Two teams, one season: F1 drivers who scored points for two different Constructors in the same year
Since Formula One’s first race, 357 drivers have scored points in the World Championship. Rules and regulations have changed over the decades, but one thing has remained the same: earn as many points as possible.
While most drivers commit to the same team for a season, there are instances where changes are necessary. This can be because of an injury, unsatisfactory results, or a chance to take advantage of a new opportunity.
As Liam Lawson prepares to return to Racing Bulls for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after stepping in at Red Bull and scoring points on account of Isack Hadjar being sidelined due to a wrist injury, we take a look at some other F1 drivers who have scored points for two different teams in the same season.
Liam Lawson, 2026
When Isack Hadjar injured his wrist over the summer break, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson got called up as a replacement. In the first half of the season at Racing Bulls, Lawson had eight points finishes; his best finish was fifth place at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Since jumping into the seat at Red Bull Racing, he has scored in two out of the three races. He finished in seventh place at Zandvoort and sixth at the Madring, totalling 14 points. As Lawson was just a temporary substitute, Hadjar will return this weekend in Azerbaijan.
Oliver Bearman, 2024
When Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz needed emergency surgery for appendicitis, Oliver Bearman filled in for him at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He was racing full time in Formula 2 that year but was serving as the Ferrari reserve driver due to his driver academy ties.
Later that same season, Kevin Magnussen was absent from Baku due to a race ban. Bearman was also the reserve driver for Haas, making him the replacement driver again. He finished in 10th place, scoring one point. This also makes him the first driver in F1 history to score points for two different teams in his first two Grands Prix.
Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly, 2019
Alex Albon started off the 2019 season with Toro Rosso, and Pierre Gasly was with Red Bull Racing. Before the summer break, Albon had scored points in five races; Gasly had scored points in seven races in that same timeframe.
However, due to lackluster results, Gasly was demoted, and the two drivers switched teams. Albon went on to finish in the top 10 on his Red Bull Racing debut, and he scored in all but one of his races with the team that season. With Toro Rosso, Gasly scored 32 points that year, including a second-place podium finish at Interlagos.
Carlos Sainz, 2017
As a Red Bull junior driver, Carlos Sainz started the year with Toro Rosso. He consistently got top-10 results, finishing in the points in nine out of the first 16 races of the season.
For the final four races of the year, Sainz switched to Renault on a loan deal. While he was less successful than at his previous team, he got seventh place at the United States Grand Prix. This earned him six points and one top-10 finish for the French team.
Max Verstappen, 2016
In his second season in F1, Max Verstappen was racing for Toro Rosso, the Red Bull junior team. In the first four races, he had three top-10 finishes, earning him 13 points.
For the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing to replace Daniil Kvyat. Verstappen won his first race with the team and went on to score a total of 187 points over the course of 17 races.
Sebastian Vettel, 2007
Sebastian Vettel, the future four-time world champion, made his debut in F1 at the 2007 United States Grand Prix with Sauber BMW. He finished in eighth place in that race, earning him one point.
Later that year, Vettel joined Toro Rosso for the final seven races of the season. He had one points finish, earning himself and the team five points after a fourth-place finish in China.
Andrea de Cesaris, 1994
Andrea de Cesaris started the 1994 season with Jordan. He scored three points for Jordan when he finished in fourth place in Monaco.
After two races, he switched teams and began driving for Sauber. At the French Grand Prix that same year, he finished in sixth place and scored one point for Sauber.
Juan Manuel Fangio, 1954
The first instance of one driver scoring points for two teams in the same season occurred with Juan Manuel Fangio in 1954. He began the season with Maserati, winning the first two races and scoring 17 points.
Later, he switched to Mercedes-Benz, where he remained for the rest of the season. Fangio scored points in every race that year that he entered.
Edited by Meghana Sree
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