The Replacement drivers who became the champions in Formula 1

F1 is very tough to sustain as it needs consistency to travel with the sport for a long time. Many drivers couldn't sustain the pressure the sport mounts on them and leave halfway. But some drivers who came in as replacements for other drivers got the main job as drivers and became legends of the sport. Let's take a look at top replacement drivers who turned out to become legends later on. 

Top 3 replacement drivers in F1

Michael Schumacher (Replaced Bertrand Gachot)

One of the Greatest Formula 1 Drivers and most iconic personalities in sports history was Michael Schumacher. He won 7 world titles in his F1 career. But how many of you know he came in as a replacement driver for Jordan? Bertrand Gachot the Jordan main driver was involved in an accident with a taxi driver. He was charged with violence and was arrested by London police and got 18 months prison for his actions. 

So Jordan needed a replacement driver and they got Michael Schumacher as the driver. Having never driven the car before Schumacher impressed everyone by qualifying seventh but retired in the race. Seeing him drive around Spa Benetton team principal Flavio immediately signed a multi-year contract with Schumi and they won 1994 and 1995 world championships before he moved to Ferrari in 1996. Michael Schumacher is one of the faces of Formula 1. 

Sebastian Vettel (replacing Robert Kubica)

Another German winning machine is the 4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. He is untouchable during his days in Red Bull. He was a rookie in 2007 where his compatriot Lewis Hamilton made headlines for McLaren. Robert Kubica had a massive accident at the Canadian Grand Prix so 19-year-old Sebastian Vettel was picked by the BMW Sauber team. He finished his debut race by scoring a point by coming eighth in the grid.

Red Bull’s Junior team Toro Rosso were very impressed with Vettel and they signed him. Sebastian Vettel gave them their first win at the Italian Grand Prix where he drove one of the toughest races at the Monza circuit in heavy rain. He was promoted to Red Bull in 2009 and the rest is history. 

Max Verstappen (Replaced Danii Kvyat)

After Debuting for Toro Rosso in 2016 Max Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull by replacing Danii Kvyat alongside Daniel Ricciardo. Kvyat also showed some promise in his races but was called ‘Crasher’ as he often damaged his car by crashing with other drivers. 

He made his debut at the Spanish GP where he started fourth after qualifying. At the start, the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed with each other putting Max Verstappen in the lead. He won the race and became the youngest race winner in Formula 1 history. Verstappen is now 3-time world champion and is on a hunt for his fourth world title.

Also Read: Why is Formula 1 called Formula 1? - Explained