Formula one’s mostly forgotten stand-in drivers part 1

Stand-in drivers, the drivers we mostly forget about though play sometimes a huge roll for teams. They are often at short notice in the car for most various reasons. During the covid pandemic, we have seen several stand-in drivers, well not really stand-in like Russell taking place in the Mercedes because of Hamilton or Kubica instead of Kimi. However, do you remember Anthony Davidson who stand-in at Minardi in 2002 and BAR 2005? Probably you forget that. This article is dedicated to these drivers with the story.

Nico Hülkenberg
Raced in 2019 for the Renault F1 Team though his contract would not be extended with the team. For 2020, Nico had no contract. However, 2020 will always be known as the Covid-19 year. During the British Grand Prix Hülkenberg replaced Sergio Perez at Racing Point because Perez was diagnosed with covid. Sadly, he did not start the race due to an engine failure. The next week the Formula One was again at Silverstone for the 70^th anniversary where he would finish in the points as 7^th. During the Eifel Grand Prix Lance Stroll didn’t feel well which meant that Nico would replace him as well. Finishing the race as eighth.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2020 British Grand Prix	13th	DNS	Racing Point
70th Anniversary Grand Prix	3th	7th	Racing Point
2020 Eifel Grand Prix	20th	8th	Racing Point

Anthony Davidson
Perhaps you remember Davidson, already in 2000 he appeared in the Formula One. In late 2000, he became the test driver for BAR during the years he would stay as test driver for the team. However, in 2002 he made his debut on the grid for Minardi. For Hungary, the team was to replace Alex Yoong after he failed to qualify for three races. Justin Wilson was to replace Yoong. However, Wilson was too tall for the cockpit, which gave Davidson the advantage to race for the team.  He would race two races for the team. In 2005, Davidson would re-appear on the grid again replacing Takuma Sato at Malaysia when he became unwell. In 2007 and 2008, he would race for Super Aguri.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2002 Hungarian Grand Prix	20th	Ret	Minardi
2002 Belgian Grand Prix	20th	Ret	Minardi
2005 Malaysian Grand Prix	15th	Ret	BAR

Paul Di Resta
Paul raced from 2010 until 2013 for Force India F1 Team. After 2013, he would not return on the grid for Force India. Two years later, he signed a deal with the Williams team to become their test and reserve driver. In 2017, Di Resta returned on the grid to replace Felipe Massa when he became ill after the free practice.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2017 Hungarian Grand Prix	19th	Ret	Williams

Alexander Wurz
In 1997 Wurz would have his first taste as F1 driver. He replaced Gerhard Berger for three races. Even finishing once at the podium. Well known for his time at Benetton where he came as the new big talent. After 2000, Wurz would not return to Benetton. Instead, he became one of the test drivers for the McLaren Team.  He was close to replace Mika Häkkinen before Kimi Räikkönen was assigned. In 2005 he replaced Juan Pablo Montoya after he was injured. He finished the race eventually as 3^rd after both BAR drivers were disqualified.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
1997 Canadian Grand Prix	11th	Ret	Benetton
1997 French Grand Prix	7th	Ret	Benetton
1997 British Grand Prix	8th	3th	Benetton
2005 San Marino Grand Prix	3th	7th	McLaren

Giancarlo Fisichella
Once praised as one of the future world champions in the Formula One, the reality in 2009 he was far from a world champion. In 2009, he drove for the Force India F1 Team the results were poor and then the Belgium Grand Prix happened. He finished the race as second and it was enough to make his dream come through to become a Ferrari driver. He replaced Luca Badoer who replaced Felipe Massa after the Hungarian Grand Prix where he was hit by a spring.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2009 Italian Grand Prix	14th	9th	Ferrari
2009 Singapore Grand Prix	18th	13th	Ferrari
2009 Japanese Grand Prix	16th	12th	Ferrari
2009 Brazilian Grand Prix	20th	10th	Ferrari
2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	20th	16th	Ferrari

• 

• 

• 

Antonio Giovinazzi
In 2017 Giovinazzi made his debut in the Formula One with the Sauber F1 Team. When they asked him to be their stand-in. He replaced Pascal Wehrlein who felt ill in Australia where he got ill. He replaced Pascal as well the next race in China.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2017 Australian Grand Prix	16th	12th	Sauber F1 Team
2017 Chinese Grand Prix	15th	Ret	Sauber F1 Team

Sebastian Vettel
In 2007 he was the test driver for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. When Robert Kubica had his big shunt in Montreal Vettel was to replace him in United States Grand Prix.  He finished his debut race as eight. Later on Vettel would replace also Scott Speed. Due to poor results.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2007 United States Grand Prix	7th	8th	BMW Sauber F1 Team
2007 Hungarian Grand Prix	20th	16th	Scuderia Toro Rosso
2007 Turkish Grand Prix	20th	19th	Scuderia Toro Rosso
2007 Italian Grand Prix	16th	18th	Scuderia Toro Rosso
2007 Belgian Grand Prix	17th	Ret	Scuderia Toro Rosso
2007 Japanese Grand Prix	9th	Ret	Scuderia Toro Rosso
2007 Chinese Grand Prix	12th	4th	Scuderia Toro Rosso
2007 Brazilian Grand Prix	13th	Ret	Scuderia Toro Rosso

Marc Gené
In 1999 Gené made his debut in the Formula One with the Minardi team. Six years after his older brother Jordi was to debut in the Formula One with the Bravo F1 Team. In his first year he scored one point for the team by finishing 6^th during the European Grand Prix. In 2000 he would race as well for Minardi.  For 2001, he failed to find a seat so he accepted the role as test and reserve driver at Williams. In 2003, Marc would be the stand-in for Ralf Schumacher. He finished the race as fifth. In 2004, Gené replaced Schumacher after his accident during the United States Grand Prix.  He drove two races before Antonio Pizzonia would replace him. In November 2004, he announced he would become Ferrari’s test driver.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2003 Italian Grand Prix	5th	5th	Williams F1 Team
2004 French Grand Prix	8th	10th	Williams F1 Team
2004 British Grand Prix	13th	12th	Williams F1 Team

Jenson Button
While Jenson Button retired at the end of 2016 he would make his comeback as a stand-in a year later. During the Grand Prix at Monaco, he was the stand-in for Fernando Alonso who tried his luck to win the prestige Indy 500. In 2017, both races clashed in the same weekend.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2017 Monaco Grand Prix	9th	Ret	McLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne
In 2016 Vandoorne was the reserve driver for McLaren. After the big shunt Alonso had in Australia, Stoffel would replace Fernando Alonso during the Grand Prix at Bahrain. He managed to qualify himself in front of his teammate Jenson Button. By finishing tenth, he scored his first point in the Formula One.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2016 Bahrain Grand Prix	12th	10th	McLaren

• 

• 

• 

Mario Andretti
Andretti left the Formula One at the end of 1981 as he was not happy with the new ground effect cars that appeared in the Formula One. Leaving the Formula One to return to the IndyCar in 1982, it didn’t take long before Andretti would appear on the grid again in the Formula One. Williams offered him a one off to replace Carlos Reutemann. Who suddenly left the Formula One. At the end of the Season Enzo Ferrari asked Mario to replace the heavily injured Didier Peroni. In Italy, he took pole and finished the race as third.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
1982 United States Grand Prix West	14th	Ret	Williams
1982 Italian Grand Prix	Pole	3th	Ferrari
1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix	7th	Ret	Ferrari

Martin Brundle
In 1984 Brundle made his debut in the Formula One with Tyrrell. However, in 1988 his F1 career stalled. Instead, he was racing in the World Sportscar Championship and would become the test driver for the Williams team. While winning the Sportscar Championship he would replace Nigel Mansell at the Belgium Grand Prix after he was struck down with chickenpox. Brundle was to replace Mansell as well in Italy. However, due to his commitments he was unable to race.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
1988 Belgian Grand Prix	12th	7th	Williams

Jean-Louis Schlesser
In 1983 Schlesser had his first taste in the Formula One when he bought a drive in the March – RAM 01. During the years, he was testing for the Williams team. In 1988, he got the big chance to race for Williams. After Brundle replaced Mansell, he was to race in Italy as well. However, due to his career in the IMSA he had to thanks for the Italian Grand Prix.  Williams asked Schlesser to race in Italy.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
1988 Italian Grand Prix	22th	11th	Williams

Robert Kubica
Is well known for his rally accident in 2011 where he had a massive crash. It almost meant the end of his carreer. However, he managed to overcome his injuries and with technical help, he was able again to race.  Since 2016, he is active in the Formula One again. In 2019, he drove a full season for Williams. Since 2020, he is the test driver for Alfa Romeo. In 2021, Robert Kubica replaced Kimi Räikkönen during the Dutch Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2021 Dutch Grand Prix	18th	15th	Alfa Romeo
2021 Italian Grand Prix	19th	18th	Alfa Romeo

George Russell
Russell has been a Mercedes protégé for a couple of years. In 2020, he raced for Williams. During the Grand Prix of Bahrain Mercedes asked him to replaced Lewis Hamilton as he was struck by covid-19. This stand-in for Mercedes meant he will race in 2022 for the team.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2020 Sakhir Grand Prix	2nd	9th	Mercedes

• 

• 

• 

Jack Aitken
In 2020 was Jack Aitken one of the reserve drivers for the Williams Grand Prix Team.  During the Grand Prix in Bahrain Russell was to replace Hamilton at Mercedes. Which meant that Williams had to look for a stand-in for Russell. Soon they came at Jack Aitken. It was, so far, his only Grand Prix.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2020 Sakhir Grand Prix	18th	16th	Williams

Pietro Fittipaldi
Pietro Fittipaldi is one of the test and reserve drivers for the Haas F1 Team.  During the Bahrain Grand Prix Romain Grosjean had a horrific crash which he wonder well survived.  Because of his injuries, Grosjean was unable to finish his last season in the Formula One. For the last two races of the season, Pietro Fittipaldi was to replace Grosjean.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
2020 Sakhir Grand Prix	20th	17th	Haas F1 Team
2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	19th	19th	Haas F1 Team

Roberto Moreno
Perhaps Moreno is the stand-in of all the stand-ins. Back in 1982 Moreno was racing in several series and did this pretty well with winning races. He was also one of the test drivers for Team Lotus, however he did not much of testing which would be his Achilles heel. Moreno was asked by Chapman to replace Nigel Mansell at the Dutch Grand Prix when he broke his wrist in Canada. Moreno barely had drove with the new Lotus 91. He failed to qualify the Lotus for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Five years later Moreno would receive a call from the small AGS team if he was willing to replace Pascal Fabre at AGS for the last two races. While he failed to qualify at first for the Japanese Grand Prix, though again Mansell injuring himself he was allowed to start his first Grand Prix. The Grand Prix In Adelaide Moreno managed to finish 7^th with his AGS JH22. However, due to Senna’s disqualification Moreno finished sixth and scoring his and the teams’ first point.

With the help of Ferrari Moreno would race for Coloni in 1989. In 1990, he made the move to EuroBrun, both seasons were without any decent results. The team would not even do the last two races of the season. However, Nannini had his accident with the chopper nearly losing his hand. Benetton called Moreno to replace Nannini.  His results, with a podium finish, gave Benetton enough confidence to contract him for 1991.

However, he would be ditched by Briatore after the Belgium Grand Prix, where he finished fourth, in favour of Michael Schumacher. However, he would race for Jordan in Italy and Portugal that year. The last race of the season he would race for the Minardi team. In 1992 he would race for Andrea Moda. Three years later he re-appeared on the grid this time for Forti Corse.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
1982 Dutch Grand Prix	DNQ (  +6.916)	DNS	Team Lotus
1987 Japanese Grand Prix	27th	Ret	AGS
1987 Australian Grand Prix	25th	6th	AGS
1991 Italian Grand Prix	9th	Ret	Jordan
1991 Portuguese Grand Prix	16th	10th	Jordan
1991 Australian Grand Prix	18th	16th	Minardi

Mika Salo
Salo like Giancarlo Fisichella would end up racing for the Scuderia as a stand-in doing only a much better job. However, his first entry in the Formula One was in 1994 with the nearly bankrupted Team Lotus. Replaced Éric Bernard for the last two races. After leaving Arrows at the end of 1998 he was without a job. Though, he would soon replace Ricardo Zonta at BAR who was injured. He drove three races for the team before Zonta returned. After the shunt of Schumacher in Silverstone where he broke his leg, Salo was asked to replace Schumacher. He would do six races for the Scuderia and scoring two podiums.

Grand Prix	Qualification	Race	Team
1994 Japanese Grand Prix	25th	10th	Team Lotus
1994 Australian Grand Prix	22th	Ret	Team Lotus
1999 San Marino Grand Prix	19th	7th	BAR
1999 Monaco Grand Prix	12th	Ret	BAR
1999 Spanish Grand Prix	16th	8th	BAR
1999 Austrian Grand Prix	7th	9th	Ferrari
1999 German Grand Prix	4th	2nd	Ferrari
1999 Hungarian Grand Prix	18th	12th	Ferrari
1999 Belgian Grand Prix	9th	7th	Ferrari
1999 Italian Grand Prix	6th	3th	Ferrari
1999 European Grand Prix	12th	Ret	Ferrari