Will Stevens, born 28 June 1991 in Rochford, Essex, is a British racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2014 to 2015, making 20 starts for Caterham and Manor Marussia. Though his time in F1 was brief and without points, Stevens has since carved out a successful career in endurance racing, winning the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship (LMP2) title with Jota, and the GTE Am class at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans.
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Born | William Jonathan Richard Stevens 28 June 1991 Rochford, Essex, England |
Stevens’ Formula One journey, like many before him, was shaped as much by opportunity and timing as it was by talent—a case study in the complexities of trying to break through as a driver without a front-running seat or factory backing.
Early Career: A Familiar British Ladder
Stevens’ junior résumé followed a familiar British path: karting, Formula Renault Eurocup, the Toyota Racing Series, and the British Formula Renault Championship. He built a solid reputation in junior single-seaters, earning support from Caterham and even being named to the McLaren Young Driver Programme—though this relationship never bore fruit in Formula One.
By 2014, Stevens had built enough credentials and financial backing to test with Caterham F1, leading to a surprise call-up for the final race of the 2014 season.
Caterham (2014)
Stevens made his Formula One race debut at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, replacing Marcus Ericsson at a financially crippled Caterham. He qualified 20th and last, finishing 17th, one lap down, in what was a relatively tidy debut given the circumstances.
It later emerged Stevens had brought a £500,000 sponsorship package to secure the seat—standard fare for backmarker teams at the time. With Caterham folding shortly after the event, his stint with the team would prove to be both his debut and his finale.
Manor Marussia (2015)
In 2015, Stevens resurfaced with Manor Marussia, who were resurrecting themselves after exiting administration. He was signed alongside Roberto Merhi, both bringing substantial funding to keep the team afloat.
The team missed the season opener in Australia due to software issues, making Malaysia Stevens’ first official Grand Prix weekend for Manor. A fuel system fault prevented him from qualifying or racing, delaying his true debut to China.
From then on, Stevens raced in 15 Grands Prix, finishing every race he started—an admirable feat in itself given the fragile machinery. Though he often finished behind the field and several laps down, he regularly outqualified and outraced Merhi in the early part of the season.
At the 2015 Canadian Grand Prix, Stevens was involved in an awkward incident with Romain Grosjean, who clipped Stevens’ car while lapping him, damaging his tyre and forcing an emergency pit stop. Grosjean was handed a five-second penalty and later apologised.
Despite consistency and professionalism, Stevens was replaced by Alexander Rossi for five of the final seven races. In those outings, Rossi notably outperformed Stevens in three of the four shared events, undermining Stevens’ standing as the lead driver.
Life After Formula One: A Respected Endurance Specialist
Though Stevens’ F1 career was modest, his post-F1 racing success has been notable. He moved into GT and endurance racing, becoming one of the most dependable LMP2 drivers of the modern era.
- In 2016, he joined WRT for the Blancpain GT Series, while also competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (LMP2).
- In 2017, Stevens won the GTE Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with JMW Motorsport, alongside Dries Vanthoor and Rob Smith, in a Ferrari 488 GTE.
- In 2022, he clinched the FIA WEC LMP2 title with Jota, proving his elite status in endurance racing.
- He has also raced in the Asian Le Mans Series, Blancpain GT Asia, and the Audi R8 LMS Cup, among other series.
Stevens’ blend of consistency and adaptability has made him a fixture in top-tier endurance events, where he has competed in Hypercar cars for Porsche and Jota.
Will Stevens Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2014-2015 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Caterham, Marussia F1 |
| Driver number | 28 |
| Entries | 20 (18 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Will Stevens Teammates
| 4 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamui Kobayashi | 1 | 2014 | |
| Roberto Merhi | 14 | 2015 | |
| Fabio Leimer | 1 | 2015 | |
| Alexander Rossi | 5 | 2015 |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Caterham F1 Team | Caterham CT05 | Renault Energy F1‑2014 1.6 V6 t | AUS | MAL | BHR | CHN | ESP | MON | CAN | AUT | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN | RUS | USA | BRA | ABU 17 | 23rd | 0 |
| 2015 | Manor Marussia F1 Team | Marussia MR03B | Ferrari 059/3 1.6 V6 t | AUS DNP | MAL DNS | CHN 15 | BHR 16 | ESP 17 | MON 17 | CAN 17 | AUT Ret | GBR 13 | HUN 16 † | BEL 16 | ITA 15 | SIN 15 | JPN 19 | RUS 14 | USA Ret | MEX 16 | BRA 17 | ABU 18 | 21st | 0 |
