| Alain Prost | Lewis Hamilton | |
|---|---|---|
| Career | ||
| Championships | 4 | 7 |
| Career span | 1980–1993 | 2007–2026 |
| Seasons | 13 | 20 |
| Race starts | 199 | 391 |
| Teams | McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, Williams | McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari |
| Wins & podiums era-dependent · not directly comparable across eras | ||
| Wins | 51 | 106 |
| Podiums | 106 | 207 |
| Poles | 33 | 104 |
| Fastest laps | 41 | 69 |
| Era-fair rates career rate · across all seasons | ||
| Win % | 25.6% | 27.1% |
| Podium % | 53.3% | 52.9% |
| Pole % | 16.6% | 26.6% |
| Reliability & consistency era-dependent · see explanation | ||
| DNF rate | 27.6% | 7.7% |
| Points-finish rate | 64.3% | 86.7% |
| Points scoring-era variable · not directly comparable | ||
| Career total | 798.5 | 5187.5 |
The share of race starts that ended without a classified finish. Formula: races not finished ÷ race starts × 100. Races the driver did not start are excluded from both sides. A disqualification counts as a finish that scored nothing, not a DNF. Why it sits apart from the era-fair rates: unlike a win or a podium, finishing meant something very different in different eras. Cars in the 1950s–70s broke constantly; modern cars almost always reach the flag. A high DNF rate in 1955 says far more about the machinery than the driver. Comparing two drivers within the same season is meaningful — they faced the same conditions. Across eras it's context, not a verdict.
The share of race starts that ended in a points-paying position. Formula: races finished in a scoring position ÷ race starts × 100, using that season's real points system. Why it's era-dependent: the number of positions that pay points has changed repeatedly — the top five scored in 1950, the top ten score today. A modern driver has roughly twice as many scoring positions available for the same relative performance, so a higher percentage doesn't necessarily mean a better driver. Like DNF rate, it's shown as context.