Hamilton and Senna among F1 champions never to race a 24-hour event

Max Verstappen became the 28th different Formula 1 champion to take part in a 24-hour endurance race when he tackled the Nürburgring last weekend. His outing, which ended early due to a driveshaft failure while leading, means just seven of the 35 F1 champions have never raced in any 24-hour event.

Why it matters:

The list of absentees includes some of the sport's biggest names: Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, Mika Häkkinen, Kimi Räikkönen, and Nico Rosberg. That collection holds 22 world titles and 314 grand prix wins, yet none have sampled the unique challenge of a full day of racing.

By the numbers:

• 28 of 35 F1 champions have entered at least one 24-hour race.
• 22 have competed at Le Mans, while 7 have raced at Spa and Daytona respectively. Only Niki Lauda (Spa, Nürburgring) and Verstappen (Nürburgring) have raced the Nordschleife.
• No driver has completed all four major 24-hour circuits. 12 of the 28 have raced at two or more.
• Five champions never entered any 24-hour race: Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, Kimi Räikkönen, and Nico Rosberg.
• Hamilton, Vettel, and Jochen Rindt (who raced Le Mans in 1964-67) are outliers: Hamilton and Vettel never attempted a 24-hour, while Rindt won Le Mans in 1965.

What's next:

With endurance racing growing in popularity—and Verstappen's Nürburgring appearance drawing attention—more champions may follow. Sebastian Vettel has previously explored a Porsche Hypercar outing before the program was shelved. For now, the seven absentees remain a curiosity for fans who wonder what might have been.