6 drivers who starred in other racing series whilst still active in Formula 1

With four World Championships to his name, Max Verstappen has already etched his name into the F1 history books – but this has not dented the Dutchman’s desire for success, both in Formula 1 and in the wider world of motorsport.

Alongside racing in the 2026 championship, Verstappen is adding another string to his bow this year by competing in the Nurburgring 24 Hours during May, following on from the victory he claimed on his GT3 debut at the Nurburgring Nordschleife last September.

The Red Bull man is not the only driver to experience success in other categories whilst still active in Formula 1, with the names below having also taken a break from their F1 duties to enjoy a star turn in another racing series…

Fernando Alonso

For a recent example of an F1 racer who turned their hand to other series – and did so with success – look no further than Fernando Alonso.

During 2018 – a season that would prove to be the final of his four-year second stint with McLaren in Formula 1 – Alonso also competed in the World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing, joining forces with ex-F1 drivers Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima.

The team immediately hit the ground running, taking victory at the opening round of the campaign – the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – before following this up with a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Alonso and the squad would go on to clinch the Drivers’ Championship and the LMP1 Championship, while the Spaniard went on to score a second Le Mans triumph in 2019 during his two-year hiatus from F1.

The two-time World Champion has also tried his hand at other categories and events, including the Indianapolis 500 – but victory there has so far eluded him, meaning that he is still one win away from sealing the Triple Crown of Motorsport (which consists of triumphing in the Indy 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans and F1 Monaco Grand Prix).

Graham Hill

Speaking of the Triple Crown, only one name has achieved this to date. Graham Hill remains the sole recipient of the accolade, with his wins in the Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans occurring whilst his extensive F1 career was still ongoing.

After making his Formula 1 debut in 1958, Hill took the first of his 14 wins in 1962 – but his debut Monaco victory came in 1963, marking one of the five triumphs he claimed at the venue which earned him the nickname of ‘Mr Monaco’.

The Briton sealed two World Championships in 1962 and 1968 respectively – and it was in-between these events that he won the 1966 Indianapolis 500, triumphing on his rookie appearance.

Hill’s last win in Formula 1 occurred at Monaco – where else? – in 1969, with his subsequent years in the sport failing to recapture his earlier success. However, a further victory would come at the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Hill won alongside Henri Pescarolo in a Matra 670.

In the years that followed, Hill would continue to compete in F1, founding and racing for his own team, Embassy Hill Racing. The two-time World Champion retired in 1975 whilst continuing to run the outfit, before his tragic death in a plane crash later that year.

Jacky Ickx

Unlike Hill, Jacky Ickx did not achieve a World Championship during his time in Formula 1 – but the eight-time race winner did pair his F1 career with success in other categories, particularly at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ickx made his F1 debut in 1966, going on to claim a maiden victory at the 1968 French Grand Prix for Ferrari. While the last of his wins came in 1972, the Belgian driver’s long career in Formula 1 saw him continue to race until 1979.

Alongside this, Ickx competed in other categories over the years, including the World Sportscar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and it was in the latter that he earned a particularly impressive record, winning the event four times whilst still active in F1.

Following the end of his time in Formula 1, there was further success for Ickx at the endurance event, with two more victories in 1981 and 1982, making him the second most successful driver at Le Mans behind nine-time winner Tom Kristensen.

In addition, Ickx also won the shortened 1972 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Mario Andretti (more on whom later), while he went on to score titles in the World Sportscar Championship in 1982 and 1983 during his post-F1 years.

Nico Hulkenberg

For many years, Nico Hulkenberg famously held the unwanted record of completing the most Formula 1 starts without standing on a podium – a statistic he finally shook off by clinching third place at the 2025 British Grand Prix.

However, the German driver did not have to go entirely without tasting the champagne during his F1 career up until that point, having dovetailed his 2015 season with two appearances in the World Endurance Championship – with one resulting in a Le Mans victory.

On a weekend where he was not driving for Force India in Formula 1, Hulkenberg competed at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps for Porsche alongside Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy, where the team finished in sixth place.

Better was to come at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans, where – on another F1-free weekend – Hulkenberg and his team mates drove to victory, marking a maiden win at the event for rookies Hulkenberg and Bamber.

“I enjoyed every moment,” Hulkenberg reflected afterwards. “These cars are great fun to drive and then to be on a huge track like this one. The pace was really high, and not what you would expect from endurance racing.”

Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti remains only one of two American racers to win the F1 World Championship, with his triumph in 1978 marking the last time to date that a driver from the United States claimed the title.

But Formula 1 was not the only category where Andretti experienced success, having also earned accolades in other categories along the way. After triumphing in the likes of the USAC Championship Car on home turf, Andretti made a remarkable F1 debut in 1968, immediately qualifying his Lotus 49 on pole at Watkins Glen.

While that race ended in retirement owing to a car issue, Andretti continued to make sporadic appearances in Formula 1 across the proceeding years – whilst still experiencing glory elsewhere, including a triumph at the Indianapolis 500 and another USAC Championship Car win in 1969, plus victory in the 1972 24 Hours of Daytona alongside the aforementioned Jacky Ickx.

Even after embarking on his first full-time F1 season with the Parnelli team in 1975, the American still raced in other categories along the way – before his partnership with Lotus delivered his sole World Championship in 1978, which would also prove to be Lotus’ last.

After retiring from the sport in 1982, Andretti kept on racing in the likes of IndyCar and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, leading to a championship triumph in the former during the 1974 season.

Jim Clark

Not many drivers have experienced wins in other categories at the same time as standing on the top step in Formula 1 – but Jim Clark did just that, becoming the only person to date to triumph in the Indianapolis 500 in the same year as claiming the F1 World Championship.

Clark claimed his debut Formula 1 title in 1963, a year in which he also entered the Indy 500 for the first time. On that occasion the Scot finished second, but his chances of victory one year on looked strong when he secured pole position.

It was again not to be, with Clark forced to retire on Lap 47 due to a suspension issue. However, 1965 brought better fortune for the British driver, who lined up in second place for the event before taking his first Indy 500 triumph.

This would prove to be a prosperous year for Clark, who also scored his second Formula 1 World Championship – with the victories in both series occurring at the wheel of a Lotus machine. Each success marked another highlight in a glittering career.

Clark did not claim either accolade again in the years that followed, the Scot’s life tragically cut short when he was killed in an accident at an F2 race held at Germany’s Hockenheim circuit in 1968.