The Most Famous

RACING DRIVERS from Spain

This page contains a list of the greatest Spanish Racing Drivers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,080 Racing Drivers, 51 of which were born in Spain. This makes Spain the birth place of the 6th most number of Racing Drivers behind France, and Germany.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Spanish Racing Drivers of all time. This list of famous Spanish 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 Spanish Racing Drivers.

1. Carlos Sainz (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 68.12, Carlos Sainz is the most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 40 different languages on wikipedia.

Carlos Sainz Cenamor (born 12 April 1962) is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times. Constructors' world champions to have benefited from Sainz are Subaru (1995), Toyota (1999) and Citroën (2003, 2004 and 2005). In the 2018 season, he was one of the official drivers of the Team Peugeot Total. He received the Princess of Asturias Sports Award in 2020. Sainz founded the Acciona | Sainz XE Team to join Extreme E and competed in the first two seasons alongside Laia Sanz. Nicknamed El Matador, Sainz previously held the WRC record for most career starts until Finnish co-driver Miikka Anttila broke the record. He was also the first non-Nordic driver to win the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland. He came close to repeating the feat at the Swedish Rally, finishing second four times and third twice. Alongside his WRC successes, he has won the Dakar Rally (2010, 2018, 2020, 2024), the Race of Champions (1997) and the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (1990). His co-drivers were Antonio Boto, Luis Moya, Marc Martí, and Lucas Cruz.

2. Fernando Alonso (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 67.79, Fernando Alonso is the 2nd most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 102 different languages.

Fernando Alonso Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [feɾˈnando aˈlonso ˈði.aθ] ; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver, who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, and has won 32 Grands Prix across 22 seasons. In endurance racing, Alonso won the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship and is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota, and remains the only driver to have won both the Formula One World Drivers' Championship and the World Sportscar/World Endurance Drivers' Championship; he also won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019 with WTR. Born and raised in Oviedo to a working class family, Alonso began kart racing aged three and won several regional, national and continental titles. He progressed to junior formulae aged 17, winning the Euro Open by Nissan in 1999 before finishing fourth in International Formula 3000. Alonso signed for Minardi in 2001, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix. After a non-scoring rookie season, he joined Renault as a test driver before his promotion to a full-time seat in 2003; he became the then-youngest polesitter and race winner at the Malaysian and Hungarian Grands Prix, respectively, before achieving several podiums across his 2004 campaign. Alonso won his maiden title after winning seven Grands Prix in 2005, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from Spain and the then-youngest in Formula One history, aged 24. He successfully defended his title from Michael Schumacher in 2006. Alonso moved to McLaren for 2007, finishing one point behind champion Kimi Räikkönen and returning to Renault amidst inter-team tensions. He won multiple races in 2008—including the controversial Singapore Grand Prix—before enduring a winless 2009 campaign. Alonso signed for Ferrari in 2010, finishing runner-up to Sebastian Vettel by four points in the third-placed F10. He took a single victory in 2011 as Red Bull consolidated their advantage, before finishing runner-up to Vettel again in 2012 and 2013—the former by three points and the latter in the third-placed F138. After a winless 2014 season amidst new engine regulations, Alonso returned to McLaren under Honda power in 2015. He remained with the team until the end of 2018, resulting in limited success, before his first retirement. Alonso then moved into sportscar racing with Toyota, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. He returned to Formula One in 2021 with Alpine, recording his first podium in seven years at the Qatar Grand Prix, and breaking the record for most career starts in 2022. Alonso moved to Aston Martin for his 2023 campaign, achieving several podiums as he finished fourth in the World Drivers' Championship; he scored his 100th career podium at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. In 2024, he became the first driver to contest 400 Grands Prix. As of the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix, Alonso has achieved 32 race wins, 22 pole positions, 26 fastest laps and 106 podiums in Formula One. Alonso is contracted to remain at Aston Martin until at least the end of the 2026 season. In addition to holding the most race starts (405), his longevity has broken several Formula One records. Alonso won the 2001 Race of Champions Nations' Cup, and thrice entered the Indianapolis 500 in 2017, 2019 and 2020. He runs a driver management firm and has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005. Alonso has been awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit and twice been inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame.

3. Ángel Nieto (1947 - 2017)

With an HPI of 62.84, Ángel Nieto is the 3rd most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Ángel Nieto Roldán (25 January 1947 – 3 August 2017) was a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He was one of the most accomplished motorcycle racers in the history of the sport, winning 13 World Championships and 90 Grand Prix victories in a racing career that spanned twenty-three years from 1964 to 1986, mainly engaged in 50cc, 80cc and 125cc respectively. His total of 90 Grand Prix victories ranks him third only to the 122 by Giacomo Agostini, and the 115 for Valentino Rossi. In 2011, Nieto was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.

4. Pedro de la Rosa (b. 1971)

With an HPI of 58.59, Pedro de la Rosa is the 4th most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 45 different languages.

Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo ðe la ˈrosa]; born 24 February 1971) is a Spanish former racing driver, motorsport executive and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One between 1999 and 2012. In Japanese motorsport, de la Rosa won the Formula Nippon Championship and the All-Japan GT Championship, both in 1997. Born and raised in Barcelona, de la Rosa began his career in radio-controlled racing, winning several national and continental titles before moving into karting aged 17. He participated in 107 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren, Sauber and HRT teams. He made his Formula One debut on 7 March 1999, scoring a point in his first race. He scored a total of 35 championship points, which includes a podium finish at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. He is the first Spanish racing driver to win a National Championship in Japan open-wheel racing history, won the Japanese Super Formula Championship (formerly Formula Nippon Championship) and the Super GT (formerly JGTC) in 1997. Upon retiring from motor racing, de la Rosa became a commentator and pundit for La Sexta, Telecinco, Movistar and DAZN. He founded Drivex in 2005, and served as technical and sporting director of Techeetah in Formula E during the 2018–19 season, winning the Formula E Teams' Championship. He has also been an ambassador for Aston Martin since 2022.

5. Emilio de Villota (b. 1946)

With an HPI of 58.06, Emilio de Villota is the 5th most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Emilio de Villota Ruíz (born 26 July 1946) is a Spanish former racing driver, who competed in Formula One between 1976 and 1982. He entered 15 World Championship Grands Prix, qualifying twice. He entered most Spanish Grand Prix between 1976 and 1982 and became a major force in the short-lived British Formula One Championship, winning the title in 1980.

6. Marc Márquez (b. 1993)

With an HPI of 58.04, Marc Márquez is the 6th most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 45 different languages.

Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who races for the Ducati Lenovo Team. He previously raced for the Ducati satellite team Gresini in 2024 and Honda's factory team from his MotoGP debut in 2013 until 2023. Born in Cervera, Catalonia, Spain, he is nicknamed the 'Ant of Cervera' worldwide (due to his height of 5' 7" (1.68m)), and 'el tro de Cervera' in his hometown, meaning the 'Thunder of Cervera'. He is one of four riders to have won world championship titles in three different categories, after Mike Hailwood, Phil Read and Valentino Rossi, and is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with eight Grand Prix World Championships to his name, six of which are in the premier class. Márquez became the third Spaniard after Àlex Crivillé and Jorge Lorenzo to win the premier class title, and is the most successful Spanish rider in MotoGP to date with 65 wins, most recently the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix. In 2013 he became the first rider since Kenny Roberts in 1978 to win the premier class title in his first season, and the youngest to win the title overall, at 20 years and 266 days of age. Márquez is often considered one of the greatest innovators of modern MotoGP racing, due to his comparatively exaggerated cornering technique of leaning so far over the bike, that he seems to be "in constant danger of sliding out". He is the older brother of 2014 Moto3 world champion and 2019 Moto2 world champion Álex Márquez. Márquez won the 2010 125cc World Championship, the 2012 Moto2 World Championship, and the 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 MotoGP World Championships. He became the first rider since Kenny Roberts in 1978 to win the premier class title in his rookie season, and the youngest to secure the title overall. In 2014 he defended his title, winning the championship with three rounds to spare, during which he won ten consecutive races. Márquez equalled the all-time Grand Prix record for pole positions at the age of 23 in 2016. Márquez secured the 2016 title with three rounds to spare at Motegi and sealed the title at Valencia in the final round of 2017. He then went on to win the 2018 title with three races to spare and became the third highest all time Grand Prix winner. He secured the 2019 title with four races to spare at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, marking his 8th World Championship and 6th in the Premier Class. Márquez missed almost all of the compressed and delayed 2020 season (he completed 26 laps of the first race, before falling) as well as the start of the 2021 season because of a broken right arm sustained in the 2020 season opener. After returning in the 2021 season, he won three races in Germany, Austin, Misano, and had a further 2nd place in Aragon, but due to him missing the opening two, and the last two races of the season, only finished 7th overall.

7. Alex Soler-Roig (b. 1931)

With an HPI of 57.95, Alex Soler-Roig is the 7th most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Àlex Soler-Roig i Janer (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈaləks suˈle ˈrɔtʃ]; born 29 October 1931) is a former racing driver from Barcelona, Spain. He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 19 April 1970, and scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.

8. Dani Pedrosa (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 56.21, Dani Pedrosa is the 8th most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Daniel Pedrosa Ramal (born 29 September 1985) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the 2018 season. He grew up in Castellar del Vallès, a village near Sabadell. He is a three-time World Champion being the 125cc world champion in 2003, 250cc world champion in 2004, the youngest ever to win it and repeated it in 2005. Pedrosa is a test and development rider for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. In 2021, he returned to race for KTM as a wildcard rider in Austria at the Styrian Grand Prix, followed by two outings in 2023, resulting in placing 6th and 7th at Jerez and two 4th places at Misano. Pedrosa is best known for his time with the Repsol Honda Team in the MotoGP class finishing championship runner-up in 2007, 2010 and 2012 and is one of the most successful modern MotoGP riders with 31 MotoGP victories and 112 podiums. In 2019, the former Curva Dry Sac, a corner at the Spanish Circuito de Jerez, was renamed Curva Dani Pedrosa (English: Dani Pedrosa Corner) in his honour. He has been described as the best MotoGP rider to have never won a MotoGP World Championship. Pedrosa also competed in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe in 2022, driving for FFF Racing Team.

9. Paco Godia (1921 - 1990)

With an HPI of 56.12, Paco Godia is the 9th most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Francisco Godia Sales (21 March 1921 – 28 November 1990), better known as Paco Godia, was a Spanish racing driver. He drove intermittently in Formula One between 1951 and 1958, participating in 14 World Championship Grands Prix and numerous non-Championship races. He was the first Spaniard ever to take part in a Formula One Grand Prix.

10. Jorge Lorenzo (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 55.29, Jorge Lorenzo is the 10th most famous Spanish Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 43 different languages.

Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxoɾxe loˈɾenθo ɣeˈreɾo]; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (2010, 2012 and 2015) and two 250cc World Championships (2006 and 2007). After winning the 2006 and 2007 250 cc World Championships, Lorenzo moved to MotoGP in 2008 with the factory Yamaha team. In his first season, he won rookie of the year honours after finishing 4th place in the championship, including a win at Portugal. The nine seasons he spent with Yamaha from 2008 to 2016 proved to be very successful, as he won the championship on three occasions in 2010, 2012 and 2015, finishing as championship runner-up in 2009, 2011 and 2013. His win tally of eight in the 2013 MotoGP season remains the most by any rider in the premier class in a single season not to win the title, as he finished just four points behind Marc Marquez in the final standings. Lorenzo moved to the Ducati factory team in 2017. He struggled at Ducati in his first season, getting only three podiums, and finished 7th in the championship in 2017, while his teammate and former 250cc rival Andrea Dovizioso fought for the championship until the final round in Valencia. In the subsequent season in 2018, Lorenzo regained form with three victories in Mugello, Catalunya and Austria and a further 2nd place in Brno. A move to Repsol Honda in 2019 proved to be ill-fated, and Lorenzo retired at the end of the season. With 47 premier class wins, Lorenzo is 5th in the all-time list of premier class race winners. In 2022, Lorenzo was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as an official Legend by the FIM. Despite his retirement from riding, Lorenzo remains active in motorsports, competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia in 2022 and 2023 with Team Q8 Hi Perform, the Porsche Supercup and the Italian GT Championship with Lazarus Corse, in addition to performing color commentary at select MotoGP races.

People

Pantheon has 51 people classified as Spanish racing drivers born between 1903 and 1998. Of these 51, 42 (82.35%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Spanish racing drivers include Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, and Pedro de la Rosa. The most famous deceased Spanish racing drivers include Ángel Nieto, Paco Godia, and Antonio Creus. As of April 2024, 1 new Spanish racing drivers have been added to Pantheon including Jorge Martín.