5 things to expect from the 2016 Formula One season

Ferrari Mercedes Red Bull F1 201
Mercedes are still strong, but so are other teams

#4 New teams, new talent

Haas F1 Grosjean Gutierrez 2016
Haas F1 is the newest team on track; Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez will pilot

Renault have been in Formula One before – and even won two World Championships with game-changing youngster Fernando Alonso, who at the time of his win was the youngest ever Formula One world champion.

But with a number of years out of the sport, Renault have been supplying engines to teams instead. 2015 was not much of an advertisement for their power units, however, with Red Bull failing to truly fire given the potential of their drivers, and Lotus faring miserably the year before.

Although they will continue to supply Red Bull through the 2016 season, Renault will de-emphasize that relationship, announcing in late 2015 that they had completed a takeover of Lotus, and would return in 2016 as the Renault works team.

Both Lotus drivers have moved on, necessitating the team to look elsewhere. While Romain Grosjean moved to new Formula One team Haas, Maldonado, who had initially been confirmed for a 2016 drive, was unceremoniously dropped.

Formula One rookie and GP2 winner Jolyon Palmer has shown promise in the lower Formulae, and will this year make his Formula One debut. He will be driving alongside a non-debutant – the pacey Kevin Magnussen, who drove for McLaren-Honda in 2014 alongside Jenson Button before being dropped in favour of Fernando Alonso, who had then just quit Ferrari.

Magnussen finished 2nd on debut, and in 2014 had 11 points finishes. Although he only had a test and development role the following year, the Dane has shown significant talent that will stand Renault in good stead on their Formula One return.

They aren’t the only ‘new’ team on the grid: while Manor were a team last year and will not be making a debut, they have two new drivers, both making their F1 debuts this year. DTM winner Pascal Wehrlein has had testing roles with both Force India and Mercedes and therefore has experience behind the wheel of an actual Formula One car. The young German doubtless has speed, and was the DTM’s youngest ever winner.

His teammate Rio Haryanto, who moves up to Formula One after 4 years in GP2, is Indonesia's first ever Formula One driver, and while he did not exactly set the track alight, put in fairly consistent performances with 13 points finishes the year, with three wins and two other podium spots. Given that Manor, competing as MRT, will be on Mercedes power, they could be a decent midfield team after a 2015 spent firmly at the bottom of the grid with both driver error and reliability issues plaguing the team.

Last but not the least, Formula One will finally see a new team – Haas F1, the first American team in the sport in two decades. Although they are the only new team on the grid, neither of their drivers are rookies to the sport. Primary driver Romain Grosjean has shown good pace all through 2015, and will be partnered by former Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez.

The Mexican driver, who was formerly with Sauber in the 2014 season – a lackluster one for him, spent 2015 as a test and development driver for Scuderia Ferrari, where he will have had a chance to hone his on-track skills.

The team, regarded as a b-team to Ferrari, will use power units from the Maranello-based outfit, and given that Ferrari’s engines have looked promising, will be positive about the 2016 season.

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Edited by Staff Editor