Previous to Oliver Bearman, the final time a driver raced with two completely different groups in a single yr was when George Russell changed Lewis Hamilton – who was affected by COVID-19 – on the Sakhir GP after being drafted from his Williams seat.
Bearman has climbed behind the wheels of each the Ferrari and the Haas through the 2024 season as a part of his reserve driver position. The then-18-year-old made his F1 debut on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with Ferrari after Carlos Sainz grew to become unwell with appendicitis. As Ferrari’s reserve driver he was set to compete within the System 2 race on the occasion, taking pole in F2 earlier than his last-minute F1 call-up. His seventh-place end earned him his first profession F1 factors, and positioned him tenth within the standings on the time.
Six months later he was again in an F1 automobile when he was referred to as in to switch Kevin Magnussen on the Azerbaijan GP. The Dane had been handed a one-race ban after acquiring 12 penalty points on his superlicence, making him the first driver in F1 history to receive the punishment. Bearman pulled off one other spectacular show in Baku, ending tenth and scoring one additional profession level. After crossing the road, the 19-year-old grew to become the primary driver to have scored factors for 2 completely different groups in his first two races.
Bearman has joined a small group of drivers who’ve raced for 2 groups in a single season.
Though it’s uncommon, various drivers have made a mid-season change – with some groups even forcing a driver change. Right here’s all the pieces to find out about drivers who’ve raced for a number of groups in a single yr.
F1 world champions who’ve switched groups mid-season
Max Verstappen – Toro Rosso to Pink Bull – 2016
Max Verstappen had accomplished simply 4 races of his second F1 season when he was moved from Toro Rosso to Pink Bull in 2016. The Dutchman was promoted following a tough begin to the season from Pink Bull’s Daniil Kvyat. After an incident at first of the Russian GP the place Kvyat had crashed into the rear of Sebastian Vettel, the Russian driver was demoted – though group principal Christian Horner claimed this was not the only cause for the choice.

Christian Horner, Crew Principal, Pink Bull Racing, Daniel Ricciardo, Pink Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, 1st Place, and the Pink Bull group have fun his first and file breaking F1 win
Photograph by: Andrew Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Verstappen made his Pink Bull debut on the 2016 Spanish GP and impressively took the win, aided by each the Mercedes drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg – crashing into one another on the primary lap. This was the one race of the season which didn’t function a Mercedes driver on the rostrum. In taking his win, Verstappen grew to become the youngest ever race winner, the youngest driver to take a podium end and the youngest to steer a lap of a race, at 18 years and 288 days outdated – information all taken from Sebastian Vettel who beforehand held them in 2008 aged 21 years and 74 days outdated.
The choice proved fruitful for Pink Bull, who’ve retained Verstappen ever since. The Dutchman has claimed 61 wins, an extra 48 podiums, and three drivers’ championships with the group, in addition to aiding them to constructors’ championship victories in 2022 and 2023 – the group’s first since their 4 consecutive wins between 2010 and 2013.
Sebastian Vettel – BMW Sauber to Toro Rosso – 2007
Sebastian Vettel made his F1 debut for BMW Sauber on the 2007 United States GP when he was referred to as as much as exchange Robert Kubica. The Polish driver had suffered a horrendous crash on the earlier Canadian GP and though he was not badly injured, was changed as a precaution after he was recognized with concussion and a sprained ankle. Vettel – who was the group’s take a look at driver – climbed into the automobile for the race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and completed the race in eighth place.
He was later signed by Toro Rosso and 4 races after his debut, was again on the grid for the 2007 Hungarian GP. Vettel accomplished the ultimate seven races of the season, though was plagued with three retirements and three non-point scoring performances. Regardless of qualifying twelfth for the 2007 Chinese language GP, Vettel was hit with a five-place grid penalty after impeding Heikki Kovalainen in qualifying. The German pulled off a formidable feat when he climbed up the grid to fourth, simply lacking out on a podium end.
Michael Schumacher – Jordan to Benetton – 1991
Michael Schumacher made his debut for Jordan on the 1991 Belgian GP after Bertrand Gachot was imprisoned. The Belgian-French driver had been handed a two-month jail sentence for an altercation with a London taxi driver, inflicting him to overlook 5 races earlier than the season finale in Australia. Mercedes-Benz reportedly paid Jordan $150,000 for giving their junior driver expertise, with Schumacher qualifying seventh on his debut. The nice begin was to be instantly undone although, as he retired on the opening lap with clutch failure.
Though he was contracted to complete the season with the group, he then signed with Benetton for the next Italian GP. Jordan utilized for an injunction to cease the transfer however with the ultimate contract unsigned, they misplaced the case and Schumacher was free to maneuver.
He accomplished the ultimate 5 races of the 1991 season with Benetton, taking three factors finishes earlier than retirements within the final two races. Schumacher stayed with Benetton for 4 extra seasons, taking his first two championship victories with the group in 1994 and 1995.

Michael Schumacher, Jordan 191 Ford
Photograph by: Ercole Colombo
F1 drivers to have competed for 2 groups in a single season
Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly – Pink Bull and Toro Rosso – 2019
Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly each raced for Pink Bull and Toro Rosso through the 2019 season when Pink Bull determined to swap their drivers. Gasly accomplished the primary 12 races of the yr with the senior group, while Albon competed for Toro Rosso. The Frenchman was sat in sixth place within the championship with 63 factors,whereas team-mate Verstappen had scored practically 3 times the factors with 181. Pink Bull determined through the summer time break to swap their drivers, stating that they’d “use the following 9 races to judge Alex’s efficiency” and make a “determination as to who will drive alongside Max in 2020”.
Albon persistently scored extra factors than Gasly over the past 9 races of the 2019 season – albeit within the higher automobile – though the Toro Rosso driver took his first F1 podium on the Brazilian GP after Albon on Hamilton misplaced locations once they made contact after the lap 70 security automobile restart.
Gasly remained with the renamed AlphaTauri till the top of 2022, taking one win – the 2020 Italian GP – and an extra podium on the 2021 Azerbaijan GP. Albon was dropped by Pink Bull on the finish of the 2020 season, demoting him to their take a look at and reserve driver after he struggled to compete with team-mate Verstappen. Albon later signed for Williams for the next season the place he has remained.
Carlos Sainz – Toro Rosso to Renault – 2017
After beginning his third season with Toro Rosso (2017), Carlos Sainz revealed that it was “unlikely” that he would stay with the group for the next yr. It was later introduced that he would exchange Jolyon Palmer at Renault in 2018, along with his transfer introduced ahead to the ultimate 4 races of the 2017 season. Palmer had struggled with a tough season, taking one top-10 end on the Singapore GP. It was that weekend that the Brit had came upon he was being changed from america GP onwards, revealing that he came upon after his brother despatched him an Autosport article, which pressured him to confront Renault group principal Cyril Abiteboul.
Sainz completed 2017 with Renault, though he confronted two retirements and only one top-ten end within the 4 races.
Giancarlo Fisichella – Pressure India to Ferrari – 2009
Throughout his closing season in System 1, Giancarlo Fisichella was competing with Pressure India. He scored the group’s first pole place on the 2009 Belgian GP, ultimately taking second place within the race to take the group’s first factors and podium end, behind Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari.
On the race in Spa, there was rising hypothesis that the Italian would exchange Luca Badoer, who was introduced in to switch injured Felipe Massa. Badoer had struggled with the automobile, with Martin Brundle telling The Sunday Instances that having him race was harmful, as he had not been in a position to achieve the required expertise to race following a ban to additional testing having been put in place. Over the two-week break between races, Fisichella confirmed he would drive for Ferrari at his dwelling race in Italy and for the rest of the season. Massa returned to the group at first of 2010 and Fisichella grew to become Ferrari’s reserve driver till he was changed by Jules Bianchi in 2011.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen – Jordan to Prost (2001) and Arrows to Sauber (2002)
Heinz-Harald Frentzen made mid-season modifications in each the 2001 and 2002 season, after an unfortunate run for the German. Frentzen began the 2001 season with Jordan, describing the automobile after pre-season testing as the most effective automobile he’d ever pushed. Nevertheless, tensions started to rise when he was out-qualified by team-mate Jarno Trulli at 9 out of the primary 10 races. Following 4 retirements and pulling out of the Canadian GP as a consequence of poor well being, Frentzen was fired after the German GP. In the meantime, at Prost, Jean Alesi had a fallout with the group following the British GP, which led to his sacking from the group. Team boss Alain Prost later described the behaviour of the Frenchman as “childish”.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Prost Acer AP04
Photograph by: Sutton Pictures
Alesi moved to Jordan to switch the sacked Frentzen, with the German then taking the empty Prost seat – basically that means the 2 drivers swapped seats. Frentzen confronted two additional retirements on the Hungarian and Italian GPs however certified a formidable fourth on the Belgian GP, earlier than the group collapsed as a consequence of money owed of $30 million. Alesi scored his closing F1 factors at that Belgian GP and had three additional top-ten finishes within the final 5 races of the 2001 season (factors solely being awarded to sixth on the time).
The next yr Frentzen made one other mid-season change after beginning the yr with Arrows. Frentzen was let go from a debt-riddled Arrows after dealing with an unsure future and missed the following three races while he appeared for a seat. He was later signed to switch Massa at Sauber for the 2002 United States GP after the Brazilian was given a ten-place grid penalty for inflicting a collision with Pedro de la Rosa on lap 15 of the earlier Italian GP. Regardless of the one-off look for the group in 2002, Frentzen then signed with Sauber for 2003, taking a podium end at america GP.
Mika Salo – BAR to Ferrari – 1999
Mika Salo began the 1999 season and not using a seat, earlier than being signed to BAR after Ricardo Zonta injured his foot throughout observe for the Brazilian GP. Zonta missed three races, permitting Salo to race. The Finn scored the group’s highest results of the yr when he completed seventh on the San Marino GP.
Simply three races later, Schumacher broke his leg on the British GP and Salo joined Ferrari for the next six races. Throughout his second race with the group – the German GP – Salo was main the race earlier than Ferrari despatched the orders to permit team-mate Eddie Irvine to go. The Northern Irish driver was locked in a championship battle with Mika Hakkinen however repaid the favour to Salo on the following race when he handed the Finn his victory trophy. Salo took one additional podium end in Monza, ending third forward of his team-mate.
Jarno Trulli – Minardi to Prost (1997) and Renault to Toyota (2004)
Jarno Trulli’s first mid-season group change got here throughout his debut season in 1997. The Italian began his profession with Minardi, competing within the first seven races of the yr. On the Canadian GP, Prost’s Olivier Panis broke each his legs after a high-speed crash on lap 54, which noticed the race finish early. Panis was unable to race for the following seven races and Trulli was introduced in to compete for the group. Trulli placed on a formidable show, ending fourth on the German GP and in addition main the Austrian GP, earlier than dropping again into second and ultimately retiring from an engine failure.
Trulli then joined Renault in 2002 and in 2004 out-performed his team-mate Fernando Alonso through the early levels of the yr, together with a third-place end in Spain and his one profession win at Monaco. Nevertheless, his relationship with group boss Flavio Briatore started to pressure and errors through the races started to anger the group. Trulli’s final factors of the yr got here on the French GP regardless of making a mistake on the ultimate nook, permitting Rubens Barrichello to take the ultimate podium place and shedding Renault a double dwelling podium.
Trulli confronted two retirements in his closing 5 races with the group and was unable to complete larger than ninth within the different three. Following the German GP, Trulli announced that he would be leaving Renault on the finish of the season however just two months later he was fired and was changed with Jacques Villeneuve. Trulli was set to affix Toyota in 2005 however after being fired early from Renault the Japanese group allowed him to race on the Japanese and Chinese language GPs to switch Ricardo Zonta.

Race winner Jarno Trulli, Renault F1 Crew
Photograph by: Sutton Pictures
JJ Lehto – Benetton to Sauber – 1994
JJ Lehto was set to compete with team-mate Schumacher at Benetton for the 1994 season however injured his neck in pre-season testing. He missed the primary two races of the yr earlier than getting behind the wheel for the San Marino GP. He took half in 4 races however was changed once more by Jos Verstappen after Benetton retested Lehto and it was determined he had not totally healed from his earlier damage.
The Finn briefly returned for the Italian and Portuguese GPs after Schumacher was given a two-race ban on the British GP for over-taking Damon Hill on the formation lap. Lehto was totally launched from the group following the races, which noticed him signal with Sauber for the ultimate two races of 1994 after the group have been unable to get Andrea de Cesaris to proceed his stand in for the injured Karl Wendlinger.
Andrea de Cesaris – Jordan and Sauber – 1994
De Cesaris began the 1994 season and not using a seat however discovered himself racing on the San Marino and European GPs after Eddie Irvine was served a three-race suspension after inflicting a four-car crash on the season opener in Brazil. He retired from his first race in Italy however completed simply out of the rostrum locations on the following Monaco GP.
Wendlinger was injured on the Monaco GP after shedding management of the Sauber as he left the tunnel. He crashed into the obstacles and was in a coma for a number of weeks – leading to him not returning for the rest of the yr. De Cesaris was introduced in to cowl the injured Austrian for the following 9 races earlier than he was changed by Lehto.
Roberto Moreno – Benetton to Jordan to Minardi – 1991
Roberto Moreno had joined Benetton for the ultimate two races of the 1990 season, impressing bosses with a second-place end throughout his debut race with the group. His efficiency earned him a seat for 1991, nonetheless he struggled to compete with team-mate Nelson Piquet and was sitting 5 championship locations behind the man Brazilian. Regardless of ending simply behind his team-mate and fourth on the 1991 Belgian GP, he was dropped for Schumacher – who was set to make his debut with Jordan on the following race weekend.
Consequently, Moreno took Schumacher’s place at Jordan however was changed after simply two races by Alex Zanardi. In an uncommon flip of occasions – and after being changed twice already within the season – Moreno returned to System 1 to compete with Minardi. The group have been pressured to discover a driver for the ultimate race of the yr in Australia after Gianni Morbidelli was moved to Ferrari after the group fired Alain Prost after he publicly criticised the automobile, referring to it as a “truck”
What occurs to profession factors if a driver modifications groups mid-season?
Drivers’ and constructors’ championship factors are classed as two separate entities. This implies if a driver strikes groups in a season they’ll maintain their championship factors, and their groups may even maintain any factors. A driver will then accrue extra factors with their new group and the group will achieve factors from their new driver.