12 F1 Drivers With The Longest Streaks Without A Podium Finish

These F1 drivers consistently finished races but endured long podium droughts, showing talent alone isn’t enough in highly competitive motorsport.

Rajat Srivastava
October 15, 2025
5 min read

12 F1 Drivers With The Longest Streaks Without A Podium Finish — Imagn Images

Many Formula 1 drivers have shown talent and persistence but faced long streaks without reaching the podium. Drivers like Nico Hülkenberg, Pedro de la Rosa, Romain Grosjean, Pierre Gasly, and Lance Stroll consistently finished races yet never broke into the top three due to team performance, luck, or strong competition. Their careers highlight the challenges of F1, showing that skill alone doesn’t guarantee podiums, and perseverance is essential in motorsport.

12. Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll raced for Williams and Aston Martin in challenging cars, often finishing outside podium positions. Despite occasional strong performances and points finishes, he endured multiple seasons without stepping onto the podium. Stroll’s career highlights the difficulty of achieving top results in midfield machinery, emphasizing perseverance and skill in a highly competitive environment.

11. Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly’s early career included a long podium drought after promotion to Red Bull Racing. Despite his speed and strong performances, team challenges and competitive pressure delayed his first top-three finish. Gasly’s persistence and eventual breakthrough demonstrate that patience and resilience are essential for achieving success in Formula 1.

10. Daniil Kvyat

Daniil Kvyat raced for Toro Rosso and Red Bull, showing flashes of speed and skill. Yet, many of his early and mid-career races ended without podiums. Kvyat’s career reflects the difficulties of competing at the highest level in less competitive machinery, where even talented drivers must battle both performance gaps and team dynamics to reach the podium.

9. Nico Rosberg

Before winning the 2016 World Championship, Nico Rosberg experienced several F1 seasons with few podium finishes. Early in his career with Williams and Mercedes, he struggled to consistently reach the top three despite talent and dedication. Rosberg’s early years show that even future champions can endure long stretches without podiums before reaching the top of the sport.

8. Kevin Magnussen

Kevin Magnussen raced for McLaren, Renault, and Haas, showing speed and consistency. However, he often finished just outside podium positions, enduring a long non-podium streak. Magnussen’s career highlights the challenges of competing in midfield machinery and how even talented drivers must navigate team performance, luck, and competitive dynamics to reach the podium in Formula 1.

7. Stoffel Vandoorne

Stoffel Vandoorne had limited opportunities with McLaren, often overshadowed by teammates like Fernando Alonso. Despite his skill, speed, and potential, he endured a long stretch without podium finishes. Vandoorne’s career demonstrates that talent in Formula 1 must be paired with opportunity and strong machinery to achieve standout results, and even capable drivers can face long droughts.

6. Esteban Gutierrez

Esteban Gutierrez raced for Sauber and Haas in F1, consistently finishing races but unable to reach a podium. His time in the sport showed that even talented drivers can struggle to shine without competitive machinery. Gutierrez’s career emphasizes the challenge of breaking through in Formula 1, where talent alone often isn’t enough to achieve top-three finishes.

5. Timo Glock

Timo Glock showed solid pace during his Formula 1 career, driving for Toyota, Virgin, and Marussia. Despite flashes of speed and consistency, he never reached the podium after returning to F1 in 2008. Often limited by uncompetitive machinery, Glock became best remembered for his dramatic role in the 2008 title decider rather than race success. His career reflects how talent can be overshadowed by team struggles in motorsport’s toughest arena.

4. Marcus Ericsson

Marcus Ericsson spent multiple seasons with Sauber and Alfa Romeo, often finishing in points-paying positions but rarely challenging for the podium. Despite consistent driving and professional racecraft, he endured one of the longest non-podium streaks in F1 history. Ericsson’s career shows that determination and persistence are crucial, even when team performance limits the opportunity to reach the top step of the podium.

3. Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean had flashes of brilliance in F1, notably with Lotus and Haas, but often finished just outside podium positions. His career included several long stretches without top-three finishes, demonstrating the difficulty of breaking through in the midfield. Grosjean’s persistence, racecraft, and occasional standout performances underline his talent, even if he never regularly celebrated on the podium.

2. Kamui Kobayashi

Kamui Kobayashi was one of F1’s most exciting drivers, known for bold overtakes and fearless racing. Despite thrilling fans and achieving several strong finishes with Sauber, consistent podiums eluded him for much of his career. His aggressive style made him a fan favorite, but poor car performance often held him back. Kobayashi’s story symbolizes how charisma and determination sometimes can’t overcome Formula 1’s competitive and technical barriers.

1. Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg holds the record for the most F1 starts without ever finishing on a podium. Despite his consistency, racecraft, and ability to score points regularly, luck and machinery often prevented him from breaking into the top three. Driving for midfield teams like Force India and Renault, Hulkenberg’s career is a testament to skill and persistence, even if he never got the recognition of standing on the podium.