Written by Eleana Cheshire, Edited by Rohan Brown
From the 2025 season, Carlos Sainz Jr joins an elite group of drivers who have driven for the three most successful teams in Formula 1. Mclaren, Scuderia Ferrari and Williams. In the seventy five years of Formula 1 only three drivers, including Sainz have driven for the three legacy teams . Sainz now joins Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell in this elite group.
In Mansell’s career, he did three stints at Williams, two seasons at Ferrari and two races at McLaren. During his first stint at Williams between 1985 and 1988, the ‘Red five’ number became an iconic symbol of Mansell’s career becoming a signature of his time at Williams, and being a F1 driver. Mansell also became a title contender in the 1986 season, leading the championship for the majority of the season. However his hopes for the title faded quickly due to his left rear tyre exploding, losing him the championship in the final race at Adelaide.
In 1988, Mansell was the last driver to be personally selected for the team by Enzo Ferrari. Mansell also became known as ‘Il Leone’ (the lion) by the tifosi. On his debut with the team at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix, Mansell won the race. Though his first year with the Scuderia was successful, Mansell ended up announcing his retirement during the 1990 British Grand Prix after a stint of bad luck and multiple DNFs.
His second stint with Williams between 1991 and 1992 was Mansell’s most successful time in Formula 1. Mansell started off the 1992 season with five straight wins, a record that was not equaled until Michael Schumacher during the 2004 season. During the 1994 season, Mansell also set the record for most wins in a season (9), which was broken by Schumacher in 2002, and also set the record for most pole positions in a season (14) which wasn’t broken until 2011, by Sebastian Vettel.
Mansell ended up securing his first and only championship at the eleventh race of the season in Hungary. Mansell’s final stint with Williams was during the 1994 season. He drove in the French Grand Prix and the final three races of the season. Mansell’s time with Mclaren in 1995 was very short, he chose to retire just two races after starting for the team - this is a decision he later stated that he regretted.
Alain Prost is widely considered to be one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history. With four championships and fifty one race wins to his name, there is no denying that his career was a successful one. Prost began his F1 career at McLaren in 1980, only lasting one year. Prost later returned to McLaren in 1984 and stayed there until 1989. During his second stint there, Prost won three of his four championship titles.
Prost’s time at McLaren was iconic, with dominating wins and a classic Formula 1 rivalry. In 1988, Brazilian Ayrton Senna was signed for the team, this sparked one of the most iconic rivalries in the sport but also one of the best teammate pairings of all time. McLaren dominated Formula 1 in 1988, winning fifteen out of sixteen races, with Prost winning seven races and being on the podium for fourteen races in that season.
Prost joined Ferrari in 1990 and stayed there until 1991. His first season with Ferrari saw him win five races, however his second season with the team wasn’t as successful. Prost won no races in the 1991 season, however he never finished below fifth position. After leaving the sport after 1991, Prost returned with Williams in 1993. The British team has built a dominant car, allowing Prost to win his fourth and final World Championship title.
After his announcement that he was joining Williams for the 2025 season and beyond, Carlos Sainz Jr joined Mansell and Prost as the only drivers to drive for the most successful teams in Formula 1. He joined McLaren in 2019, and had many points finishes with some instances of bad luck.
Sainz gained his first podium at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. He started the race at the back in 20th and made his way through the pack. Sainz crossed the finish line in fourth, but was later promoted to third after Lewis Hamilton was penalised for causing a collision with Alex Albon. He ended his time at McLaren with another podium at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, and narrowly missed his first win by just four tenths to Pierre Gasly.
The Spaniard joined Ferrari in 2021, replacing Sebastian Vettel, his first season at Ferrari was successful, amounting to four podiums and finishing the season in fifth. It wasn’t until 2022 that he achieved his maiden win and pole position at the British Grand Prix. Next year was a defining moment for Sainz, being the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in the 2023 season, clinching victory at the Singapore Grand Prix.
He started off the 2024 season strong with a third place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix. However he missed the second round at Saudi Arabia due to appendicitis. He returned for the next race in Australia and once again broke Verstappen’s winning streak, going on to win the race just two weeks after surgery. Sainz’s final win with the Italian team was at the Mexico Grand Prix, his fourth win. In the 2024 season, Sainz achieved nine podiums, with a final podium with the Scuderia at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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