Six Formula 1 drivers that also raced in Formula E

Join Formula E

Sign in or create your Formula E account

It's quick, easy and free to sign up

You'll get access to:

  • Helmet

    News. Analysis. Exclusive Features

  • Schedule

    Priority Booking. Early Bird Pricing

  • Trophy

    Competitions. Discounts. Experiences

  • Podium

    Predict. Vote. Win.

TO CONTINUE READING...

You will need to sign in or create a Formula E account.

Six Formula 1 drivers that also raced in Formula E

Formula E's field of world class drivers often call the series and its cars the hardest they've ever raced. Here's Jodie Saxon's look at some of the F1 drivers that have taken to the GEN1, GEN2 or GEN3!

Jacques Villeneuve Formula E

As of the start of Formula E’s 10th season, there have been 82 different drivers who have started at least one race in the world's leading electric race series. Many of those have raced across disciplines from sportscars to endurance and Formula 1.

RACE REPLAY: Watch any race from our history IN FULL

Here's a look at six F1 drivers - including an F1 World Champion - that you might not have realised competed in Formula E.

Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa is well known for being a Formula 1 World Champion for all of 40 seconds, amid that mad end to the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix before Lewis Hamilton emerged to topple the home hero at the last for his maiden title.

READ MORE: Formula E's super subs!

But after the Brazilian retired from F1 (for a second time), he switched to Formula E with Venturi Racing for the 2018-19 season. Massa’s first campaign in the all-electric series was modest, and he took one third-placed finish at the Monaco E-Prix, on his way to finishing 15th in the Drivers' standings, only one place behind teammate Edo Mortara.

Felipe Massa Formula E podium Monaco E-Prix

For the 2019-20 season, Massa continued to partner Mortara at Venturi, but the COVID-affected season did not go well as the team might have hoped, as they failed to score a single podium.

Massa managed only two points finishes and his three-point total placed him in 22nd in the championship at the end of the season. Following this, Massa and Venturi parted ways at the chequered flag of the Berlin finale.

Brendon Hartley

This New Zealander is mostly known for his exploits in sportscar racing, with his accolades including four FIA World Endurance Championship titles, and three wins at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

In 2018, he had a spell full-time in Formula 1 with Red Bull's junior Toro Rosso team - also known as AlphaTauri and now Visa Cash App RB.

Following that stint, Hartley moved back to WEC full-time and paired this with a drive in Formula E with GEOX Dragon - Jay Penske's team in its latest incarnation, having been on the grid since Season 1. Hartley competed in just the first five races of the 2019-20 season and his only points finish came in the second round of the season at Diriyah.

Hartley left the team in July 2020 - when the Formula E season had been scheduled to end prior to its enforced break during COVID - and he didn't make a return for the six-race nine-day Berlin E-Prix finale that comprised the end of Season 6 later on in the year.

Jerome d’Ambrosio

D’Ambrosio raced for the Marussia squad in F1 during the 2011 season and then made a one-off appearence for Lotus at the 2012 Italian Grand Prix.

In 20 races, the Belgian unfortunately scored no points, but things were about to get better in the form of a ride with Dragon Racing in the inaugural Formula E season.

D'Ambrosio: 'I’m proud of my career as a driver and very grateful – I’ve had so much fun'

He went on to race in Formula E for six seasons, the first four with Dragon and the final two with Mahindra Racing. In that time, he won three races and made it to the podium a further six times - taking a highest championship finish of fourth in that inaugural first season.

Despite retiring from racing, D’Ambrosio continued his involvement in Formula E by taking up a role as Deputy Team Principal of ROKiT Venturi Racing for the 2020-21 season.

He was then promoted to Team Principal with Susie Wolff taking up the CEO role for the following season but departed the team when they rebranded to Maserati MSG Racing.

He is now the Driver Development Director for Mercedes-AMG F1 team.

Antonio Giovinazzi

Antonio Giovinazzi lost his Formula 1 seat at the end of the 2021 season but quickly landed himself a ride in Formula E with DRAGON/PENSKE AUTOSPORT.

The Italian driver took part in the first two days of Formula E’s 2021 Valencia pre-season test but was forced to miss the last day to head to Abu Dhabi for his final Formula 1 race.

To say he had a rough season in Formula E would be an understatement - it was by his own admission a baptism of fire. The Le Mans winner to be went on to finish only seven of the 15 races he took part in including a run of five race retirements in-a-row from race one in New York City to the first encounter at the Seoul season finale.

7d0ce33d410e4642b2b01f3d49fef103

Giovinazzi withdrew from the final race of the season due to an injured thumb and was the only full-time driver that season who failed to score points.

Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly is unique on this list as he is the only driver to have raced in Formula E before his Formula 1 debut.

Gasly’s F1 debut came in October 2017 as part of the Red Bull stable of drivers but his Formula E debut was in July of the same year. Renault e.dams driver Sebastien Buemi was forced to miss the New York City E-Prix due to the clash with WEC's 6 hours of Nürburgring race. As a result of this the team called upon the services of 2016 GP2 Series champion (now FIA Formula 2) Pierre Gasly to pilot the #9 Renault e.dams car for the weekend.

Pierre Gasly Formula E

He finished a strong seventh and an even more impressive fourth in the two races that weekend. In the second race, he was less than a tenth of a second away from scoring a podium.

Jacques Villeneuve

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve was the first Formula 1 World Champion to compete in Formula E. The 1997 title winner also became the oldest ever driver in the series' history on debut at the 2015 Beijing E-Prix.

READ MORE: The key moments in Formula E history

Villenueve came out on top in one of F1's most memorable title battles, beating Michael Schumacher at the last after a controversial clash with the German at Jerez.

His career saw in spells at Williams - where he won that title - British American Racing, Renault and finally Sauber, with his time in F1 coming to a close in 2006.

PggrZw1NEMZp6bucLXcb4qrHWo6dSKby26twm4LkIxw

Famous names: Senna, Prost, Piquet, Villeneuve made the Formula E grid

From there, he raced across disciplines from NASCAR to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, IndyCar and the FIA World Rallycross Championship before returning to top flight international motorsport with Venturi in Formula E's second season.

He was involved in the development of the team's VM200-FE-01 and tested at the first Donington Park test in 2015 before being confirmed alongside Stephane Sarrazin for 2015/16 after another former F1 driver, Nick Heidfeld, left the team.

Villeneuve's time in Formula E was a disappointment, though, with a best result of 11th from just three starts.