Sergio Perez is currently racing for his sixth Formula 1 team, Cadillac. In contrast, drivers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have spent significant time with a single team, reflecting a trend towards longer contracts in modern F1.
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Max Verstappen is currently in his 11th year driving for Red Bull, and Lewis Hamilton spent 12 seasons at Mercedes. In modern Formula 1, there is a clear trend toward longer contracts, with some drivers spending almost their entire careers at a single team.
It is, therefore, hardly surprising that Charles Leclerc has now contested the second-most grands prix for Ferrari – trailing only Michael Schumacher.
However, there are also drivers at the other end of the spectrum: those who haven’t dedicated themselves to just one team, but have essentially knocked on almost every door. For Sergio Perez, Cadillac is now his sixth team in Formula 1.
In this ranking, we look at the drivers of the modern era who have competed for the most teams. For this list, "modern" is defined as any driver who has entered at least one race since the turn of the millennium – though any teams they raced for prior to 2000 still count toward their total.
But as always with F1 statistics, things can get complicated – and nowhere is this more evident than with Jenson Button. The former World Champion appears near the top of the list with seven different teams, yet the Brit was only ever based at four different locations.
Sergio Perez has raced for six different teams in Formula 1.
Sergio Perez has raced for six teams in his Formula 1 career.
Sergio Perez has raced for teams including Cadillac, among others, throughout his F1 career.
There is a trend towards longer contracts, with many drivers spending their entire careers at a single team.
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Williams and McLaren are undisputed. However, Button also experienced the transition from Benetton to Renault, which remained fundamentally the same outfit. Similarly, with BAR, Honda, and Brawn, he didn't even have to move house – even though they officially count as three different teams.
The case of Jos Verstappen is also fascinating. He drove in eight Formula 1 seasons for seven different teams – only at Arrows did he stay longer than a single year. Essentially, the Dutchman was passed around the mid-field and backmarkers: he drove for Benetton, Simtek, Footwork, Tyrrell, and Stewart in his first five years alone.
In 1999, he failed to find a seat but almost stepped into a Jordan as a replacement for Damon Hill. Hill had already announced his immediate retirement from F1, only to change his mind at Silverstone and finish the season.
Thus, Arrows became Verstappen’s sixth team in 2000 – though one could argue it was technically a return, as Footwork had been a mere interlude in the Arrows team's history. In 2003, he drove for Minardi, effectively completing his "round trip" of the F1 back of the grid.
Yet, that isn't enough for the top spot – at least, if you strictly follow the official team entries. To find out who leads the pack, check out the following list.
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F15
Number of teams: 6
The Spaniard started his career in 2001 with Minardi, won two titles with Renault, and fought for championships with Ferrari. His two stints at McLaren (2007 and 2015–2018) were disappointing, much like his current season with Aston Martin. If you count Alpine separately from Renault, his total team tally reaches six.
Sergio Perez, Racing Point RP20
Number of teams: 6
For Perez, Cadillac is also his sixth stop across five locations. He previously drove for Sauber and McLaren. before spending seven years in Silverstone with Force India and Racing Point. After four years at Red Bull, his F1 career appeared to have ended, but he has now made a comeback with the new Cadillac outfit.
Rubens Barrichello, BrawnGP
Number of teams: 6
If you have a career as long as Rubens Barrichello’s, you inevitably rack up a lot of teams. He made the jump to Ferrari via Jordan and Stewart, where he finished as runner-up in the championship as Schumacher’s team-mate. He then moved to Honda, experienced a "second spring" at Brawn, and concluded his career at Williams.
Jarno Trulli celebrates victory
Number of teams: 6
Jarno Trulli reached his peak with Renault, winning the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix. He originally made his debut in 1997 with Minardi before moving through Prost and Jordan to reach the French works team. Following his dismissal, he went to Toyota and spent his final two years from 2010 with the backmarker Lotus squad – his sixth team.
Nick Heidfeld
Number of teams: 6
"Quick Nick" also raced for six outfits. It all began in 2000 at Prost before a three-year stint at Sauber. After one-year stops at Jordan and Williams, he returned to Hinwil – this time under the BMW-Sauber banner – before ending his career as Robert Kubica’s injury replacement at Lotus-Renault.
Jean Alesi
Number of teams: 6
Heidfeld’s first team-mate, Jean Alesi, was already racing in the '80s, starting with Tyrrell. Five years at Ferrari followed before he famously swapped seats with Schumacher to join Benetton. Stints at Sauber and Prost followed, ending with five final races for Jordan in 2001. He rounds out the "six-club."
Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Team R.S.19
Number of teams: 7
You have to be quite pedantic to get Daniel Ricciardo to seven teams by counting Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri, and Racing Bulls as separate entries. Aside from the Faenza-based squad, the "Honey Badger" from Perth also drove for HRT, Red Bull, Renault and McLaren.
Jenson Button, McLaren Mercedes
Number of teams: 7
The statistics are even more misleading for Button, where BAR, Honda, and Brawn only count as three different teams on paper. Even during the switch from Benetton to Renault, he didn't have to move to a new factory. Combined with Williams and McLaren, the former champion essentially only had four different employers.
Johnny Herbert
Number of teams: 7
Johnny Herbert has only one debatable entry: the transition from Stewart to Jaguar for the 2000 season. Otherwise, his list consists of truly different teams, even if some stints were brief. He drove only one race each for Tyrrell in 1989 and Ligier in 1994. Benetton, Lotus and Sauber also feature on his CV.
Mika Salo, Sauber
Number of teams: 7
Mika Salo was the king of the short-term gig. In 1999, he filled in for two different teams: first BAR, then Ferrari as a replacement for the injured Schumacher. He also managed only two races for Lotus in 1994. The Finn did complete full seasons at Tyrrell, Arrows, Sauber and Toyota, though – with the exception of Tyrrell – he only ever stayed for one year.
Giancarlo Fisichella, Minardi Team waves to the crowd
Number of teams: 7
Giancarlo Fisichella also raced with seven teams: Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Jordan (again), Sauber, and then Renault, where he was Alonso’s team-mate. Ultimate success eluded him, leading to a period at Force India before a sensational second place in Belgium earned him the call-up to Ferrari.
Jos Verstappen, Stewart Ford and Jackie Stewart
Number of teams: 7
Verstappen was a mid-field journeyman who drove practically everywhere: Benetton, Simtek, Footwork, Tyrrell, Stewart, Arrows, and Minardi. In just eight years, he drove for seven different teams; only at Arrows did he last more than one season. In 1999, he was also set to replace Damon Hill at Jordan, but the move never materialised.
Nico Hulkenberg, Racing Point
Number of teams: 8
First place goes to Nico Hulkenberg, who has competed for eight teams – though Force India, Racing Point, and Aston Martin are technically the same organisation. Aside from the Silverstone squad, the German has also driven for Williams, Sauber (twice), Renault, Haas and now Audi.
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