Top 25 Second Drivers in F1 History
25. Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson never got time to prove himself at Red Bull against Max Verstappen. He had a lot more to show than the two races he had at the start of 2025.
24. Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda has managed to prove that Red Bull is not an easy car to drive. The Honda-backed driver has shown in the past that he is capable of even outperforming Daniel Ricciardo.
23. Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly did a lot better than the two drivers before him in this list. He was not on par with Verstappen, but still not so distant either.
22. Takuma Sato
Takuma Sato was a de-factor number 2 to Jenson Button at BAR Honda. Sato never really got a better chance, despite joining Super Aguri later on.
21. Kevin Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen was the number 2 to Jenson Button at McLaren in 2014. He even took a podium in Australia. Though, he was sacked after one season.
20. Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen played the ideal role of a second driver for Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. He simply supported the Briton's title efforts and only won one race.
19. Ralf Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher was always stuck in Juan Pablo Montoya's shadow at Williams. Despite some good efforts, he was ultimately forced to be the number 2 driver.
18. Damon Hill
Before winning the title in 1996, Damon Hill served as the support driver to Alain Prost at Williams. This was a crucial period for him to learn from an F1 icon.
17. Jarno Trulli
Jarno Trulli was forced to play second fiddle against Fernando Alonso at Renault. He was often inconsistent which saw him get axed midway through 2004.
16. Alex Albon
Alex Albon did what many Red Bull drivers couldn't, survive more than a season beside Max Verstappen. While the Thai driver was ultimately replaced by Sergio Perez, he was better than what Red Bull has right now.
15. Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Heinz Herald Frentzen partnered Jacques Villeneuve at Williams. He could never really make a mark for himself till he left the Grove-based team and joined Jordan.
14. Johnny Herbert
Johnny Herbert was racing alongside Michael Schumacher at Benetton. He was given a supporting role for the German driver after it became clear that Schumacher was on another level.
13. Giancarlo Fisichella
Giancarlo Fischella has had some standout results in his career. However, he played the ideal role of second fiddle to Fernando Alonso during the latter's Renault glory days.
12. Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi was loved by Tifosi during his time at Ferrari. However, as things go at Maranello, he was bogged down as a second driver for Michael Schumacher.
11. Ricciardo Patrese
Riccardo Patrese had a long stint in F1 with six race wins to his name. Though he is remembered for his supporting role for Nigel Mansell at Williams.
10. Ronnie Peterson
The Super Swede of Formula 1 was forced to help out his teammate Mario Andretti in the 1978 title fight at Williams, forever defining him as a consistent second driver.
9. Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen fell to the role of a second driver at Ferrari after Sebastian Vettel joined Maranello in 2015. During the Finn's time alongside Vettel, he could only win one race, but was consistent otherwise.
8. Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez is the most successful second driver at Red Bull since 2019. The Mexican did enough to help Max Verstappen win four titles. However, Checo's performances were never enough to guarantee him a seat at Milton Keynes.
7. Mark Webber
Mark Webber dropped himself to the role of a second driver after accusing Red Bull of favoritism towards Sebastian Vettel. Nevertheless, the Australian driver did play his part through his time at Milton Keynes.
6. Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger is one of the few drivers who probably deserved a championship. He is best remembered for playing the supporting role to Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell at McLaren and Ferrari respectively.
5. David Coulthard
David Coulthard was an impressive driver, but simply not as impressive as his teammates at McLaren. Be it Nika Hakkinen or Kimi Raikkonen, he never had what it takes to lead the team.
4. Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa is infamous for his second driver stint for Fernando Alonso at Ferrari. The Brazilian did his job well and was never reluctant to accept team orders.
3. Eddie Irvine
Eddie Irvine was one of the many drivers who supported Michael Schumacher as teammates. Though he did find himself in title contention after Schumacher got injured in 1999.
2. Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas is the textbook definition of a number 2 driver. The Finn was ready to make sacrifices for Lewis Hamilton but was always there to pick up the pieces when things went wrong for the Briton.
1. Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello defined the role of a number 2 driver in F1. The Brazilian fell victim to Ferrari's brutal second-driver treatment in favor of Michael Schumacher. The 2002 Austrian GP is still hated by fans. Nevertheless, Barrichello almost never complained.
