Formula One drivers from South Africa Formula One drivers from South Africa There have been 23 Formula One drivers from South Africa, with 18 of them having started at least one Grand Prix, and only 4 of them having started more than four races. Jody Scheckter is by far the most prolific and successful South African driver, being the only one to have won a race. During his nine-year career Scheckter won ten races and the 1979 World Drivers' Championship. There has not been a driver from South Africa in Formula One since 1980. There are no South African drivers currently competing in Formula One, and
Formula One racing to compare stars of different eras owing to the changes in the sport and regulations. Despite having the highest budget in all of auto racing, Formula One racing has often been accused of being unexciting when compared to less expensive categories. The differences in driver ability are usually dwarfed when compared to the relative speed of the different makes of cars, and on-track overtaking is less common than other similar forms of racing, due to the aerodynamics of trailing cars being adversely affected by the car in front (making overtaking only possible by very risky and thus rarely taken chances,