Which driver has the most podium finishes in F1 history?

Lewis Hamilton has the most podium finishes in Formula 1 history.

A podium finish means placing first, second or third in a Grand Prix. Hamilton’s record is built on extraordinary longevity as well as speed: he made his F1 debut in 2007 and has remained a front-running driver across multiple technical eras, first with McLaren and later with Mercedes.

Hamilton’s consistency is especially important. He scored a podium in his very first race, the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, and finished on the podium in each of his first nine races. His Mercedes years produced a large share of his total, including a run of 16 consecutive podium finishes stretching from the 2014 Italian Grand Prix to the 2015 British Grand Prix.

This question is easy to confuse with records based on podium percentage or wins. Juan Manuel Fangio has a far higher podium percentage, while Michael Schumacher held the total-podium record before Hamilton surpassed him. Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel and Schumacher remain among the leading drivers, but Hamilton leads the career total.