Andretti is the most successful American Formula One driver having won 12 races, and only Eddie Cheever has started more Grands Prix.

As of 2024[update], the most recent American race winner remains Mario Andretti, who won the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix.

At the time the race was accepted as being part of the Formula One World Championship, even though very few teams or drivers from Europe participated at the event.

[3] The most recent driver to have raced as an American is Logan Sargeant, who was signed to Williams Grand Prix Engineering for the 2023 season.

Andretti eventually decided to sign up as a full-time driver with Parnelli in 1975, but after a little over two seasons and no real success the team withdrew from Formula One.

He signed with Lotus for the remainder of the season and, by the end of the year, was beginning to achieve some good results including a win at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix.

[7] The decisive victory came at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, but the race also saw the death of teammate Ronnie Peterson after a crash at the start.

Hill's win at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix secured the drivers' title for the American but, after passing the chequered flag and returning to the pits, he discovered that his close rival had died in an accident during the race.

[10] The collision between von Trips and Jim Clark's Lotus also killed 15 spectators – Hill's victory coincided with the worst tragedy in Formula One history.

[11] During his Formula One career Hill started 48 races and won just three events, the joint lowest of any world champion alongside Briton Mike Hawthorn.

Between 1961 and 1965 Gurney drove for three teams and was classified in the top six in the drivers' championship on each occasion, but he would never get higher than fourth in the title race.

He made a guest appearance for Tyrrell at the 1971 United States Grand Prix and, though he did not finish the race, he impressed enough to be signed for McLaren for the following season.

While testing for the 1974 South African Grand Prix the front suspension of Revson's car failed, sending him into the barriers with fatal results.