Gianni Morbidelli
Italian Modbidelli has a bit more touring car pedigree than most on this list, but his main tin top successes – and in fact all the rest of his tin-top career – came after his single season in the BTCC with Volvo in 1998.
Mobidelli’s F1 career had been steady, with very little of note other than a surprise podium finish at the final race of the season in 1995 in a Footwork – a race where he finished several laps down on the winner Damon Hill.
After he left F1 in 1997 Morbidelli was picked up by the factory Volvo squad to race its S40 alongside Volvo stalwart Rickard Rydell. Morbidelli was a regular points finisher, more often than not appearing inside the top eight, but was unable to match Rydell, who went several steps better and won the five races and the title.
Perhaps Morbidelli’s most famous moment was when he raced from pretty much the back of the field at Thruxton to finish fourth, a result that looked like it might help kickstart his season. In fact he finished 11th in the following race at Knockhill and retired from the next four in a row. He clearly got the bug though, going on to race in the European Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship, International Superstars Series (which he won), V8 Supercars and TCR.