Here’s a look at F1 driver line-ups for 2019

The 2019 season of the Formula 1 World Championship will see just two teams retain their drivers from the previous season: Mercedes and Haas.

The prominent absentee in the new season will be two-time world champion and Spaniard Fernando Alonso. The other major move is that of Finn Kimi Raikkonen from Ferrari to Sauber.

Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport

Mercedes have retained five-time and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton (UK) and Valtteri Bottas (Finland). Hamilton beat Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel 408 points to 320 for the crown last year.

The German team won the constructors’ championship by a good margin. They garnered 655 points, while Ferrari were second with 571. The team was troubled quite a bit by Ferrari drivers Vettel and Finn Kimi Raikkonen, but Mercedes were able to keep their Italian rivals at bay and pull off the title win.

Haas F1 Team

Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. Picture credit: Haas

Haas have retained Frenchman Romain Grosjean and Danish Kevin Magnussen for the 2019 season.

Ferrari engine-powered Haas finished fifth among the constructors with 93 points. Magnussen finished ninth among the drivers with 56 points, while Grosjean ended up 14th with 37 points.

Scuderia Ferrari

Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel. Picture credit: Ferrari

The Italian outfit has retained four-time world champion Vettel for their 2019 campaign.

Raikkonen, who finished third in the driver championship with 251 points, has moved to Alfa Romeo Racing (formerly Sauber F1 Team) for this year.

The second Ferrari car will be driven by Charles Leclerc, who has moved from Sauber. The Monaco driver finished 13th, with 39 points, in the season gone by.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly. Picture credit: Red Bull

Star Dutch driver Max Verstappen will continue to drive for Red Bull in the 2019 season. Their long-time driver and Australian Daniel Ricciardo has moved to Renault F1 Team for the upcoming season.

Ricciardo’s place will be taken up by Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who moves a step up from driving for Red Bull Toro Rosso in the 2018 season.

Red Bull finished third among the constructors last year with 419 points. Verstappen finished fourth among the drivers with 249 points.

Renault Sport F1 Team

Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo. Picture credit: Renault

German Nico Hulkenberg continues with the French team for the 2019 season.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz makes way for Ricciardo for the new season.

The team scored 122 points and finished fourth among the constructors in 2018.

Hulkenberg finished seventh, with 69 points, in the driver championship in the previous season.

McLaren F1 Team

Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. Picture credit: McLaren

This legendary British team will be hoping for a better 2019 with an all-new driver line-up.

Veteran Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne have both moved. The 2019 line-up is Sainz and Briton Lando Norris.

McLaren finished sixth in the constructor standings in 2018 with a haul of just 62 points.

Alonso finished the season in 11th place with 50 points, while Vandoorne ended up in 16th place after amassing just 12 points.

Racing Point F1 Team

Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez. Picture credit: Racing Point

This is a new phase for the team that went into administration late last year with previous owner Vijay Mallya battling extradition to India for financial fraud. The ‘Force India’ name will not appear for the first time since 2008.

The team was bought by a group of businessmen led by driver Lance Stroll’s father, Lawrence. Following the rebranding from Sahara Force India to Racing Point Force India, the team was stripped of all its points in the contstructors’ championship. Force India had scored 52 points.

As expected, Lance gets a drive with the team and alongside Mexican Sergio Perez, who finished eighth in the driver championship with 62 points. Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who is out of the team now, finished 12th with a haul of 49 points in 2018.

Alfa Romeo Racing

Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi. Picture credit: Sauber

Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team was renamed Alfa Romeo Racing this year. This is another team that has changed their line-up for 2019 completely. Raikkonen and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi will drive for this team.

Swede Marcus Ericsson made his exit after the 2018 season, while Leclerc has moved to Ferrari for 2019.

Sauber finished eighth on the list of constructors with 48 points in their kitty last year. Leclerc (39 points) and Ericsson (nine) finished in the 13th and 17th places respectively.

Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda

Daniil Kvyat and Alexander Albon. Picture credit: Red Bull/ Toro Rosso

Russian Daniil Kvyat has returned to the team he drove for previously. The team will have British-born Thai racer Alexander Albon as the second driver.

Last year’s driver Gasly has made a switch to Red Bull, while New Zealander Brendon Hartley was axed at the end of the 2018 season.

Toro Rosso finished ninth in the constructor standings with just 33 points earned in the season.

Williams Martini Racing

George Russell and Robert Kubica. Picture credit: Williams

The 2019 drivers Williams are Pole Robert Kubica and Briton George Russell.

From this British team’s 2018 line-up, Stroll has moved to Racing Point, while Russian Sergey Sirotkin did not get a drive for the new season.

The team was 10th and last in the 2018 season and managed just seven points as a constructor.