Every sport has its pinnacle, a place where only the best of the best manages to reach. American football has the NFL, hockey has the NHL, and basketball has the NBA. In the world of motorsport, Formula 1 stands at the top of the echelon but unlike the previously mentioned sports, not to take away from the others, it is by far the hardest one to reach, all this due to its exclusivity. The current spots available have a limit of two seats per team, meaning only 20 athletes in the entire world get the opportunity to join the ranks every year.

Unlike other forms of sports, Formula 1 drivers can't rely purely on their hard work and skill to triumph. Your performance in motorsport is heavily determined by your vehicle, which sometimes means even the best drivers never get the opportunity to shine. Additionally, Formula 1 is a team sport where your biggest rival is your teammate. In the end, the most skilled driver can end up as the victim of circumstances, but simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

These Formula 1 driver were the most promising stars of the racing world that never won a World Driver's Championship.

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The Gentleman: Stirling Moss

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Via: Daimler Media

Sterling Moss is a driver with the most race wins without actually winning a driver's championship, 16 wins to be exact. Even more impressive than his race wins, was Moss' win ratio of 24 per cent, having only started 66 races. It is endearingly nicknamed, Mr Motorrace. Outside of Formula 1, Moss has an incredibly impressive resume with multiple wins in different disciplines. Unfortunately for Moss, his F1 career, while impressive, did not see a championship. Coming second multiple times behind the great Juan Manuel Fangio.

In 1958, Stirling Moss saw his best opportunity to win a championship. Although he ended up in second place once again, this time by a single point, the story behind the loss will be forever remembered in F1 history.

Long story short, Stirling Moss successfully argued in favour of his main rival who had been, in his opinion, wrongfully disqualified, which ultimately made the difference in him losing the championship. Moss retired after a horrific crash that could have been fatal, after recovering, he claimed that his senses were no longer sharp as they were. Moss will forever be remembered as man of integrity and the greats of the sport.

The Mystery of Jacky Ickx

Jacky Ickx
via: 24h-lemans.com/

Another highly accomplished racing driver in multiple fields, including eight Grand Prix wins to his name. Ickx had gotten incredibly close to winning the 1970 Formula 1 season. After the unfortunate fatal crash of the championship leader Jochen Rindt, Ickx needed to win the last three races to secure the championship. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be, as he only managed to win two of the three races, amassing only 21 of the needed 26 points to win the title.

But what exactly happened in the race he didn't win? During the second to last race, Jacky earned pole and fastest lap, but unfortunately, a fuel line problem sent to back into the pits. Although he still finished the race in 4th position, his championship campaign ended. A myth still floats around regarding this race, back in the pits, Ickx's mechanic never found anything wrong with the car and sent Ickx back to finish the race, leading many to believe that the whole scenario was a fabrication as not to take the championship from Rindt, who is the only driver to posthumously win a Formula 1 world title.

The Greatest Canadian: Gilles Villeneuve

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Gilles Villeneuve is not only the first Canadian to win a Grand Prix, he was also a driver who won it on home turf in Montreal. Villeneuve's career only lasted 6 seasons, but without securing a championship. Yet he is often regarded as one of the best drivers to race in Formula 1. The closest he has come to taking the title was in 1979, finishing runner-up behind his teammate by only 4 points. Many expected a great career ahead of Villeneuve, but sadly in 1982, he suffered a fatal crash at the Belgium Grand Prix.

The Ultimate Wingman: Reubens Barrichello

Reubens Barichello
via: heraldsun.com

Rubens Barrichello is forever remembered as the ultimate wingman to none other than the greatest of all time, Michael Schumacher. Barrichello's Formula 1 career lasted an impressive 322 races with 14 pole positions and 11 Grand Prix wins. Unfortunately behind those victories, he has never won the Driver's Championship. Barrichello might be a prime example of being at the right place but at the wrong time. Being a Ferrari driver during their dominance is a blessing, being there at the same time as Michael Schumacher is a curse. His second opportunity came in 2009 driving for Brawn GP, who under surprising circumstances delivered a championship-winning car. But his team-mate Jenson Button got the better of him that year.

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The Superswede: Ronnie Peterson

Ronnie Peterson
via: sverigesradio.se

The man known as the Superswede is the most successful Swedish Formula 1 driver of all time, winning 10 of the 123 races he has started. Ronnie was incredibly fast and impressive as a driver, ending second place in a championship twice during his tenure. Many expected great things from Peterson, but once again a great career got cut short due to the dangers of the sport. During a championship battle against Mario Andretti at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, Ronnie got involved in a fatal crash that saw him succumb to his injuries in the hospital.