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The curtain has fallen on the 2018 Formula One season and every single fan is itching for next year to come as quickly as possible. Spending a weekend without watching a Grand Prix makes the week feel incomplete and one couldn’t wish for March to come around sooner.
There were no changes to the class of 2018 during the entire season, a rare occurrence in the sport. However, some of those drivers have now vacated their seats for other promising racers, each one of whom could set an exciting premise for the future.
The influx of all the youngsters into the group would make it a more thrilling watch. The competition between them would set the benchmark for the future when they are likely to represent the front-running teams.
Have a look below for the driver line-up of each team, the engine suppliers and everything you need to know about them:
#10 Williams
Full team name: Williams Racing
#88 Robert Kubica
#63 George Russell
Engine Suppliers: Mercedes
Williams did not have a season to cherish in 2018 as they finished at the bottom of the constructor’s table. While it seems unlikely for the United Kingdom-based team to bounce back to winning ways anytime soon, they would surely be hoping of a few more points finishes in the upcoming season.
Williams have signed up Robert Kubica and George Russell for 2019 and the duo are definitely not short on talent. Robert tells a tale of grit, tenacity and determination, which brought him back to his dream despite a serious crash at the Ronde di Andora rally in 2011 that partially severed his right forearm.
The Polish driver has a good understanding of racing in Formula One due to the four years he spent with BMW Sauber and Renault. He had a knack of being a regular point scorer and would be hoping to emulate his own former self.
George Russell, on the other hand, graduated to F1 on the back of his title-winning campaigns in GP3 and Formula 2 championship. He is one of the upcoming talent powerhouses and a stint at the pinnacle of motorsport next year would be helpful in determining how the 20-year-old fares against the rest of the field.
#9 Toro Rosso
Full team name: Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda
#26 Daniil Kvyat
#TBC Alexander Albon
Engine Suppliers: Honda
Toro Rosso switched over to Honda engines during 2018 and seemed happy with the result. While they haven’t had a season with consistent top ten finishes, a few races here and there showcased the craft of their previous line-up along with what Honda engines are capable of whipping up.
A fourth-place finish in Bahrain led Pierre Gasly to comment, “Now we can fight” on the team radio, repeating Fernando Alonso’s words. While the banter was in jest and as a show of support to their respective engine suppliers, unfortunately, neither team could put forth a compelling campaign.
After splitting ways with Daniil Kvyat for a year, Toro Rosso got him back on board to fill the seat left vacant by Brendon Hartley and Red Bull Racing-bound Pierre. However, the team is not averse to making shocking changes to their line-up anytime through the season.
If Kvyat gets the axe again, it would be interesting to see whether Max Verstappen would continue with his streak of winning the next Grand Prix.
Alexander Albon is another racer who would be making his way to Formula One on the back of strong performances in GP3 and Formula 2 and would remain one to keep an eye on.
#8 Sauber
Full team name: Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team
#7 Kimi Räikkönen
#99 Antonio Giovinazzi
Engine Suppliers: Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, during his debut season, showed that with a skilled driver behind the wheel, a Sauber can regularly finish among the top ten. The team has the ability to make for thrilling midfield battles especially with Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi driving for them.
Kimi has made a full circle. After starting his career in F1 with Sauber, he is now back with the team, but now after winning a world championship. 2018 was a strong year for the Finnish driver who emerged victorious after 113 races and also bagged pole in Monza by setting the fastest ever lap in the history of the sport.
Antonio has previously had a taste of driving in Formula One as he substituted for Pascal Wehrlein on two occasions in Australia and China albeit without scoring any points. The Italian has also participated in multiple practice sessions and pre-season testing for Sauber. Earlier, he has finished runner-up in the GP2 series, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship.
#7 Racing Point
Full team name: Racing Point F1 Team
#11 Sergio Perez
#18 Lance Stroll
Engine Suppliers: Mercedes
Racing Point transitioned from Force India during 2018 after a legal tussle and had to effectively lose all their championship points in order to compete in Formula One. Had they not been made to do so, they would have been much higher up in the constructor’s table.
The team has gradually made improvements since their inception and despite a change of leadership, the core group of engineers and drivers will surely keep striving to do better.
Sergio Perez has proved to be an asset for whichever team acquires him as a driver. The Mexican was the only driver to score a podium in 2018 outside of the top six. He also outscored his then teammate, Esteban Ocon, and finish eighth in the points table.
Lance Stroll may receive backlash due to his father, Lawrence Stroll, being a key member in the consortium that purchased the assets of Force India, but he has shown glimpses of driving prowess. The 20-year-old holds the record for the youngest racer to stand on the podium and he would have a point to prove next year in a car capable of achieving decent results.
#6 McLaren
Full team name: McLaren F1 Team
#4 Lando Norris
#55 Carlos Sainz
Engine Suppliers: Renault
McLaren have a rich history in Formula One and they are one of the most successful teams, but unfortunately, their current position doesn’t reflect that. During their first ever year in partnership with Renault, the Woking based team fared better than in their final few years with Honda. However, reliability was a major concern and hopefully, the retirements would go down a notch come 2019.
Lando Norris is a much talked about driver who looked set to debut for McLaren after becoming their test driver. He has previously won multiple championships like FIA Formula 3 European, Toyota Racing Series, among others, and has emerged runner-up in FIA Formula 2 as well as at the Macau Grand Prix.
Now that Carlos Sainz has become free of his contract with Red Bull, he has opted to grab onto a seat offered by McLaren, stepping into Fernando Alonso's shoes. The Spaniard has a stellar reputation due to his ability to regularly score points and his amicable nature has earned him praise from all the teams he has been a part of.
#5 Haas
Full team name: Rich Energy Haas F1 Team
#8 Romain Grosjean
#20 Kevin Magnussen
Engine Suppliers: Ferrari
Haas were one of the surprise contenders in 2018 with their regular ability to put the car through to the third part of Qualifying.
However, in the next season, the team would be looking forward to holding on to their position during races and not committing mistakes which result in a loss of points.
The United States-based team have decided to retain their 2018 line-up which consists of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. The duo has been a part of Haas for a few years each now and 2019 would be an optimal time to repay the faith placed in them.
Grosjean has previously frequented the podium with Lotus and 2019 may provide him with an opportunity to do so with Haas too.
If one turns a blind eye to other drivers complaining about Kevin’s driving skills, then it becomes evident that the Danish racer had a year to rejoice in 2018. He comfortably beat his teammate and regularly finished among the first ten positions.
#4 Renault
Full team name: Renault F1 Team
#3 Daniel Ricciardo
#27 Nico Hülkenberg
Engine Suppliers: Renault
Renault’s performance graph has continually been on the up and now that they have finished best of the rest, the next logical step would be to compete for wins.
Red Bull severed ties with the French manufacturers and so they have only McLaren to cater to now. The team has been moving full steam ahead to catch up to the table toppers.
They surprised one and all by bagging a contract with Daniel Ricciardo and extracting him out of the Red Bull family where he has contently competed during his entire Formula One career.
The seven Grands Prix winner would be a good addition to the team in their endeavour to win championships, even if the trophies don’t come by as frequently anytime soon.
Nico Hülkenberg has been a vital part of the team and is one of the most secure drivers in the sport. The German does not have a podium finish to his name, but he is likely to change that at the sight of any opportunity.
#3 Red Bull Racing Tag Heuer
Full team name: Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
#10 Pierre Gasly
#33 Max Verstappen
Engine Suppliers: Honda
Red Bull Racing may arguably have the best chassis on the grid due to Adrian Newey, but they will have to recuperate now that they have chosen to use Honda engines instead of Renault.
Whether the energy drinks team can still fight among the top three or be even better would be a point of contention.
Pierre Gasly has been promoted to Red Bull Racing after he impressed one and all in his run with Toro Rosso. However, he would have big shoes to fill of Daniel Ricciardo and having a competitive teammate in the form of Max Verstappen may not necessarily help.
Max, on the other hand, is as comfortable with the Milton Keynes based outfit as possible. He has proved his worth time and again by securing stunning victories, and has been exceptional when it comes to wet weather conditions.
The Dutch driver would be looking forward to bringing Red Bull to the top of the table with Honda engines and next year would be the first step in that journey.
#2 Ferrari
Full team name: Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow
#5 Sebastian Vettel
#16 Charles Leclerc
Engine Suppliers: Ferrari
Ferrari had a good opportunity to make 2018 their year, but instead of ruing missed chances, the Italian team would be looking forward to ensuring that there is no repeat of the same come 2019.
The crew and the drivers together make a proficient unit capable of winning the world championship, now they only need to check every box to accomplish it.
Sebastian Vettel may be a four-time world champion but he is still waiting for his first title with the red team. After regrouping during the off-season, the German driver is likely to come back as a stronger contender for the coveted trophy.
During his debut season, Charles Leclerc quickly became a fan favourite due to his on-track abilities and by regularly pushing his Sauber into the points. Ferrari were quick to reward him for the skill he showed on the tarmac. Leclerc would be driving for Ferrari in 2019 and a crackling performance can be expected from the 21-year-old.
#1 Mercedes
Full team name: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport
#44 Lewis Hamilton
#77 Valtteri Bottas
Engine Suppliers: Mercedes
Mercedes have been ruling the sport during the hybrid era and have shown no signs of slacking off. It is true that their biggest strength has been the car development going on in the background which provides them with the machinery to compete for the wins regularly.
However, even when they are challenged on track, keeping a cool head on the part of the drivers and strategists has been essential to their success.
Lewis Hamilton won his fifth world championship title in 2018 and the team seems relentless in their pursuit of perfection.
If one absolutely has to criticize, then Lewis would not be getting much praise for his start to the season which made him look quite ordinary. Those few races could have cost him the title if the battle had been closer.
While Lewis has looked quite comfortable and on top of the game, his teammate, Valtteri Bottas needs to pull up his socks if he wants to keep his seat. In case of a tough challenge from another team, points from both the drivers would be absolutely essential to grab the constructor’s trophy and Mercedes would not be willing to lose out on that title due to anyone.
