World Champions Racing In One GP

[D28]

Bahrain 2010 will feature 4 WC competing in the same GP, if Kimi had secured a drive, this would be 5. This is fairly rare, the record seems to be in South Africa 1968, where 5 champions did line up: Clark, G. Hill, Brabham, Surtees and Hulme. Sadly this was to be Clark's final GP.
At the other extreme, 1959 featured no champions competing, as Hawthorn chose to retire.

[F1boat]

4 champions is very cool IMO.

[V12]

I suppose it's just a function of how open the previous seasons have been. I would put 1959 (and most of the 1958 races come to think of it) down to the fact that Fangio pretty much owned the previous decade, same in 2007 when we only had one world champ (Alonso) racing thanks to Schuey's half decade of dominance.

In the 1960s nobody retained their title (well except Brabham who was defending a '59 title), and only Brabham, Clark and Hill won the thing twice in that decade.

[Vitesse]

Several races in 1970 featured five World Champions: Brabham, Hill, Hulme, Stewart and Surtees.

[V12]

Several races in 1970 featured five World Champions: Brabham, Hill, Hulme, Stewart and Surtees.

Very true, although sadly by the 1970s Hill and Surtees were well past their best (kind of makes you appreciate how awesome Brabham's 1970 season was). Whereas in 1968 SA all five could have been considered to have been competitive, two at Lotus, two at Brabham, while Surtees had dragged the Honda to victory at the back end of '67.

The good thing about 2009 is that all four of the world champions should be in contention. We had four champions too in 1999 but Hill and Villeneuve were pretty much consigned to the midfield that year.

[D28]

Several races in 1970 featured five World Champions: Brabham, Hill, Hulme, Stewart and Surtees.

Quite true: Somehow I missed Big John still racing in 1970. Maybe 2011 will see 5 champions again, if Shuey returns and Kimi gets a ride.

[jens]

It's also interesting that in the last four F1 seasons we have had four different WDC's - quite different to what we were used to during MS's domination (last time, we had 4 different champs in a row, was 1995-1998). But will we get a fifth different in a row in 2010? Who could that be? Schumacher? Vettel? Massa?

[Mark]

How many seasons have seen a team fielding a world champion in both of their cars?

[D28]

How many seasons have seen a team fielding a world champion in both of their cars?

1967 saw Clark and Graham Hill line up for Team Lotus; this continued for the first race in 1968. Prost and Senna raced for McLaren in 1989. Farina and Ascari both raced Ferraris in 1953. There may be other instances of one off races particularly at Ferrari, but these are the three seasons that come to mind.

[Rollo]

1953 - Farina and Ascari - Ferrari
1967 & 68 - Clark and Hill - Lotus
1970 - Brabham and Hulme - Brabham
1986 - Prost and Rosberg - McLaren
1989 - Prost and Senna - McLaren
2010 - Button and Hamiton - McLaren
2011 - Massa and Alonso - Ferrari