Shepherd? Comedian? Funeral director? 10 of the craziest pre-F1 careers
Given Max Verstappen made his F1 debut aged just 17, there wasn’t a lot of time for the Dutch driver to have a pre-F1 career – but that wasn’t the case for the racers in the video above.
Did you know, for example, that Romain Grosjean worked in a bank in the gap between his first and second F1 careers in 2010 and 2011? Or that Nigel Mansell trained as an aerospace engineer before getting handed the chance of a lifetime to become a Lotus test driver?
WATCH: 10 moments of brilliance from 1992 champion Nigel Mansell
So, from stand-up comedians to sheep-herding farmers, special constables and, er, funeral directors, check out 10 drivers’ unlikely pre-F1 careers in the video up top.
Next Up
Related Articles
F1 AcademyThe best off-track stories of the F1 ACADEMY season
ExclusiveThe top 10 drivers of 2025 – as chosen by the drivers
Quiz10 quiz questions on British F1 World Champions
The best moments from F1 Secret Santa over the years
Norris praises support from Hamilton, Vettel and more
End Of Year Reports 2025Racing Bulls’ best and worst moments from 2025