F1 and the Olympics: when drivers become Olympic athletes (also in Milan-Cortina)

Formula 1 at the Olympics The opening ceremony on Friday evening at the ‘Giuseppe Meazza’ stadium in Milan officially kicked off the XXV edition of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. In the midst of the numerous performances at the opening party of the Olympics, there was also the singular clip of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who went to San Siro on the tram with Valentino Rossi in the role of tram driver. The ‘Doctor’ was one of the motorsport personalities linked to these Games, which in recent days had seen Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Stefano Domenicali as torchbearers. Even twenty years ago, in Turin, Italy hosted the Winter Olympics, and in the opening ceremony Ferrari was one of the main protagonists with the F2005 driven by Luca Badoer, in that case with some memorable burnouts. In the history of Formula 1, we have rarely seen drivers who have divided their sporting career between racing in the Circus and winter competitions, but this has really happened. Divina Galica Only five women have participated in a GP in the history of F1: one of these was the British Divina Galica, who took part in her home GP in 1976 and then contested two more races in 1978. The best results of her racing career, however, are linked to winter sports. Even before embarking on the path of motorsport, Galica qualified in the slalom, giant slalom and downhill at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics, before representing Great Britain four years later in Grenoble and Sapporo in 1972, where he achieved his best result in the giant slalom (8th). Against all odds, the Englishman also qualified for another Olympics at the age of 47 (Albertville 1992), in that case in speed skiing. Alfonso de Portago 1956 was a special year to say the least for the Spaniard, who in his second F1 GP came 2nd at the wheel of a Ferrari at the British GP. In addition to his activity in motorsport, De Portago also took part in the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics, coming close to winning the bronze medal in bobsleigh. Once the Olympic Games were over, the Iberian driver regularly returned to F1 with the first race of the 1957 season in Argentina, but tragically lost his life four months later in a tragic accident during the Mille Miglia. Bob Said and Robin Widdows The American is one of the lesser-known names in the annals of F1: in 1969 he took part in the US GP at Sebring, only to end up spinning and retiring from the race, which was also the only one of his career. A year earlier, in Grenoble, Said was part of the American team in the four-man bobsleigh, where he curiously competed against Robin Widdows, also an F1 driver. The American did not go beyond a 10th place finish, failing to surpass his best result four years later in Grenoble. Incredible, therefore, how two F1 drivers competed at the Winter Olympics, but not on an F1 track. Widdows, like Said, took part in his home GP in 1968, and he too was forced to retire due to a technical failure. In that same year, however, he managed to defeat the American at the Olympics, and then came in 7th place. Previously, in 1964, the Briton also participated in Innsbruck in the same discipline, not finishing higher than thirteenth. Simona de Silvestro with Italy at the 2026 Olympics F1 drivers and athletes from the past, but also pay attention to the Milan-Cortina Olympics. In this edition, the Italian-Swiss Simona de Silvestro will be competing in the bobsleigh and two-seater bobsleigh. A name well known both in F1, where she was a test driver for Sauber, but above all in IndyCar, where she participated in the US championship from 2010 to 2022, as well as a brief participation in Formula E.