Who was the first Formula One World Champion to win titles with two different teams?

Juan Manuel Fangio was the first Formula One World Champion to win titles with two different teams.

Fangio won the 1951 championship with Alfa Romeo, then captured four more titles during the 1950s. His later championships came with Mercedes-Benz in 1954 and 1955, Ferrari in 1956, and Maserati in 1957. That makes him the first champion to achieve the feat with more than one constructor.

The achievement is sometimes confused with winning races for multiple teams, which several drivers had already done. The question concerns World Drivers’ Championship titles specifically. Fangio’s five championships stood as the record until Michael Schumacher won his sixth in 2003.

Fangio’s 1954 season is also unusual: he began with Maserati before joining Mercedes-Benz partway through the campaign. His 1957 title, won at age 46, remains one of the sport’s most celebrated veteran performances.