Formula One is now the outright most popular sport on the planet after the UEFA European Super League brought down all major football competitions. With motorsport now dominant, the industry is now harder for a driver to break through than ever before.
Lewis Hamilton, having won eighth and ninth championships, has retired from the sport, allowing his competitors to scrap amongst themselves for the top spot. Ferrari are now back on top, having just secured their third straight constructors championship, with Mick Schumacher winning the title for the first time after losing out for two seasons to his teammate Charles Leclerc. McLaren, Red Bull and Aston Martin are chasing the Scuderia constantly, but have dropped back in recent seasons. Alpine dropped out of the sport as Fernando Alonso retired at the end of 2022, allowing Renault to reclaim the team once more.
Previous World Champions (Drivers, Constructors)
2021 - Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2022 - Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2023 - Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
2024 - Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
2025 - Sergio Perez, Aston Martin
2026 - Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2027 - Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
2028 - Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
2029 - Mick Schumacher, Ferrari
Teams
Ferrari are the reigning champions coming into the 2030 season, with their world champions Mick Schumacher and Charles Leclerc poised to retain the top spot for the Tifosi.
McLaren are now back on their heels but haven’t won the Constructors since 2026. Lando Norris now leads the team, with Nicholas Latifi now entering his 10th season in Formula One, having never won the World Championship.
Red Bull, having lost Max Verstappen to Mercedes, now run Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly in their car, with both having run for the title in the past, but never having won the big prize. The team's last honours came in 2026, with Max Verstappen beating Alex Albon to the title.
Aston Martin’s venture into Formula One proved successful, with their first championship sealed by Sebastian Vettel in his final season in 2023, after the new regulations allowed them to dominate, and their second coming from Sergio Perez. Nowadays, the team continue to field an aging Lance Stroll, and brought in Nikita Mazepin as another cash injection to push them closer to the top three.
Ever since Hamilton’s departure at the end of 2023, Mercedes have slipped in performance, their most recent Driver’s Championship coming as their last double, as Valtteri Bottas claimed the title at last in 2024, with the Silver Arrows taking their last Constructor’s Championship in 2024. The team has seen a disappointing downfall in recent years, with Max Verstappen and George Russell now taking the seats.
Alfa Romeo have pushed themselves higher up the midfield in recent years, now a regular threat to Mercedes. This year, Antonio Fuoco and Callum Ilott are in the seats, as teammates for the 4th consecutive year.
Manor have made an unthinkable comeback in the last half decade, replacing American team Haas, who pulled out of the sport in 2025 after Nikita Mazepin left for Aston Martin. They’ve been showing strides in the last two years and have made exceptional progress with development. Liam Lawson and Logan Sargeant take the seats.
Alpha Tauri haven’t seen any more big days since Pierre Gasly’s win at Monza in 2020. They’ve fallen through the field once more and are now unfortunately regular backmarkers. Yuki Tsunoda has been first driver since Gasly’s departure, with Oscar Piastri in the second seat for his third year in F1.
Williams are now essentially a proving ground at the bottom of Mercedes’ F1 programme. Jack Aitken has been first driver for six years, with Dan Ticktum taking the other seat since his debut.
Renault are now on their last legs, with some points required to now keep them afloat. Guanyou Zhou holds China’s F1 hopes on his shoulders, with Nyck de Vries finally getting his hands on an F1 seat after multiple Formula E championships.
The Calendar
Formula One have found themselves limited to 17 races a season ever since the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. South African Grand Prix - Kyalami
2. Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir
3. Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne
4. Dutch Grand Prix - Zandvoort
5. Monaco Grand Prix – Monte-Carlo
6. Canadian Grand Prix – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
7. French Grand Prix – Paul Ricard
8. Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring
9. British Grand Prix - Silverstone
10. Tuscan Grand Prix - Mugello
11. Portuguese Grand Prix - Portimao
12. Belgian Grand Prix – Spa-Francorchamps
13. Italian Grand Prix - Monza
14. Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka
15. United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas
16. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit
17. Brazilian Grand Prix - Interlagos
What do you think?