Which F1 Drivers Took Part in the 2020 FIA Formula 1 Championship?

Hamilton: It was a stellar season for the 35-year-old Briton as he clinched his seventh F1 world championship. Driving his way to 12 wins of 17 races conducted, he dominated proceedings throughout the year. He even marked the record of most wins in F1 history, by winning his 92nd race in Portimao.

Bottas: The Finn driver made a bright start to the season with a win in the 2020 Austrian GP. However, his title challenge faltered midway through the year. As a result, he had to contend with second place in the Drivers’ Championship standings in 2020.

2) Red Bull Racing – Max Verstappen and Alex Albon

Verstappen: Often pressuring and splitting the Mercedes cars on the track, Max put up a mighty challenge. The Dutchman also had a couple of race wins to show for his effort in the season. His first in 2020 came during the 70th Anniversary race at Silverstone and the second during the season finale in the Abu Dhabi GP.

Albon: Entering his first full season with Red Bull, Albon showed glimmers of hope with his driving skills. His highest points in 2020 were deserved podiums at Mugello and Bahrain. However, the efforts were not good enough as he lost his seat to Sergio Perez for 2021.

3) McLaren – Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris

Sainz: The Spaniard showed consistency in his time with McLaren, and 2020 was no different. His top-half finishes became a cornerstone for the team’s P3 finish in the Constructors’ standings. Sainz’s best moment of the season came in Monza when he battled Gasly to finish P2 in the race.

Norris: It was a perfect start to the season for the 20-year-old, as he picked up a surprise P3 in the Austrian GP. Often strong in qualifying, Norris’ P5 in Abu Dhabi showed his immaculate driving skill and showed that he is quite a capable racer.

4) Racing Point – Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, and Nico Hulkenberg

Perez: Racing in probably the best season of his career, the Mexican driver was impeccable in most races. Despite contracting the coronavirus, he finished P4. Undoubtedly, his best moment came when he won the Sakhir GP from the back of the grid.

Stroll: For someone who endures much criticism, Stroll was strong in a few races and helped Racing Point to a respectable position in the table. His pole position in the rain-stricken Turkish GP outlined his racecraft. The Canadian also backed it up with some great podiums at Monza and Sakhir.

Hulkenberg: An honorable mention for the 33-year-old German, who stepped in for both Stroll and Perez at different points of time in the season. His best-ever showing came at Silverstone with a P9 finish.

5) Renault – Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon

Ricciardo: ‘The Honey Badger’ massively improved on his season after a horrendous 2019. Bagging two podiums at Nurburgring and Imola, Ricciardo only just missed out on P4 in the Drivers’ standings. However, his performances showed that Renault had the capability of winning the midfield battle.

Ocon: Largely under the radar for most of the season, the Frenchman really came to life in the Sakhir GP. His P2 was a testament to the ability that he could produce on his best days.

6) Ferrari – Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel

Leclerc: The Monegasque driver outperformed the Ferrari car this year and emerged as a real leader in the team. He put on strong displays in Portimao and Turkey and supplemented it with two podiums at Austria and Silverstone.

Vettel: Seb did not enjoy a great final season at the team and often saw himself restricted to the lower midfield positions. However, his podium finish in the Turkish GP served to remind everyone that he is still not finished in F1.

7) AlphaTauri – Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat

Gasly: A magnificent year for a driver reborn from the ashes, the 24-year-old Frenchman showed a lot of grit in his driving in 2020. Undoubtedly, Gasly’s highlight of the year was his superb win at Monza in the Italian Grand Prix.

Kvyat: The Russian driver played a good supporting hand to Gasly at AlphaTauri. One will never forget his late surge pushing Ricciardo at Imola, but ultimately finishing P4. He brings an end to his F1 career, temporarily at least, after being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda at the team.

8) Alfa Romeo – Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi

Raikkonen: Veterans always seek to add charisma to the grid, and 41-year-old Raikkonen is no different. He received the ‘Action of the Year’ award for his electrifying opening lap at the 2020 Portuguese GP.

Giovinazzi: The Italian driver often out-qualified his teammate in the qualifying sessions of the races and did enough to warrant a seat for 2021. He also picked up some good points finishes in Austria, Nurburgring, and later at Imola.

9) Haas – Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean, and Pietro Fittipaldi

Magnussen: A mainstay in the team’s lineup for a few years now, Magnussen ended 2020 on a good note. His only notable contribution this season came at the Hungarian GP race when he finished P10.

Grosjean: The experienced French driver did not get to participate in his farewell race for Haas. However, his brave story of escaping from a fiery crash in Bahrain will always be remembered by F1 fans.

Fittipaldi: The young F2 racer received an unexpected start at the Sakhir GP, and made full use of the opportunity. He ended the season in the second cockpit for Haas, competing in the Abu Dhabi GP in Grosjean’s place.

10) Williams – George Russell, Nicholas Latifi, and Jack Aitken

Russell: The 22-year-old earned the nickname ‘Mr. Saturday’ owing to his brilliant qualifying performances with Williams. He got an incredible opportunity to drive for Mercedes in the Sakhir GP and ended up receiving the first points of his F1 career.

Latifi: It was largely an underwhelming season for the Canadian driver. Failing to pick up a single point in 2020, he will look to put behind this year and head into the next with renewed optimism.

Aitken: He was presented with the opportunity to drive for Williams following Russell’s temporary promotion to Mercedes. The young F2 racer proved to be decent in his first Formula 1 outing.