- Starts152154 entries
- Wins53% of starts
- Podiums2013% of starts
- Pole positions22× started from P1
- Fastest laps5
- Titles0best finish P3
Career numbers
- Avg grid position12
- Avg finish6.6
- Retirement rate41%
- Pole-to-win conversion0%
- Positions gained+514
- Points scored169
- Longest winning streak1
- Longest podium streak3
- Longest points-scoring streak5
- TeamsBrabham (1973–1974, 1977–1978) · Surtees (1975) · Lotus (1975) · Penske (1975–1976) · McLaren (1979–1983, 1985)
Pole position means the fastest time in qualifying. That is not the same as a start from P1 – grid penalties move a driver down the grid. Up to the 2000s the two numbers coincide.
The career at a glance
Season by season
Every race
154 entries, 152 of them started. DNQ: did not qualify; DNS: did not start; DNF: retired.
- First entryBritish Grand Prix 1973DNF · Brabham
- First winAustrian Grand Prix 1976P1 · Penske
- Last winUnited States Grand Prix West 1983P1 · McLaren
- Last startEuropean Grand Prix 1985P7 · McLaren
All 154 races, season by season
Against team-mates
Same car, same races. In the race only those where both reached the finish count – a retirement says nothing about the head-to-head.
| Team-mate | Years | Races | Qualifying | Quali gap | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niki Lauda | 1978–1983 | 1:11 | 13:31 | +0.50% | 86 : 86 | Compare |
| Carlos Reutemann | 1973–1974 | 1:4 | 1:16 | +1.32% | 6 : 37 | Compare |
| Andrea de Cesaris | 1981 | 3:1 | 13:1 | −1.00% | 27 : 1 | Compare |
| Patrick Tambay | 1979 | 2:1 | 11:2 | −0.55% | 11 : 0 | Compare |
| Hans-Joachim Stuck | 1977 | 1:1 | 11:3 | −0.69% | 8 : 12 | Compare |
| Alain Prost | 1980–1985 | 0:3 | 3:8 | +0.68% | 3 : 8 | Compare |
| Carlos Pace | 1974–1977 | 1:3 | 3:6 | +0.18% | 6 : 14 | Compare |
| Rikky von Opel | 1974 | 1:1 | 4:0 | −1.08% | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Richard Robarts | 1974 | 0:0 | 3:0 | −1.54% | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Theodore Pilette | 1974 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Wilson Fittipaldi | 1973 | 0:0 | 1:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Dave Morgan | 1975 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Gérard Larrousse | 1974 | 0:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Egbert Wietzes | 1974 | 0:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Nelson Piquet | 1978 | 0:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Ronnie Peterson | 1975 | 0:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Andrea de Adamich | 1973 | 0:0 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Boy Hayje | 1976 | 0:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
Green: John Watson came out ahead in that duel. Quali gap: the median difference in the last session both set a time in, as a share of the lap – minus is faster. At least three sessions; a dash where there were fewer.
Strongest circuits
Circuits with at least two starts, most wins first.
| Circuit | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull Ring | 10 | 1 | 1 | 6.8 |
| Zolder | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6.2 |
| Long Beach | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3.7 |
| Silverstone | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6.3 |
| Detroit | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Zandvoort | 10 | 1 | 5.8 | |
| Kyalami | 9 | 1 | 6.2 | |
| Watkins Glen | 8 | 7.6 | ||
| Monaco | 8 | 6 | ||
| Monza | 8 | 1 | 6 | |
| Juan y Oscar Gálvez | 7 | 1 | 7.5 | |
| Brands Hatch | 7 | 2 | 6.4 | |
| Hockenheimring | 7 | 5.8 | ||
| José Carlos Pace | 6 | 9.7 | ||
| Jarama | 6 | 1 | 6.3 | |
| Paul Ricard | 6 | 1 | 6.8 | |
| Gilles Villeneuve | 6 | 2 | 4.2 | |
| Anderstorp Raceway | 5 | 10.7 | ||
| Dijon-Prenois | 5 | 2 | 8.8 | |
| Nelson Piquet | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
| Nürburgring | 3 | 7 | ||
| Mosport | 3 | 10 | ||
| Enzo e Dino Ferrari | 3 | 7.5 | ||
| Fuji | 2 | – | ||
| Caesars Palace | 2 | 1 | 4.5 |