F1 Drivers With The Longest Careers

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In high-performance sports, age is everything. Professional athletes have very short sporting careers, just a decade and a bit, because the level at which they have to perform is so high, and it is very difficult to maintain it for a long time, especially as you get older.

In recent decades, due to scientific improvements and the better care to which athletes are exposed, their sporting careers tend to lengthen. Formula 1 is no exception, and more and more drivers are lasting longer in the category while performing at a high level.

At the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso became the driver with the longest racing career in Formula 1 history, 21 years, 3 months, and 8 days after his first appearance at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. It is an impressive record, although there are drivers who are not far behind the Spaniard. Read on to find out who is the Formula 1 driver with the longest career.

1. Fernando Alonso

Seasons: 19 and counting (2001, 2003-2018, 2021-present)

Entries: 358

Starts: 355

Fernando Alonso made his Formula 1 debut in 2001 with the backmarker Minardi team at the age of 19, and his good performances earned him a seat with Renault in 2003. With the French team, the Spaniard lived his most golden years in the category, succeeding the legendary Michael Schumacher and winning the 2005 and 2006 titles, being the youngest world champion up to that moment.

In 2007, Alonso raced with McLaren, where his great rivalry with Hamilton made him last only one season in the team, and after 2 uncompetitive years with Renault, the Spaniard signed in 2010 for Ferrari. With the Prancing Horse, he drove until 2014, forging a great rivalry with Sebastian Vettel and being runner-up in 2010, 2012, and 2013, with very inferior cars, which he outperformed.

After Ferrari, Alonso returned to McLaren in its new alliance with Honda, which turned out to be a disaster, and after 4 uncompetitive seasons, the Spaniard retired from Formula 1 to try new categories. Alonso returned to the category in 2021 with Alpine (formerly Renault) in search of the long-awaited third title and scored his first podium since 2014, proving that he was still at the highest level.

2022 has not been the best year for Alpine, and Alonso, who continues to surprise us on the track, has signed for Aston Martin for 2023. With 2 championships, 32 victories, 98 podiums, and 22 pole positions, the Spaniard is undoubtedly one of the best drivers in history, although the numbers do not do him justice, as he has always had cars inferior to his talent.

2. Kimi Räikkönen

Seasons: 19 (2001-2009, 2012-2021)

Entries: 353

Starts: 349

Finland\’s Kimi Räikkönen made his debut alongside Alonso in 2001 with Sauber and soon established himself as one of the best drivers of his generation, signing for McLaren in 2002 and achieving his first podiums. The McLarens of that time were very fast but tremendously unreliable, and the Finn, who got the most out of his car, accumulated many retirements that caused him to lose many points.

Räikkönen was runner-up in 2003 and 2005, and we can say that in his prime, he was one of the fastest drivers in history. In 2007 he signed for Ferrari, and the Finn took advantage of McLaren\’s drama to win the title quietly, moving to the Olympus of Formula 1 drivers. In 2009 he retired from Formula 1 to try his luck in rallying and returned to the category in 2012 with Lotus.

In 2 seasons with Lotus, the Finn scored 2 victories and 14 podiums, and after that, he returned to Ferrari. In 5 seasons with the Italians, Räikkönen accumulated numerous podiums, and at the 2018 United States Grand Prix, he scored one last victory, being the only driver in history with a gap between his first and last victory over 15 years.

3 more seasons in the midfield with Alfa Romeo, and \”The Iceman\” retired from F1 in 2021, being the driver with the longest sporting career, to be beaten in 2022 by Alonso. Räikkönen was one of the most popular drivers, not only for his ability on the track but also for his peculiar personality that left no one indifferent.

3. Rubens Barrichello

Seasons: 19 (1993-2011)

Entries: 326

Starts: 322

Rubens Barrichello is the only driver in the top 7 with the longest sporting career who does not have a world championship. The Brazilian made his debut in 1993 with Jordan, a midfield team at the time, and soon made a name for himself in the category, scoring a podium in 1994 and another in 1995.

After 6 seasons with the midfield and unreliable cars, getting some occasional podiums, Barrichello\’s big break came in 2000, when he signed for Ferrari, in its heyday. Barrichello was never at the level of his teammate, Michael Schumacher, who won 5 titles in 5 consecutive seasons, but the Brazilian was a great second driver to the German and delivered what the team needed.

Barrichello was runner-up in 2002 and 2004 and third in 2001, achieving consistent podiums and some victories. After Ferrari, Barrichello signed for Honda, which was in full decline, but after Ross Brawn\’s purchase of the team, they surprisingly had a winning car in 2009.

Again, Barrichello was Button’s second driver, who won the title. The Brazilian took 2 wins and 4 podiums and was third in the championship. 2 more seasons at Williams and the Brazilian retired from F1 in 2011 as the driver with the longest racing career to date, characterized by his great consistency.

4. Lewis Hamilton

Seasons: 16 and counting (2007-present)

Entries: 310

Starts: 310

Lewis Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut in 2007 with McLaren at the age of 22, and since then, he has remained at the highest level. He is the only driver to have scored podium finishes in every season he has participated in, a record that seems unbeatable.

The Briton was runner-up in his rookie season, and in 2008 he won his first title. Four more seasons accumulating victories and podiums with McLaren, and Hamilton signed for Mercedes, a move that seemed risky at the time. However, with the arrival of the hybrid era in 2014, the Silver Arrows have starred in one of the most dominant eras in F1 history.

With Mercedes, Hamilton has won 6 world championships, and with 7 titles, 103 victories, 191 podiums, 103 pole positions, and 61 fastest laps, he has become the statistically best driver of all time, setting figures that are very difficult to beat. The Briton has become a living legend of the category. Although Red Bull has beaten them in 2021 and 2022, Hamilton is still performing at the highest level and working hard to achieve the eighth title and thus beat Michael Schumacher.

5. Jenson Button

Seasons: 17 (2000-2017)

Entries: 309

Starts: 306

After impressing in the lower categories and being called the great British promise, Jenson Button made his Formula 1 debut in 2000 with Williams, where he established himself as one of the most promising drivers in the category, becoming one of the youngest drivers to score points.

In 2001 and 2002, he drove for Benetton (later renamed Renault), and in 2003 he signed for BAR Honda, where he achieved his first podiums in 2004, a season in which he finished third in the championship and received the best driver of the year award. His first victory came at the 2006 Hungarian GP, making him one of the drivers with the most races before his first win.

The team fell into decline, but in 2009 it was rescued by Ross Brawn, who transformed it into a winning team, and Button seized the opportunity to take his first and only title that season, scoring 6 wins and 9 podiums. In 2010 he signed for McLaren, where he drove until 2016 and made an appearance at the 2017 Monaco GP replacing Fernando Alonso.

With McLaren, Button achieved numerous victories and podiums, being runner-up in 2011, although, with the arrival of the hybrid era in 2014, the team worsened significantly, becoming a team that barely fought for points. Button was characterized by his smooth and intelligent driving, being especially regular.

6. Michael Schumacher

Seasons: 19 (1991-2006, 2010-2012)

Entries: 308

Starts: 306

Michael Schumacher came to Formula 1 as a complete unknown and left it as one of the greatest legends in the history of the category. The “Kaiser” made his Formula 1 debut with Jordan at the 1991 Belgian GP, and thanks to his great performance, he was signed by Benetton for the rest of the season.

With Benetton, Schumacher made a name for himself in Formula 1, taking his first victories and podiums in 1992 and 1993 and subsequently winning the 1994 and 1995 championships, consolidating his position as one of the best drivers of his generation.

In 1996, the German signed for Ferrari, which had not won any championship for several years. The German spent 5 seasons fighting, unsuccessfully, for the championships, and when nobody trusted him anymore, the German managed to give Ferrari one of its most golden periods in the category, winning 5 consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004, becoming the best driver in history.

At the end of 2006, the \”Kaiser\” retired from Formula 1 and returned in 2010 with the new Mercedes project, where he drove until he finally retired in 2012, achieving one last podium in the 2012 European GP. With 91 wins, 155 podiums, 68 pole positions, and 77 fastest laps, Schumacher left F1 as the greatest driver of all time, with figures that only Hamilton has been able to reach.

7. Sebastian Vettel

Seasons: 16 (2007-2022)

Entries: 300

Starts: 299

Sebastian Vettel made his debut in 2007 with BMW, replacing Robert Kubica for the United States GP. The German finished sixth in his first race, and his great performance earned him a place at Toro Rosso to finish the season. With Toro Rosso, he established himself as a tremendously fast and consistent driver and took an incredible win under the rain at the 2008 Italian GP, becoming, at 21, the youngest race winner in history to date.

In 2009 he was promoted to Red Bull, achieving several victories and podiums and being runner-up that season. The German went down in the history books for his 4 consecutive titles between 2010 and 2013 with the energy drinks team in one of the most dominant eras in the history of the category, where driver and car worked in perfect harmony.

After a bad 2014 season, Vettel signed for Ferrari in 2015, looking to give the Italians a title after so many years of drought. However, in 6 seasons, neither Vettel nor Ferrari were at Mercedes\’ level, with 2017 and 2018, when the German was runner-up, being their best seasons, but far from the Silver Arrows and Hamilton.

After his time at Ferrari, Vettel signed for Aston Martin in 2021, where we could see some glimpses of his former talent, achieving a fantastic podium at the Azerbaijan GP with a midfield car. At the end of 2022, the German retired from F1, leaving a fantastic legacy of 4 titles, 53 victories, 122 podiums, 57 pole positions, and 38 fastest laps.

8. Felipe Massa

Seasons: 15 (2002, 2004-2017)

Entries: 272

Starts: 269

Brazilian Felipe Massa made his Formula 1 debut with Sauber in 2002, and after a promising first season, with some incidents, he was a test driver for Ferrari in 2003. Massa returned to the category in 2004 with Sauber, completing two good seasons that earned him a seat with Ferrari for 2006, replacing compatriot Rubens Barrichello.

At Ferrari, Massa had it all. In 2007 his teammate Kimi Räikkönen was world champion, and the following year, the Brazilian fought for the title until the end against Lewis Hamilton, being world champion for 20 seconds before the Briton overtook the position he needed in the last round to steal the title.

In the middle of the 2009 season, Massa suffered a serious accident at the Hungarian GP, which kept him off the track until 2010, when Fernando Alonso arrived at Ferrari, and from then on, the Brazilian became the second driver of the Prancing Horse.

In 2014, Massa signed for Williams, performing at a high level and achieving some podiums. The Brazilian announced his retirement at the end of 2016, but the team ran out of drivers for 2017, so he drove one more season before finally retiring. In 272 Grands Prix, Massa scored 11 wins, 41 podiums, 16 pole positions, and 15 fastest laps, and missed out on the title due to the vagaries of fate.

9. Riccardo Patrese

Seasons: 17 (1977-1993)

Entries: 257

Starts: 256

Italian Riccardo Patrese made his Formula 1 debut with Shadow in 1977, and in 1978 he signed for Arrows, with whom he achieved his first podium in the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix. Although he was characterized as being a very fast driver, he was accused by the more experienced drivers of being too aggressive, causing several accidents, and being blamed for the 1978 Monza disaster, which ended the life of Ronnie Peterson.

After Arrows, Patrese drove for Brabham and Alfa Romeo until 1987, scoring a total of 2 wins and occasional podiums. Although Patrese was fast, his cars were not very competitive, and they were extremely unreliable, so he accumulated many retirements.

His big break in the category came at the end of 1987 when he signed for Williams at a time when the British team was booming. Patrese drove for Williams until 1992, taking 4 wins and numerous podiums, and was runner-up in 1992 behind teammate Nigel Mansell and third in 1989 and 1991.

One more season in 1993 with Benetton and Patrese retired from Formula 1, becoming the first driver to reach 200 Grands Prix (surpassed at the 1990 British Grand Prix) and 250 (surpassed at the 1993 German Grand Prix). In total, the Italian achieved 6 victories, 37 podiums, 8 pole positions, and 13 fastest laps.

10. Jarno Trulli

Seasons: 15 (1997-2011)

Entries: 256

Starts: 252

Jarno Trulli was the eternal Italian promise who never won the title. The Italian made his Formula 1 debut in 1997 with Minardi, and halfway through the season, he went to Prost to replace Olivier Panis after his serious accident. That season, Trulli led the Austrian GP, but an engine problem forced him to retire.

In 1999, the Italian got his first podium, and after that, he signed for Jordan for 2001 and 2002, without achieving great results. Between 2002 and 2004 he drove for Renault, achieving 1 victory and 3 podiums, although at the end of 2004, he was fired after his poor results. At the end of that season, the Italian signed for Toyota, where he drove until 2009.

In 2005, Trulli achieved 3 podiums, and the pole position in Indianapolis, being the first one for Toyota in Formula 1, and performing at a great level, in what was probably his best season in the category. In 2008 he got another podium, and in 2009 another three.

However, Toyota left Formula 1 at the end of 2009, and Trulli signed for Malaysian Team Lotus in 2010, which was making its debut in the category that season. With Lotus, which later became Caterham, the Italian spent 2 seasons at the back of the grid, as the car was very uncompetitive, and was finally replaced by Vitaly Petrov in 2012, ending his F1 career.

11. David Coulthard

Seasons: 15 (1994-2008)

Entries: 247

Starts: 246

David Coulthard is considered one of the best drivers in history who did not win a world title. The Scotsman was tremendously fast and consistent and remained at a high level throughout his racing career.

Coulthard made his debut in 1994 with Williams, a season in which he got his first podium in the Portuguese GP. The following season he scored his first win, and a few podiums, finishing third in the championship. His good performances earned him a place with McLaren in 1996, where he drove until 2004, which was his prime era.

With McLaren, Coulthard established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid, always in the fight for the championship, finishing third in 1997, 1998, and 2000, and runner-up in 2001. After McLaren, the Scot joined the new Red Bull project, which debuted in Formula 1 in 2005.

With the energy drinks team, Coulthard scored a podium finish at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix and another at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, proving that he was still at a high level, retiring at the end of that season.

12. Sergio Pérez

Seasons: 12 and counting (2011-present)

Entries: 239

Starts: 235

Sergio Pérez is one of the fastest and most consistent drivers on the current grid, always getting the best out of his cars and taking care of the tires like no one else. The Mexican made his debut in 2011 with Sauber, and in 2012 he already impressed everyone by achieving 3 podiums with a midfield car.

His good performances earned him a seat for McLaren in 2013, but neither the car nor the Mexican lived up to expectations, so Pérez signed in 2014 for Force India (later Racing Point), where he drove until 2020.

During his time at Force India, a solid midfield team, the Mexican driver got the best out of his cars to regularly finish in the points and look for podium finishes in the craziest races. In total, he scored 7 podiums, and in 2020 he scored a fantastic victory at the Sakhir GP, becoming, with 190 entries, the driver who completed the most races before his first victory.

That great season earned him a spot for Red Bull in 2021, giving the Mexican driver a winning car for the first time in his career. Pérez performed well in 2021, taking 1 win and 4 podiums, but it was in 2022 when he really brought out the full potential of his car, taking 2 wins and 11 podiums and fighting for the runner-up position until the end.