F1 drivers who have competed at Olympics and Paralympics

Despite the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body for motorsport, officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 2012, motorsport events have not been conducted at the Games.

Formula 1, or F1, however, has made its presence felt at the Olympics and the Paralympics.

F1 drivers have competed in several disciplines since the Melbourne 1956 Summer Games. While Italian racer Alex Zanardi is the only medallist, seven other Grand Prix drivers – including one woman – have also featured at the Games, across the Summer and Winter Olympics and at the Paralympics.

Here’s a list of all F1 drivers who have competed at the Olympics or Paralympics.

Alex Zanardi - Cycling at Paralympics

Italy's Alex Zanardi is the most recent F1 driver to feature at the Paralympics.

Since his F1 debut at the 1991 Spanish Grand Prix, Alessandro Zanardi featured in 44 Grands Prix over five years, racing for Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams. Zanardi, who won two CART championships in the USA, last raced in F1 at the 1999 Japanese GP.

In 2001, Zanardi suffered a heavy crash while racing in America, resulting in both his legs being amputated. But two years later, the Italian driver resumed racing and took up para cycling.

At the London 2012 Paralympics, he won gold medals in the time trial H4 and the road race H4 events. Zanardi also bagged a silver in the mixed relay team H1-4 event.

Four years later at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, he added two more gold medals to his kitty - time trial H5 and mixed relay H2-5 - and settled for silver in the road race H5 event.

Zanardi, however, did not race at Tokyo 2020 or Paris 2024 after he suffered a road accident in June 2020 in Italy.

Prince Bira - Sailing at Olympics

Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, popularly known as Prince Bira, was the first Thai driver to race in Formula 1. He raced in 19 Grands Prix between 1950 and 1954, driving the Maserati, Gordini and the Connaught, scoring eight points.

Post his F1 stint, Prince Bira made four Olympic Games appearances in sailing, registering a best finish of 12th at Melbourne 1956 in the star category – a two-person keelboat – with Luang Pradiyat Navayudh.

Notably, he contested Roberto Mieres, another F1 driver, at the Rome 1960 Olympics sailing event.

Roberto Mieres - Sailing at Olympics

Roberto Mieres was a man of many talents having competed in rowing, sailing, rugby, tennis and motorsports over the years. The Argentine raced in 17 Grands Prix from 1953 to 1955, with a best result of fourth place, achieved thrice - at the 1954 Swiss and Spanish GPs and the 1955 Dutch Grand Prix.

Mieres competed in sailing at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome in the star category with Víctor Fragola, where the duo ranked 17th, two places ahead of the Thai duo of Prince Bira and Bumphen Chomvith.

Divina Galica - Alpine/speed skiing at Winter Olympics

Briton Divina Galica is one of only five women who have raced in F1. Making her debut in 1976, she took part in three Grands Prix, once in 1976 and twice in 1978. However, she failed to qualify for all three races.

Galicia, before her F1 debut, had a successful skiing career. She made her Winter Olympics debut in alpine skiing – in the slalom, giant slalom and downhill events – at Innsbruck 1964 and also skied at Grenoble 1968 and Sapporo 1972. After a 20-year hiatus, she returned to the Olympics, aged 47, to contest in the speed skiing event at Albertville in 1992.

Alfonso de Portago - Bobsleigh at Winter Olympics

Alfonso de Portago drove in five F1 races between 1956 and 1957. The Spaniard stood on the podium in his debut season after finishing second, in a shared car, at the 1956 British Grand Prix.

Alfonso de Portago, along with his cousins, featured in Spain’s first bobsleigh team at Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956. In the two-man event with Vicente Sartorius, he finished fourth, just 0.16 seconds short of a podium. He also competed in the four-man bobsleigh event, finishing ninth.

Bob Said - Bobsleigh at Winter Olympics

Bob Said of the United States raced in only one F1 Grand Prix in his career, at the 1969 US Grand Prix at Sebring, where he spun on the track in the first lap and retired from the race.

Almost a decade later, Bob Said participated in the four-man bobsleigh at Grenoble 1968, competing against F1 driver Robin Widdows of Great Britain, and finished 10th. The American driver returned four years later for his final Winter Olympics at Sapporo 1972 to finish 14th in the four-man event and 19th in the two-man event.

Robin Widdows - Bobsleigh at Winter Olympics

Like Bob Said, Robin Widdows also featured in one F1 race in his career. At the 1968 British Grand Prix, he completed 34 of the 80 laps before retiring in his Cooper BRM.

Four years earlier, Robin Widdows had competed in the four-man bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics at Innsbruck 1964. The Brit returned at Grenoble 1968 for his best finish of seventh, three places ahead of Bob Said.

Ben Pon - Shooting at Olympics

In 1962, the Netherlands Ben Pon made his F1 debut at the Dutch GP at Zandvoort but retired after only two laps following a spin and announced his retirement from single-seater racing soon after.

While he continued racing sports cars, Ben Pon became an Olympian at Munich 1972 and competed in the skeet shooting event, where he ranked 31st.

F1 drivers at the Olympics and Paralympics

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