To reach the pinnacle of motorsport, many drivers rise through the junior ranks, proving themselves against the best up and coming racers and sacrificing everything on their way to the top.
But in years gone by, others have paid their way into the sport, or deteriorated with age to a point where they became a danger to themselves and others on the race track. And some were just outright terrible - even being called out by the sport’s commentators for being so.
Here are some of the worst Formula 1 drivers of all time, and the things they did that drew the ire of motorsport fans across the world.
1. Taki Inoue
This Japanese driver, who raced for Simtek and Footwork in the mid-1990s, was always going to top this list. He never scored a world championship point, but did have his five minutes of fame after running into the path of the safety car - which was coming to help him, but ended up running him over instead. | Getty Images
2. Riccardo Rosset
Tyrell driver Ricardo Rosset, from Brazil, was so bad that at one grand prix, his own mechanics rearranged the letters of his name on the side of the car so it read "Tosser" instead. In fairness, they were sick of having to completely rebuild his car every weekend. | AFP via Getty Images
3. Jean-Pierre Jarier
At the 1983 Austrian Grand Prix, backmarker Jean-Pierre Jarier got in the way of leader Patrick Tambay, who dropped to second. Commentating, James Hunt didn't mince his words, saying: "Jarier really is completely out of order, he really shouldn't be allowed to drive in grand prix racing. He's got a mental age of 10 in the first place and that was absolutely disgraceful, for a driver of his experience." | Getty Images
4. Nikita Mazepin
Nicknamed Nikita MazeSpin by unadoring fans, Nikita Mazepin's one-year stint in F1 in 2022 saw him comprehensively beaten by rookie teammate Mick Schumacher, fall out with everyone in the team by complaining about his car and annoy almost everyone else on the grid with his poor driving standards. "Mazepin will never change," once said a frustrated Charles Leclerc. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images