Formula One is undoubtedly one of the most exclusive sports in the world. In recent years, the grid has held no more than 20 drivers in a given season. Young drivers with enough talent and resources can be quickly thrust into the world of F1, and at the same time, existing drivers can find themselves on their way out of the grid just as quickly. A post-F1 life can take many forms—most commonly as a continued racing career in other series. Alternatively, it can also steer drivers into other roles, such as those in the media or in other industries entirely. Below, I will be covering some notable former F1 drivers from the past decade and where they are today.

Sebastian Vettel

After his exit in 2022, Sebastian Vettel has largely retired from racing. Towards the end of his career, the four-time world champion was known for his activism regarding environmental and social justice issues. He has used his influence in the motorsport world to push for more sustainable fuels at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and for biodiversity with his Buzzin’ Corner project.

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo, affectionately known as “the Honey Badger,” retired for the second time in 2024 from the newly-rebranded Racing Bulls team. After losing his seat to Liam Lawson for the final six races of 2024, the eight-time grand prix winner has taken some time to do some “self-exploration.” Speaking at Ray White’s Connect conference, he remarked, “I’ve been trying to figure out who I am other than this race car driver. I’ve come to appreciate the little thing[s] more and the meaning of the importance of family and friends.” Most recently, he has announced his partnership with Ford as their Global Ford Racing Ambassador.

Kevin Magnussen

Similar to Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen retired from the sport for the second time in 2024, after returning to Haas in 2022 following a two-year hiatus. Since leaving Formula One, he has found success in the world of endurance racing. He has joined BMW M Motorsport in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and has also competed in International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) races such as the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean’s departure from F1 is one of the more dramatic ones in recent memory, prompted by his terrifying accident at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. While such an event would be enough to scare many away from competing in motorsport again, it wasn’t enough to sway Grosjean. He eventually recovered from his injuries and continued racing in both IndyCar and IMSA.

Marcus Ericsson

Swedish racing driver Marcus Ericsson ended his five-season career in F1 in 2018, succeeded at Alfa Romeo Sauber by Antonio Giovinazzi. He has found great success racing outside of F1, namely, with IndyCar. Ericsson has since become a top contender in IndyCar, winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2022. Ericsson has stated that he found renewed passion in racing after leaving F1, since his latter years in the sport were not as successful as he had hoped.

Antonio Giovinazzi

Antonio Giovinazzi ended his three seasons as a full-time F1 driver in 2021. He also carries the distinction of being the only Italian driver on this list. In fact, until Kimi Antonelli’s debut in 2025, he was the only Italian driver on the grid since Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2011. Although his stint was relatively brief, he continues to race today in the WEC for Ferrari AF Corse and serves as a reserve driver for Ferrari’s F1 team.

Mick Schumacher

Mick Schumacher is the son of German F1 legend Michael Schumacher. His career as a full-time driver in F1 was short, spanning only two seasons from 2021 to 2022. He has served as a reserve driver for Ferrari during his time with Haas, and continued in a similar role at McLaren and Mercedes from 2023 to 2024. He announced in late 2024 that he would be leaving his role at Mercedes to better focus on his efforts at Alpine Endurance Team in the WEC.

Nyck de Vries

Dutchman Nyck de Vries has the unfortunate honour of having the shortest F1 stint on this list, having just 10 race starts under his belt for the then-named AlphaTauri team. His full-time opportunity in 2023 with Red Bull’s sister team turned sour quickly, as he struggled to perform alongside his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. After being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of the 2023 season, de Vries returned to WEC and Formula E. He also went on to pursue further education at Harvard Business School.

Nicholas Latifi

Along with Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi was one of only two Canadian drivers to race in Formula One since Jacques Villeneuve in 2006. He drove for Williams from 2020 to 2022, and ascended to meme-status among fans after his crash at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The crash led to Max Verstappen controversially beating Lewis Hamilton to the World Championship title for the first time. Since leaving the sport, Latifi has graduated from London Business School with an MBA in late 2025.

Zhou Guanyu

Zhou Guanyu is China’s first and only F1 driver to date. He raced for Alfa Romeo/Kick Sauber from 2022 to 2024. During his tenure, he has secured 16 points total and two fastest laps. Notably, he survived a major crash at the 2022 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with many crediting his car’s halo as a major contributor to saving his life. He served as a reserve driver for Ferrari in 2025 and has recently been announced as the reserve driver for the newly-minted Cadillac Formula One Team.

Logan Sargeant

As the only full-time American F1 driver in recent years, Logan Sargeant’s career at Williams was brief and largely unsuccessful. He raced for two seasons from 2023 to 2024 and managed to score only one point at the 2023 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Sargeant found it challenging to keep up with his teammate Alex Albon, leading to his replacement by Franco Colapinto midseason in 2024. In August 2025, he announced he would be joining PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports in IMSA, competing in the LMP2 class.

Felipe Massa

Brazilian Felipe Massa’s F1 career spanned a lengthy 15 seasons from 2002 to 2017. Memorably, he managed to become runner-up in the World Championship with Ferrari in 2008, losing to McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. After sustaining a head injury during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009, he would ultimately never win another race in F1. Since his departure, he has competed in Formula E and Stock Car Pro Series, and has been pursuing legal action over the 2008 World Championship title.

Bonus: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez

Both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez have been regarded as strong complements to their past teammates, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, respectively. Fans were heartbroken to hear of both of their departures from F1 in 2024, due to reasons including internal disagreements and wavering performance. Last year, the new Cadillac F1 Team announced that their drivers of choice for their debut season would be Bottas and Pérez—sparking the hype of their highly anticipated return to the grid.

Takeaways

Formula One may be the pinnacle of motorsport, but as we have seen, it is rarely the final stop in a racing driver’s career. For many drivers, leaving the grid is merely a stepping stone to new opportunities and success elsewhere. Whether that path takes them to other forms of racing, philanthropy, education, or even a return to F1, these stories show us just how many ways a driver’s career can carry on long after they’ve seen their last chequered flag.