Formula One 2019 season has already started, and we are getting to watch beautiful cars driven running at fast speeds and drivers vying for the top spots at various Grand Prix around the world. If you are a dedicated fan or someone who wants to introduce themselves to the world of Formula 1 car racing, we have all the main things covered for you.
Which teams are participating?
Mercedes were the team to beat last season, and that won’t change in 2019 either as they have been leading the Formula 1 for the past five years.
Ferrari showed good signs at the beginning of 2018 but ended up 84 points behind the leaders; they still are the best bet to give competition to Mercedes.
Red Bull will be the team to watch this year, their drivers weren’t able to complete 10 of the 21 races but still finished third overall.
Renault will be returning with new faces and improvements in their cars and may spring up a surprise.
Hass will be looking to spring up a surprise this year after an underwhelming season but will have to work hard to break in the top half.
McLaren was the biggest disappointment last year with their drivers frustrated continuously with the cars but had many changes in personnel and designs.
Force India has now been renamed to the Racing point while Sauber has returned to the name Alfa Romeo after 24 years.
Russian team Toro Rosso and Williams are the remaining two teams competing this season.
Who are the drivers?
This year sees a few new drivers, which are a good sign as new talent will spice up the competition, which wasn’t the case in previous years.
Alfa Romeo has the most experienced driver in Formula 1 with 39-year-old Kimi Raikkonen who has partnered with 25-year-old Antonio Giovinazzi, who is a new entrant.
Top teams such as Mercedes, Renault, Red Bull and Ferrari have stuck to their tried and tested drivers from previous years. It means we will see the famous names such as Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen competing against each other and igniting past rivalries.
McLaren has a new driver Lando Norris to partner Carlos Sainz Jr. while Torro Rosso and Williams have entirely overhauled their team with new drivers in Alexander Albon and Daniil Kvyat for the former and George Russell and Robert Kubica for the latter.
Are there any new rules?
Yes indeed, several changes have been introduced for the 2019 season with the main one being the allowance of more fuel during the race. It has been increased from 105 kg to 110 kg.
There are also changes to the car and driver weight rules, with the minimum weight of cars increased from 733kg to 740kg, allowing for overweight drivers to stay competitive. But the total weight does not include fuel, and 80kg to the overall car weight should be that of a driver, who can use different measures such as adding ballast.
This year also introduces stronger crash helmets that are made according to the new FIA 8860-2018 standard. This gives driver more safety with features such as advanced ballistic projection, crash impact vibration and increased energy absorption. Similarly, drivers must now wear biometric gloves that have been developed by the FIA safety department and reduce medical issues.
What about the car designs?
Several aerodynamic and design changes have been introduced in new cars. Smaller barge boards of 150mm are now part of the vehicle and also have been repositioned so that they have less power and aerodynamic disruption. A wider rear wing with a total increase of 100mm in width and 20mm in height will help with even faster races, and the drivers will also be able to get closer to the cars in front of them. Although a few teams raised concern that air now will directly affect the downforce, but tests have shown no changes in the speeds.
Additionally, doing away with the previous trend of a range of colours, now teams have to have a white hard tyre, a medium yellow tire and a soft red tire to make it simple for viewers.
What’s the Schedule of the 2019 Formula 1 season
A total of 21 races will be conducted in as many countries around the world starting from the Australian Grand Prix in March and ending with Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. Here is the full schedule for the Formula 1 season.
- 17 March, Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
- 31 March, Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain
- 14 April, Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
- 28 April, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku
- 12 May, Spanish Grand Prix, Barcelona
- 26 May, Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo
- 9 June, Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal
- 23 June, French Grand Prix, Paul Ricard
- 30 June, Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg
- 14 July, British Grand Prix, Silverstone
- 28 July, German Grand Prix, Hockenheim
- 4 August, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest
- 1 September, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps
- 8 September, Italian Grand Prix, Monza
- 22 September, Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore
- 29 September, Russian Grand Prix, Sochi
- 13 October, Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
- 27 October, Mexican Grand Prix, Mexico City
- 3 November, United States Grand Prix, Austin
- 17 November, Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo
- 1 December, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina
How to watch?
Sky Sports holds rights for the entire Formula One season in the United Kingdom and if you are a paid subscriber watching the races on set up box and mobile and tablet apps is possible. You can also get a day pass for £8.99 and weekly pass for £14.99 from NOW TV if you aren’t a Sky Sports user and need to follow a particular Grand Prix. If you don’t want to spend any money, then Channel 4 is the best option, although it just shows 10 of the 21 races but does include practice and qualifying sessions.
Although this season wasn’t the biggest one regarding new chances, however, the modifications in designs and equipment will make for closer and faster races this year, add the new drivers with team rivalries and we have an exciting season ahead of us.
