5 F1 drivers who have competed in the Olympics

Although the world of F1 and the Olympics are poles apart, there have been a few drivers who have experienced both. Formula 1 is known as the pinnacle of motorsport and engineering, while the Olympics is the biggest stage for athletes across disciplines from every corner of the world.

Despite interest from some of the current drivers on the grid, it is highly unlikely that the sport will be part of the Olympics in the near future. Below is the list of five F1 drivers who have competed at the Olympics.

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#1 Alex Zanardi

Alex Zanardi made 41 race starts in F1 for teams such as Jordan and Lotus but could only score a single point during his time in the sport. His career at the pinnacle of motorsport came to a halt after he was involved in a bicycle accident that resulted in severe leg injuries.

Undeterred, Zanardi went on to achieve remarkable success in the Paralympic Games, securing four gold and two silver medals in para-cycling at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics.

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#2 Ben Pon

Ben Pon made a solitary F1 appearance at the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, where a dramatic car flip marked the end of his single-seater aspirations. He traded the racetrack for the shooting range, taking up clay pigeon skeet shooting.

He retired from the sport in 1965 and represented the Netherlands in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, competing in skeet shooting and finishing 31st.

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#3 Bob Said

Bob Said, an American racing driver who was born in 1932 in New York, competed in just one Formula One race at the 1959 US Grand Prix. However, he couldn't complete the race and went on to retire after Lap 1.

He gave up his motorsport career in favor of becoming a bobsleigher and competed in two Olympics, in 1968 and 1972, with a best finish of 10th.

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#4 Divina Galica

Divina Galica was a prolific skier before she joined the pinnacle of motorsport, as she competed in four Winter Olympics and captained the British Women's Olympic Ski Team in 1968 and 1972.

Galica's journey into motorsport began with a celebrity race invitation, where she unexpectedly discovered a natural talent for driving. This led to four Formula 1 entries with independent teams, Surtees and Hesketh. Unfortunately, she was unable to qualify for any of the races, leaving her without a single F1 start.

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#5 Prince Bira

Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, also known as Prince Bira of Siam, was a member of the Thai royal family and an avid sportsman, as he competed in several sports such as sailing, pilot and racing.

Prince Bira competed in Formula 1 between 1950 and 1954, making 19 race entries and scoring a total of eight points across his time with teams like Maserati, Connaught, and Enrico Plate. Beyond motorsport, he was also an accomplished sailor, representing his country in four Olympic Games, though without securing a medal.