TOP SIX: Ranking the best American drivers in F1 history as Logan Sargeant gears up for his debut

2: Dan Gurney

Gurney marked himself out as one of America’s finest drivers across 86 Grands Prix in the late-1950s to early-1970s, racing for the likes of Ferrari, BRM, Porsche, Brabham and McLaren, while also forming his own team: Anglo American Racers (AAR).

Gurney almost immediately displayed promise with a runner-up finish in his second race for Ferrari at the 1959 German Grand Prix, but he left the team shortly before they unleashed their potent 156 which, as mentioned above, fellow American Hill drove to the 1961 title.

READ MORE: Remembering F1 race winner Dan Gurney, 1931-2018

It would be a similar story for the New York-born racer moving forward; he swapped BRM for Porsche after the 1960 season, only for the British team to win both championships two years later; and ended a three-year spell at Brabham in 1965 to form AAR, ahead of the former’s double title-winning run in 1966 and 1967.

As such, the tally of four victories Gurney achieved – a breakthrough win for Porsche, two at Brabham and one for his own squad – arguably should have been much higher, with his talent behind the wheel more than deserving of title glory.

Gurney is also recognised for starting the tradition of spraying champagne on the podium, after taking victory at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, while his quest for more downforce at AAR led to him designing what became known as the ‘Gurney flap’, a device still commonly used in motorsport to this day.