1. Michael Schumacher

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Michael Schumacher is probably the most well known of all F1 drivers in recent times. His performance has shown him to be ‘the greatest driver the sport has ever seen’. He holds a number of records including most championships and race victories. He spent the most memorable years of his career with Ferrari and retired in 2006.

2. Lewis Hamilton

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This British based driver was the first black driver to win the driver championship, which he did in 2008. He drives for McLaren, a team he hopes to drive with for the rest of his career. He debuted in 2007 and missed the championship by a single point. The next year he claimed his revenge beating the runner up again by a single point.

3. Fernando Alonzo

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Fernando Alonzo is a Spanish based driver who is currently racing with Ferrari. He has won the World Championship twice in his career, the first time being at the age of 24 which was then the record for youngest ever world champion. He backed this up with another victory the following year and became the youngest person to win two back-to-back titles.

4. Felipe Massa

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This Brazillian driver began his career with Sauber but currently drives for Ferrari. He was known to be a competitive driver but lacked a fair degree of skill, spinning out of control a number of times. In 2006 he joined Ferrari and despite a few close shaves began to come into his own. Later than year Schumacher announced his retirement, sealing Massa’s relationship with Ferrari.

5. Kimi Raikkonen

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This driver from Finland is known to be an extremely cool and collected individual, both on the track and off. One of his greatest accomplishments was to win the World Championship during his first year with Ferrari beating the runner up by a single point. He also retained the reputation of highest paid driver in 2007 when he joined Ferrari for approximately $51 million.

6. Sebastian Vettel

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Vettel is a German driver who is known for being the youngest top-performing driver on the track. He is the 2010 winner of the World Championship making him the youngest driver ever to win this title. He is currently driving with Red Bull Racing and holds tremendous promise given his youth and talent.

7. Timo Glock

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Timo Glock began his F1 career in 2004 when he was signed as a test driver for Jordan Grand Prix. In his debut race he scored 2 points, a feat rarely achieved by debut drivers. He hails from Germany and is currently driving with the Virgin Racing team.

Formula 1 drivers hold a special appeal for their fans because of the danger and skill associated with their sport. These drivers in particular stand out thanks to their youth, accomplishments and record-breaking titles.

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