Exclusive list of four-time Formula 1 world champs

Titles won: 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957.

Juan Manuel Fangio

Cars: Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes, Ferrari.

Born in 1911, Fangio was a successful driver at home in Argentina, notably winning the grueling 10,000 kilometer Gran Premio del Norte in 1940, before becoming the first superstar of Formula One.

He won the 1951 title with Alfa Romeo and went on to triumph with Maserati, Mercedes and Ferrari to become the first man to win five titles, a record that stood for 46 years. He died aged 84 in 1995.

In his own words

"I learned to approach racing like a game of billiards. If you bash the ball too hard, you get nowhere. As you handle the cue properly, you drive with more finesse."

Alain Prost

Titles won: 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993.

Cars: McLaren, Williams.

The Frenchman, who was known as "The Professor" for his analytical approach to the sport, is remembered by many as the dull counterpoint to the crowd-pleasing Ayrton Senna (three titles) in a rivalry that gripped F1 in the late 1980s, early 1990s.