Formula One has had various points systems over the years, but for this thought experiment we're going to apply the following points structure to each year:
1st place: 12 points
2nd place: 10 points
3rd place: 8 points
4th place: 7 points
5th place: 6 points
6th place: 5 points
7th place: 4 points
8th place: 3 points
9th place: 2 points
10th place: 1 point
(No points for fastest laps, pole positions, or sprint races)
Between 1950 and 1990, not all races counted towards the championship, but for our purposes, every race will count. Any driver not classified won't get points. The final round of 2014 had double points; again, we are ignoring this (it doesn't make a difference in any case).
The top three every season, therefore, would have been as follows, with different champions in bold.
1950: L Fagioli 48; G Farina 43; J Fangio 36 (1st title)
1951: J Fangio 56 (3 wins); A Ascari 56 (2 wins); J Gonzalez 50 (1st title)
1952: A Ascari 72; G Farina 52; P Taruffi 41 (1st title)
1953: A Ascari 67; M Hawthorn 60; G Farina 56 (2nd title)
1954: J Fangio 87; J Gonzalez 55; M Hawthorn 49 (2nd title)
1955: J Fangio 58; S Moss 39; E Castelloti 29 (3rd title)
1956: J Fangio 63; P Collins 54; S Moss 48 (4th title)
1957: J Fangio 68; S Moss 45; M Hawthorn 34 (5th title)
1958: M Hawthorn 76; S Moss 58; H Schell 44 (1st title)
1959: J Brabham 57; T Brooks 44; M Trintignant 43 (1st title)
1960: J Brabham 67; B McLaren 65; S Moss 42 (2nd title)
1961: P Hill 62; W Von Trips 51; D Gurney 50 (1st title)
1962: G Hill 80; B McLaren 59; J Clark 43 (1st title)
1963: J Clark 102; R Ginther 66; G Hill 55 (1st title; first time a driver scores 100 points)
1964: G Hill 67; J Surtees 62; R Ginther 57 (2nd title)
1965: G Hill 81; J Clark 72; J Stewart 61 (3rd title)
1966: J Brabham 65; J Rindt 48; J Surtees 42 (3rd title)
1967: D Hulme 85; J Brabham 82; J Clark 61 (1st title)
1968: G Hill 75; J Stewart 65; D Hulme 63 (4th title)
1969: J Stewart 89; J Ickx 63; B McLaren 58 (1st title)
1970: J Ickx 64; J Rindt 60; D Hulme 59 (1st title)
1971: J Stewart 88; R Peterson 65; F Cevert 50 (2nd title)
1972: E Fittipaldi 88; D Hulme 74; J Stewart 69 (1st title)
1973: J Stewart 115; E Fittipaldi 92; F Cevert 88 (3rd title; new highest ever score)
1974: E Fittipaldi 97; C Regazzoni 95; J Scheckter 82 (2nd title)
1975: N Lauda 108.5; E Fittipaldi 79; C Reutemann 71 (1st title)
1976: N Lauda 106; J Hunt 103; J Scheckter 96 (2nd title)
1977: N Lauda 117; J Scheckter 89; C Reutemann 88 (3rd title; new highest ever score)
1978: M Andretti 99; R Peterson 85; C Reutemann 84 (1st title)
1979: J Scheckter 109; G Villeneuve 89; A Jones 67 (1st title)
1980: A Jones 106; C Reutemann 92; N Piquet 91 (1st title)
1981: C Reutemann 88; N Piquet 87; A Jones 80 (1st title)
1982: K Rosberg 86; J Watson 71; D Pironi 67 (1st title)
1983: A Prost 96 (4 wins); N Piquet 96 (3 wins); R Arnoux 85 (1st title)
1984: A Prost 107 (7 wins); N Lauda 107 (5 wins); E De Angelis 80 (2nd title)
1985: A Prost 119; M Alboreto 87; E De Angelis 76 (3rd title; new highest ever score)
1986: A Prost 122; N Mansell 115; N Piquet 113 (4th title; new highest ever score)
1987: N Piquet 121; A Senna 104; N Mansell 91 (1st title)
1988: A Prost 154; A Senna 139; G Berger 82 (5th title; new highest ever score)
1989: A Prost 129; A Senna 86; R Patrese 76 (6th title)
1990: A Senna 116 (6 wins); A Prost 116 (5 wins); N Piquet 94 (1st title)
1991: A Senna 141; N Mansell 100; R Patrese 91 (2nd title)
1992: N Mansell 138; M Schumacher 99; R Patrese 97 (1st title)
1993: A Prost 137; A Senna 107 (5 wins); D Hill 107 (3 wins) (7th title)
1994: D Hill 130; M Schumacher 116; G Berger 71 (1st title)
1995: M Schumacher 132; D Hill 101; J Herbert 93 (1st title)
1996: D Hill 129; J Villeneuve 118; M Schumacher 91 (3 wins) (2nd title)
1997: M Schumacher 120; J Villeneuve 111; H Frentzen 84 (2nd title)*
1998: M Hakkinen 136; M Schumacher 123; D Coulthard 98 (1st title)
1999: E Irvine 126; M Hakkinen 110; H Frentzen 98 (1st title)
2000: M Schumacher 142; M Hakkinen 137; D Coulthard 123 (3rd title)*
2001: M Schumacher 165; D Coulthard 113; R Barrichello 108 (4th title; new highest ever score)*
2002: M Schumacher 190; R Barrichello 117; J Montoya 98 (5th title; new highest ever score)*
2003: M Schumacher 123; K Raikkonen 117; J Montoya 106 (6th title)*
2004: M Schumacher 180; R Barrichello 146; J Button 115 (7th title)*
2005: F Alonso 165; K Raikkonen 142; M Schumacher 87 (1st title)
2006: F Alonso 166; M Schumacher 153; F Massa 112 (2nd title)
2007: L Hamilton 141 (4 wins, 5 2nd places); F Alonso 141 (4 wins, 4 2nd places); K Raikkonen 140 (1st title)
2008: L Hamilton 127; F Massa 123; K Raikkonen 103 (2 wins) (2nd title)
2009: J Button 126; S Vettel 108; R Barrichello 107 (1st title)
2010: S Vettel 134; F Alonso 133; M Webber 131 (1st title)
2011: S Vettel 197; J Button 145; F Alonso 143 (2nd title; new highest ever score)
2012: F Alonso 150; S Vettel 149; K Raikkonen 119 (3rd title)
2013: S Vettel 196; F Alonso 134; M Webber 113 (3rd title)
2014: L Hamilton 178; N Rosberg 167; D Ricciardo 122 (3rd title)
2015: L Hamilton 193; N Rosberg 168; S Vettel 148 (4th title)
2016: N Rosberg 198; L Hamilton 192; D Ricciardo 145 (1st title; new highest ever score)
2017: L Hamilton 188; S Vettel 168; V Bottas 165 (5th title)
2018: L Hamilton 206; S Vettel 171; V Bottas 142 (6th title; first time a driver scores 200 points)
2019: L Hamilton 207; V Bottas 173; M Verstappen 150 (7th title; new highest ever score)
2020: L Hamilton 169; V Bottas 120; M Verstappen 113 (8th title)
2021: L Hamilton 197; M Verstappen 196; V Bottas 117 (9th title)
2022: M Verstappen 211; S Perez 159; C Leclerc 157 (1st title; new highest ever score)
2023: M Verstappen 254; S Perez 143; L Hamilton 125 (2nd title; new highest ever score)
Most titles:
1 L Hamilton 9
2 A Prost 7
2 M Schumacher 7
4 J Fangio 5
5 G Hill 4
6 J Brabham 3
6 J Stewart 3
6 N Lauda 3
6 F Alonso 3
6 S Vettel 3
*Michael Schumacher was symbolically disqualified from the 1997 World Championship after he was adjudged to have deliberately collided with Jacques Villeneuve in Jerez. For our purposes, he has been reinstated.
