Alain Prost (1990)

By the time Alain Prost joined Ferrari in 1990, he was already a three-time world champion and one of the most respected drivers on the grid.

His move to Ferrari was seen as a fresh start for both him and the team, which hadn’t won a title since 1979. Ferrari was competitive, and Prost quickly established himself as a title contender, winning five races that season.

It all came down to the infamous 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, where his main rival, Ayrton Senna, still bitter over their previous clashes, took Prost out at the first corner in a deliberate move, securing the title for himself. It was a devastating moment, and despite his incredible season, Prost left Suzuka empty-handed.

The following year, Ferrari’s performance went downhill, and Prost, frustrated with the car’s poor handling, publicly likened it to a “truck.” That was the final straw—Ferrari fired him before the end of the season. What began as a promising move ended in acrimony, and Prost’s Ferrari dream was over after just two seasons.

Michael Schumacher (1996)

Michael Schumacher’s decision to leave Benetton, where he had just won back-to-back world titles, and join a struggling Ferrari in 1996 raised eyebrows. At the time, Ferrari was unreliable, unorganized, and a shadow of its former self. But Schumacher wasn’t looking for an easy ride—he wanted to build something legendary.

His first few seasons were a mix of brilliance and frustration. He dragged an uncompetitive car to stunning victories, such as his unforgettable wet-weather masterclass in Spain in 1996. But reliability issues and team mistakes cost him championship chances in 1997 and 1998.

Then came the glory. From 2000 to 2004, Schumacher and Ferrari dominated F1 like never before, winning five consecutive titles and breaking records left and right. By the time he retired in 2006, he had cemented Ferrari’s legacy—and his own—as one of the greatest drivers in history.

Kimi Raikkonen (2007)

Kimi Raikkonen arrived at Ferrari in 2007 with big shoes to fill. The team had just lost Michael Schumacher to retirement, and the pressure was immense. No many expected him to deliver a title in his first season, but Raikkonen proved the others wrong in a great fashion.

In one of the most dramatic season finales in F1 history, Raikkonen won the Brazilian Grand Prix and snatched the championship away from Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by just one point. It was an incredible turnaround, and Ferrari had found their new champion.

However, after that triumphant season, the Finn’s performances became inconsistent. In 2008, he played a supporting role as teammate Felipe Massa fought for the title. By 2009, Ferrari was struggling, and Raikkonen’s motivation seemed to wane. At the end of the year, Ferrari bought out his contract to make room for Alonso.

Raikkonen returned to Ferrari in 2014 for a second stint, but this time, he was no longer the same driver. He was largely outperformed by Vettel and took on a secondary role. However, he did deliver one final moment of brilliance in 2018, winning the US Grand Prix—his first victory in over five years.

Fernando Alonso (2010)

After winning two championships with Renault and enduring a turbulent season at McLaren, Fernando Alonso arrived at Ferrari in 2010 as the driver meant to restore the team’s dominance. His impact was immediate—he won his debut race for the Scuderia in Bahrain, a moment that felt like the beginning of something special.

Throughout 2010, Alonso established himself as a frontrunner, winning races in Germany, Italy, and Singapore. Heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi, he led the championship standings, needing only a solid finish to secure his third world title. But then came one of the most infamous strategic blunders in Ferrari history.

Instead of focusing on title rival Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari made the fateful decision to cover off Mark Webber, pitting Alonso early and trapping him behind Renault’s Vitaly Petrov. For 40 agonizing laps, Alonso was unable to pass, and Vettel snatched the championship from him. The images of Alonso sitting motionless in his parked Ferrari after the race became an enduring symbol of missed opportunity.

If 2010 was heartbreak, 2012 was pure defiance. The Ferrari F2012 was, by all accounts, an uncompetitive car. Yet, Alonso pulled off one of the greatest individual seasons in F1 history, dragging the Ferrari into an improbable title fight. He won stunning victories in Malaysia, Valencia, and Germany, while Vettel and Red Bull struggled with reliability issues early in the year.

Against all odds, Alonso led the championship for much of the season, but Red Bull found their form late in the year. Once again, he entered the final race with a shot at the title. And once again, he fell short—this time by just three points.

Alonso’s Ferrari tenure would ultimately end in frustration. By 2014, Mercedes had found themselves in a new era of dominance, and Ferrari had slipped backward. Realizing that the team was not in a position to win championships, Alonso left after five years of near misses and wasted potential.

Sebastian Vettel (2015)

When four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel left Red Bull to join Ferrari in 2015, the parallels to Michael Schumacher’s move two decades earlier were impossible to ignore. Vettel was a lifelong Ferrari fan and made no secret of his admiration for Schumacher. He arrived in Maranello with one goal: to follow in his idol’s footsteps and bring Ferrari back to the top.

At first, it seemed like he might succeed. In his debut season, Vettel won three races and was the only non-Mercedes driver to win multiple grands prix, proving that Ferrari was on the right track. But while 2015 was promising, it was in 2017 and 2018 that Vettel truly emerged as a title contender.

For the first half of both seasons, he led the championship battle against Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari had built cars capable of winning, and Vettel was delivering. But then, under pressure, the mistakes started creeping in.

The turning point came at the 2018 German Grand Prix. Leading the race at his home track, in front of thousands of adoring fans, Vettel crashed out in wet conditions. It was a small mistake with massive consequences—Hamilton went on to win, and everything changed .

From there, Vettel’s confidence seemed to dissappear. Unforced errors, spins, and questionable decisions saw his title challenge collapse. By 2019, Charles Leclerc arrived and immediately outperformed him, signaling the beginning of the end.

A year after, Ferrari decided not to renew Vettel’s contract, bringing a bittersweet close to a partnership that had promised so much. He had the chance to become Ferrari’s next Schumacher, but in the end, it wasn’t meant to be.

Lewis Hamilton (2025)

Ferrari’s most recent signing might be the biggest driver transfer of all time. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes after more than a decade to join Ferrari for 2025.

The Briton has achieved everything in F1—multiple world titles, record-breaking wins, and a legendary rivalry with Max Verstappen. But at 40 years old, he is looking for one final challenge: winning with Ferrari.

The expectations will be enormous. If Ferrari delivers a competitive car, Hamilton could break Schumacher’s (and his) record and become an eight-time world champion. But if the team fails to give him what he needs, he risks ending his career in frustration, much like many before him.

Will Hamilton’s Ferrari move end in glory or heartbreak? Only time will tell. But if he succeeds, it will be one of the greatest stories in the history of Formula 1.