Formula 1: Driver lineup changes from 2020 to 2021
By Asher Fair
Here is a list of all of the changes in the Formula 1 driver lineup among the teams from the 2020 season to the 2021 season.
The 2020 Formula 1 season ended the same way the previous three seasons ended: with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton winning the world championship.
Hamilton tied Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of seven titles with his 2020 triumph, his sixth in the last seven years. His most recent title marked the seventh consecutive driver championship for Mercedes, which also won a record seventh consecutive constructor championship last year.
But now we can look ahead to the 2021 season and the changes in the driver lineup that have taken place following the 2020 season.
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Following an offseason that saw just two driver lineup changes between the 2019 and 2020 Formula 1 seasons, with Esteban Ocon replacing Nico Hulkenberg at Renault and rookie Nicholas Latifi replacing Robert Kubica at Williams, this offseason has seen many driver changes leading into 2021.
Of the 20 drivers who competed in the 2020 Formula 1 season, 16 are set to return to the sport in 2021. Of those 16 drivers, 12 are set to return to the teams for which they drove in 2021.
Three pairs of teammates, the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, the Alfa Romeo duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi and the Williams duo of George Russell and Nicholas Latifi, are all set to return in 2021.
But only six of the other 14 drivers among the sport’s other seven teams are set to stay put for 2021, with four of the other nine set to return to Formula 1 but with different teams.
Here is a short rundown of the driver changes from the 2019 season to the 2020 season.
NOTE: (R) means rookie.
Red Bull
- IN: Sergio Perez
- OUT: Alexander Albon
McLaren
- IN: Daniel Ricciardo
- OUT: Carlos Sainz Jr.
Aston Martin (formerly Racing Point)
- IN: Sebastian Vettel
- OUT: Sergio Perez
Alpine (formerly Renault)
- IN: Fernando Alonso
- OUT: Daniel Ricciardo
Ferrari
- IN: Carlos Sainz Jr.
- OUT: Sebastian Vettel
AlphaTauri
- IN: Yuki Tsunoda (R)
- OUT: Daniil Kvyat
Haas
- IN: Mick Schumacher (R), Nikita Mazepin (R)
- OUT: Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean
Staying put at Red Bull, McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, Ferrari and AlphaTauri are Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly, respectively.
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The 2021 season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, March 28 with the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit. ESPN is set to broadcast the race live beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET.