2016 FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER GUIDE
MERCEDES
Lewis Hamilton (GBR)
Car: 44
Age: 31
Starts: 167
Wins: 44
Championships: 3 (2008, 2014, 2015)
Nico Rosberg (GER)
Car: 6
Age: 30
Starts: 185
Wins: 14
Their fourth and potentially final season together at Mercedes with Rosberg out of contract at the end of the year. Hamilton has got the better of his German team-mate in all three seasons, with two of those yielding the world championship.
FERRARI
Sebastian Vettel (GER)
Car: 5
Age: 28
Starts: 158
Wins: 42
Championships: 4 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
Car: 7
Age: 36
Starts: 231
Wins: 20
Championships: 1 (2007)
Vettel will be looking to lead Ferrari’s championship challenge as he and Raikkonen form an unchanged line-up. Vettel won three races in his debut season with Ferrari while Raikkonen was surprisingly handed a one-year extension last summer.
WILLIAMS
Felipe Massa (BRA)
Car: 19
Age: 34
Starts: 229
Wins: 11
Valtteri Bottas (FIN)
Car: 77
Age: 26
Starts: 56
Wins: 0
Bottas was linked with Raikkonen’s seat, but after Ferrari opted to retain the Finn, he decided to stay put. Bottas and the heavily-experienced Massa will enter a third campaign together for Williams.
RED BULL
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)
Car: 3
Age: 26
Starts: 88
Wins: 3
Daniil Kvyat (RUS)
Car: 26
Age: 21
Starts: 37
Wins: 0
The two Dans were evenly matched throughout much of last season but Ricciardo, a three-time grand prix winner, will be keen to stamp his authority as the team’s number one in 2016.
FORCE INDIA
Sergio Perez (MEX)
Car: 11
Age: 26
Starts: 93
Wins: 0
Nico Hulkenberg (GER)
Car: 27
Age: 28
Starts: 94
Wins: 0
Perez enjoyed a strong end to last season, but – despite interest from Renault – opted to stay with Force India. The Mexican and team-mate Hulkenberg, last year’s Le Mans winner, will start their third season together.
RENAULT
Jolyon Palmer (GBR)
Car: 30
Age: 25
Starts: 0
Kevin Magnussen (DEN)
Car: 20
Age: 23
Starts: 19
Wins: 0
Romain Grosjean, now of Haas, and Pastor Maldonado, now out of a job, have been replaced by the young, dynamic pairing of Palmer and Magnussen. Britain’s Palmer, a former GP2 champion, is in his rookie campaign, while Magnussen has been handed a second chance after being dumped by McLaren.
TORO ROSSO
Max Verstappen (NED)
Car: 33
Age: 18
Starts: 19
Wins: 0
Carlos Sainz (ESP)
Car: 55
Age: 21
Starts: 19
Wins: 0
Last year’s all-rookie line-up will start their second season together at Toro Rosso. Verstappen, 18 last September, impressed in his debut campaign while team-mate Sainz, son of former rally champion Carlos Sainz, also showed glimpses of his potential.
SAUBER
Felipe Nasr (BRA)
Car: 12
Age: 23
Starts: 18
Wins: 0
Marcus Ericsson (SWE)
Car: 9
Age: 25
Starts: 35
Wins: 0
Nasr and Ericsson, who both bring a wealth of sponsorship, will join forces at Sauber once more in 2016. Nasr, now in his second campaign, will be looking to build on a relatively impressive rookie year.
McLAREN
Jenson Button (GBR)
Car: 22
Age: 36
Starts: 284
Wins: 15
Championships: 1 (2009)
Fernando Alonso (ESP)
Car: 14
Age: 34
Starts: 253
Wins: 32
Championships: 2 (2005, 2006)
On paper, one of the best driver line-ups in the paddock, but will Button and Alonso have the car to match this season? McLaren, thwarted by their hapless Honda engine, endured a miserable campaign last season, but will the team have made enough progress over the winter to move back up the field?
MANOR
Pascal Wehrlein (GER)
Car: 94
Age: 21
Starts: 0
Rio Haryanto (IDN)
Car: 88
Age: 23
Starts: 0
The only all-rookie combination on the grid. Wehrlein is highly thought of by those at Mercedes, while team-mate Haryanto will become the first Indonesian in F1.
HAAS
Romain Grosjean (FRA)
Car: 8
Age: 29
Starts: 83
Wins: 0
Esteban Gutierrez (MEX)
Car: 21
Age: 24
Starts: 38
Wins: 0
American outfit Haas make their debut this season and will be led by the experienced Grosjean. The Frenchman is joined by Gutierrez, who spent two seasons at Sauber.
