Many current Formula 1 drivers haven’t confined themselves to grands prix — several have competed in other high-profile categories. Below is a summary of notable examples.
Fernando Alonso – IndyCar, WEC
Alonso famously skipped the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix to contest the Indianapolis 500. He reached the Fast Nine, qualified fifth and led several stints before an engine failure ended his bid. He also joined Toyota for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 2018/19 Super Season, winning the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans and the WEC title alongside Kazuki Nakajima and Sébastien Buemi. During his two-year hiatus from F1 he returned to the Indy 500 in 2019 and 2020, won the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and even attempted the Dakar Rally before rejoining F1 with Alpine in 2021.
Nico Hülkenberg – Le Mans
Hülkenberg added an iconic endurance win to his résumé when Porsche ran a third car at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans. After competing in the 6 Hours of Spa, he co-drove the No. 19 Porsche with Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber, completing 395 laps to take victory — Porsche’s first Le Mans win since 1998.
Lance Stroll – Daytona 24 Hours
Stroll made his Daytona 24 Hours debut in 2016 prior to his F3 title campaign and returned to the race in 2018 following his rookie F1 season. Driving the Jackie Chan DC Racing/JOTA entry with Dani Juncadella, Felix Rosenqvist and Robin Frijns, the car qualified sixth but suffered issues during the race and finished outside the top 10. He has not returned to Daytona since.
Valtteri Bottas – Arctic Rally
Late in his Mercedes tenure Bottas explored rallying, contesting multiple editions of the Arctic Lapland Rally in a Citroën DS3 WRC. He scored top-10 finishes, claimed a stage win on debut and, at an event that included stages at Paul Ricard, won five of nine stages to take overall victory by roughly 50 seconds. More recently he has taken up gravel cycling events, including competing in the UCI Gravel World Championship in 2024.
Alex Albon – DTM
While serving as Red Bull’s test and reserve driver during his time away from an F1 race seat, Albon stayed race-fit by contesting DTM with AF Corse in a Ferrari 488 alongside Liam Lawson. He raced all but the final round, scored a win at the Nürburgring and finished sixth in the championship before returning to the F1 grid with Williams in 2022.
Max Verstappen – GT3
Verstappen has long shown an interest in GT racing, running outings in GT3 machinery and testing at the Nürburgring under the alias “Franz Hermann.” He entered an NLS event to secure a permit and took part in the ninth round in a Ferrari 296 GT3 for Emil Frey Racing alongside Chris Lulham; Verstappen built a large lead and Lulham converted it into the race victory. Verstappen is also scheduled to contest the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May 2026, between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.
These examples show how modern F1 drivers sometimes broaden their horizons — testing other cars, formats and challenges — while balancing commitments on the world’s premier open-wheel stage.