IN PICTURES - All the French drivers in F1 in the XNUMXst century

In 2025, Isack Hadjar will become the eleventh French driver to compete in a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the XNUMXst century, joining Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon on the grid.

Published 20/12/2024 à 15:00

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IN PICTURES – All the French drivers in F1 in the XNUMXst century

Jean Alesi

201 Grand Prix between 1989 and 2001 (Tyrrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber, Cheers GP, Jordan)
1 victory, 32 podiums

Olivier panis

158 Grand Prix between 1994 and 2004 (Ligier, Prost GP, BAR-Honda, Toyota)
1 victory, 5 podiums

Frank Montagny

7 Grand Prix in 2006 (Super Aguri)

After three years behind the scenes as a test driver at Renault, Franck Montagny got the opportunity to compete in his first Grand Prix with Super Aguri in 2006, after Yuji Ide was suspended. However, the Japanese team was looking for a Japanese driver to support Takuma Sato and told the Tricolore that he was only a temporary replacement, while they found a new one. The Loire native had time to compete in seven Grands Prix with Super Aguri, before becoming a test driver at Toyota.

Sebastien Bourdais

27 Grand Prix in 2008-2009 (Toro Rosso)

Four-time CART champion in the United States, Sébastien Bourdais is recruited by the family Red Bull to move on to the next level: the Formula 1. After conclusive tests, the Le Mans native signed with Toro Rosso, Red Bull's sister team. Unfortunately, his experience was not as good as hoped. Never spared by bad luck, the Tricolore missed several opportunities to score big points and suffered from the comparison with the young Sebastian Vettel, winner at Monza in 2008. The Frenchman will be dismissed even before the end of the 2009 season.

Romain Grosjean

179 Grand Prix between 2009 and 2020 (Renault, Lotus, Haas)
10 podiums

The beginnings of Romain Grosjean in Formula 1 took place in a difficult context: the Frenchman was called up at short notice by Renault in 2009 to replace Nelson Piquet following the Crashgate affair. After his seven Grands Prix, the Geneva native was not kept on by the Diamond. After a return to the GP2 Series, the Tricolore returned to Formula 1 in 2012 and, despite a reputation as a "first corner madman" after his many accidents, he showed great speed and scored 10 podiums with Lotus between 2012 and 2015. In 2016, he joined and led the new Haas team for its arrival in Formula 1. A team with which he would remain loyal until the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, where his F1 career came to an abrupt end in a spectacular accident and the burning of his car.

Jean-Eric Vergne

58 Grand Prix between 2012 and 2014 (Toro Rosso)

The first French driver from the Red Bull lineup to move up to Formula 1, Jean-Éric Vergne made his debut with Toro Rosso in 2012, alongside Daniel Ricciardo. The Parisian shows a solid pace in the race, despite some gaps in qualifying, and plays on an equal footing with his Australian teammate. Alas, Red Bull chose the Aussie to replace Mark Webber in 2014. For the first year of the hybrid era, the Tricolore largely outclasses Daniil Kvyat… but once again, the parent company prefers to bet on the Russian to replace Sebastian Vettel in 2015. In 58 Grands Prix, Jean-Éric Vergne will have proven his worth on the track but, handicapped by several factors external to sporting performances, he will never have his chance with Red Bull.

Charles Pic

39 Grand Prix in 2012-2013 (Marussia, Caterham)

After convincing years in the promotional formula, Charles Pic entered Formula 1 with Marussia, bringing the French contingent to three drivers in 2012 (compared to zero in 2011). Although he was far from ridiculous on the track, the Drômois did not manage to distinguish himself aboard the modest Russian single-seater. In 2013, he joined Caterham but did not take off from the back of the grid either. After only 39 Grands Prix, his F1 career ended, even though he was recruited by Lotus to become the British team's 3rd driver in 2015.

Jules Bianchi

34 Grand Prix in 2013-2014 (Marussia)

A protégé of the Ferrari academy and a promising driver in his younger years, Jules Bianchi logically climbed to Formula 1 in 2013, at Marussia, replacing Luiz Razia who was having financing problems. Right away, the Nice native performed despite a modest single-seater: the Tricolore surpassed his teammate Max Chilton and in 2014, he achieved the feat of scoring the first two points for the Russian team at the Monaco Grand Prix. Unfortunately, during the Japanese Grand Prix, Jules Bianchi was the victim of a terrible accident and hit a crane at full speed. Having fallen into a coma, he died nine months later, in July 2015.

Esteban Ocon

156 Grands Prix since 2016 (Manor, Force India / Racing Point, Renault / Alpine, Haas)
1 victory, 4 podiums

Esteban Ocon began his Formula 1 career in the 2016 season: placed by Mercedes at Manor to replace Rio Haryanto, the Norman made his debut in the modest team alongside another protégé of the brand with the star, Pascal Wehrlein. More convincing than his German teammate, the Evreux native obtained a place at Force India and despite good results and impressive consistency, he lost his place following the buyout of the team by Lawrence Stroll. After a year on the sidelines, he finds a steering wheel at Renault / Alpine and won his first Grand Prix in Hungary in 2021, at the end of a crazy scenario. His adventure with the French team ended quite abruptly in 2024, even before the last Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi, before Esteban Ocon joined Haas.

Pierre Gasly

153 Grand Prix since 2017 (Toro Rosso / Alpha Tauri, Alpine)
1 victory, 5 podiums

Like Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly made his Formula 1 debut at the end of the 2017 season with Toro Rosso, replacing Carlos Sainz left for Renault. GP2 Series champion the previous year, the Norman caused a sensation during his first full season in 2018 and was directly promoted to Red Bull for 2019… but the Tricolore did not meet with the expected success and was demoted to Toro Rosso mid-season. With the Faenza team, the Rouen native managed to remobilize and scored a fantastic victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, becoming the first Frenchman since Olivier Panis in 1996 to win a Grand Prix! In 2023, he joined Alpine, a team with which he has won two podiums since his arrival.

Isaac Hadjar

Permanent at Racing Bulls in 2025

He is the latest driver to join this list of French drivers in Formula 1 in the 2025st century: Isack Hadjar will be a starter for Racing Bulls in 2021. The Parisian, protégé of the Red Bill clan since 4, has climbed the ranks from F1 to F3 with some success: 4rd in F2020 France in 4, XNUMXth in Formula 3 In 2022, he became vice-champion of Formula 2 in 2024. In 2025, he will become the 72nd French driver in history to take part in a Formula 1 Grand Prix!

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