The glory days of both Fernando Alonso and Valtteri Bottas seem to be behind them, with midfield finishes being their weekend highlights for some time now. However, over the years, they proved to be pretty regular faces on the podium — so much so that their stats stand out even today.
Daniel Valente, an F1 analyst, showed the five best podium percentage holders on the current F1 grid, and although the leaders—Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen—were familiar names, what stood out was Bottas in number four, and Alonso number five.
Bottas has a 27.57% podium percentage, having secured 67 in 243 races. Alonso, who has been in F1 since 2001, is far more experienced, having taken part in 398 races with 106 podium finishes. The Spaniard’s percentage is at 26.63%.
1. Lewis Hamilton – 56.94%
2. Max Verstappen – 53.88%
3. Charles Leclerc – 28.47%
4. Valtteri Bottas – 27.57%
5. Fernando Alonso – 26.63%Lewis & Max is no shock but those are good numbers by Leclerc, Bottas & Alonso too. pic.twitter.com/Si7InqkIMD
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) November 18, 2024
Bottas, after joining Mercedes in 2017, became one of the top drivers on the grid. He regularly competed for poles and podiums, and sometimes even won, thanks to Mercedes’ dominant car. Most of the podiums he secured were during the 2017-2021 period, after which he joined Sauber and has since not featured in the top three.
Alonso on the other hand, needs no description and sits on the same table as some of F1’s biggest legends ever. He made his debut long before some current stars in the sport were born, and has 32 wins and two World Championships under his belt.
Today, Bottas and Alonso are not names typically mentioned when discussing potential podium finishers or race winners. However, their successes from the past still make them share the spotlight with F1’s elite drivers, and will likely continue to do so, until the new-gen drivers like Lando Norris or George Russell eclipse them.
Hamilton leads this chart with an incredible 56.94% podium finishing rate, thanks to his incredible haul of 201. Close behind him is Verstappen, who is at 53.88% with 111 podiums so far. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is the third name with 28.47%.
