Second chances ...

Mezzer

A fine chap if ever there was one.
Contributor
Not sure I've seen a thread about people leaving F1 and then coming back in. I'm personally pleased to see Kvyat back next year, so that is one example. Another of course is Kimi's paid sabbatical at Ferrari, but can you think of other examples where drivers left F1 (not of their own choice) and managed to get another drive?
 
Mika Hakkenien is the first one that comes to mind. You can add Fernando Alonso to that list too. The only questions on them would be the 'forced' bit as I'm sure both will argue they chose to take a year developing at a top team.

Andre De Cessaries had no drive in 90 and landed the Jordan drive in 91. Nearly got a win that year.

Jos Verstappen was in and out like a yo yo.

Johnny Herbert was dropped for under performing after his injuries but made his way back in very successfully.
 
I'm sure in the 70's and 80's some drivers used to be in and out like they were doing the hokey cokey. A few which spring immediately to mind are Patrick Tambay, who after a less than stellar season in a very poor McLaren M28 in 1979 sat out 1980 before turning up in a Theodore and Ligier in 1981, sat out the start of 1982 before getting Villeneuves Ferrari seat after his death.

Derek Daly, after a season literally flying at Tyrell in 1980 didn't have a drive in 1981 and the beginning of 1982 until Williams took him on to replace Carlos Reutmann after he suddenly retired. One of my favourite driver, Jean-Pierre Jarier used to have breaks from F1 on quite regular occasions and then would pop back up in a different team, sometime two teams in a single season.

The last one I will leave you with father of Max, Jos Verstappen took an enforced year off in 1999 and 2002.
 
My mistake, Derek was at March in 1981 but might as well have not bothered with the first part of the season as he didn't qualify for the first 6 races.
 
Didn't Nigel Mansell go away and then came back as well, or am I making that up? He went to race in Indycar or something I think, I'm not sure.
 
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:D It could be a short thread, I can’t think of anyone else, at least not from the modern era. I mean if a driver is so poor in one season that no one picks him up for the next, why would that change in the future.
 
Nico Hulkenberg got dropped by Williams for not being quick enough and came back with Force India after a year as test driver.
 
Kubika,
Mario Andretti Was on and off at the beginning of his f1 career
Stefan Johanson, was unceremoniously let go off by Onix (after giving them their only podium finished) and he came back the year after for a short time with ASG and Footwork
Obviously Niki Lauda, Ferrari wrote him off but he came back like the Phoenix bird and then he took a fee years off to manage Lauda Air
 
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Mika took a bit of a calculated gamble in going to McLaren as Senna's contract for 93 was on and off and on again. As it was it was Michael Andretti being pants that got him his break. It could easily be argued that Mika played the long game because remaining where he was at Lotus would have done him no better. I can guarantee with a degree of certainty he was on more cooling his heels at McLaren than he got from Lotus in 92.
 
Felipe Massa got dropped at the end of the 2002 season by Sauber to be replaced by Heinz-Harold Frentzen. He ended up being test driver for the Ferrari team in 2003,when he returned to Sauber for the 2004 season,he proved to be a lot less of an erratic driver after his stint at Ferrari.
 
surprised no one mentioned Haas as on the current grid have both drivers who effectively missed a season romain grosjean at renault as piquet jr absence but was dropped so in 2010 & 11 he took part in GP2 Series, Auto GP, FIA GT1 World Champ, Le Mans 24. then came back 2012. then kevin magussen who was dropped to reserve & test driver in 2015. took part in opening race due to Alonso accident

then also alonso who missed 2002
 
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