The 2019 Formula 1 World Championship is the 70th running of the FIA’s premier single-seater series, and here is the confirmed entry list for the 21-round schedule.
The season begins in Australia on March 17, and finishes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 1. The third round, the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 14, will be the 1000th world championship F1 race.
The entry list features Lewis Hamilton defending his title with Mercedes and bidding to become the sport’s second-ever six-time F1 champion – plus a raft of wholesale driver changes up and down the grid.
Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen moves from Ferrari to Sauber, switching places with Charles Leclerc.
Seven-time grand prix winner Daniel Ricciardo defects from Red Bull to Renault, replacing Carlos Sainz who moves to McLaren in place of Fernando Alonso. Pierre Gasly steps up from the Toro Rosso team to Red Bull, and is replaced by the returning Daniil Kvyat.
Robert Kubica also rejoins the F1 grid, after a much longer absence of eight years, with Williams.
An influx of rookies is led by Formula 2 champion George Russell, who will partner Kubica. F2 runner-up Lando Norris replaces Formula E-bound Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren, while third-placed F2 racer Alexander Albon has been favoured at Toro Rosso over Brendon Hartley.
Antonio Giovinazzi, who started two races for Sauber in 2017, gets his full-time graduation with the Alfa-backed Swiss squad – replacing Marcus Ericsson, who will instead race in IndyCar.
Lance Stroll has moved from Williams to Racing Point at the expense of Esteban Ocon, after his father Lawrence bought the team – formerly known as Force India – last August. It is expected to have another name change before the season begins.
Red Bull Racing switches to Honda engines for 2019, joining its sister team Toro Rosso.
The full F1 2019 entry list is as follows…
Source: Read Full Article