- Starts149164 entries
- Wins75% of starts
- Podiums2215% of starts
- Pole positions1818× started from P1
- Fastest laps12
- Titles0best finish P3
Career numbers
- Avg grid position10.6
- Avg finish7
- Retirement rate44%
- Pole-to-win conversion11%
- Positions gained+220
- Points scored181
- Longest winning streak2
- Longest podium streak4
- Longest points-scoring streak6
- TeamsMartini (1978) · Surtees (1978) · Renault (1979–1982) · Ferrari (1983–1985) · Ligier (1986–1989)
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
164 entries, 149 of them started. DNQ: did not qualify; DNS: did not start; DNF: retired.
- First entrySouth African Grand Prix 1978DNQ · Martini
- First startBelgian Grand Prix 1978P9 · Martini
- First winBrazilian Grand Prix 1980P1 · Renault
- Last winDutch Grand Prix 1983P1 · Ferrari
- Last startAustralian Grand Prix 1989DNF · Ligier
All 164 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alain Prost | 1981–1982 | 1:5 | 13:17 | +0.10% | 39 : 77 | Compare |
| Jean-Pierre Jabouille | 1979–1980 | 1:2 | 9:18 | +0.30% | 46 : 18 | Compare |
| Michele Alboreto | 1984–1985 | 1:6 | 4:13 | +0.99% | 30 : 36.5 | Compare |
| Patrick Tambay | 1983 | 3:4 | 7:8 | +0.07% | 49 : 40 | Compare |
| Piercarlo Ghinzani | 1987 | 2:2 | 12:1 | −1.17% | 1 : 0 | Compare |
| Jacques Laffite | 1986 | 3:1 | 8:1 | −1.12% | 11 : 14 | Compare |
| Stefan Johansson | 1988 | 0:0 | 7:3 | −0.36% | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Philippe Alliot | 1986 | 1:1 | 5:2 | −0.65% | 3 : 1 | Compare |
| Olivier Grouillard | 1989 | 0:1 | 1:6 | +0.57% | 0 : 1 | Compare |
Green: René Arnoux 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilles Villeneuve | 10 | 1 | 1 | 4.3 |
| Hockenheimring | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7.7 |
| Monza | 9 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Paul Ricard | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6.4 |
| Zandvoort | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4.7 |
| Kyalami | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| José Carlos Pace | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Monaco | 10 | 1 | 7.8 | |
| Red Bull Ring | 9 | 2 | 6.9 | |
| Nelson Piquet | 7 | 6 | ||
| Enzo e Dino Ferrari | 6 | 2 | 5.8 | |
| Detroit | 6 | 10 | ||
| Zolder | 5 | 1 | 5.3 | |
| Silverstone | 5 | 1 | 8.5 | |
| Brands Hatch | 5 | 6.3 | ||
| Spa-Francorchamps | 5 | 6 | ||
| Estoril | 5 | 9.8 | ||
| Dijon-Prenois | 4 | 1 | 6.8 | |
| Long Beach | 4 | 1 | 6.7 | |
| Hermanos Rodríguez | 4 | 14.5 | ||
| Adelaide | 4 | 7 | ||
| Watkins Glen | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| Juan y Oscar Gálvez | 3 | 5 | ||
| Jerez | 3 | 19 | ||
| Hungaroring | 3 | – | ||
| Jarama | 2 | 9 | ||
| Caesars Palace | 2 | – | ||
| Suzuka | 2 | 17 |