The Formula 1 stars who drove Supercars

Last week’s Albert Park event saw two global Formula 1 stars take to some Supercars.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso sampled Thomas Randle’s Castrol Tickford Mustang.

Sergio Perez, on the same day, lapped a Red Bull Ampol-liveried Commodore.

Alonso and Perez joined a decorated list of drivers who have driven Australian touring cars.

Conversely, the likes of James Courtney, Will Davison, Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes all steered F1 cars.

Australia's first world champion, Sir Jack Brabham, raced a Holden Torana in the 1976 Bathurst 1000.

Brabham infamously failed to get off the grid and was hit from behind. However, he returned to scored fourth at Surfers Paradise. He would return to Mount Panorama in 1978 and finished sixth.

Countryman and 1980 world champion Alan Jones carved out a solid touring car career after F1.

Jones secured five ATCC race wins and a number of Bathurst 1000 podiums.

Kiwi Denny Hulme, who won the world title in 1967, made the first of eight Bathurst 1000 starts in 1982.

He secured a Bathurst best of fourth in 1991, but sadly passed away from a heart attack while driving in the 1992 Great Race.

Hulme also finished second behind Larry Perkins in a support race at the 1988 Australian Grand Prix.

Jacques Villeneuve famously raced with Kelly Racing in 2012 where he deputised for an injured Greg Murphy.

Button steered a Triple Eight Commodore Pic: AN1 Images

In 2010, 1997 world champion Villeneuve finished fifth on the Gold Coast with Paul Dumbrell.

In 2011, Jenson Button steered a Triple Eight Supercar around Mount Panorama. On the same day, Button set an unofficial Bathurst lap record aboard an F1 car.

2009 world champion Button previously had a taste of Jamie Whincup’s Supercar at Albert Park in 2010.

Button would go on to win the Grand Prix on the Sunday, with Whincup also steering a McLaren F1 racer.

Several more F1 aces have turned laps in Supercars, either in a championship or exhibition sense.

Sir Stirling Moss was Brabham's co-driver in 1976; it was the Briton’s first race start since his F1 career-ending Goodwood crash in 1962.

Mika Salo won with Davison in 2012

Multiple-time Grand Prix winner Gerhard Berger also steered a Bob Jane BMW 635 CSi in 1985.

The Austrian qualified on the front row alongside eventual winner Dick Johnson, but was taken out by John Harvey.

The international Gold Coast event encouraged a number of former F1 drivers to turn their hands to Supercars.

David Brabham, Nick Heidfeld, Mika Salo, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Tiago Monteiro, Gianni Morbidelli, Sebastien Bourdais, Emanuele Pirro, Christian Klien, Jan Magnussen, Justin Wilson and Lucas Di Grassi all had a crack at Surfers Paradise between 2010 and 2012.

Bourdais won with Whincup in 2011 and 2012, with former Ferrari race Salo winning with Davison for Ford Performance Racing in 2012.

Australian star Daniel Ricciardo has sampled a Supercar on two separate occasions.

Perez turned laps in a Red Bull Ampol Commodore last week

The eight-time Grand Prix winner steered Triple Eight's 'Sandman' Supercar at Sandown ahead of the 2016 Australian Grand Prix.

In 2019, Ricciardo took to Calder Park aboard Rick Kelly’s Castrol-backed Nissan Altima.

Also in 2019, current world champion Max Verstappen was taken for a ride around Albert Park with Whincup.

Verstappen joined Supercars’ Eseries in 2020 during the COVID-19 layoff, and famously duelled with friend Shane van Gisbergen.

That brings us to 2022, with Perez and Alonso both turning Supercar laps last week.

Which big name will join the list in 2023 when F1 and Supercars return to Albert Park?

The 2022 Repco Supercars Championship will resume in Perth later this month.