The ultimate guide
Formula One (F1) drivers
In this big guide we go through all the Formula 1 drivers and their careers. You will be able to read about successes and setbacks as well as records and history.
Historically, there have also been six female F1 drivers, but today there is no active driver at the highest level. You need a F1 Super License to participate and compete in Formula 1.
Navigate to your favourite F1 driver by using our table of contents below.
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Max Verstappen
- Team: Oracle Red Bull Racing
- Nationality: Dutch
- Date of Birth: 30 September 1997
Max Emilian Verstappen was born in Hasselt, Belgium on September 30, 1997, to Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen.
Verstappen’s parents divorced when he was a child, and he moved in with his father.
Verstappen used to ride quad bikes around the family garden when he was two years old. When Max Verstappen was four and a half, his father bought him a go-kart. Verstappen won his first race at the age of seven and became a champion in Belgium and the Netherlands at the age of nine. To help Max’s racing career, his father, Arrows F1 driver Jos Verstappen, retired from the sport to focus solely on his son’s career.
Formula 1 career
2014
After a stellar junior racing career, Verstappen replaced Jean-Éric Vergne during the first practice session of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix to prepare for a full-time seat at Toro Rosso in the 2015 season.
This made Verstappen the youngest person in Formula 1 history to participate in a race weekend at the age of 17 years and three days.
2015
Max Verstappen joined Toro Rosso alongside Carlos Sainz. He made his full-time Grand Prix debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at the age of 17 years, 166 days, breaking Jaime Alguersuari’s previous record for youngest ever driver to start a Grand Prix by nearly two years.
2016
Verstappen returned to Toro Rosso for the beginning of the 2016 season, again alongside Sainz.
However Red Bull Racing announced later that season, following the Russian Grand Prix, that Verstappen would replace Daniil Kvyat from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, with Kvyat returning to Toro Rosso.
Verstappen advanced to second place behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo on the opening lap of the Spanish Grand Prix after Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out. Verstappen took the race lead after being placed on a two-stop strategy rather than Ricciardo’s three-stop strategy, and he held off Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen in the closing stages to claim his first Formula 1 victory. At the age of 18 years and 228 days, he surpassed Sebastian Vettel as the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
2017
Max Verstappen remained with Red Bull in 2017 but suffered a string of retirements early in the year.
Verstappen’s fortunes improved after the Malaysian Grand Prix, where he won his second Formula 1 race a day after turning 20.
2018
Verstappen had been involved in at least one incident in each of the first six races of the season.
However he enjoyed a very strong second half of the season, finishing on the podium in Belgium, Singapore, Japan, and the United States, where he finished second after starting from 18th on the grid due to a suspension failure in qualifying.
Verstappen finished fourth in the championship with 249 points, claiming two victories, eleven podium finishes, and two fastest laps.
2019
Red Bull switched from Renault to Honda engines in 2019. Verstappen was joined at Red Bull by Pierre Gasly after Ricciardo moved to the Renault team for 2019, but after a string of disappointing results from the Frenchman, Verstappen was given a new teammate in Alexander Albon.
With 278 points, the Dutchman finished third in the championship. He won three races, finished on the podium nine times, held two pole positions, and set three fastest laps.
2020
In 2020, Verstappen signed a contract extension with Red Bull until the end of 2023.
He finished the season in third place with 214 points, having won two races, finished on the podium eleven times, one pole position, and set three fastest laps.
2021
Coming into 2021, it was clear that Mercedes, which had previously dominated the turbo-hybrid era, would be joined by Red Bull and Max Verstappen as real competitors.
Alas, after a thrilling and intense season, both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were tied on points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen, who qualified on pole by nearly four tenths of a second, had a slow start off the line and fell to second place. Verstappen was over ten seconds behind Hamilton when a late safety car was called in due to a crash at turn 14 involving Williams driver Nicholas Latifi.
This, combined with some contentious decisions made by then-race director Michael Masi, enabled Verstappen to make a switch to soft tyres and overtake Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Grand Prix, securing his championship title.
2022
Verstappen signed a five-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing from 2023 to 2028.
Records
- Youngest driver to start a race (2015)
- Youngest driver to score points (2015)
- Youngest driver to win a race (2016)
- Youngest driver to score a podium finish (2016)
- Youngest driver to lead a lap (2016)
- Youngest driver to set fastest lap (2016)
- Youngest driver to score a grand slam (2021)
- Most podium finishes in a season (2021)
Charles Leclerc
- Team: Scuderia Ferrari
- Nationality: Monegasque
- Date of Birth: 16 October 1997
Charles Leclerc grew up as the second oldest child of father Hervé Leclerc and mother Pascale, alongside two other siblings.
Leclerc had a close relationship with the late Jules Bianchi, to whom he was a godson, throughout his childhood and early career. His father, Hervé, was a Formula 3 driver in the 1980s and 1990s. Hervé died at the age of 54 after a long illness, just four days before Leclerc won the feature race at the 2017 Formula 2 Baku round.
Formula 1 career
2018
After a very successful rookie season in Formula 2, in which he became the youngest ever champion of the main support series for Formula 1 at 19 years old, and the first driver since Nico Hülkenberg in 2009 to win the championship in their rookie season, Leclerc signed for the Sauber F1 Team, replacing Pascal Wehrlein to drive alongside Marcus Ericsson.
This was the first appearance in Formula 1 by a Monegasque driver since Olivier Beretta in 1994.
In the final three races of the season, he finished seventh three times in a row. Leclerc outqualified teammate Ericsson seventeen times in twenty-one races, finishing 13th overall with 39 points.
2019
Leclerc joined Scuderia Ferrari for the 2019 season, replacing 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, who took his position at Sauber. While Leclerc’s contract was initially announced only for 2019, a few days later, then-Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene indicated that it would be extended until at least 2022.
The Belgian Grand Prix, the first race after the summer break, saw Leclerc take his third pole position of the season, alongside teammate Sebastian Vettel in second—the second Ferrari front-row lockout of the season. During the race, Leclerc held off Lewis Hamilton’s charging Mercedes to win his first Grand Prix, making him the youngest ever Ferrari race winner.
Leclerc finished fourth in the championship with 264 points, one point ahead of teammate Vettel. During his first season with Ferrari, he finished on the podium ten times, won two races, set four fastest laps, and had the most pole positions of any driver that season, with seven.
2020
For Leclerc, 2020 was a year to forget, as the SF1000 Ferrari car fell well below expectations. The Monegasque finished eighth overall, with two podium finishes and 98 points.
2021
Leclerc’s contract with Ferrari was extended until the end of 2024 at the start of the season. Leclerc also had a new teammate in Carlos Sainz, replacing Sebastian Vettel, who signed for Aston Martin.
Charles Leclerc finished the season in seventh place, with 159 points and only one podium finish.
And, with Carlos Sainz finishing fifth in the standings, 2021 was the first time Leclerc had been beaten by a teammate since karting!
2022
In the F1-75, Ferrari brought a formidable machine for the 2022 season.
After winning the first race in Bahrain, Leclerc took the lead of the Formula 1 World Championship for the first time in his career, becoming the first Monegasque driver to do so.
Sergio Perez
- Team: Oracle Red Bull Racing
- Nationality: Mexican
- Date of Birth: 26 January 1990
Sergio Pérez was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, to Antonio Pérez Garibay and Maril Mendoza de Pérez. Antonio, his older brother, is a retired racing driver who raced in the NASCAR Mexico Series.
In 1996, Pérez began his karting career at the age of six.
Formula 1 career
2011
On October 4, 2010, Sauber announced that Pérez would replace Nick Heidfeld in 2011, which included a collaboration with Pérez’s sponsor Telmex.
He became the 5th Mexican to compete in Formula 1, and the first since Héctor Rebaque in 1977 and 1981. During that time, he also joined the Ferrari Driver Academy.
He finished the season in 16th place, with the best Grand Prix finish being seventh.
2012
Pérez had his best performance of the season in the second round in Malaysia.
Battling Fernando Alonso for victory, he was able to close the gap to 0.5 seconds in the final laps of the race but was unable to make the pass as he went wide at turn 14 and fell back, finishing right behind Alonso in second. Despite his late-race error, many observers praised his performance, claiming Sauber’s best result as an independent team.
In the end, he finished tenth in the Drivers’ Championship with 66 points, six more than teammate Kobayashi.
2013
Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave McLaren for Mercedes in 2013 was announced on September 28, 2012, and Pérez was subsequently confirmed as Hamilton’s replacement.
Despite his speed, the Mexican driver’s risky driving on numerous occasions and lack of concrete results meant he would be replaced by Kevin Magnussen for the following season.
2014
Pérez’s drive for Force India in 2014 was confirmed on December 12, 2013.
Pérez earned Force India’s first podium since 2009 in the season’s third race in Bahrain, finishing third behind Ricciardo’s Red Bull. It was also his first podium finish since 2012.
2015
Pérez began the 2015 season with a tenth place in Australia, then 13th in Malaysia, 11th in China, and eighth in Bahrain.
Aside from a podium finish in Russia, he finished in the top five in Belgium, the United States, and Abu Dhabi, scoring 63 of his 78 points in the final nine rounds.
2016
Pérez had a difficult start to the season due to an uncompetitive VJM09, but upgrades were implemented in Barcelona, and the team’s seventh-place finish indicated an improvement in form.
Pérez went on to finish on the podium in Monaco, despite the wet and changing conditions.
He finished the season seventh in the championship standings with two podiums and 101 points.
2017
Pérez confirmed his commitment to Force India for the 2017 season following the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2016. He stayed with the Indian team for a fourth consecutive season, joining new teammate Esteban Ocon, putting an end to rumors of a potential move.
He was very consistent throughout the season, with a fourth-place finish in Spain being his best finish in 2017.
That year, Pérez finished seventh in the championship.
2018
Pérez finished out of the points in the first three races of the season. But after an incident-filled race, he earned his eighth career podium finish at the next race in Azerbaijan.
He finished eighth in the championship with 62 points, ahead of teammate Ocon, and was the only non-Mercedes, Ferrari, or Red Bull driver to finish on the podium that season.
2019
Racing Point Force India became Racing Point for the 2019 season, with Pérez remaining as a driver. Former Williams driver Lance Stroll joined him on the team.
Racing Point saw 2019 as a transitional season, with the previous year’s administration events disrupting much of the work on that year’s car.
With 52 points, Pérez finished the season in tenth place in the championship, comfortably ahead of teammate Stroll.
2020
Pérez had signed a contract extension with Racing Point that would keep him racing until the end of 2022.
Pérez won his first race at the Sakhir Grand Prix, becoming the 110th race winner in Formula 1 history. He was hit by Leclerc on the first lap, dropping him from second to 18th. He took the lead on lap 64 and won the race ahead of Esteban Ocon and teammate Stroll. This was the first win for a Mexican driver since Pedro Rodríguez won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix 50 years prior.
Pérez finished the season with 125 points, one win, and one podium finish. He finished fourth overall, his best ever championship finish.
2021
Pérez announced in September 2020 that he would be leaving Racing Point at the end of the 2020 season.
The Mexican was then given the opportunity to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2021, replacing Alex Albon, who was demoted to the role of reserve and test driver.
Pérez’s defensive work against Hamilton in the season finale in Abu Dhabi helped his teammate Max Verstappen close a seven-second gap to the Brit, which was crucial in Verstappen’s title victory.
Pérez finished the season with 190 points, one win, and five podium finishes. He finished fourth overall, matching his best championship finish from 2020.
2022
Perez remained with Red Bull for the 2022 season, signing a two-year contract extension with Red Bull in May, which will keep him racing for the team until the end of the 2024 season.
George Russell
- Team: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
- Nationality: British
- Date of Birth: 15 February 1998
George Russell was the youngest of three children born in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, to father Steve and mother Alison. Russell began karting at the age of seven, after spending a lot of time around karting tracks and his brother Benjy, who was also into competitive karting.
Formula 1 career
2019
Russell signed a multi-year contract with the Williams team on October 13, 2018, partnering Robert Kubica for the 2019 season.
The Williams FW42 lacked speed and was the slowest car in the field; in most races, Kubica was Russell’s sole on-track rival.
Russell finished 20th in the championship, the only driver who did not score a point.
2020
Russell drove for Williams again in 2020, this time alongside former Formula 2 competitor Nicholas Latifi.
He filled in for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix after Hamilton tested positive for coronavirus.
Russell qualified second on the front row for the race start, 26 milliseconds behind teammate Valtteri Bottas. He took command from the beginning and led for the majority of the race, but with 20 laps remaining, Mercedes team mechanics installed Bottas’ front tyres on Russell’s car, forcing him to pit on the next lap to correct the error.
He then had a slow puncture ten laps before the finish, forcing him to pit again. Russell finished ninth, earning his first World Championship points. Russell’s Sakhir performance was lauded by the media and the Mercedes team.
Russell returned to Williams following the race, and he did not score another point for the rest of the season, finishing 18th in the standings.
2021
Russell was retained by Williams for the 2021 season alongside Nicholas Latifi.
In a rain-soaked Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session, Russell qualified second behind Max Verstappen. This was Williams’ first front-row start since the 2017 Italian Grand Prix. Wet weather caused the race to be delayed, and only two laps were completed, both under safety car conditions. Russell was able to keep his grid position and finish on the podium for the first time.
He finished 15th in the drivers’ standings, accounting for 16 of his team’s 23 points.
2022
Russell signed a contract with Mercedes in 2022, replacing Valtteri Bottas and working alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Carlos Sainz Jr.
- Team: Scuderia Ferrari
- Nationality: Spanish
- Date of Birth: 1 September 1994
Carlos Sainz Jr. was born in Madrid, the nephew of rally driver Antonio Sainz and the son of double World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz. He began his career in karting in 2008.
Formula 1 career
2015
Sainz was signed for Scuderia Toro Rosso in the 2015 season where he partnered Max Verstappen. Sainz finished 15th in the Drivers’ Championship in his debut season, accounting for 18 of Toro Rosso’s 67 points.
2016
Toro Rosso kept Sainz for the 2016 season. Sainz equalled his best race result in the United States Grand Prix by finishing sixth, and he repeated the feat in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
He finished the season in 12th place, scoring 46 of Toro Rosso’s 63 points.
2017
Daniil Kvyat joined Sainz in Toro Rosso for the 2017 season. Prior to the Singapore Grand Prix, it was announced that Sainz would be joining Renault on loan from Red Bull for 2018.
After Kvyat was dropped by the team, Sainz was joined by Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso for the Malaysian Grand Prix. He finished the race in fourth place, a career high, on what he called his “best day in Formula 1.”
Sainz’s move to Renault was finalized earlier than usual, as he replaced Jolyon Palmer at the team for the final four races of 2017, beginning with the United States Grand Prix.
2018
Sainz has had a strong start to his first full season with Renault. He qualified in the top ten at each of the first eight races of 2018, scoring points in all but one.
Sainz finished the season in tenth place in the Drivers’ Championship, three places behind teammate Hülkenberg, having scored 53 points.
For the following season, he was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo at Renault, with the team opting to keep Hülkenberg instead of Sainz.
2019
For the 2019 season, Sainz joined McLaren, ending his relationship with Red Bull. He took over for Fernando Alonso and was paired with rookie Lando Norris.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was the season’s high point. Sainz started in 20th place and had moved up to fifth by the penultimate lap, which became fourth when Alex Albon was spun around by Lewis Hamilton ahead. After Hamilton was penalized, Sainz was promoted to third place, giving him his first podium finish in Formula 1.
He finished sixth overall, accounting for 96 of McLaren’s 145 points.
2020
In 2020, Sainz remained with McLaren. He finished sixth in the Drivers’ Championship for the second year in a row, accumulating 105 of McLaren’s 202 points and claiming six top-five finishes, both of which were career highs at the time.
2021
From the 2021 season, Sainz partnered Charles Leclerc and replaced Sebastian Vettel on a two-year contract with Scuderia Ferrari.
At the Monaco Grand Prix, he earned his third career podium and first with Ferrari, benefiting from Leclerc’s failure to start and a pit stop issue from Valtteri Bottas to finish second.
Sainz finished fifth in the Drivers’ Championship with 164.5 points, two places and 5.5 points ahead of teammate Leclerc. His ability to quickly adapt to Ferrari, as well as his performances in comparison to Leclerc, were widely praised throughout the paddock.
2022
Sainz took his first Formula 1 pole position in a wet qualifying session for his 150th Formula 1 race start, the British Grand Prix, beating Verstappen by 0.034 seconds. He was passed by Verstappen during the race, but regained the lead when Verstappen slowed and pitted due to damage. He pitted for soft tyres in the final laps and passed Leclerc after a safety car period to claim his first Formula 1 victory.
Lewis Hamilton
- Team: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
- Nationality: British
- Date of Birth: 7 January 1985
Lewis Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, to Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier.
Hamilton’s father gave him a go-kart for Christmas and helped him get started in racing at the age of six.
Formula 1 career
2007
Hamilton’s first Formula 1 season saw him team up with two-time and reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso.
After finishing on the podium in his debut, Hamilton went on to set several records on his way to finishing runner-up in the World Drivers’ Championship by one point to Kimi Räikkönen.
2008
Hamilton’s success continued in 2008, when he won five races and finished on the podium ten times. As the season came to a close in Brazil, it became clear that the title would be decided between the home favorite Felipe Massa and the young Briton.
Hamilton won his first title in dramatic fashion in the season’s final race, overtaking Timo Glock for fifth place in the final corners of the last lap to become the then-youngest Formula 1 World Champion in history and deny race winner Massa the title by one point.
2009-2012
Hamilton continued to finish on the podium and win races during his final four years with McLaren. He entered the final round of the 2010 season with a chance to win the championship, but ultimately finished fourth as Sebastian Vettel won his first drivers’ title. The following season, he was outscored by a teammate for the first time, as Jenson Button finished second to champion Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton won four races and finished fourth in the championship standings in 2012. To much surprise, Hamilton announced before the end of the year that he would be joining Mercedes for the 2013 season, replacing the retiring Michael Schumacher.
2013-2016
When Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, he was reunited with his childhood karting teammate, Nico Rosberg. The move was met with surprise by pundits and the general public, with some describing it as a gamble to join Mercedes, a team with no recent history of success.
In his first season with the Silver Arrows, Hamilton secured a sole race victory, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, converting an unexpected pole position into a winning margin of more than 11 seconds over the second-place finisher.
Changes to regulations for the 2014 season, which required the use of turbo-hybrid engines, helped Hamilton launch a highly successful era. Mercedes won 16 of the 19 races that season, with Hamilton winning 11 of them as he won out in a season-long title battle with teammate Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton dominated the 2015 season, winning ten races and finishing on the podium seventeen times, matching his hero Ayrton Senna’s three World Championship titles.
Despite having more pole positions and race wins than any other driver in 2016, Hamilton lost the drivers’ championship to teammate Nico Rosberg by five points. The team’s policy of allowing the pair to fight freely on and off the track resulted in several increasingly bitter exchanges, culminating in Hamilton defying team orders at the season finale in Abu Dhabi and deliberately slowing to back Rosberg into the chasing drivers, his efforts proving unsuccessful in the end.
2017-2020
Following Rosberg’s surprise retirement in 2016, Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari became Hamilton’s closest rival.
However, Mercedes’ ability to develop the car throughout the season, combined with key errors made by Vettel and Ferrari, resulted in Hamilton winning four World Drivers’ Championships in a row.
After winning his seventh championship, he tied legend Michael Schumacher for the most championships victories in Formula 1 history.
2021
Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen emerged as title contenders early in the 2021 season. Throughout the year, the pair frequently exchanged the championship lead—often fighting and occasionally colliding on track—and entered the final race in Abu Dhabi level on points.
The season finale was marred by controversy due to race director Michael Masi’s decision to instruct only the lapped cars separating Verstappen and Hamilton to un-lap themselves under the safety car.
Verstappen, with the advantage of having much fresher soft tyres, passed Hamilton on the final lap, denying the Brit his eighth title.
2022
In place of Bottas, Hamilton is joined by George Russell for 2022. The season saw significant changes in technical regulations, which attempted to generate more downforce by utilizing the ground effect.
With the F1 W13 car struggling with porpoising early in the season, the team has dropped out of championship contention for the first time since 2014.
Lando Norris
- Team: McLaren F1 Team
- Nationality: British
- Date of Birth: 13 November 1999
Lando Norris was born in Bristol, to father Adam and mother Cisca. Norris was interested in motorcycle racing at first but switched to four-wheel racing after his father took him to see a round of the Super 1 National Kart Championships at his local kart track.
He began racing at the age of seven.
Formula 1 career
2019
Norris was called up to drive for McLaren in the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship, partnering Carlos Sainz Jr. after extensive testing during the 2018 season, including appearances in several free practice sessions.
He earned his first Formula 1 points by finishing sixth at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the season’s second round.
Norris finished his first Formula 1 season in 11th place in the drivers’ standings, with 49 points.
2020
Norris’ season highlight came early on.
Qualifying fourth for the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, he was later promoted to third due to a grid penalty for Lewis Hamilton, the highest grid position of his career at the time and the highest for McLaren since the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. In the closing stages of the race, Hamilton was penalized five seconds for causing a collision with Alex Albon. On the final lap, Norris set the fastest lap of the race, finishing within five seconds of Hamilton, and claiming his first podium finish of his career, becoming the third-youngest podium finisher in Formula 1 history.
These results, along with those of teammate Sainz, helped McLaren to take third place in the constructors’ championship, ahead of Racing Point.
Norris finished ninth in the drivers’ championship with 97 points, just eight points behind Sainz.
2021
Norris stayed with McLaren for the 2021 season, partnering Daniel Ricciardo after Sainz left.
Throughout the year, he earned four podiums, including second place at the Italian Grand Prix, which his teammate Daniel Ricciardo won. McLaren’s first one-two finish since the Canadian Grand Prix in 2010.
He finished the season in sixth place in the standings, with 160 points.
2022
Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren in February 2022, keeping him with the team until at least 2025.
Esteban Ocon
- Team: BWT Alpine F1 Team
- Nationality: French
- Date of Birth: 17 September 1996
Esteban Ocon was born in the Normandy town of Évreux to Sabrine Khelfane and Laurent Ocon. His parents had to sell their family home to fund his karting career, forcing them to live in a caravan throughout his junior career.
Formula 1 career
2016
Rio Haryanto was dropped from the Manor Racing team in August after his sponsors failed to fulfill their contractual agreements. For the second half of the season, Ocon was named as his replacement, driving alongside Pascal Wehrlein.
Ocon made his Formula 1 debut in the Belgian Grand Prix. He later finished twelfth in the rain-soaked Brazilian Grand Prix, losing out on a point position on the final lap of the race.
2017
On November 10, 2016, Force India revealed that they had signed Ocon for the 2017 campaign as part of his multi-year Mercedes contract, joining him on the team would be Sergio Pérez.
Ocon finished in the points twelve times in a row after placing 12th at the Monaco Grand Prix, but he frequently got into tussles with teammate Pérez.
He scored 87 points during his first full Formula 1 season and finished ninth in the standings.
2018
Ocon continued with Pérez at Force India in 2018.
Force India was in serious financial problems following the Hungarian Grand Prix and was in danger of being liquidated. Teammate Pérez along with other creditors filed a lawsuit against the team and sent it into administration, preventing its dissolution and the loss of its employees’ jobs.
A group of investors headed by Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll later bought the team’s assets.
Ocon came in twelfth in the drivers’ standings with 49 points against Pérez’s 62.
2019
After it became evident that he would be replaced at Racing Point by team owner Lawrence Stroll’s son Lance Stroll, Ocon joined Mercedes as their reserve driver for 2019.
Ocon did not compete in any races that year.
2020
Ocon signed a two-year contract with Renault for 2020, confirming his return to Formula 1 as a full-time driver. He replaced Nico Hülkenberg to race alongside Daniel Ricciardo.
The Sakhir Grand Prix was the season’s highlight, as Ocon earned his maiden podium finish, crossing the line in second due to pit stop troubles for the leading Mercedes cars.
He finished the season twelfth in the drivers’ standings with 62 points.
2021
For the 2021 season, Renault rebranded as Alpine F1 Team. After Daniel Ricciardo unexpectedly left for McLaren, the team signed two-time world champion Fernando Alonso to partner Ocon.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ocon qualified eighth, but multiple collisions ahead promoted him to second place at the first corner, which became first place when race leader Lewis Hamilton pitted one lap later than the rest of the field for dry tyres. Ocon maintained his lead throughout the race, holding off Sebastian Vettel to claim his and Alpine’s first Formula 1 victory.
2022
Alpine has signed Ocon to a contract extension until the end of the 2024 season.
Records
– Most consecutive finishes from start of career (2016-2017)
Valtteri Bottas
- Team: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen
- Nationality: Finnish
- Birth: 28 August 1989
Valtteri Bottas was born on August 28, 1989, in Nastola, Finland, to Rauno Bottas and Marianne Välimaa. Bottas’ interest in motorsport began at the age of six, when he attended a karting event advertised in his local supermarket.
Formula 1 career
2013
After competing in and winning the GP3 series in 2011, Bottas returned to racing in 2013 after he was confirmed as Pastor Maldonado’s teammate at Williams-Renault in Formula 1.
He finished eighth at the United States Grand Prix, his first points finish which elevated him to 17th in the drivers’ standings.
2014
Bottas was confirmed to continue with Williams in 2014 alongside Felipe Massa, who was signed from Ferrari to replace Pastor Maldonado.
At the Austrian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified second, his best grid position in Formula 1 at the time, and finished third behind Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, his maiden podium finish.
Bottas finished on the podium three times during the season, helping him achieve the fourth position in the drivers’ championship.
2015
It was announced in September 2014 that Bottas and Massa would remain with Williams for the 2015 season.
Bottas finished on the podium twice during the 2015 season. The first happened at the Canadian Grand Prix, and the second in Mexico.
Bottas finished fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, outperforming his experienced teammate Felipe Massa for the second year in a row.
2016
For the 2016 season, Bottas and Massa remained teammates at Williams.
Bottas finished third in the Canadian Grand Prix, matching his finish from the previous year. This was Williams’s only podium finish of the season.
He finished eighth in the Drivers’ Championship, once again ahead of his teammate Massa, who finished 11th.
2017
Mercedes announced in January 2017 that they had signed Bottas to partner Lewis Hamilton for the 2017 season, replacing the 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg, who had unexpectedly retired from the sport.
On 30 April 2017, he won his first Grand Prix in Russia by leapfrogging the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen from third on the grid on the first lap, making him the fifth Finn to win a Grand Prix.
He finished third in the drivers’ championship with 13 podiums, including three race wins.
2018
Mercedes announced in September 2017 that Bottas would return to the team for the 2018 season.
Bottas became the first Mercedes driver since Michael Schumacher in 2012 to finish a season without a win. He also set a record for the most second-place finishes without winning a race in a season with seven.
2019
Bottas had signed a new contract with Mercedes for the 2019 season, once again joining world champion Lewis Hamilton. Bottas qualified second fastest behind Hamilton in Australia’s first race weekend of the year. On race day on Sunday, he overtook Hamilton into turn 1 and held the position the entire race thanks to some superb driving. He went on to win by more than 20 seconds.
Bottas finished the 2019 season second in the championship with 326 points, his most successful season to date, with four victories, fifteen podium finishes, and five pole positions.
2020
During the 2019 season, Bottas and Mercedes agreed to a one-year contract extension, allowing him to continue driving alongside Hamilton in 2020.
Bottas finished the Driver’s Championship in second place with 223 points, having recorded two victories, five pole positions, and eleven podium finishes.
2021
Bottas’ contract with Mercedes had been renewed for 2021.
Bottas qualified second behind teammate Hamilton in the Turkish Grand Prix but started on pole after Hamilton received a grid penalty. Leading before his pitstop, he easily passed Leclerc’s Ferrari and went on to win his first and only race of the year, finishing over 14 seconds ahead of second-placed Verstappen.
He finished eighth in the standings with 226 points.
2022
Bottas signed a multi-year contract with Alfa Romeo after being replaced by George Russell at Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso
- Team: BWT Alpine F1 Team
- Nationality: Spanish
- Date of Birth: 29 July 1981 (age 41)
Fernando Alonso was born in Oviedo, Asturias, on July 29, 1981, to José Luis Alonso and Ana Díaz.
Alonso got his start in racing thanks to his father, who was an amateur kart driver. At the age of seven, he won his first kart race in Pola de Laviana.
Formula 1 career
2001–2006
In 2000, Alonso joined Minardi as a test and reserve driver before joining the race team in 2001. Alonso’s best result of the season in a non-competitive car was a tenth-place finish in the German Grand Prix, for which he earned no points and finished 23rd overall.
He agreed to become Renault’s test driver for 2002 on the orders of manager Flavio Briatore to become acquainted with the team.
In 2003, Alonso was promoted to the Renault race team. He went on to become the youngest driver to take pole position at the season’s second race, the Malaysian Grand Prix, and to break Bruce McLaren’s record as the youngest F1 race winner later that year at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He had four podium finishes and finished sixth in the World Drivers’ Championship with 55 points.
He stayed with Renault in 2004. Alonso had a better season that year, finishing fourth in the World Drivers’ Championship with 59 points after four podium finishes.
Alonso remained with Renault in 2005, competing for the World Championship with McLaren driver Kimi Räikkönen.
Alonso’s car was more reliable than Räikkönen’s, albeit slower, and he won the championship with seven victories, six pole positions, and fourteen podium finishes for 133 points.
In April 2005, he signed a contract extension with Renault for 2006. His main rival that season was Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher. Coming into the season finale in Brazil, Alonso had to score just one point for the title.
After finishing second, Alonso won the championship and became Formula 1’s youngest double World Champion.
2007–2009
McLaren team owner Ron Dennis and Fernando Alonso reached an agreement for Alonso to drive for McLaren beginning in 2007.
Throughout the season, Alonso and Hamilton were involved in several incidents, including the espionage scandal and a scuffle during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix in which Hamilton disobeyed a team order, putting Alonso at a disadvantage.
The tensions culminated in Alonso and McLaren mutually terminating their contract.
After turning down several offers, he signed a two-year contract to return to Renault in 2008. He took a controversial victory at that year’s Singapore Grand Prix, which saw Renault order his teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash deliberately and trigger the deployment of the safety car in what became known as “crashgate.” Alonso finished fifth in the Drivers’ Championship with 61 points.
Due to the Renault car’s poor performance in 2009, Alonso finished ninth in the Drivers’ Championship with 26 points, his lowest finish since coming sixth in 2003.
2010–2014
Alonso signed a deal with Ferrari in mid-2009 to drive from 2011 onwards, but the date was pushed back to 2010 after Renault was investigated for race fixing in Singapore and Räikkönen left the team.
Alonso’s main championship rivals that season were McLaren’s Hamilton and Button, as well as Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. He won five races that season and entered the season finale at Abu Dhabi leading by eight points. Alonso finished second to Vettel after failing to pass Renault’s Vitaly Petrov due to a strategy error by Ferrari.
In 2011, Alonso competed in a Ferrari that wasn’t the fastest. He was able to extract some extra performance to finish on the podium ten times and win the British Grand Prix. With 257 points, Alonso finished fourth overall.
Alonso’s contract with Ferrari was extended until 2016 prior to 2012. In 2012, his main rival for the title was Sebastian Vettel. With victories in Malaysia, Valencia, and Germany, as well as consistent points-scoring finishes, he built a 40-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Following that, collisions and reliability problems wiped out Alonso’s points lead.
Alonso entered the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix 13 points behind Vettel. He finished second, while Vettel finished fourth despite spinning on the first lap, leaving Alonso as the runner-up for the second time in his career with 278 points.
2013 was a similar story, albeit way more one-sided, with Alonso finishing runner up to Sebastian Vettel with 242 points to Vettel’s 397.
Alonso had no race wins in 2014, finishing sixth in the Drivers’ Championship with 161 points.
2015–2019
Alonso had major disagreements with team principal Marco Mattiacci and left Ferrari after contract negotiations to stay with the team failed. He signed a three-year contract with McLaren, which had recently announced a partnership with Honda, marking the return of the Japanese brand to the sport.
Alonso suffered a concussion during a pre-season test session at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2015 and was replaced by reserve driver Kevin Magnussen for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
He had a difficult season in 2015, with the Honda engine being both underpowered and unreliable. Alonso scored points twice in 2015, finishing tenth in the British and fifth in the Hungarian Grand Prix for 17th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Despite the unreliability and lack of competitiveness of the car, Alonso remained with McLaren in 2016. Due to injuries sustained in a heavy crash with Esteban Gutiérrez at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, he missed the Bahrain Grand Prix on medical grounds and was replaced by reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne.
He outqualified teammate Jenson Button and scored points on nine occasions, helping him finish tenth in the Drivers’ Championship.
Alonso remained with McLaren in 2017, but his season was marred by reliability issues, particularly in the early rounds, and his best finish was sixth in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Alonso finished 15th in the Drivers’ Championship with 17 points.
On October 19, 2017, Alonso signed a multi-year contract extension with McLaren after contract negotiations with McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
He grew increasingly frustrated over the course of the season, and his commitment to F1 died down after McLaren ceased development of their car to focus on 2019. Alonso finished 11th in the Drivers’ Championship with 50 points and left the sport as a driver at the end of the 2018 season, citing a perceived lack of on-track racing and predictability of results.
2021
Alonso was signed to drive for Alpine F1 Team alongside Esteban Ocon for the 2021 season, after Renault rebranded the team.
In Hungary, Alonso briefly led the race before pitting and falling to fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Ocon credited Alonso’s defense against Hamilton for allowing him to win his first race.
In 2021, Alonso exercised an option to extend his contract for the 2022 season.
2022
Alonso is expected to sign a multi-year contract with Aston Martin to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel.
Kevin Magnussen
- Team: Haas F1 Team
- Nationality: Danish
- Date of Birth: 5 October 1992
Born in Roskilde, Denmark, Kevin Magnussen began his career in karting. Jan Magnussen, a four-time Le Mans winner and former Formula 1 driver, is his father.
Formula 1 career
2014
Magnussen would make his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2014, replacing Sergio Pérez.
In his first race in Australia, he qualified fourth.
Magnussen avoided crashing at the start of the race after his car experienced oversteer, and he maintained position after passing Lewis Hamilton’s ailing Mercedes in the early stages to finish third, 2.2 seconds behind Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. As a result, he became only the second Danish driver – after his father Jan, who finished sixth at the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix – to take a points-scoring finish, and the first debutant to take a podium in his first Grand Prix since Hamilton at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, the rest of the season did not go as well, and Magnussen finished 11th in the standings with 55 points.
2015
Magnussen was replaced by Fernando Alonso for the 2015 season, and became McLaren’s test and reserve driver. He had discussions with Honda-powered team Andretti Autosport about competing in the 2015 IndyCar Series, but McLaren snubbed the deal.
Magnussen raced in only one race, the Australian Grand Prix, after doctors advised Alonso not to race due to a concussion sustained during pre-season testing. However, he was unable to start the race due to an engine failure on the formation lap. McLaren let him go at the end of the year.
2016
Unconfirmed reports surfaced in early 2016 that Magnussen was set to replace Pastor Maldonado at Renault due to a breach of contract between Maldonado and the team. Renault had bought the Lotus F1 Team and would be returning to the sport after a four-year absence. Renault later confirmed Magnussen would be joining them for the 2016 season, partnering rookie Jolyon Palmer.
A string of incidents and reliability issues marred Magnussen’s season. Despite this, he scored seven of Renault’s eight points that season, finishing 16th in the Drivers’ Championship.
2017
Magnussen signed a contract with Haas for 2017, replacing Esteban Gutiérrez and joining Romain Grosjean.
He had a run of seven races without a point in the middle of the season, due to both reliability issues and accidents.
He finished 14th in the championship with 19 points, nine points behind teammate Grosjean.
2018
Magnussen was retained by Haas for the 2018 season. The Haas VF-18 far outperformed its predecessor, allowing Magnussen to compete at the front of the midfield. Magnussen qualified fifth on the grid for the first race in Australia, Haas’ highest starting position ever. He had run as high as fourth, but both Haas cars would eventually retire from the race due to issues during their stops.
He finished ninth in the championship with 56 points, his best finish to date.
2019
Magnussen remained with Haas for the 2019 season, again alongside Frenchman Grosjean. The Haas VF-19 started out uncompetitive but only got worse as the season progressed. The car frequently performed well in qualifying but struggled during the race.
Magnussen finished the season in 16th place overall, with 20 points, 12 more than teammate Grosjean.
2020
The Haas car was the second slowest on the grid in 2020, with Magnussen scoring just one point all season.
Magnussen and teammate Grosjean left the team at the end of the season and were replaced for the 2021 World Championship by Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.
2022
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Haas terminated their contract with Nikita Mazepin. Magnussen re-joined the team as a replacement on a multi-year contract.
Daniel Ricciardo
- Team: McLaren F1 Team
- Nationality: Australian
- Date of Birth: 1 July 1989
Daniel Joseph Ricciardo was born on July 1, 1989, in Perth, Western Australia, to Italian-Australian parents, Giuseppe and Grace.
His aggressive racing style has earned him the nickname “the honey badger.”
Ricciardo began karting when he was nine years old and competed in numerous karting events as a member of the Tiger Kart Club.
Formula 1 career
2011
Ricciardo was signed to Hispania Racing by Red Bull in the middle of 2011, replacing Narain Karthikeyan for the remainder of the season, except the Indian Grand Prix, to allow Karthikeyan to race at his home Grand Prix. Ricciardo made his Grand Prix debut at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix.
Ricciardo finished the Drivers’ Championship in 27th place, with a best finish of 18th at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
2012
At the end of 2011, Ricciardo was confirmed to drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2012 season, alongside Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne.
He finished 16th in the championship, scoring 10 points along the way.
2013
Ricciardo was kept by Toro Rosso for the 2013 season.
He outscored teammate Jean-Éric Vergne by seven points and qualified ahead of him for most of the races. Over the course of their two years together, his impressive qualifying efforts of 30-7 against Vergne helped propel him to the Toro Rosso senior team, Red Bull.
2014
Ricciardo took over for Mark Webber at Infiniti Red Bull Racing at the start of the 2014 Formula 1 season, partnering four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
By winning the Canadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo joined Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, and Mark Webber as the fourth Australian to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. His victory in Canada ended a string of six Mercedes victories that signaled the start of the turbo-hybrid era.
Ricciardo finished third in the Drivers’ Championship with 238 points.
2015
Following the announcement of Vettel’s departure from the team it was announced that Daniil Kvyat would partner Ricciardo for the 2015 season.
Despite Red Bull’s efforts to unseat Mercedes at the top, the Renault power unit’s lack of performance pushed the car down the field.
Ricciardo finished the season in eighth place in the championship with 92 points, three points behind teammate Daniil Kvyat. He defeated Kvyat 14-5.
2016
Ricciardo started the 2016 season well in a much more competitive Red Bull, finishing fourth in both Australia and Bahrain and qualifying second and then leading early in the Chinese Grand Prix before suffering a tyre blowout and finishing fourth again.
Ricciardo earned his first pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix and led the race’s early stages. However, after a lengthy pitstop in which his team took nearly 40 seconds to prepare a set of tyres, he surrendered the race lead to Lewis Hamilton and finished second.
With 256 points, Ricciardo finished third in the Drivers’ Championship.
2017
During the 2017 season, Ricciardo finished on the podium five races in a row between Spain and Austria, and then three more in Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan.
Despite being fourth in the drivers’ championship for much of the season, Ricciardo dropped to fifth after retiring in three of the last four races.
2018
Things didn’t get much better for the 2018 season, despite Ricciardo winning in China and Monaco.
Ricciardo eventually retired from eight Grands Prix, tying him for the most DNFs in the 2018 season, and finished sixth in the Drivers’ Championship.
In August, it was announced that Ricciardo had signed a contract to drive for Renault in 2019 and 2020.
2019
Ricciardo had a rough start to the 2019 season, retiring in both of the first two races.
At the Italian Grand Prix, Ricciardo finished in fourth place, his best finish of the year. Teammate Hülkenberg finished fifth, helping Renault to its best result since returning to the sport in 2016.
Ricciardo ended the season in 9th place in the championship for Renault, with 54 points.
2020
For the 2020 season, Ricciardo had a new teammate in Esteban Ocon.
Ricciardo qualified sixth at the Eifel Grand Prix before taking the team’s first podium since the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.
With 119 points, he finished fifth in the championship standings.
2021
After two years with Renault, Ricciardo joined McLaren for the 2021 season as a replacement for Carlos Sainz, who had signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari.
Ricciardo struggled to adapt to his new car at first and was outperformed by teammate Lando Norris, particularly in qualifying.
The turning point came when he qualified fifth for the Italian Grand Prix. Ricciardo finished third in the sprint race on Saturday, gaining two positions on the first lap to earn one championship point. As a result of a grid penalty for Valtteri Bottas, he started Sunday’s Grand Prix on the front row.
Ricciardo got the better of polesitter Max Verstappen at the start of the race and took the lead into turn 1. He managed to survive Verstappen for 21 laps, enduring a safety car restart and late pressure from Norris, whom he led home to claim his first McLaren victory while setting the fastest lap. This was the team’s first victory since the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2012, and their first 1-2 finish since the Canadian Grand Prix in 2010.
He finished the season in eighth place in the drivers’ standings, with 115 points and only one podium finish, his race win at Monza.
2022
Ricciardo continued with McLaren for the 2022 season. During the summer break in August, rumors circulated about his possible departure from the team to make room for Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri.
Pierre Gasly
- Team: Scuderia AlphaTauriNationality:
- French
- Date of Birth: 7 February 1996
Pierre Gasly was born in Rouen, France, to Jean Jacques and Pascale Gasly.
He grew up with Anthoine Hubert, karting with him since the age of seven, attending the same private school, and living as roommates for several years. He was also close to Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon during the early stages of his karting career.
Formula 1 career
2017
Gasly made his Formula 1 race debut with Toro Rosso at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, replacing Daniil Kvyat, after testing for Red Bull and Toro Rosso during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
After Kvyat was officially dropped from the team, he returned to the team for the Mexican Grand Prix, partnering with Brendon Hartley.
2018
Gasly joined Toro Rosso as a full-time driver for the 2018 season. He finished the season in 15th place in the championship with 29 points, comfortably ahead of Hartley’s four points total.
2019
Following the departure of Daniel Ricciardo to Renault, Gasly was signed to drive for Red Bull Racing for the 2019 season, partnering Max Verstappen.
The youngster struggled with the transition and was consistently slower than his Dutch teammate.
Gasly faced increasing pressure at the Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing sixth after being lapped by his teammate. Notwithstanding Gasly’s poor results, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko stated that Gasly would be retained until the end of the season.
Despite those statements, Gasly was demoted back to Toro Rosso ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, with Alex Albon taking his place at Red Bull.
With 95 points, he finished seventh in the drivers’ championship.
2020
Gasly and Kvyat were retained in 2020 as the team rebranded to Scuderia AlphaTauri. Gasly finished fourth in the first seven races of the season, with best results of seventh at the Austrian and British Grands Prix.
During the Italian Grand Prix, an early pit stop allowed Gasly to pass several drivers who were waiting for the pitlane to open due to a safety car procedure, propelling him to third place. As race leader Hamilton entered the pits to serve a penalty and second-placed driver Lance Stroll lost positions at the restart, Gasly inherited the lead and held off late-charging Carlos Sainz Jr. to take his first Formula 1 victory, becoming the 109th race winner and the first French driver to win a Grand Prix since Olivier Panis in 1996.
He finished tenth in the drivers’ championship, with 75 points, ahead of teammate Kvyat’s 32 points.
2021
AlphaTauri retained Gasly for 2021, partnering him with Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda.
Gasly finished the season ninth in the drivers’ standings, with 110 of AlphaTauri’s 142 points, his highest season point total.
2022
Gasly continued to race for AlphaTauri in 2022.
Sebastian Vettel
- Team: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team
- Nationality: German
- Date of Birth: 3 July 1987
Sebastian Vettel was born in Heppenheim, West Germany, on July 3, 1987, to Norbert and Heike Vettel.
He began karting at the age of three and began racing in official kart series in 1995, when he was eight years old.
Formula 1 career
2007
Sebastian Vettel was promoted to the driver role at Toro Rosso, replacing Scott Speed from the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix onwards, after spending 2006 and much of 2007 as a BMW reserve driver, participating in multiple practice sessions.
It was also revealed that he would drive for Toro Rosso alongside Sébastien Bourdais in 2008.
Vettel’s best finish was fourth in the Chinese Grand Prix, after starting 17th on the grid in mixed conditions. After the race, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz predicted him to be one of the sport’s biggest future stars.
2008
After four races of the 2008 season, Vettel was the only driver to have failed to finish a single race, retiring on the first lap in three of them.
His fortunes changed at the wet Italian Grand Prix, when he became the youngest winner in Formula 1 history, at the age of 21 years and 74 days. He led for most of the race and finished 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen. It would be Toro Rosso’s sole victory.
With 35 points, he finished eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.
2009
Vettel replaced the retired David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing at the start of the 2009 season. He got off to a strong start at the Australian Grand Prix, running second for the majority of the race. However, a late-race collision with Robert Kubica for second place forced both to retire.
He went on to win the Chinese Grand Prix, becoming Red Bull Racing’s first pole and race winner.
More victories followed in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Abu Dhabi, and he finished the season 11 points behind Jenson Button as runner-up.
2010
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel earned his first pole position of the 2010 season. Vettel led for the majority of the race, but due to a spark plug failure, he finished fourth.
He was appointed as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association at the Australian Grand Prix, a position he still holds today. In Malaysia, he earned his first victory of the season.
He won four more races and five podiums on his way to the championship, outscoring Fernando Alonso by four points to take his maiden title.
2011
Vettel won the first two races of the 2011 season in Australia and Malaysia.
At the European Grand Prix, the FIA enforced a ban on engine mappings. Some in the press speculated that this was an attempt by the FIA to derail Vettel’s early dominance. Despite this, he earned the pole position with the fastest qualifying lap in Valencia Street Circuit history.
Vettel’s streak of fourteen consecutive front-row starts and eleven consecutive top-two finishes came to an end at his home race, where he qualified third and finished fourth. In Italy, he earned his tenth pole position of the season, joining Ayrton Senna as the only driver to do so in two different seasons.
He finished the year with 15 poles, 11 victories, and 17 podiums from 19 races, and a record total of 392 points on his way to a second championship win.
2012
Vettel began the 2012 season with a second-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix before finishing out of the points in Malaysia after colliding with backmarker Narain Karthikeyan.
He went into the last race in Brazil with a 13-point lead over Alonso. Vettel spun on the first lap after colliding with Bruno Senna. Following changes in weather conditions, Vettel climbed to sixth place, winning the championship by three points and becoming the youngest triple world champion ever. He also became the third driver, after Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher, to win three consecutive championships.
2013
Vettel won the final nine races of the season after finishing third in Hungary, including grand slams in Singapore and Korea. Vettel set a new record for most consecutive race wins with nine, and he became only the third person, after Alberto Ascari and Jim Clark, to take consecutive grand slams. He wrapped up his fourth title at the Indian Grand Prix, with three races still left in the season.
Throughout the season, fans booed Vettel on several occasions, despite widespread condemnation from fellow drivers, the media, and others in the paddock.
2014
Throughout the 2014 season, Vettel struggled with reliability issues.
In addition to that, he also struggled to get to grips with the Red Bull RB10 and the Pirelli tyres. He finished the year by becoming the first defending champion since Jacques Villeneuve in 1998 to fail to win a race.
Red Bull announced in October that Vettel would leave the team at the end of the season to join Scuderia Ferrari, one year before his contract was set to expire.
2015
Vettel made his Ferrari debut in the Australian Grand Prix, finishing third. He then won the Malaysian Grand Prix, his first race victory in over a year and Ferrari’s first in nearly two years.
After starting third on the grid, he went on to win the Hungarian Grand Prix to keep his championship hopes alive.
However, due to a series of reliability issues, clashes with other drivers, and a general performance deficit to the dominating Mercedes, he ultimately finished third in the championship.
2016
Unfortunately for Vettel, the gap between Ferrari and Mercedes widened in 2016, and he was unable to win any races.
During the year, he had seven podium finishes and managed a fourth in the championship with 212 points.
2017-2018
Vettel’s third and fourth seasons at Ferrari followed a similar pattern, with great results early on, followed by a gradual decline in relative pace, resulting in him losing the championship battle.
He finished second in the 2017 and 2018 Drivers’ Championships, with 317 and 320 points, respectively, falling short of Lewis Hamilton on both occasions.
2019-2020
Vettel and his new teammate Charles Leclerc arrived in Australia with many pundits believing they had the car to beat for the 2019 season after demonstrating impressive pace during pre-season testing in Barcelona.
What followed however, was a tough season for both, with Vettel finishing fifth in the World Drivers’ Championship and being outscored by a teammate for only the second time in his Formula 1 career.
Ferrari later announced that Vettel’s contract would not be extended beyond the 2020 season.
That year, however, proved even worse, with the SF1000 failing to keep up with the leaders. Ferrari finished sixth in the Constructors’ standings, their lowest finish since 1980, and Vettel’s total of 33 points was his lowest in a full Formula 1 season.
2021
Vettel replaced Sergio Pérez at Aston Martin for the 2021 season.
He earned his first points for the team in the fifth race of the season, finishing fifth in Monaco. After finishing second in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the following race, he became Aston Martin’s first podium finisher.
During the season, Vettel made the most overtakes of any driver, 132, and scored 43 points on his way to 12th place in the championship.
2022
In July 2022, Vettel announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the 2022 season.
Records
– Most wins in a season (2013)
– Most pole positions in a season (2011)
– Most laps led in a season (2011)
– Most consecutive wins (2013)
– Most consecutive grand slams (2013)
– Most wins from pole position in a season (2011)
– Youngest Grand Prix pole position winner (2008)
– Youngest driver to score a double (2008)
– Youngest driver to score a hat-trick (2009)
– Youngest Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion (2010)
– Youngest World Drivers’ Championship runner-up (2009)
– Shortest time elapsed before gaining a penalty (2006)
Mick Schumacher
- Team: Haas F1 Team
- Nationality: German
- Date of Birth: 22 March 1999
Mick Schumacher grew up in Gland and was born in Vufflens-le-Château. He is the son of Michael Schumacher, a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, and Corinna Schumacher, a Western riding European Champion.
Ralf Schumacher, his uncle, is also a former Formula 1 driver.
Schumacher began his racing career in karting in 2008 and advanced to the German ADAC Formula 4 championship, his first year in car racing, by 2015.
Formula 1 career
2021
Schumacher signed for the Haas team in 2021 being a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. He would race alongside Nikita Mazepin, with whom he competed in go-karts.
Schumacher qualified 19th, ahead of teammate Mazepin, for his debut race, the Bahrain Grand Prix. He went on to spin on the first lap but was able to continue, finishing 16th and last among the remaining drivers.
Schumacher’s best finish was 13th in the Hungarian Grand Prix after avoiding collisions on the opening lap, and he was later promoted to twelfth after Sebastian Vettel was disqualified.
Schumacher finished 19th in the drivers’ championship, ahead of teammate Mazepin but with no points.
2022
Schumacher drives for Haas alongside Kevin Magnussen in the 2022 season and serves as a reserve driver for Ferrari alongside Antonio Giovinazzi.
Yuki Tsunoda
- Team: Scuderia AlphaTauri
- Nationality: Japanese
- Date of Birth: 11 May 2000
Tsunoda, who was born in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, began his professional karting career in 2010, when he joined the JAF Junior Karting Championship, before progressing to the regional class in 2013 and the national class in 2014.
Formula 1 career
2021
Tsunoda replaced Daniil Kvyat in AlphaTauri in 2021 after testing with the team on numerous occasions the previous year.
He finished ninth in the season-opening and his debut Grand Prix in Bahrain. Following the race, Formula 1’s technical director, Ross Brawn, hailed Tsunoda as the best rookie in years.
In the season finale in Abu Dhabi, he qualified eighth, it was the first time all season that he outqualified teammate Pierre Gasly, who was eliminated in Q2. He went on to finish fourth and gain 12 points, just ahead of Gasly in fifth, his best result in Formula 1 so far.
Tsunoda finished the year with 32 points, securing 14th place in the drivers’ championship.
2022
Tsunoda was retained by AlphaTauri for the 2022 season, where he will continue to compete alongside Gasly.
Zhou Guanyu
- Team: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen
- Nationality: Chinese
- Date of Birth: 30 May 1999
Zhou began karting when he was eight years old in China and moved to Sheffield in 2012 in search of a more competitive racing environment. He won the Super 1 National Rotax Max Junior Championship and the Rotax Max Euro Challenge in 2013 while racing for the Sheffield-based Strawberry Racing team.
Formula 1 career
2022
Zhou signed a contract with Alfa Romeo for the 2022 Formula 1 season, joining Valtteri Bottas as China’s first full-time Formula 1 driver.
Lance Stroll
- Team: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team
- Nationality: Canadian
- Date of Birth: 29 October 1998
Lance Stroll is the son of Lawrence Stroll, a Canadian businessman, and Claire-Anne Callens, a Belgian fashion designer.
The Geneva-based Canadian, like most Formula 1 drivers, began his motorsport career in karting at the age of ten. In his first year of karting, he won numerous races and championships in his native Canada and North America.
Formula 1 career
2017
Lance Stroll was called up to drive for the Williams team in 2017, partnering Felipe Massa. He became the first Canadian Formula 1 driver since Jacques Villeneuve, who won the World Drivers’ Championship in 1997.
At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Stroll had run in second place in the closing laps but was passed by Valtteri Bottas mere feet from the finish line. He finished third at the age of 18 years and 239 days, becoming the youngest rookie and the second-youngest driver in Formula 1 after Max Verstappen.
At the Mexican Grand Prix, Stroll worked his way up to sixth after starting 11th on the grid. That result meant that, for the first time that season, he got ahead of teammate Felipe Massa in the Drivers’ Championship.
Stroll finished 12th in the Drivers’ Championship, accounting for 40 of the team’s 83 points. Stroll also gained more positions on the first lap than any other driver that year.
2018
Stroll remained with Williams for the 2018 season, partnering Sergey Sirotkin after Massa retired from Formula 1. The Williams FW41 was the slowest car on the track, and the team finished last in the constructors’ championship that year. Stroll earned the team’s first points of the season by finishing eighth in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
He finished 18th in the Drivers’ Championship, scoring six of the team’s seven points, despite being outqualified by Sirotkin at 12 of the 21 races.
2019
For the 2019 season, Stroll would drive for the newly renamed Racing Point team, which was purchased by a coalition of investors led by his father Lawrence. He took over for Esteban Ocon at the team, racing alongside Sergio Pérez.
Stroll earned his first points for his new team by finishing ninth in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
He finished his first season at Racing Point 15th in the Drivers’ Championship with 21 points, falling short of teammate Pérez’s 52-point total. Pérez outqualified him in 18 of the season’s 21 races.
2020
Stroll and teammate Pérez remained at Racing Point for 2020.
At the Italian Grand Prix, Stroll earned his second Formula 1 podium. He was second when the race resumed following a red flag period before being passed by several cars, including Pierre Gasly. After Gasly claimed victory, Stroll suggested that his poor start cost him the chance to win.
After a wet qualifying session, he took his first pole position at the Turkish Grand Prix. He became the first Canadian F1 driver to claim pole position since Jacques Villeneuve at the 1997 European Grand Prix. Stroll led the race for 32 of the 58 laps, but due to severe tire graining, he dropped to ninth place by the end.
Stroll finished the season in 11th place in the Drivers’ Championship, scoring 75 of the team’s 210 points.
2021
In 2021, Stroll continued to drive for the Racing Point team, under their new name as Aston Martin, and was partnered by Sebastian Vettel in place of Pérez.
His best finish of the season came at the Qatar Grand Prix, where he finished sixth. Stroll finished 13th in the Drivers’ Championship, accounting for 34 of Aston Martin’s 77 points.
2022
For the 2022 season, Aston Martin has retained Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel.
Alexander Albon
- Team: Williams Racing
- Nationality: Thai
- Date of Birth: 23 March 1996
Alexander Albon was born on March 23, 1996, at the in London, England. Nigel Albon, his father, is a former British racing driver who competed in the British Touring Car Championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup. Kankamol, his mother, is from Thailand.
Albon began racing karts competitively at the age of eight, competing locally and winning the Hoddesdon Championship.
Formula 1 career
2019
Alex Albon was released from his Nissan e.dams Formula E contract on November 26, 2018, following rumors that he would join Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula 1. On the same day, Toro Rosso announced Albon would join the team for 2019 alongside Daniil Kvyat, resuming Albon’s seven-year relationship with Red Bull.
Albon qualified 13th and finished 14th in his debut race, the Australian Grand Prix. The following race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, he scored his first points, finishing ninth.
Following the Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing announced that Albon would replace Pierre Gasly and partner Max Verstappen at the main team beginning with the Belgian Grand Prix, with Gasly rejoining Toro Rosso.
Albon finished eighth in the World Drivers’ Championship with 92 points in his debut season, earning the Rookie of the Year award at the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony.
2020
Albon continued to race alongside Verstappen for Red Bull in 2020.
He earned his first Formula 1 podium at the Tuscan Grand Prix by passing Daniel Ricciardo in the closing laps, the first podium for a Thai Formula 1 driver.
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, he took his second Formula 1 podium after Sergio Pérez retired from third place due to engine failure.
Albon finished seventh in the World Drivers’ Championship, earning 105 of Red Bull’s 319 points.
2021
Albon was demoted to the role of test and reserve driver with Red Bull for 2021, with Sergio Pérez taking his seat.
2022
Albon returned to Formula 1 with Williams in 2022, replacing George Russell and partnering with former Formula 2 teammate Nicholas Latifi.
Nicholas Latifi
- Team: Williams Racing
- Nationality: Canadian
- Date of Birth: 29 June 1995
Latifi was born in Montreal and raised in North York, Toronto. He is the son of Michael Latifi and Marilena Latifi.
Latifi began his karting career at 13, a relatively late age, in 2009. He finished second in the Rotax Junior class of the Canadian National Karting Championship in 2010.
Formula 1 career
2020
Latifi joined Williams for the 2020 season, replacing Robert Kubica and teaming up with former Formula 2 competitor George Russell.
Latifi was scheduled to make his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix, which usually kicks off the season. He was entered in the race, but it was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he made his debut at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he qualified 20th on the grid but finished 11th after nine other cars retired.
Latifi finished his rookie season 21st in the drivers’ championship, with neither he nor his teammate scoring any points.
2021
Latifi and Russell were retained by Williams for the 2021 season.
In that year’s race in Hungary, he scored his first F1 points, running as high as third before finishing eighth, just ahead of teammate Russell. After Sebastian Vettel was disqualified for a fuel issue, Latifi was promoted to seventh place, his best finish of the season.
Latifi finished the season 17th in the standings with seven points.
2022
Latifi signed a new deal with Williams for the 2022 season, joined by former Red Bull Racing driver Alex Albon.