F1 history

2020s: Into the Future

2025 Season

The 2025 season marks the culmination of the current era of ground-effect cars and hybrid power units. Oscar Piastri and McLaren – riding on strong form from 2024 – lead the early championship standings, with Piastri winning the openeren.wikipedia.org. Reigning champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) aims for a fourth title, but McLaren’s pace suggests a multi-team fight. Notably, 2025 is set to be the final year of the existing 1.6 L V6 hybrid engines and the ground-effect aerodynamics introduced in 2022en.wikipedia.org. New regulations in 2026 will ban the MGU-H turbo charger and introduce active aerodynamicsformula1.com. Major driver moves (Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari in 2025en.wikipedia.org) and new entries (e.g. Cadillac for 2026) also shape the season.

2024 Season

The 2024 championship was split into two halves. Max Verstappen again won the Drivers’ title (his fourth in a row), but McLaren stunned the paddock by winning its first Constructors’ title since 1998formula1.com. Lando Norris challenged Verstappen closely, winning four Grands Prix (Miami, Zandvoort, Singapore, Abu Dhabi)formula1.com, while rookie Oscar Piastri added wins in Hungary and Azerbaijanformula1.com. McLaren’s surge in the second half (including Norris’ Abu Dhabi win) enabled them to overhaul Red Bull in the constructors’ tallyformula1.comformula1.com. This was a historic moment: McLaren’s first title in 26 years. The season featured hybrid power units at the height of development, DRS overtakes, and the growing use of data analysis, but no major accidents or controversies of note.

2023 Season

Max Verstappen completely dominated 2023. He scored a record 19 wins out of 22 races, clinching his third consecutive title by the time of the Qatar GPen.wikipedia.org. Red Bull Racing captured its sixth Constructors’ crown, winning 21 of 22 races (an unprecedented 95% win rate)en.wikipedia.org. The only non–Red Bull victory came from Carlos Sainz at the Singapore GPen.wikipedia.org. This season marked one of the most one-sided championship battles in history, with Verstappen’s RB19 car far superior in downforce and reliability. Technical regulations had been overhauled for 2022 (ground effect cars, 18” tires), and these rules continued in 2023, aiding Red Bull’s advantage. With the threat from Ferrari, Mercedes, or McLaren all muted, 2023 was notable for record-breaking dominance rather than controversies or tragedies.

2022 Season

2022 was a watershed year of regulation change. A new car formula (ground-effect floors, simplified aero, 18” wheels) was introduced to improve racing. Early in the season, Ferrari appeared strongest: Charles Leclerc won two of the first three races (Bahrain, Australia) and briefly led the standingsformula1.com. But Red Bull’s RB18 improved dramatically mid-season, and Max Verstappen won his second title easilyformula1.com. Mercedes, hampered by the porpoising of the W13 at odd-speed bumps, managed only one win (George Russell in Brazil)formula1.com. The final tally was Red Bull (Verstappen) champion, Ferrari runner-up. George Russell’s maiden win in Brazil was the only non–RB victory. Major stories included Aston Martin’s sudden pace (Silverstone) and renewed interest in sprint races (introduced 2021). The hybrid engines (3rd season) were in peak form, and DRS remained key. No fatalities occurred.

2021 Season

The 2021 championship is best remembered for the epic Hamilton–Verstappen duel and its controversial finale. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen traded blows all year, with ten wins each. Key incidents – crashes at the British GP and Monza when title rivals collided – kept the title fight alive. Hamilton led late in the season, but Verstappen closed the gap. The title went to the final Abu Dhabi GP. In a dramatic last lap, race director Michael Masi’s decisions on the safety car (only unlapping some lapped cars) enabled Verstappen, on fresh tires, to overtake Hamilton and win the race and championshipen.wikipedia.org. This “Abu Dhabi controversy” – where Verstappen passed Hamilton to claim the championship – triggered huge debate, with Mercedes lodging protests. Red Bull’s Horner later acknowledged the last-corner pass. Nonetheless, Verstappen became champion (first Dutch title), ending Mercedes’ streak. Mercedes still won their 8th straight Constructors’ title. 2021 also saw the start of sprint qualifying events, as well as renewed focus on cost control (first steps toward budget cap). On-track technical parity was high, and no fatal accidents occurred. The season also included Lewis Hamilton’s vocal advocacy for diversity and change (the “We race as one” campaign, following his statements on racism).

2020 Season

The 2020 season was massively disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The original calendar of 22 races was reduced to 17, starting only in July behind closed doorsen.wikipedia.org. Even with the turmoil, Lewis Hamilton asserted dominance: he equaled Michael Schumacher’s record with a 7th title (clinched at the Turkish GP)en.wikipedia.org and surpassed Schumacher’s win total at the Portuguese GP (92 wins). Valtteri Bottas took second in the championship, but Mercedes comfortably won its seventh consecutive Constructors’ crownen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. Key features of 2020 included the debut of new circuits (Portimão, Mugello), no spectators at most races, and numerous calendar swaps. The final race in Abu Dhabi saw Hamilton claim the win on Yas Marina’s technical layout. Aside from the pandemic challenges, the season was relatively uneventful: no fatalities or major controversies on track. Notably, the beginning of 2020 introduced an expanded penalty system and further electronics controls (e.g. extra power unit limits).

2010s: The Hybrid Era and Hamilton’s Rise

2010–2013: Red Bull Dominance

• 2010: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) won his first championship in a dramatic finale. Red Bull secured its first constructors’ titleen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. A new points system (25-18-15…) was introduceden.wikipedia.org, and refuelling was banned. Vettel beat Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) by 4 points after taking the lead in Abu Dhabien.wikipedia.org.
• 2011: Vettel and Red Bull repeated as champions. Vettel became the youngest double championen.wikipedia.org; Jenson Button finished 122 points behind himen.wikipedia.org. Pirelli replaced Bridgestone as tire supplier, and DRS (Drag Reduction System) was introduceden.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. Red Bull won the constructors’ title again.
• 2012: Vettel clinched a third straight title in a nail-biter. He edged out Fernando Alonso by just 3 pointsen.wikipedia.org. The season was highly competitive: seven different drivers won the first seven racesen.wikipedia.org. Lotus’s Kimi Räikkönen won in Abu Dhabi, helping Vettel clinch the championship by finishing sixthen.wikipedia.org. Red Bull also won the constructors’ championship.
• 2013: Vettel and Red Bull peaked. Vettel won an astonishing 13 races (nine in a row), securing a fourth straight titleen.wikipedia.org. Alonso was runner-up, and Mark Webber (Vettel’s teammate) finished third in his final F1 yearen.wikipedia.org. Mercedes replaced McLaren’s Derek Warwick at the back of the grid. Red Bull swept the Constructors’ crown, with Mercedes and Ferrari distant. This was the last year of the normally-aspirated V8 engines; new turbo-hybrids were on the horizonen.wikipedia.org.

2014–2019: Mercedes Ascendant

• 2014: Major technical upheaval – the V6 turbo-hybrid era began. Mercedes immediately dominated. Lewis Hamilton claimed his second title (and second with Mercedes)en.wikipedia.org, Nico Rosberg was runner-upen.wikipedia.org, and Mercedes won their first Constructors’ championship (start of an eight-year streak)en.wikipedia.org. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) took third in the standingsen.wikipedia.org. Tragedy struck: Jules Bianchi suffered fatal injuries in a late-season crash at Suzuka (Japanese GP)en.wikipedia.org, marking the first F1 fatality since 1994.
• 2015: Mercedes again won the double. Hamilton clinched his third title with three races to goen.wikipedia.org, with Rosberg second and Ferrari’s Vettel thirden.wikipedia.org. Mercedes wrapped up the Constructors’ crown in Russiaen.wikipedia.org. The calendar reintroduced the Mexican GP (last run 1992) and lost the German GP (no venue deal)en.wikipedia.org. Ferrari fielded three competitive cars (Vettel, Räikkönen, and the new Ferrari simulator), highlighting their strong resurgence, though not enough to stop Mercedes.
• 2016: The title fight finally went the other way. Nico Rosberg and Hamilton traded early wins (Rosberg won the first 4 races) and led the standings through the season. Rosberg secured his first and only championship by five points over Hamiltonen.wikipedia.org, clinching it in the final races and then promptly retiringen.wikipedia.org. Mercedes continued its streak with a fourth consecutive constructors’ title. Notable events: 18-year-old Max Verstappen was promoted mid-season to Red Bull and won the Spanish GP, becoming F1’s youngest-ever winnerformula1.com.
• 2017: After Rosberg’s retirement, Hamilton now teamed with Valtteri Bottas. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel mounted a serious challenge: for the first 12 races Ferrari led or fought for the lead. Ultimately Hamilton prevailed, winning his fourth championshipen.wikipedia.org, 46 points ahead of Vettel, with Bottas third. Mercedes secured a fourth straight Constructors’ titleen.wikipedia.org. This was the first true team-vs-team title fight since the 2000s. Key controversies included team-radio issues (Ferrari telling Vettel to “leave Lewis alone” in Baku) and some contentious steward decisions (e.g. Vettel’s defense in Baku and Abu Dhabi crashes).
• 2018: Hamilton took a fifth titleen.wikipedia.org with Vettel runner-up and Räikkönen thirden.wikipedia.org. Mercedes claimed a fifth constructors’ crown in a rowen.wikipedia.org. Ferrari won more races early (Spain, Monaco), but Mercedes had better reliability and Hamilton’s consistency won out. Charles Leclerc debuted strongly at Ferrari, taking pole in Bahrain. A major technical change was the aerodynamic tweaks (wider cars, larger wings for more downforce). 2018 also saw the introduction of the Halo cockpit protection for safetyformula1.com (conceived in 2014–17), though it did not directly impact race results.
• 2019: Hamilton equaled Schumacher’s record with a sixth titleen.wikipedia.org, securing the crown in Austin. Mercedes won its sixth consecutive Constructors’ titleen.wikipedia.org. Valtteri Bottas again finished runner-up. Ferrari’s season peaked mid-year: Charles Leclerc won back-to-back races at Spa and Monza (ending Mercedes’ long win streak) and finished third in the standings. However, Ferrari’s strategy errors and reliability issues blunted their challenge. The sport also reintroduced one point for fastest lap, and began promoting more sprint events (though sprint series began in 2021).

2000s: Schumacher’s Ferrari and Emerging Rivals

• 2000–2004: Michael Schumacher and Ferrari dominated. Schumacher won five straight Drivers’ titles (2000–2004), and Ferrari took the Constructors’ crown every yearen.wikipedia.org. The Schumacher–Ferrari era was defined by low-slung aerodynamics and V10 engines (later V10s’ peak power). In 2004 Schumacher won 13 racesen.wikipedia.org, breaking records. Ferrari set records with six consecutive doubles. Key events: in 2000 Schumacher secured the title on the final lap (Brazil GP) of the last race; in 2002 he won by a record margin with early clinch. Safety improved after this era, with circuits adding chicanes (e.g. after Barrichello’s 2000 crash at Silverstone).
• 2005–2006: Renault’s Fernando Alonso ended Ferrari’s reign. Alonso won his maiden title in 2005 and defended it in 2006en.wikipedia.org. (In 2005 he was the youngest champion at the time, and first from Spainen.wikipedia.org.) Renault’s RB cars, with a double diffuser, beat Ferrari on regulation cleverness. Ferrari’s Schumacher was injured early in 2006 (broken leg) and missed several races. These years saw the introduction of V8 engines (2006 was last V10 year) and launch control/trac­tion control were banned in 2004–2005, emphasizing driver skill.
• 2007: A chaotic season ended with Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen winning his only title by one point over both McLaren drivers (Hamilton and Alonso)en.wikipedia.org. Notable controversies: McLaren was later fined $100 million for possessing Ferrari’s secrets (“Spygate”), and Alonso left McLaren amid fallout.
• 2008: Lewis Hamilton won his first championship with McLaren, becoming the youngest champion then, clinching the title on the final corner of the last race in Brazil. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) won that race but lost the title by one point, a heartbreaking finish. Honda’s withdrawal led to Ross Brawn forming Brawn GP for 2009.
• 2009: In a stunning upset, the newly formed Brawn GP team won the championship in its debut year. Jenson Button took the Drivers’ titleen.wikipedia.org, with Barrichello third, and Brawn won the Constructors’ crownen.wikipedia.org, exploiting clever double diffuser technology. This ended the Ferrari/McLaren era. It was the first (and only) time a debuting team won both titles.

1990s: Transitions and Turmoil

• Early 1990s: 1991 and 1992 saw Williams and its active suspension (and Renault V10) dominate via Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese. In 1994, Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were tragically killed at Imolaen.wikipedia.org, prompting major safety reforms (improved helmets, higher cockpit sides, re-profiling of circuits). Damon Hill (Williams) won the 1996 title and Jacques Villeneuve (Williams) won in 1997. Michael Schumacher (Benetton) won in 1994 (posthumously after Senna’s crash) and in 1995, amidst engine blown controversyen.wikipedia.org.
• Late 1990s: In 1996–1997, Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) vs Damon Hill (Williams) battled fiercely, with Schumacher clinching in 1997 amid on-track clashes. The late ’90s were marked by McLaren’s resurgence: Mika Häkkinen won back-to-back titles in 1998–1999 driving dominant MP4/13 and MP4/14 cars. Safety improved: the HANS device was developed (mandatory in 2003), cockpits higher, and Red Bull won its first race (Nelson Piquet Jr. in 1999 German GP at Hockenheim). Controversies included 1997’s Schumacher–Villeneuve collision (Schumacher disqualified) and political skirmishes over refueling bans in 1994.

1980s: The Turbo Era and Turbulence

The 1980s saw turbocharged engines explode in power. Dominant teams were McLaren (Prost, Lauda), Williams (Piquet), Lotus (Senna), and Ferrari (Lauda). Safety remained a concern: Elio de Angelis died in a 1986 test crash; circuits added chicanes (e.g. Lauda’s crash in 1976 led to Tamburello changes by ’82). Ground effects (wing skirts) began in the late 1970s; they peaked by early 80s and were outlawed by 1983 for safety. The decade included the tight 1984 championship (Prost beat Lauda by 0.5 point in a rain-shortened season), and the epic 1988 season (Senna won 8 of 16 races for McLaren-Honda, Prost 7). 1985 saw tyre war between Bridgestone and Goodyear; 1989 ended the turbo era to cut speeds.

1970s: Innovation and Instability

The 1970s featured rapid technical change. The early 70s had rear-engined cars (introduced in late 50s) becoming universal. Lotus pioneered wings (although banned briefly) and side-skirts. Brabham (ground-effect skirt idea) and Tyrrell innovated. Winners included Ferrari (1975, 1977), Lotus (1973), McLaren (1974), Tyrrell (1971), and Brabham (1978). Tragedies were frequent: 1970 champion Jochen Rindt died in practice (became posthumous champion); Piers Courage (1970) and François Cevert (1973) died in crashes. In 1978, Ronnie Peterson was killed in a start-line pile-up (Italy). Ground-effect aerodynamics (Lotus 78/79) dominated in late ’70s. The decade also saw team orders scandals (Ferrari orders at ’71 Italian GP) and the rise of driver superstars – Lauda, Hunt, Fittipaldi.

1960s: The Golden Age

F1 truly came of age in the 1960s. Rear-engine Cooper and Lotus cars dominated (Ferrari was slower to switch from front-engine designs). Key champions: Jim Clark (Lotus, 1963–1965), Jack Brabham (Brabham, 1966–67), and Graham Hill (Lotus, 1962; Brabham, 1968), Denny Hulme (Brabham, 1967), Jackie Stewart (Matra, Tyrrell, 1969). The first aero devices appeared in 1968 (simple wings). Safety was rudimentary: Mike Spence (1968) and Clark (1968) were killed, prompting gradual circuit and equipment improvements. Engines grew from 1.5 L to 3.0 L in 1966, doubling power. Championships were more open: no dominant team held sway long. In 1967, Enzo Ferrari’s team and BRM (English Nationalized company) both won titles. By the end of the decade, safety belts became mandatory and fuel became more regulated.

1950s: The Dawn of F1

The World Championship began in 1950. Early champions were dominated by Alfa Romeo (Fangio in 1951) and Mercedes (Fangio ’54–’55) with powerful straight-8 engines. Ferrari won in 1952–53 (Ascari) and Vanwall (British) took it in 1958 (Hawthorn). Key advances: move from front-engine grand prix cars (like Ferrari 375) to rear/mid-engine racers (Cooper-Climax of 1958 famously swept manufacturers’ titles from ’58 on). Safety was virtually nonexistent: Alberto Ascari, Luigi Musso, and Peter Collins died in early 1950s non-championship/Le Mans races. Nürburgring introduced Armco barriers; helmets improved. Aerodynamic wings were experimented with in late ’50s (the Mercedes 1954 W196 had flush wheels for aero, and smaller vents). The point system started (8-6-4-3-2-1 top six, plus fastest lap), and then modified in 1959. The era ended with Fangio winning a record fifth title in 1957, and the 4WD Ferguson cars briefly appeared (unsuccessful). The sport was young and wild, setting foundations for later professionalism.

References: This retrospective is based on historical race results, official F1 archives, and contemporary reportsen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org, among others, to trace the key developments, champions, technologies and pivotal moments from 1950 through 2025.