RACING DRIVERS from Netherlands

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Dutch Racing Drivers of all time. This list of famous Dutch Racing Drivers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Dutch Racing Drivers.

1. Jos Verstappen (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 55.08, Jos Verstappen is the most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 37 different languages on wikipedia.

Johannes Franciscus "Jos" Verstappen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjɔs fɛrˈstɑpə(n)]; born 4 March 1972) is a Dutch former racing driver, who competed in Formula One between 1994 and 2003. Born and raised in Dutch Limburg, Verstappen began competitive kart racing aged eight. After a successful karting career—culminating in two direct-drive Karting European Championships in 1989—Verstappen graduated to junior formulae. He won his first championship at the 1992 Formula Opel Lotus Benelux. Later that year, he also won the EFDA Nations Cup, representing the Netherlands. Progressing to German Formula Three in 1993, Verstappen won the championship in his rookie season, also winning the 1993 Masters of Formula 3. Signing for Benetton as a test driver in 1994, Verstappen made his Formula One debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix, replacing the injured JJ Lehto to partner Michael Schumacher for the opening two rounds of the season. Verstappen formally replaced Lehto after the Canadian Grand Prix, scoring two podiums in his rookie season before being replaced by Johnny Herbert in Japan. His podium in Hungary made him the first Dutch driver to score a podium finish in Formula One. Verstappen competed for Simtek in 1995 before the team went bankrupt five rounds into the season, returning to his test driver role with Benetton. He became a full-time driver for Footwork in 1996. After non-classified championship finishes in 1997 and 1998 with Tyrrell and Stewart, respectively, Verstappen became a test driver for the Honda project in 1999. He returned to a race seat with Arrows in 2000, competing with them for a further two seasons. After a year hiatus, Verstappen completed his final Formula One season with Minardi in 2003. Outside Formula One, Verstappen took a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008 with Van Merksteijn, winning the 2008 Le Mans Series in the LMP2 class. He was also a race-winner in the 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix series, representing the Netherlands. In rallying, he competed in the 2022 Ypres Rally as an independent entrant. Since 2002, Verstappen has coached and managed his son Max from karting at an early age to winning four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles. Max's successes in the sport have renewed public scrutiny of Verstappen, who has faced several allegations of assault spanning two decades.

2. Gijs van Lennep (b. 1942)

With an HPI of 53.56, Gijs van Lennep is the 2nd most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Gijsbert "Gijs" van Lennep (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣɛizbərt ˈxɛis fɑn ˈlɛnɛp]; born 16 March 1942) is a Dutch racing driver who competed in eight Formula One races. However, his main achievements were in sports car racing. He is a member of the untitled Dutch nobility.

3. Carel Godin de Beaufort (1934 - 1964)

With an HPI of 53.47, Carel Godin de Beaufort is the 3rd most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Jonkheer Karel Pieter Antoni Jan Hubertus "Carel" Godin de Beaufort (10 April 1934 – 2 August 1964) was a Dutch nobleman and motorsport driver. He competed in Formula One between 1957 and 1964.

4. Jan Lammers (b. 1956)

With an HPI of 48.81, Jan Lammers is the 4th most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Johannes Antonius "Jan" Lammers (born 2 June 1956) is a Dutch racecar driver, most notable for winning the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans world endurance race, for Silk Cut Jaguar/TWR; after four seasons in Formula One racing, from 1979 through 1982, for the F1 teams of Shadow, ATS, Ensign and Theodore, respectively. After a world-record setting ten-year hiatus, Lammers made a brief Formula One comeback, for two races, with team March in 1992. Aside from racing in these two of the highest leagues of global auto-sports, Lammers has raced in an exceptionally wide number of racing series and competitions, domestic and abroad, over four decades. Later in life, Lammers became a team owner as well, first setting up his own Formula Opel Lotus team, Vitaal Racing, winning the EFDA Opel Lotus Euroseries with Peter Kox in 1989, then creating the Racing for Holland outfit that raced in sportscars class in 2001-2007. Between 2005 and 2009, he was the seatholder of the Dutch A1 Grand Prix team. During his Racing for Holland days, Lammers combined racing and management duties to win the 2002 and 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship. One of the most versatile drivers in modern motor racing history, Lammers started in touring cars, to become the youngest Dutch champion in history in 1973 while repeating the act in 1976. He also raced in the European Renault 5 Turbo Cup, taking the 1983 and 1984 European titles. As a single-seater driver, his steps towards Formula One include securing the title in the 1978 European Formula 3 Championship. He remains the only Dutch driver to have done so. At the zenith of his career in Group C sports-prototypes, Lammers lifted the crown in the 1992 Japanese Sportscar Championship. Lammers has further raced in Formula Ford, Formula 2, IndyCar racing, International F3000, Japanese F3000, the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), BPR Global GT, FIA GT, the European Le Mans Series, the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am, and the Dakar Rally. Guest appearances include the Grand Prix Masters for retired F1 drivers, the BMW M1 Procar Series, the Dutch Supercar Challenge, the Dubai 24 Hours and Gulf 12 Hours endurance races, the VW Scirocco R-Cup and the Dutch domestic Tulpenrallye. In recent years, Lammers was an important figurehead / ambassador for reviving the Dutch Formula One GP on the coastal dunes situated Zandvoort circuit, achieved since 2021.

5. Dries van der Lof (1919 - 1990)

With an HPI of 48.78, Dries van der Lof is the 5th most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Andre "Dries" van der Lof (23 August 1919 in Emmen – 24 May 1990 in Enschede) was a racing driver from the Netherlands. Van der Lof was an industrialist whose factory manufactured electric cable, and competed as an amateur in motorsport events. He participated in one World Championship Grand Prix, the 1952 Dutch Grand Prix on 17 August 1952, where together with Jan Flinterman he was the first driver from the Netherlands to compete in a World Championship Grand Prix race. Entering an HWM 52, he retired from the race after 70 laps and scored no championship points. He later bought a Maserati 250F and competed in historic racing until the 1980s.

6. Huub Rothengatter (b. 1954)

With an HPI of 48.41, Huub Rothengatter is the 6th most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Hubertus (Huub) Rothengatter (born 8 October 1954) is a former racing driver from the Netherlands. He participated in 30 Formula One (F1) Grands Prix, debuting on 17 June 1984. He scored no championship points. He drove for Spirit, Osella and Zakspeed. Rothengatter later entered into sports management, as a manager for Dutch F1 driver Jos Verstappen. He is co-founder of EVBox.

7. Michael Bleekemolen (b. 1949)

With an HPI of 46.91, Michael Bleekemolen is the 7th most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Michael Bleekemolen (born 2 October 1949) is a Dutch racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving for the family-owned Team Bleekemolen in the No. 72 Ford Mustang in the EuroNASCAR 2 class. He previously raced for the RAM and ATS teams in Formula One. He graduated from Formula Vee and tried his hand at Formula One in 1977, where he failed to qualify at his home Grand Prix. Nevertheless, he returned the following year with ATS for four races, but qualified only once, at Watkins Glen. After Formula One, he returned to Formula 3 for another three years, winning two rounds of the European Championship and finishing second in the series to Alain Prost. From there he moved to one-make Renault racing, where he remains to this day. His sons Jeroen and Sebastiaan are also racers.

8. Jan Flinterman (1919 - 1992)

With an HPI of 46.80, Jan Flinterman is the 8th most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Johannes Leonardus "Jan" Flinterman (2 October 1919 – 26 December 1992) was a Dutch Royal Air Force pilot during World War II and a racing driver. Together with Dries van der Lof, he was the first driver from the Netherlands to compete in Formula One. Flinterman participated in one World Championship Grand Prix, the 1952 Dutch Grand Prix on 17 August 1952. When he had to retire his Maserati with a failure of the rear axle, he was able to take over the similar car of his team mate, Chico Landi. Flinterman finished the race in ninth place, scoring no championship points. Flinterman died in Leiden in December 1992.

9. Ben Pon (1936 - 2019)

With an HPI of 45.69, Ben Pon is the 9th most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Bernardus Marinus "Ben" Pon (9 December 1936 – 30 September 2019) was a Dutch vintner and Olympian and motor racing driver. He competed in one Formula One race, the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, but had a far longer career in sports car racing, before turning his back on the track to concentrate on the wine trade. He also represented the Netherlands in clay pigeon shooting at the 1972 Summer Olympics, finishing 31st in the skeet event.

10. Eppie Wietzes (1938 - 2020)

With an HPI of 44.98, Eppie Wietzes is the 10th most famous Dutch Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Egbert "Eppie" Wietzes (28 May 1938 – 10 June 2020) was a racing driver from Canada.