There are 30 teams who have won in Formula One, when you don't include the semi-detached Indy 500s from the 1950s. This series will profile them, starting with those who won 4 or less:
Porsche (1)
Porsche have never been involved substantially in the World Championship, save for enthusiast Carel Godin de Beaufort's privateer entries in the early 60s, and a two season works effort in 1961-2. Its drivers were Jo Bonnier and Dan Gurney, and took 5 podiums. Their day in the sun came when Ferrari withdrew from the 1962 French Grand Prix, and Gurney's Porsche was there at the end to take advantage of the retirements of Graham Hill and Jim Clark ahead of him.
Eagle (1)
Gurney followed Jack Brabham's example in 1966 of setting up his own Formula One constructor. Eagle finished 7th in the Constructors' Championship in 1966 and 1967 but never scored points again. The car was fast, but unreliable, with a podium in Canada being one of only two finishes in 1967. The other saw Gurney drive his own car to his last win, finishing a minute ahead of Jackie Stewart at Spa.
Hesketh (1)
Lord Hesketh funded his own team in two years in 1974-5. He ran a car for James Hunt in 1974, with two third places his best finish, after running Marches for Hunt in 1973. Alan Jones ran for Hesketh on occasion in 1975, but it was to be Hunt who was the sole entry to the Dutch Grand Prix. In changeable conditions, Hunt took dry tyres at the appropriate moment to beat Niki Lauda to the line. At the end of the year, Hesketh pulled out and Hunt headed to McLaren.
Penske (1)
Penske's 3-and-a-bit years in F1 were largely poor, with few points visiting the American team's door. However, in mid-1976, Penske and John Watson hit form. The podium beckoned in France and Britain. Two races later came Wattie's first win at the Österreichring for the team. In the last race ever where Ferrari were not present, Watson beat pole sitter Hunt and Ronnie Peterson home. They would only score two points after.
Shadow (1)
Shadow stumbled around the midfield for the 1970s, except for the start of 1975 where they scored pole in the first two races and the British Grand Prix. In Austria in 1977, Alan Jones qualified 14th, but made his way up to second when James Hunt retired to give them the win. Jones had replaced the late Tom Pryce in the Shadow, and scored a podium later in the year at Monza. With that Jones departed to Williams...
Stewart (1)
Paul and Jackie Stewart entered Formula One in 1997 at the same time as MasterCard Lola, but successfully managed not to become a farce. A podium at Monaco for Rubens Barrichello was the sum of their success in 1997, and 1998 saw less spectacular, but steady results. However, in the hands of Barrichello, Stewart started 1999 like a dream, Barrichello leading the Brazilian GP and finishing on the podium at Imola. A brilliant pole at a wet Magny-Cours saw the Brazilian on pole and in 3rd yet again. Barrichello had been in the top 10 at every qualifying session until the European GP at the Nurburgring; their worst Saturday of the year. It was the struggling Johnny Herbert who won the race which I have reviewed in detail elsewhere. Stewart had already sold his team to Ford, as Jaguar was born.
BMW Sauber (1)
BMW took over the winless Sauber team in 2006, promising a win by 2008. They finished 2nd in the 2007 Constructors' Championship after McLaren's disqualification, with Nick Heidfeld leading the charge, but 2008 was Robert Kubica's year. After a string of podiums and points finishes, Kubica qualified 2nd behind Lewis Hamilton in Montreal. After a delayed Safety Car to recover Adrian Sutil's stricken Force India, Kubica jumped Hamilton in the pits, and was parked by the red light alongside Kimi Raikkonen. The Englishman couldn't stop and veered into Raikkonen, eliminating both. Heidfeld led the Grand Prix as the first of those who did not stop, but Kubica inherited the lead on lap 42 from the late stoppers, winning the race and leading the Championship. BMW, their 2008 goal achieved, moved on to their failed 2009 design...
Scuderia Toro Rosso (1)
Red Bull 'B' have spent their time at the back for most of their 96 Grand Prix after Red Bull brought Minardi. However, with a similar chassis to the Red Bull 'A' team, a better engine (the Ferrari) and a better driver (a young Seb Vettel) they overhauled the 'A' team in the second half of 2008. But only in the wet at Monza, with Hamilton qualifying 15th after a strategic error, could Vettel take pole. In a pattern familiar for the next 30 months, Vettel was able to lead into the first due to a Safety Car start, and after that was rarely troubled. Toro Rosso had beaten Red Bull to a victory, and Vettel would replace David Coulthard at the big brother team at the end of the year.
March (3)
March were a main stay of the 1970s, and reemerged in the 1980s. They had a big works team to start with, but their first victory came at the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix, predictably from their Tyrell/Stewart tie-up. The next year, Ronnie Peterson came a distant 2nd in the Drivers' Championship for March, and they continued to enter cars for the next few years, without great success. By 1975, they were largely a 2 to 3 car works team; it was in a March that Lella Lombardi scored the half-point that remains the sum total of female drivers' points to this day. The other year's half-point race, in the wet at Austria, saw Vittorio Brambilla score his only win. At Monza a year later, the returning Peterson scored March's final win.
Wolf (3)
Wolf started with a bang, with Jody Scheckter winning its first race in Argentina in 1977. The one-car team also won, amongst a series of podiums, in Canada as well as the jewel in the crown of Monaco, as Jody Scheckter finished in 2nd place behind Niki Lauda in the Championship. Their success was not repeated in their further two years, despite Jody scoring two more podiums in 1978 before departing for Ferrari. Except for Bobby Rahal, impressive on other shores, their other three drivers would all take World Titles [Jody Scheckter, Keke Rosberg & James Hunt]. By the start of 1980, Wolf were gone.
Honda (3)
The Japanese manufacturer came into Formula One in 1964 for a full season in 1965. Two points were added to that year by Richie Ginther's sole win in Mexico in the season's last race. Then in 1966, they did not complete a nearly full season! By 1967, they had John Surtees aboard, scoring a win at Monza after a podium in South Africa. However, in 1968, after Jo Schlesser's fatal accident in France, Honda the chassis builder were no-more.
In 2006, they took ownership of the BAR team they had built engines for. Their car wasn't bad, with Jenson Button on pole in Australia. His win in Hungary, in the wet, from 14th on the grid, remains Button's best F1 drive. They finished 4th in the Championship. Their 2007 "Earth Car" was, however, beaten by the 2006 model in Super Aguri's hands in the opening race in Australia. The poor form continued until they brought Ross Brawn in as team principal. He ignored 2008 and set about building the 2009 car, but Honda were to pull out of the sport. That 2009 car looked set to be mothballed...
Jordan (4)
Flamboyant Irishman Eddie Jordan took his racing team into F1 in 1991, coming an impressive 5th in the Constructors' Championship, introducing the world to Michael Schumacher in the meantime. After two poor years, 5th seemed the natural level of the team, and a pole for Rubens Barrichello in 1994 at Spa and a double podium at the 1995 Canadian "Alesi" Grand Prix were the highlights for the next few years.
In 1998, they tempted Damon Hill to the team alongside his nemesis' brother Ralf. After a pathetic start to the year, Ralf scored the team's first point at Silverstone. Their big race followed amongst the carnage of the Belgian GP, where in the wet Hill led Schumacher home for a one-two giving Jordan 4th place in the Constructors'.
Their big year, however, was 1999. Heinz-Harald Frentzen joined Hill, who only scored 7 points then retired. Frentzen, however, was to score podiums in the first two races, before winning the French GP. After Michael Schumacher's injury at Silverstone opened the Championship up, however, Frentzen scored consistently. Taking advantage of Mika Hakkinen's slip up at Monza to win the Italian GP, he led at the Nurburgring and looked in title contention. However, his retirement there saw Jordan's form end, though they held on for 3rd in the Championship, as did their driver.
After that, the decline was only halted by Giancarlo Fisichella's contested win at the chaotic 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, but the team was sold to Midland before the 2005 season and became MF1 in 2006. Eddie, meanwhile, became a TV pundit in 2009...
Porsche (1)
Porsche have never been involved substantially in the World Championship, save for enthusiast Carel Godin de Beaufort's privateer entries in the early 60s, and a two season works effort in 1961-2. Its drivers were Jo Bonnier and Dan Gurney, and took 5 podiums. Their day in the sun came when Ferrari withdrew from the 1962 French Grand Prix, and Gurney's Porsche was there at the end to take advantage of the retirements of Graham Hill and Jim Clark ahead of him.
Eagle (1)
Gurney followed Jack Brabham's example in 1966 of setting up his own Formula One constructor. Eagle finished 7th in the Constructors' Championship in 1966 and 1967 but never scored points again. The car was fast, but unreliable, with a podium in Canada being one of only two finishes in 1967. The other saw Gurney drive his own car to his last win, finishing a minute ahead of Jackie Stewart at Spa.
Hesketh (1)
Lord Hesketh funded his own team in two years in 1974-5. He ran a car for James Hunt in 1974, with two third places his best finish, after running Marches for Hunt in 1973. Alan Jones ran for Hesketh on occasion in 1975, but it was to be Hunt who was the sole entry to the Dutch Grand Prix. In changeable conditions, Hunt took dry tyres at the appropriate moment to beat Niki Lauda to the line. At the end of the year, Hesketh pulled out and Hunt headed to McLaren.
Penske (1)
Penske's 3-and-a-bit years in F1 were largely poor, with few points visiting the American team's door. However, in mid-1976, Penske and John Watson hit form. The podium beckoned in France and Britain. Two races later came Wattie's first win at the Österreichring for the team. In the last race ever where Ferrari were not present, Watson beat pole sitter Hunt and Ronnie Peterson home. They would only score two points after.
Shadow (1)
Shadow stumbled around the midfield for the 1970s, except for the start of 1975 where they scored pole in the first two races and the British Grand Prix. In Austria in 1977, Alan Jones qualified 14th, but made his way up to second when James Hunt retired to give them the win. Jones had replaced the late Tom Pryce in the Shadow, and scored a podium later in the year at Monza. With that Jones departed to Williams...
Stewart (1)
Paul and Jackie Stewart entered Formula One in 1997 at the same time as MasterCard Lola, but successfully managed not to become a farce. A podium at Monaco for Rubens Barrichello was the sum of their success in 1997, and 1998 saw less spectacular, but steady results. However, in the hands of Barrichello, Stewart started 1999 like a dream, Barrichello leading the Brazilian GP and finishing on the podium at Imola. A brilliant pole at a wet Magny-Cours saw the Brazilian on pole and in 3rd yet again. Barrichello had been in the top 10 at every qualifying session until the European GP at the Nurburgring; their worst Saturday of the year. It was the struggling Johnny Herbert who won the race which I have reviewed in detail elsewhere. Stewart had already sold his team to Ford, as Jaguar was born.
BMW Sauber (1)
BMW took over the winless Sauber team in 2006, promising a win by 2008. They finished 2nd in the 2007 Constructors' Championship after McLaren's disqualification, with Nick Heidfeld leading the charge, but 2008 was Robert Kubica's year. After a string of podiums and points finishes, Kubica qualified 2nd behind Lewis Hamilton in Montreal. After a delayed Safety Car to recover Adrian Sutil's stricken Force India, Kubica jumped Hamilton in the pits, and was parked by the red light alongside Kimi Raikkonen. The Englishman couldn't stop and veered into Raikkonen, eliminating both. Heidfeld led the Grand Prix as the first of those who did not stop, but Kubica inherited the lead on lap 42 from the late stoppers, winning the race and leading the Championship. BMW, their 2008 goal achieved, moved on to their failed 2009 design...
Scuderia Toro Rosso (1)
Red Bull 'B' have spent their time at the back for most of their 96 Grand Prix after Red Bull brought Minardi. However, with a similar chassis to the Red Bull 'A' team, a better engine (the Ferrari) and a better driver (a young Seb Vettel) they overhauled the 'A' team in the second half of 2008. But only in the wet at Monza, with Hamilton qualifying 15th after a strategic error, could Vettel take pole. In a pattern familiar for the next 30 months, Vettel was able to lead into the first due to a Safety Car start, and after that was rarely troubled. Toro Rosso had beaten Red Bull to a victory, and Vettel would replace David Coulthard at the big brother team at the end of the year.
March (3)
March were a main stay of the 1970s, and reemerged in the 1980s. They had a big works team to start with, but their first victory came at the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix, predictably from their Tyrell/Stewart tie-up. The next year, Ronnie Peterson came a distant 2nd in the Drivers' Championship for March, and they continued to enter cars for the next few years, without great success. By 1975, they were largely a 2 to 3 car works team; it was in a March that Lella Lombardi scored the half-point that remains the sum total of female drivers' points to this day. The other year's half-point race, in the wet at Austria, saw Vittorio Brambilla score his only win. At Monza a year later, the returning Peterson scored March's final win.
Wolf (3)
Wolf started with a bang, with Jody Scheckter winning its first race in Argentina in 1977. The one-car team also won, amongst a series of podiums, in Canada as well as the jewel in the crown of Monaco, as Jody Scheckter finished in 2nd place behind Niki Lauda in the Championship. Their success was not repeated in their further two years, despite Jody scoring two more podiums in 1978 before departing for Ferrari. Except for Bobby Rahal, impressive on other shores, their other three drivers would all take World Titles [Jody Scheckter, Keke Rosberg & James Hunt]. By the start of 1980, Wolf were gone.
Honda (3)
The Japanese manufacturer came into Formula One in 1964 for a full season in 1965. Two points were added to that year by Richie Ginther's sole win in Mexico in the season's last race. Then in 1966, they did not complete a nearly full season! By 1967, they had John Surtees aboard, scoring a win at Monza after a podium in South Africa. However, in 1968, after Jo Schlesser's fatal accident in France, Honda the chassis builder were no-more.
In 2006, they took ownership of the BAR team they had built engines for. Their car wasn't bad, with Jenson Button on pole in Australia. His win in Hungary, in the wet, from 14th on the grid, remains Button's best F1 drive. They finished 4th in the Championship. Their 2007 "Earth Car" was, however, beaten by the 2006 model in Super Aguri's hands in the opening race in Australia. The poor form continued until they brought Ross Brawn in as team principal. He ignored 2008 and set about building the 2009 car, but Honda were to pull out of the sport. That 2009 car looked set to be mothballed...
Jordan (4)
Flamboyant Irishman Eddie Jordan took his racing team into F1 in 1991, coming an impressive 5th in the Constructors' Championship, introducing the world to Michael Schumacher in the meantime. After two poor years, 5th seemed the natural level of the team, and a pole for Rubens Barrichello in 1994 at Spa and a double podium at the 1995 Canadian "Alesi" Grand Prix were the highlights for the next few years.
In 1998, they tempted Damon Hill to the team alongside his nemesis' brother Ralf. After a pathetic start to the year, Ralf scored the team's first point at Silverstone. Their big race followed amongst the carnage of the Belgian GP, where in the wet Hill led Schumacher home for a one-two giving Jordan 4th place in the Constructors'.
Their big year, however, was 1999. Heinz-Harald Frentzen joined Hill, who only scored 7 points then retired. Frentzen, however, was to score podiums in the first two races, before winning the French GP. After Michael Schumacher's injury at Silverstone opened the Championship up, however, Frentzen scored consistently. Taking advantage of Mika Hakkinen's slip up at Monza to win the Italian GP, he led at the Nurburgring and looked in title contention. However, his retirement there saw Jordan's form end, though they held on for 3rd in the Championship, as did their driver.
After that, the decline was only halted by Giancarlo Fisichella's contested win at the chaotic 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, but the team was sold to Midland before the 2005 season and became MF1 in 2006. Eddie, meanwhile, became a TV pundit in 2009...
