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
Russell impressed by ‘pretty spectacular’ Aston Martin
Williams show off their new livery for 2026 F1 season
F1 AcademyAmerican Express confirms Dobson for 2026
How Norris proved to himself he has ‘what it takes’
Why Hadjar’s mum knew about Red Bull seat before he did
Check out every angle of Williams’ 2026 livery