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The FIA do not officially declare the Champion until the end of the season, but a driver is said to have "clinched" the Championship after it is no longer possible for another to obtain more points than them, even if the former driver were to not compete in the remaining races of the season, and the latter to score the maximum number of points possible. The Drivers' Championship has been clinched in the final race of the season 23 times in the 58 seasons it has been awarded. The earliest in a season that the Drivers' Championship has been clinched was in 2002, when Michael Schumacher secured the title with six races remaining.
Overall, twenty-nine different drivers have won the Championship, with German Michael Schumacher holding the record for most titles, at seven. Schumacher also holds the record for most consecutive Drivers' Championships, winning five from 2000 to 2004. The current Drivers' Champion is Lewis Hamilton, who won his first World Championship in 2008.
^ Surtees became the first person to win World Championships on motorcycles and cars, having previously won seven titles in both 350cc and 500cc.
^ Rindt died during practice for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix, but his Championship was not confirmed until two rounds later, making him Formula One's first (and only) posthumous World Drivers' Champion.
^ Narrowest margin of victory ever, after half points were awarded at Monaco due to early finish because of bad weather.
^Ayrton Senna won the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix, but was disqualified for cutting the chicane after receiving a push-start from track-side marshalls. McLaren appealed the decision but lost, handing Prost the title.
^ Damon Hill is the son of Graham Hill, who won the Drivers' Championship in 1962 and 1968, making them the first father-son pair to both win Drivers' Championships.
^Michael Schumacher scored 78 points during the 1997 season, only 3 points behind Villeneuve. However, Schumacher was disqualified from the championship, leaving Villeneuve with a 39 point margin over Heinz-Harald Frentzen with 42 points.
Amara, Solange; Davillerd, Cyril; et al. (2004). Formula One Yearbook 2004-05. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-84707-072-9. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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