OFF TO THE RACES.
Here is everything you need to know.
ROOKIES, BAD BOYS AND LEGENDS.
A Formula 1 race weekend has several ticket types, each offering a genuinely different experience, at a genuinely different price point. Understanding what you are buying before you buy it is the difference between a weekend that exceeds every expectation and one that leaves you wondering what all the fuss was about.
INTERESTING FACTS
Getting to Formula 1 is one of the hardest things a human being can do in sport. Most drivers begin karting as young as four or five years old, working their way up through junior racing categories over many years before an F1 team takes notice. The journey from karting to the grid typically takes over a decade.
There are two main routes in. The first is through a team's junior academy. Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull all invest in young talent early, nurturing drivers through the junior categories with the goal of eventually promoting them to the main team. Kimi Antonelli has been with Mercedes since he was 12. The second is the paid seat, a reality of Formula 1 that is rarely discussed openly but widely understood. Some drivers bring personal or commercial sponsorship to a team, which helps secure their place on the grid. Talent matters, but so does funding.
Once on the grid, the physical demands are extraordinary. Drivers train like elite athletes, building neck and core strength to handle brutal G-forces (gravitational forces), cardiovascular fitness to cope with cockpit temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, and razor-sharp reaction times. Their diets are equally disciplined, carefully managed to maintain strength while keeping body weight as low as possible.
Every driver chooses their own racing number when they enter Formula 1, and it stays with them for life. The only exception is the number 1, reserved for the reigning World Champion. Some numbers carry personal meaning. Others are simply what was available. Either way, the number becomes as recognisable as the driver wearing it.
MEET THE 2026 DRIVERS
MCLAREN
Lando Norris
Nationality: British | Age: 26 | 8 years in F1 | Driver No.: 4
Lando Norris is the reigning Formula 1 World Champion, having claimed his first title in 2025 after a few years of only getting so close. Quick-witted, self-deprecating and genuinely funny, Lando Norris has also built one of the most loyal and diverse fan bases in the sport, through his gaming streams, his social media presence and his unfiltered personality. He is widely considered one of the most naturally talented drivers of his generation, with a raw speed that has never been in question. So far, in 2026, McLaren's car has struggled with the new regulations and he is fighting to prove that last year was not a fluke. Off track, he keeps his personal life private and his friendship group tight. He was named on the Time 100 Most Influential People list in 2026, with his bio written by Paris Hilton.
Oscar Piastri
Nationality: Australian | Age: 25 | 3 years in F1 | Driver No.: 81
Oscar Piastri is the quiet assassin of the current F1 grid. Dry-humoured, extremely composed under pressure and devastatingly fast when the car allows it, the young Australian arrived in Formula 1 in 2023 and immediately established himself as a genuine threat. He is the product of one of the most controversial driver market sagas in recent F1 history, having famously and very publicly rejected Alpine before joining McLaren in a move that shocked the paddock. In 2026 he opened his season with a podium in Japan after a nightmare start that saw him fail to make the start line in Australia and China. He is in a relationship with Lily Zneimer, a fashion student. He is soft-spoken off track, ferocious on it, the kind of driver who lets his lap times do the talking.
MERCEDES
George Russell
Nationality: British | Age: 28 | 7 years in F1 | Driver No.: 63
George Russell is a driver who has spent most of his career waiting for the right moment, and in 2026, that moment may have arrived. Methodical, articulate and fiercely competitive beneath a calm exterior, Russell won the season opener in Australia and currently leads the closest intra-team title battle since Hamilton and Rosberg tore Mercedes apart in 2016. He studied engineering before racing consumed his life entirely, and that technical mind shows in how he communicates with his engineers and processes data. He is in a long-term relationship with Carmen Montero Mundt, a financial broker who appeared in the latest season of Drive to Survive. At 28, Russell is at the peak of his powers, and facing the most serious threat to his ambitions from his own teammate.
Kimi Antonelli
Nationality: Italian | Age: 19 | 2 years in F1 | Mercedes | No. 12
Kimi Antonelli is the most exciting young driver Formula 1 has seen in years. At 19, he is already the championship leader, the youngest race winner of the modern era and the youngest driver ever to lead the World Championship standings. Mercedes signed him to their junior programme at the age of 12, and the faith they placed in him, despite a rocky debut season in 2025, has been validated spectacularly. He is Bologna-born, quietly spoken off track and utterly focused in the car. He recently split from girlfriend Eli Babickova. As a tourism ambassador for the small Italian village of Dozza near Bologna, he carries his roots with genuine pride. The phrase being used in the paddock is that he races like a young Max Verstappen but carries himself like a young Lewis Hamilton. High praise. Entirely warranted so far.
FERRARI
Lewis Hamilton
Nationality: British | Age: 41 | 19 years in F1 | Driver No.: 44
There is nothing left to prove for Lewis Hamilton, and yet here he is, still racing, still pushing, still refusing to accept that the best chapters are behind him. The seven-time World Champion is the most decorated driver in Formula 1 history, with 105 race victories, more than any human being who has ever lived. He left Mercedes after twelve years to join Ferrari in 2025 in what was the biggest transfer story the sport had ever seen, and his first season with Ferrari was difficult. 2026 has been different. A podium in China, a sharper mindset and a car that better suits his driving style have brought back something that looked briefly lost: the hunger. Off track, Hamilton is simultaneously an F1 driver, a Dior guest designer, a Lululemon ambassador, a fashion icon and a vocal advocate for African representation in the sport. He has roots in Togo, Benin, Senegal and Nigeria and has repeatedly stated he will not retire until Formula 1 holds a Grand Prix on African soil. He is widely reported to be in a relationship with Kim Kardashian, though he has declined to confirm this publicly. At 41, Lewis Hamilton remains the most important figure in Formula 1.
Charles Leclerc
Nationality: Monegasque | Age: 28 | 8 years in F1 | Driver No.: 16
Charles Leclerc is Formula 1's most naturally gifted qualifier, a driver whose one-lap pace has broken records and left rivals speechless, even when his race results have not always matched. He is Monegasque, born and raised in Monaco, and racing for Ferrari is not just a job for Leclerc, it is a lifelong dream realised. He joined the Ferrari Driver Academy as a teenager and has been at the Scuderia since 2019, winning eight races and building a legacy despite the team's inconsistency around him. In early 2026, he married his long-term partner Alexandra Saint Mleux in a private ceremony in Monaco. Their dog Leo, who has his own paddock pass and is arguably more famous than some drivers on the grid, was part of the proposal. Leclerc is also a classically trained pianist, speaks four languages and is widely considered one of the heartthrobs of the F1 paddock. Ferrari's best chance of a title in years rests significantly on his shoulders.
RED BULL
Max Verstappen
Nationality: Dutch | Age: 28 | 11 years in F1 | Driver No.: 3
Max Verstappen is a four-time Formula 1 World Champion and, statistically, one of the greatest drivers to have ever sat in an F1 car. He is also, in 2026, the sport's most prominent disruptor, openly unhappy with the new regulations, publicly flirting with retirement and carrying a frustration that has begun spilling into his behaviour off track. He ejected a journalist from a press conference in Japan and has compared the new cars to Formula E on steroids. None of which changes the fundamental truth: when Verstappen has a car beneath him that he believes in, he is almost impossible to beat. He is in a relationship with Kelly Piquet, daughter of three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet, and the couple welcomed their first child in 2025. During the April break he has been racing GT3 cars at the Nurburgring, which appears to be the only place he is genuinely enjoying himself at the moment.
Isack Hadjar
Nationality: French | Age: 20 | 2 years in F1 | Driver No.: 6
Isack Hadjar is the new name on the Red Bull senior team and, quietly, one of the most impressive rookies the sport has produced in recent years. Born in Paris to a French-Algerian family, he has the pedigree of a future champion, a 2024 Formula 2 title challenger who earned his promotion through consistent excellence rather than circumstance. In 2026 he has already outqualified his four-time World Champion teammate on merit at Suzuka, which is not the kind of thing that happens easily. He carries himself with a confidence that does not tip into arrogance, and the paddock has taken notice. His relationship with Verstappen, navigated carefully in a team under significant internal pressure, will be one of the defining subplot stories of the season.
ASTON MARTIN
Fernando Alonso
Nationality: Spanish | Age: 44 | 23 years in F1 | Driver No.: 14
Fernando Alonso is a phenomenon. A two-time World Champion, 32 race victories and 23 seasons in Formula 1, in an era where most drivers retire in their early thirties, the Spaniard simply refuses to stop. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time, a complete racing driver whose racecraft, tyre management and ability to extract performance from an uncompetitive car are undeniable. In 2026 Aston Martin's car has been a nightmare, unreliable and desperately uncompetitive. Alonso has called it a hard mental place. He is an ambassador for BOSS and Richard Mille, a passionate golfer and a man who speaks his mind. The paddock has enormous respect for him.
Lance Stroll
Nationality: Canadian | Age: 27 | 8 years in F1 | Driver No.: 18
Lance Stroll is one of the most polarising figures on the grid, a driver whose presence in Formula 1 is inseparable from the fact that his father Lawrence Stroll owns the team. That context has followed him throughout his career, often unfairly drowning out what is a genuine and underappreciated talent. He has three career podiums and a pole position to his name. In April of 2026 he made his GT3 racing debut at Paul Ricard, an outing that did not go smoothly. He is tall, quietly creative and has spoken about his love of art and music. The jokes write themselves when things go wrong on track, but Stroll is a more interesting figure than the narrative around him usually allows.
ALPINE
Pierre Gasly
Nationality: French | Age: 30 | 8 years in F1 | Driver No.: 10
Pierre Gasly is the definition of a comeback story. Promoted to the Red Bull senior team in 2019 and demoted within half a season after struggling under enormous pressure, he returned to the junior team and rebuilt himself into a genuine race winner, claiming a stunning victory at Monza in 2020 in one of the most emotional results in recent F1 history. He is now Alpine's experienced leader, calm under pressure and respected throughout the paddock. He has been in a relationship with Francisca Cerqueira Gomes since 2022. Their dog Simba is a familiar presence in the paddock. Gasly speaks French, English and some Italian, loves food, and is one of the more genuinely warm personalities in the sport.
Franco Colapinto
Nationality: Argentine | Age: 23 | 2 years in F1 | Driver No.: 43
Franco Colapinto arrived in Formula 1 mid-season in 2024 as a Williams replacement driver and immediately showed the kind of raw pace and fearless commitment that marks out a future star. Argentina had not had a driver on the F1 grid in decades, and Colapinto's arrival was met with an eruption of passion from a country with a deep motorsport heritage. He is young, charismatic and has kept his personal life largely private despite significant public attention. In 2026 he has scored points for Alpine and is growing into the role of full-time race driver. The question with Colapinto is not whether the talent is there, as it clearly is. The question is how quickly the experience catches up.
HAAS
Esteban Ocon
Nationality: French | Age: 29 | 8 years in F1 | Driver No.: 31
Esteban Ocon has had one of the more turbulent careers on the current grid, a driver of genuine quality who has spent too much of his time in cars that do not reflect his ability. He is physically one of the most imposing drivers in the paddock, known for his intensity and commitment. He cracked a joke at Lewis Hamilton's expense with the "Keeping Up With the Hamiltons" line in an official F1 video, which showed a sharper sense of humour than his on-track reputation might suggest. He is dating Flavy Barla, who won Miss Côte d'Azur in 2022. In 2026 he is at Haas alongside Ollie Bearman and needs a strong season to secure his long-term future on the grid.
Oliver Bearman
Nationality: British | Age: 20 | 2 years in F1 | Driver No.: 87
Oliver Bearman is the most talked-about young British driver in years and for good reason. He made his Formula 1 debut as a replacement driver for Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with almost no preparation and finished seventh. He then joined Haas for 2025 and impressed throughout. In 2026 he survived a terrifying crash at Suzuka that raised serious safety questions about the new regulations, walked away, and kept going. He is in a relationship with Alicia Torriani. Cameras caught an emotional embrace between the two after a career-best result in Mexico in 2025. Bearman is widely seen as a future Ferrari driver. Hamilton himself has spoken about the young Briton's potential. The path is clear if he keeps delivering.
WILLIAMS
Carlos Sainz
Nationality: Spanish | Age: 31 | 10 years in F1 | Driver No.: 55
Carlos Sainz Jr. is one of the most complete drivers on the grid. He is consistent, technically excellent and with a racecraft that has earned him wins at some of the most demanding circuits in the world. He arrived at Ferrari in 2021 and spent four seasons there, winning three races and regularly outperforming a car that too often let him down. In 2025 he moved to Williams and delivered results which have so far included two podiums and beginning what looks like a genuine team revival. He is the son of two-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Senior, which means motor racing is in his blood. He is known in the paddock for his love of golf, and he considers himself the best golfer on the grid. He is always warm with fans. In 2026 he is helping Williams develop a car that the team genuinely believes in for the first time in years.
Alexander Albon
Nationality: Thai-British | Age: 29 | 6 years in F1 | Driver No.: 23
Alexander Albon's story is one of the most human in Formula 1. Dropped by Red Bull after struggling in the senior car in 2020, he spent a year on the sidelines before Williams brought him back to the grid in 2022, and he has not looked back. He is thoughtful, self-aware and has spoken openly about the mental challenge of being dropped and rebuilding his confidence. In 2023 he underwent open-heart surgery and returned to racing weeks later, which tells you everything about his character. He is Thai-British, born in London, and represents a fan base across Southeast Asia that connects deeply with his presence on the grid. He is engaged to American model Lily Muni He. In 2026 Albon and Sainz form one of the more harmonious and capable driver pairings on the grid.
VCARB
Liam Lawson
Nationality: New Zealander | Age: 23 | 2 years in F1 | Driver No.: 30
Liam Lawson is calm, measured and considerably faster than his quiet demeanour might initially suggest. He came to prominence as a substitute driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri on multiple occasions, each time performing above expectations with almost no preparation. In 2025 he earned a full-time seat and in 2026 he is delivering consistently for Racing Bulls, a team that is quietly punching above its weight in the early stages of the season. He is in a long-term relationship with Hannah St. John, a biomedical sciences graduate. New Zealand has a small but passionate F1 following and Lawson carries that community's hopes with an easy, unaffected confidence.
Arvid Lindblad
Nationality: British-Swedish | Age: 18 | 1 year in F1 | Driver No.: 41
Arvid Lindblad is the youngest driver on the 2026 grid and one of the most anticipated rookies Formula 1 has seen in several years. Born to a Swedish father and British mother, he rose through the junior categories at extraordinary speed and was backed by Red Bull's junior programme throughout. At Suzuka he outqualified his Red Bull senior team counterpart Max Verstappen, a result that caused the paddock to pause and take very serious note of what this teenager might be capable of. He is 18, his personal life is entirely private and his racing is doing all the talking. The world is watching.
AUDI
Nico Hulkenberg
Nationality: German | Age: 38 | 13 years in F1 | Driver No.: 27
Nico Hulkenberg holds a Formula 1 record that nobody wants… the most starts without a podium finish in the history of the sport. It is a statistic that has followed him for his entire career and one that says far more about the cars he has driven than the driver himself. He is universally respected in the paddock as a clean, quick and deeply experienced operator who has consistently performed above the level of his machinery. At Audi, he is tasked with helping a brand new team find its feet in the most competitive environment in motorsport. He is an ambassador for Schuberth and collaborates with Lego. Reliable, professional and long overdue a moment that reflects his actual ability.
Gabriel Bortoleto
Nationality: Brazilian | Age: 21 | 1 year in F1 | Driver No.: 5
Gabriel Bortoleto is the 2024 Formula 2 champion and one of the most complete junior talents to graduate to Formula 1 in recent memory. Brazilian, managed by former World Champion Fernando Alonso's team, and backed by one of the sport's most celebrated managers, he arrives with enormous expectations. He has shown genuine pace in the opening rounds of 2026 and is navigating the enormous challenge of learning a new car in a new team under new regulations with a composure that belies his age. He is in a long-term relationship with Isabella Bernardini, a computer science student who has become a recognisable face in the paddock. Brazil has an intense and emotional relationship with Formula 1 and Bortoleto carries that weight with evident pride.
CADILLAC
Sergio Perez
Nationality: Mexican | Age: 36 | 15 years in F1 | Driver No.: 11
Sergio Perez is one of the most beloved drivers in Formula 1 history within his home country, where he is simply known as Checo and treated as a national hero. He spent four seasons at Red Bull alongside Verstappen, winning five races and becoming a genuine championship contender in 2023. His departure from the team at the end of 2024 was difficult and public, but the opportunity to join Cadillac as a founding driver of the American team gave him a new purpose. At 36, he is not just here to fill a seat, he is here to help build something. He is married to Carla Martinez and the couple have four children together. He keeps his family life warm but private. Mexico City's Grand Prix week, whenever Perez is in the car, remains one of the most emotionally charged weekends on the entire calendar.
Valtteri Bottas
Nationality: Finnish | Age: 36 | 13 years in F1 | Driver No.: 77
Valtteri Bottas spent five seasons as Lewis Hamilton's teammate at Mercedes, a role that brought him four Constructor Championships and 10 race victories but never the World Championship that his talent deserved. He then spent two seasons at Alfa Romeo/Sauber before a year as Mercedes' reserve driver in 2025. In 2026 he has returned to the grid with Cadillac, bringing a wealth of experience to a team that needs exactly what he offers. Off track, Bottas is one of the most entertaining personalities in the paddock, famous for his deadpan humour, his cycling passion and his complete lack of concern for what anyone thinks of him. He is in a relationship with Australian pro cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, and in late 2025 the couple bought a vineyard in South Australia. They also serve as co-owners of a superb Gin called Oath, which is made from distilled oats! He also once cycled naked for charity and called it his proudest moment. Genuinely one of a kind.
RACE INFORMATION
If you’d like to learn more about the 2026 race calendar and the different circuits and cities where F1 will be making a stop this year, click below:
