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It is pretty uncommon for F1 drivers to leave the team that has given them so much success in the sport and jump ship to a rival.
There have been a couple of instances when the star drivers have caught everyone by surprise by leaving their team and joining a team to taste the same amount of success.
Below is the list of five drivers who made shock exits from the team after successful stints.
#1 Lewis Hamilton- Mercedes F1 to Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton shocked everyone at the beginning of the 2024 season when he announced that he would be leaving for the German team after 12 years with them to join the Scuderia Ferrari from 2025 onwards.
The seven-time world champion had won six world titles and over 80 races with Mercedes during his time with the team and signed a contract extension in August 2023.
#2 Fernando Alonso - Renault to McLaren
Fernando Alonso is one of the few drivers who is not afraid to jump ship if a team doesn't meet his comments, which made his move from Renault to McLaren in 2007 even more shocking.
The Spaniard had won both his titles with the French in successive years, 2005 and 2006, before leaving them for McLaren F1 to race alongside then-rookie Lewis Hamilton.
#3 Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull to Ferrari
Despite achieving his lifelong dream of racing for the Italian team, Sebastian Vettel's switch from Red Bull to Ferrari still caught most by surprise as he had won four titles with the Austrian team from 2010 to 2013.
Although the German driver was having an underwhelming season in 2014 when he announced his switch, the move was unimaginable at that time given the success of the partnership with Red Bull.
#4 Michael Schumacher - Bennoton to Ferrari
Similar to Alonso, Michael Schumacher had also won two successive titles with the Benetton F1 team in 1994 and 1995 when he made his switch to the struggling Ferrari in 1996.
The shocking move was a downgrade for the German driver as it took him from a championship-winning car to a midfield Ferrari at that time, but his switch eventually paid off.
#5 Alain Prost - McLaren to Ferrari
Despite the shocking nature of the switch, Alain Prost's move to Ferrari was necessary for him as he had an acrimonious rivalry with his McLaren teammate Ayrton Senna in the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
The French driver had won three of four world championships with the British team in his time with them.
