teams: Bernie Ecclestone (Connaught)
Entries: 1
Starts: 0
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Bruce Kessler had tested Scarabs for Lance Reventlow’s race team and found success in local races with his Jaguar when he entered the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix as part of Bernie Ecclestone’s team. He failed to qualify for the small field. He went on to become a director, especially of documentaries.

Years Active: 1959-1960, 1969-1971
Teams: Team Lotus, Fred Armbruster (Cooper), Pete Lovely Volkswagen Inc. (Lotus)
Entries: 11
Starts: 7
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Pete Lovely — who may have one of the greatest surnames in racing history aside from “Speed” — won the first-ever race held at the Laguna Seca track in California. That kind of success saw him go big, competing in a handful of F1 races. His best finish came behind the wheel of his own privately-entered Lotus at the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix, when he took the checkered flag in seventh.

Years Active: 1975-1976
Teams: Hesketh Racing, Team Surtees, Chesterfield Racing (March, McLaren), Ligget Group / B & S Fabrications (McLaren, Ensign)
Entries: 43
Starts: 34
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Brett Lunger started out as a political science major at Princeton University before dropping out to enlist in the Vietnam War. Coming from a wealthy family (his mother being an heiress to the Du Pont family fortune), he was able to use that money to compete in F1. He debuted with the notorious Hesketh team, then moved to Surtees and some smaller teams. In a competitive era, Lunger failed to qualify for a race eight times, ultimately clocking a best finish of seventh at the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix.

Lunger’s biggest contribution to motorsport came in 1976 when he helped rescue Niki Lauda from his burning Ferrari after the Austrian driver crashed at the Nurburgring.

Years Active: 1957
Teams: Owen Racing Organization (BRM)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

A United States citizen born in Brazil, Herbert Mackay-Fraser is something of a mystery. That may be due to the fact that he retired from his first and only race, the French Grand Prix, before being killed in a race in Reims the following week.

Years Active: 1962
Teams: Cooper
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Timmy Mayer is the younger brother of McLaren Racing’s Teddy Mayer, and he entered the 1962 United States Grand Prix without much success. He retired with ignition trouble.

Mayer and his brother came to Europe with Peter Revson. Mayer was one of McLaren’s drivers during the 1964 Tasman Series. He was killed in practice for the final race of the series.

Years Active: 1963
Teams: Thomas Monarch (Lotus)
Entries: 0
Starts: 0
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Thomas Monarch actually has quite a funny story. He competed in local events in Mexico and the Bahamas behind the wheel of a Lotus — but he was entered in the 1963 Mexico Grand Prix by promoters. He withdrew and never again entered a Grand Prix.

Years Active: 1952
Teams: Robert O’Brien (Simca-Gordini)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Robert O’Brien found success in the American sports car scene when he decided to head to Europe for the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix. He was the slowest qualifier and finished 14th of 15 in the event. Interestingly, O’Brien’s obscure status has caused unsubstantiated rumors that he was a spy with the CIA.

Years Active: 1977-1978
Teams: Interscope Racing (Penske, Shadow), Team Tissot Ensign
Entries: 6
Starts: 4
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Danny Ongais, alternately nicknamed The Flyin’ Hawaiian or On-Gas, was a successful drag racer in the 1960s before he moved to open-wheel and sports cars. His daring driving style never really translated to the lower-tier cars he drove in F1, but Ongais did manage a seventh-place finish at the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix with a Penske chassis.

Years Active: 1961-1962
Teams: John M Wyatt III (Cooper), Dupont Team Zerex (Lotus)
Entries: 2
Starts: 2
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Roger Penske is an icon of motorsport largely thanks to his status as an enterprising team owner, but he also had a brief flirtation with Formula 1 in the early 1960s. He entered the United States Grand Prix in both 1961 and 1962, where he finished eighth and ninth, respectively. He returned several years later as a team owner and constructor with his very own Penske chassis.

Years Active: 1971-1972
Teams: Team Surtees, Champcarr Inc. (Surtees)
Entries: 2
Starts: 2
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Growing up near Lime Rock Park, racing was in Sam Posey’s blood. He competed in Can-Am, Trans Am, and endurance racing before moving to Formula 1. He entered the United States Grand Prix in both 1971 and 1972, retiring the first year and finishing 12th the second. He went on to become a racing analyst.

Years Active: 1978
Teams: Walter Wolf Racing
Entries: 2
Starts: 0
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Bobby Rahal entered exactly two Grands Prix in 1978: one in the U.S. and one in Canada, where he finished 12th and retired, respectively. His greatest successes came in the American open-wheel scene.

Years Active: 1960
Teams: Reventlow Automobiles Inc. (Scarab)
Entries: 4
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Reventlow, a British-born American entrepreneur and child of heiress Barbara Hutton and Count Kurt Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow, got interested in Grand Prix racing at age 12, when his mother married Prince Igor Troubetzkoy who had won the Targa Florio. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he befriended James Dean and picked up a racing career before beginning to manufacture his own race cars, called Scarabs.

Of course, he had to give his own cars a test on the track, so he entered the Monaco, Dutch, and Belgian Grands Prix. He didn’t qualify for Monaco or start in the Netherlands, and he failed to finish in Belgium. Later that season, he was a practice-only driver for the R.R.C. Walker Racing Team at the British Grand Prix.

Years Active: 1964, 1971-1974
Teams: Revson Racing (Lotus), Reg Parnell Racing (Lotus) Elf Team Tyrrell, Team Yardley McLaren, UOP Shadow Racing Team
Entries: 32
Starts: 30
Podiums: 8
Wins: 2

Peter Revson, born to the Revlon cosmetics family, bounced between colleges before he turned his attention to racing. As a result, he was cut off from his substantial family fortune, leaving him to fund his own career in competition. He didn’t make much of an impression in his first 1964 F1 stint, returning to America to compete in sports car racing. After establishing himself there, Revson returned to Formula 1 full time with McLaren. He scored both of his two wins in 1973, finishing fifth in the Championship.

His story, though, ended in tragedy. Revson moved to the UOP Shadow team for 1974, and during testing for the South African Grand Prix, the front suspension failed. Revson was killed instantly.

Years Active: 2014-2015
Teams: Manor Marussia
Entries: 7
Starts: 5
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Alexander Rossi remains the most recent American to compete in F1, which he did with the Manor Marussia team (though he did enter the Russian Grand Prix with Marussia before withdrawing in 2014 out of respect for Jules Bianchi). His best finish in five starts was a 12th place in the United States Grand Prix.

After his F1 career stalled, Rossi moved to IndyCar, where he won the 2016 Indy 500 as a rookie, followed by a 24 Hours of Daytona win in 2021.

Years Active: 1958
Teams: Scuderia Centro Sud (Maserati)
Entries: 2
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

After winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1952, Ruttman became the first 500 winner to compete in a subsequent F1 race when he entered the 1958 French and German Grands Prix with a Maserati. He finished 10th in France but failed to start in Germany.

Years Active: 1959
Teams: Connaught
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Bob Said, the father of racer Boris Said, had a racing career of his own. He was a one-off competitor in a Connaught at the 1959 US Grand Prix at Sebring, though he retired and was classified 18th after spinning on the first lap.

Said also won the 1953 Rouen Grand Prix, becoming the first American to win in Europe after World War II. The race was not considered toward the Formula 1 World Championship. Even more impressive: he was also an Olympic bobsledder.

Years Active: 1950-1960
Teams: Horschell Racing Corporation (Cooper), Ecurie Bleue (Talbot-Lago, Cooper), Enrico Platé (Maserati), Equipe Gordini, Harry Schell (Maserati), Officine Alfieri Maserati, Scuderia Ferrari, Vandervell Products (Vanwall), Scuderia Centro Sud (Maserati), Jo Bonnier (Maserati), Owen Racing Organization (BRM)
Entries: 57
Starts: 56
Podiums: 2
Wins: 0

The son of racer Laury Schell and heiress/racer Lucy O’Reilly Schell, Harry was well set up to compete in motorsport after World War II. He made a name for himself as a safe competitor and consistent points-scorer which resulted in his two podiums (third place at the 1957 Pescara Grand Prix and second place at the 1958 Dutch Grand Prix). After a decade in the sport, he was killed during practice for the non-championship International Trophy in Silverstone.

Years Active: 1962
Teams: John Mecom (Lotus)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Rob Schroeder is another mystery, but we do know he entered one F1 race, the 1962 US Grand Prix, with a Lotus. He finished the race seven laps down in 10th place.

Years Active: 1962-1963
Teams: Emeryson Cars, Scirocco-Powell
Entries: 7
Starts: 6
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Born in Manila, Philippines, Tony Settember competed in motorsport until he was 70 years old. He took part in seven Formula 1 races in 1962 and 1963, with his best finish being his debut event at the 1962 British Grand Prix, where he finished 11th. He retired, withdrew, or didn’t qualify for any further events.

Years Active: 1961-1964
Teams: Hap Sharp (Cooper), Reg Parnell Racing (Lotus), Rob Walker Racing Team (Brabham)
Entries: 6
Starts: 6
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Hap Sharp is famous as being the co-owner and driver of the Chaparral sports car company, alongside Jim Hall – but like his co-owner, he also competed in a handful of Formula 1 events. His best finish came in 1963, when he crossed the line seventh at the Mexican Grand Prix — but he was most successful in America, competing behind the wheel of the Chaparral 2.

Years Active: 1958-1959
Teams: Aston Martin, Maserati
Entries: 8
Starts: 8
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Carroll Shelby’s iconic success in automotive design didn’t exactly rub off in his Formula 1 career. Shelby competed sporadically during a two-year period, where he is recorded as having a best finish of fourth at the 1958 Italian Grand Prix.

That fourth, however, came with a caveat. Shelby had retired his original Maserati early in the race. He then took over Masten Gregory’s Maserati; that car finished fourth, but because the drive was shared between two men, neither scored points.

Years Active: 2006-2007
Teams: Toro Rosso
Entries: 28
Starts: 28
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Scott Speed made history when he became the first American driver to compete in a Formula 1 weekend since Michael Andretti’s retirement from the sport in 1993. He was also one of the first drivers announced to Red Bull’s Toro Rosso junior team, where Speed only managed to clock a best finish of ninth place in the 2006 Australian Grand Prix and the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix.

Speed was ultimately replaced by a young driver named Sebastian Vettel, but Speed’s relationship with Red Bull remained solid enough that they continued to sponsor the American in several different series.

Years Active: 1983
Teams: Tyrrell
Entries: 15
Starts: 15
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Danny Sullivan was massively successful in the American open-wheel scene, securing 17 CART wins, one CART Championship, and one Indy 500; he initially found his interest in racing after being given a course at the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School in England; prior to that, he worked odd jobs that included a lumberjack and a New York City cab driver.

Sullivan was recruited by the Tyrrell team for the 1983 season at the request of sponsor Benetton, who wanted an American driver. His best finish was a fifth place at Monaco, but racing in the shadow of the more experienced Michele Alboreto saw Sullivan let go at the end of the year.

Years Active: 1960-1961
Teams: Scuderia Centro Sud (Cooper), Scuderia Sant Ambrosus (Cooper)
Entries: 1
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Alfonso Thiele was born and spent much of his life in Italy, but his dual citizenship with the United States qualifies him for our list. He entered the 1960 Italian Grand Prix and scored no points. He signaled his intent to compete in the 1961 Italian GP but didn’t attend.

Years Active: 1968
Teams: Owen Racing Organization (BRM)
Entries: 2
Starts: 1
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

We all know the legendary Bobby Unser had a hell of a career in the American racing scene, but his talent also saw him take a stab at Formula 1 in 1968. He entered two events, the Italian and United States Grand Prix, but he failed to start in the former and ended up retiring from the latter.

Years Active: 1953-1954
Teams: Equipe Gordini (Gordini)
Entries: 5
Starts: 3
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

Fred Wacker was an engineer, socialite, businessman, and racing driver who entered five F1 races: the Dutch, Belgian, and Swiss Grands Prix in 1953, followed by the Swiss and Italian Grands Prix in 1954. He didn’t start his first or final races in 1953, though Belgium saw him take a ninth-place finish. The following year, he finished sixth in Italy before failing to attend the Spanish Grand Prix, which he had originally intended to contest.

Wacker’s biggest impact on American motorsport came in the form of tragedy. During the 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, he was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of a seven-year-old boy. That event ended street racing in America, with motorsport moving to purpose-built tracks.

Years Active: 1959, 1963
Teams: Leader Cards Inc. (Kurtis Kraft), Reg Parnell Racing (Lotus)
Entries: 2
Starts: 2
Podiums: 0
Wins: 0

While Roger Ward is best known for his Indy 500 exploits, including a win in 1959, he also entered two US Grands Prix during his time in motorsport. At the 1959 event, he was one of the American drivers competing against international talent behind the wheel of a totally American car; in his next outing, he’d teamed up with Reg Parnell’s Lotus outfit. He retired from both events.