Given the ongoing debate surrounding Hamiltons debut with McLaren I thought it would be interesting to look at other drivers who have made their debuts in what would be described as good cars. Realising that this would be a pretty long list I then thought I would narrow it down to just those who have won a world title. The criteria is then seperated down further to those that made their debuts in winning cars and then went on to win a title with that team, those who made their debut in winning cars but went on to take a title with another team, those who made their debut in a non winning car but went on to take a world title with that team and finally those who made their debut in a non winning car but went on to take a world title with another team.
Winning Car, Won title with that team
Giuseppe Farina - Alfa Romeo
Juan Manuel Fangio - Alfa Romeo
Jim Clark - Lotus
Emerson Fittipaldi - Lotus
Mario Andretti - Lotus
Jacques Villeneuve - Williams
Lewis Hamilton - Mclaren
Winning Car, Won title with another team
John Surtees - Lotus / Ferrari
Jackie Stewart - BRM / Matra
Jody Scheckter - McLaren / Ferrari
Non winning car, won title with that team
Jack Brabham - Cooper
Denny Hulme - Brabham
Alain Prost - Mclaren
Non winning car, won title with another team
Mike Hawthorn - Cooper / Ferrari
Phil Hill - Maserati / Ferrari
Graham Hill - Lotus / BRM
Jochen Rindt - Rob Walker Racing (Brabham-BRM) / Lotus
Niki Lauda - March / Ferrari
James Hunt - Hesketh / McLaren
Alan Jones - Hesketh / Williams
Nelson Piquet - Ensign / Brabham
Keke Rosberg - Theodore / Williams
Ayrton Senna - Toleman / McLaren
Nigel Mansell - Lotus / Williams
Michael Schumacher - Jordan / Benetton
Damon Hill - Brabham / Williams
Mika Hakkinen - Lotus / McLaren
Fernando Alonso - Minardi / Renault
Kimi Raikkonen - Sauber / Ferrari
Jenson Button - Williams / Brawn
Sebastian Vettel - BMW Sauber / Red Bull
There are a couple of ones on this list that are hard to place because for example, in the case of Jim Clark, the works Lotus team did not take a race victory in 1960 however the Lotus 18 he was driving won twice in the hands of Stirling Moss that season so the car was more than good enough. The same also applies to Alan Jones who was entered in a private Hesketh in the same season that James Hunt took the works Hesketh to victory.
As you can also see, 11 world champions made their debuts in cars that took a win in their first season (note it may not have been them behind the wheel at the time)
EDIT: Jones moved from Winning Car, Title with another to Non-Winning Car, Title with another
Winning Car, Won title with that team
Giuseppe Farina - Alfa Romeo
Juan Manuel Fangio - Alfa Romeo
Jim Clark - Lotus
Emerson Fittipaldi - Lotus
Mario Andretti - Lotus
Jacques Villeneuve - Williams
Lewis Hamilton - Mclaren
Winning Car, Won title with another team
John Surtees - Lotus / Ferrari
Jackie Stewart - BRM / Matra
Jody Scheckter - McLaren / Ferrari
Non winning car, won title with that team
Jack Brabham - Cooper
Denny Hulme - Brabham
Alain Prost - Mclaren
Non winning car, won title with another team
Mike Hawthorn - Cooper / Ferrari
Phil Hill - Maserati / Ferrari
Graham Hill - Lotus / BRM
Jochen Rindt - Rob Walker Racing (Brabham-BRM) / Lotus
Niki Lauda - March / Ferrari
James Hunt - Hesketh / McLaren
Alan Jones - Hesketh / Williams
Nelson Piquet - Ensign / Brabham
Keke Rosberg - Theodore / Williams
Ayrton Senna - Toleman / McLaren
Nigel Mansell - Lotus / Williams
Michael Schumacher - Jordan / Benetton
Damon Hill - Brabham / Williams
Mika Hakkinen - Lotus / McLaren
Fernando Alonso - Minardi / Renault
Kimi Raikkonen - Sauber / Ferrari
Jenson Button - Williams / Brawn
Sebastian Vettel - BMW Sauber / Red Bull
There are a couple of ones on this list that are hard to place because for example, in the case of Jim Clark, the works Lotus team did not take a race victory in 1960 however the Lotus 18 he was driving won twice in the hands of Stirling Moss that season so the car was more than good enough. The same also applies to Alan Jones who was entered in a private Hesketh in the same season that James Hunt took the works Hesketh to victory.
As you can also see, 11 world champions made their debuts in cars that took a win in their first season (note it may not have been them behind the wheel at the time)
EDIT: Jones moved from Winning Car, Title with another to Non-Winning Car, Title with another