As teammates — same car
Race finishesahead
Qualifyingahead
Niki Lauda · John Watson
Qualifying compares starting grid position, which covers every era — it includes any grid penalties.
Race H2H
71
—
46
117 shared
Qualifying H2H
93
—
23
116 shared
Championship record
3
World titles
0
1
Runner-up
0
4
Top-3 finishes
1
P1
Best championship
P3
Finished ahead in the standings:
4 · 3
1974
P4
1976
P2
1977
P1
1978
P4
1979
P9
1982
P3
1983
P6
Teammate battle by season
9
7
1978
8
6
1982
7
7
1983
Career totals
Niki Lauda
John Watson
Championships
3
0
Wins
25
5
Poles
24
2
Podiums
54
20
Fastest laps
0
0
Career points
420.5
169
Starts
173
152
Rate-adjusted · per start
Niki Lauda
John Watson
Win rate
14.5%
3.3%
Podium rate
31.2%
13.2%
Pole rate
13.9%
1.3%
Points / start
2.4
1.1
Avg grid
P8.4
P11.9
Avg finish
P10.8
P11.5
Finish rate
56.1%
61.2%
Rates reward peak form; totals reward longevity. Avg grid/finish: lower is better.
Why they retired
Niki Lauda
John Watson
Mechanical retirements
54
43
Crash retirements
19
13
Classified from the finishing status. Mechanical covers car failures, crash covers accidents, collisions and damage — fewer is better on both.
Retirements with an unclear cause: 3 · 3
Milestones & racecraft
1971
Debut season
1973
1974 · aged 25
First win
1976 · aged 30
1974
First pole
1977
1975 · aged 26
First title
—
P1
Best finish
P1
-2.3
Avg places gained
+0.4
Season points trajectory
Niki Lauda
John Watson
Final points each season — scoring systems changed over the eras.
Track by track
| Circuit | Niki Lauda | John Watson |
|---|---|---|
| W · Pod · Best | W · Pod · Best | |
| W · Pod · Best W · Pod · Best | ||
| Circuit Park Zandvoort | 3 · 6 · P1 | 0 · 1 · P3 |
| Niki Lauda 3 · 6 · P1 0 · 1 · P3 John Watson | ||
| Brands Hatch | 3 · 4 · P1 | 0 · 2 · P3 |
| Niki Lauda 3 · 4 · P1 0 · 2 · P3 John Watson | ||
| Kyalami | 3 · 3 · P1 | 0 · 1 · P3 |
| Niki Lauda 3 · 3 · P1 0 · 1 · P3 John Watson | ||
| Zolder | 2 · 3 · P1 | 1 · 1 · P1 |
| Niki Lauda 2 · 3 · P1 1 · 1 · P1 John Watson | ||
| Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | 2 · 4 · P1 | 0 · 1 · P2 |
| Niki Lauda 2 · 4 · P1 0 · 1 · P2 John Watson | ||
| Long Beach | 1 · 4 · P1 | 1 · 1 · P1 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 4 · P1 1 · 1 · P1 John Watson | ||
| Circuit de Monaco | 2 · 4 · P1 | 0 · 0 · P4 |
| Niki Lauda 2 · 4 · P1 0 · 0 · P4 John Watson | ||
| Red Bull Ring | 1 · 2 · P1 | 1 · 1 · P1 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 2 · P1 1 · 1 · P1 John Watson | ||
| Scandinavian Raceway | 2 · 3 · P1 | 0 · 0 · P5 |
| Niki Lauda 2 · 3 · P1 0 · 0 · P5 John Watson | ||
| Dijon-Prenois | 1 · 3 · P1 | 0 · 2 · P2 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 3 · P1 0 · 2 · P2 John Watson | ||
| Jarama | 1 · 2 · P1 | 0 · 1 · P3 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 2 · P1 0 · 1 · P3 John Watson | ||
| Watkins Glen | 1 · 2 · P1 | 0 · 0 · P5 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 2 · P1 0 · 0 · P5 John Watson | ||
| Circuit Paul Ricard | 1 · 1 · P1 | 0 · 1 · P3 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 1 · P1 0 · 1 · P3 John Watson | ||
| Silverstone Circuit | 0 · 1 · P2 | 1 · 1 · P1 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 1 · P2 1 · 1 · P1 John Watson | ||
| Autódromo José Carlos Pace | 1 · 2 · P1 | 0 · 0 · P8 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 2 · P1 0 · 0 · P8 John Watson | ||
| Hockenheimring | 1 · 2 · P1 | 0 · 0 · P5 |
| Niki Lauda 1 · 2 · P1 0 · 0 · P5 John Watson | ||
| Detroit Street Circuit | 0 · 0 · P13 | 1 · 2 · P1 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 0 · P13 1 · 2 · P1 John Watson | ||
| Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez | 0 · 2 · P2 | 0 · 1 · P3 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 2 · P2 0 · 1 · P3 John Watson | ||
| Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | 0 · 1 · P2 | 0 · 2 · P2 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 1 · P2 0 · 2 · P2 John Watson | ||
| Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet | 0 · 2 · P2 | 0 · 1 · P2 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 2 · P2 0 · 1 · P2 John Watson | ||
| Nürburgring | 0 · 1 · P3 | 0 · 0 · P7 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 1 · P3 0 · 0 · P7 John Watson | ||
| Nivelles-Baulers | 0 · 1 · P2 | 0 · 0 · P11 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 1 · P2 0 · 0 · P11 John Watson | ||
| Las Vegas Street Circuit | 0 · 0 · — | 0 · 1 · P2 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 0 · — 0 · 1 · P2 John Watson | ||
| Mosport International Raceway | 0 · 0 · P8 | 0 · 0 · P10 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 0 · P8 0 · 0 · P10 John Watson | ||
| Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | 0 · 0 · P4 | 0 · 0 · P5 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 0 · P4 0 · 0 · P5 John Watson | ||
| Montjuïc | 0 · 0 · — | 0 · 0 · P8 |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 0 · — 0 · 0 · P8 John Watson | ||
| Fuji Speedway | 0 · 0 · — | 0 · 0 · — |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 0 · — 0 · 0 · — John Watson | ||
| Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | 0 · 0 · — | 0 · 0 · — |
| Niki Lauda 0 · 0 · — 0 · 0 · — John Watson | ||
Team history
Niki Lauda
March-Ford 1971March 1972BRM 1973Ferrari 1974–1977Brabham 1978Brabham-Ford 1979Brabham-Alfa Romeo 1979McLaren 1982–1985
John Watson
Brabham 1973–1974Team Lotus 1975Surtees 1975Penske 1975–1976Brabham 1977–1978McLaren 1979–1983McLaren 1985
19711985
Basis
Head-to-head counts races where both drivers were classified, compared by final position (post-penalty). Teammate section counts only seasons in the same car. Career totals mirror the source data. Data: Jolpica-F1 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).