Ronnie Peterson is a racing driver from Sweden who last raced in Formula 1 for Team Lotus. Peterson has recorded 10 wins and 26 podiums from 123 starts.[1]
A Racer Rating of 5,168 ranks Peterson 261th of 15,348 indexed drivers, on an Elo scale where the strongest reach the low five figures. It is built from every indexed race in the driver's file, decayed for time since their last race.
| 1978-09-10 | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | DNF | −113 |
| 1978-08-27 | Circuit Park Zandvoort | P2 | +124 |
| 1978-08-13 | Red Bull Ring | P1 | +144 |
| 1978-07-30 | Hockenheimring | DNF | −12 |
| 1978-07-16 | Brands Hatch | DNF | −164 |
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | DNFs | Poles | Points | Pos | Gain/Loss | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | ▸Formula 1 | Team Lotus | 14 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 51 | P2 | +840 | 5,535 |
| 1977 | ▸Formula 1 | Tyrrell | 17 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 7 | P14 | −229 | 4,695 |
| 1976 | ▸Formula 1 | March | 16 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 10 | P11 | −660 | 4,924 |
| 1975 | ▸Formula 1 | Team Lotus | 14 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | P12 | −477 | 5,584 |
| 1974 | ▸Formula 1 | Team Lotus | 15 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 35 | P5 | +61 | 6,061 |
| 1973 | ▸Formula 1 | Team Lotus | 15 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 52 | P3 | +102 | 5,999 |
| 1972 | ▸Formula 1 | March | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | P9 | +291 | 5,897 |
| 1971 | ▸Formula 1 | March-Ford | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 33 | P2 | +780 | 5,606 |
| 1970 | ▸Formula 1 | March | 9 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | P26 | +26 | 4,826 |
| Rival | Rating | Raced | Ahead | Behind | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇷 Emerson Fittipaldi | 3,999 | 43 | 18 | 25 | 42% |
| 🇨🇭 Clay Regazzoni | 5,253 | 41 | 18 | 23 | 44% |
| 🇦🇷 Carlos Reutemann | 5,765 | 37 | 22 | 15 | 59% |
| 🇦🇹 Niki Lauda | 5,364 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 39% |
| 🇧🇪 Jacky Ickx | 4,915 | 31 | 20 | 11 | 65% |
| 🇳🇿 Denny Hulme | 5,522 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 50% |
| 🇿🇦 Jody Scheckter | 5,599 | 27 | 14 | 13 | 52% |
| 🇫🇷 Patrick Depailler | 5,068 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 54% |
| 🇺🇸 Mario Andretti | 4,978 | 25 | 5 | 20 | 20% |
| 🇬🇧 Graham Hill | 5,097 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 75% |
Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish Formula 1 driver who raced between 1970 and 1978, accumulating 123 starts, 10 wins, and 26 podium finishes across nine seasons. Primarily associated with Team Lotus, he twice finished runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship, in 1971 and 1978, the latter season seeing him claim 2 wins and 7 podiums across 14 rounds. Peterson's Racer Rating of 5,168 places him among the stronger drivers of his era, occupying the upper-middle tier of professional single-seater racing; his average classified finish of sixth position reflects the strength of the field he competed in.[1]
Peterson's competitive record against his era's elite drivers reveals a career of consistent contention against the very best. He held a winning head-to-head record against Carlos Reutemann, finishing ahead of him 22 times across 37 shared races, and beat Jackie Stewart 8 times despite Stewart being a three-time champion; Peterson also accumulated 14 results ahead of Jody Scheckter across their races together. However, the same seasons show Patterson consistently outfinished by slightly stronger peers; he finished behind Niki Lauda 22 times in 36 meetings and behind Fittipaldi 25 times in 43 shared races. Against Denny Hulme, a former champion, he managed an even 15-15 head-to-head split, underscoring the calibre of professional competition in which he competed throughout his career.[2]
Peterson's final season in 1978 demonstrated his sustained competitiveness at the highest level, securing a second runner-up championship finish that reflected his standing as a front-ranking Formula 1 professional throughout the decade. His record of 10 Grand Prix victories across nine seasons, achieved primarily within Lotus' competitive framework, positions him among the era's productive race winners despite his failure to convert either championship opportunity into a title.