Formula 1 2024 season: Who are the drivers?

The 2024 Formula 1 season is in full swing, and last year's 20 drivers are back on the grid.

Two teams have been victorious within the first three races of the year. Reigning champion Max Verstappen stood on the top step of the podium for the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, the other race winner of 2024, has had a rollercoaster of a season already. In Saudi Arabia, Sainz was unable to race as he underwent surgery for appendicitis, with reserve driver Oliver Bearman stepping in. About two weeks later in Australia, Sainz took home the trophy for first place.

This year, each of the 10 teams are keeping the same driver pairings they had in 2023. Though, ahead of the new season, there was some major news when it was announced that Lewis Hamilton will be joining Ferrari in 2025. It was a surprise move that now puts current Ferrari driver Sainz in a position to find a new team for 2025, as Ferrari's other driver, Charles Leclerc, has already extended his contract.

With more driver contracts up this year — and performances determining if a driver stays on their current team — the 2024 F1 season will be one that shakes things up.

For now, Verstappen and teammate Sergio “Checo” Pérez will continue to lead the Red Bull team, while Hamilton takes his final laps alongside George Russell for Mercedes. Fan-favorites Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris are also back on the same team.

When does the 2024 F1 season begin?

The F1 2024 season kicked off on Feb. 29, with the first race taking place March 2 in Bahrain. After 24 races, it will conclude in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 8.

Formula 1 consists of 10 teams with a team principal and two main drivers each. The drivers stay with their teams until their contracts are up or based on their performance.

For some, the 2024 Formula 1 season marks their second season in F1, while others have been racing on these tracks for decades.

Here is everything you need to know about the Formula 1 drivers for the 2024 season.

Max Verstappen

Team: Oracle Red Bull Racing

Age: 26

Birthplace: Hasselt, Belgium

Years active in F1: 10

Instagram: @maxverstappen1

The Dutch driver drives for Red Bull Racing and is also a three-time consecutive world champion, taking home the title in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The 26-year-old made his F1 debut at the age of 17 for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015, becoming the youngest F1 driver in history. He moved to Red Bull in 2016 where he has stayed ever since.

After competing in nine official seasons, Verstappen has stood on 98 podiums and has taken home 54 wins, according to his website.

In 2023, Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races — totaling 54 career race wins — and garnered a total of 575 points, placing him at the top of the driver standings.

The reigning world champion is already off to a good start in 2024, winning two out of the three first races of the season. However, due to problems with the car, he retired the most recent race in Australia in the first few laps.

Sergio 'Checo' Pérez

Team: Oracle Red Bull Racing

Age: 34

Birthplace: Guadalajara, Mexico

Years active in F1: 14

Instagram: @schecoperez

Pérez made his F1 debut in 2011, driving for Sauber, and over the years for McLaren, Force India and Racing Point, before joining Red Bull in 2021.

He is one of the only three drivers who achieved a race win in the 2023 F1 season. The Mexican athlete won two races last year: in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

In the 258 career-wide Grand Prix he's raced in, Perez stood on 35 podiums and won six races, per his F1 bio.

Last season, he secured second place in the driver standings and, with his teammate Verstappen, got Red Bull the Constructors title, making them the top team for the 2023 season.

Lewis Hamilton

Team: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Age: 39

Birthplace: Stevenage, England

Years active in F1: 18

Instagram: @lewishamilton

The British Mercedes driver is a seven-time world champion, securing the title from 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

From 2007 through 2012, Hamilton drove for McLaren before moving to Mercedes in 2013, where he has stayed since.

Seventeen years after first racing in a F1 Grand Prix, Hamilton has entered 332 total races, winning 103 of them and standing on 197 podiums.

In 2023, Hamilton finished third in the driver standings with a total of 234 points.

George Russell

Team: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Age: 26

Birthplace: King’s Lynn, England

Years active in F1: 6

Instagram: @georgerussell63 

Russell debuted in F1 after signing for Williams in 2019. He then moved to Mercedes in 2022.

Through his F1 career, the British driver has entered 104 Grand Prix and won one race. He also stood on the podium 11 times.

Russell placed eighth in the overall 2023 driver standings and came in third place during two Grand Prix. Combined with his teammate, Russell and Hamilton pushed Mercedes up to second place in the Constructors Championship, which measures the performance of the 10 teams.

Charles Leclerc

Team: Scuderia Ferrari

Age: 26

Birthplace: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Years active in F1: 7

Instagram: @charles_leclerc

When he was just 19 years old, Leclerc zoomed his way into F1 as Sauber's newest driver in 2018, where he stayed for one year.

In 2019, the year after his rookie season, the Monegasque athlete signed for Scuderia Ferrari, where he has stayed ever since.

While he has been at the team for a while, his time with Ferrari is not nearing an end. This January, he announced he signed a contract extension with the team.

Leclerc raced in 125 Grand Prix to-date, finishing 30 within the top three, five of which were race wins.

Last season, Leclerc finished fifth in the driver standings.

Carlos Sainz

Team: Scuderia Ferrari

Age: 29

Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Years active in F1: 10

Instagram: @carlossainz55

Sainz joined F1 in 2015 driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso. Since then, he's been a driver at Renault, McLaren, before moving to Ferrari in 2021.

In 2023, Sainz was one of three drivers and the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race throughout the season. He placed first in the Singapore Grand Prix, making it his second win in F1 and first win at Ferrari.

During his time in F1, he entered 185 Grand Prix and stood on 18 podiums. He placed seventh in the 2023 driver standing.

So far in 2024, Sainz is once again the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race, placing first in the Australian Grand Prix after Verstappen was out of the race within the first few laps.

Lando Norris

Team: McLaren Formula 1 Team

Age: 24

Birthplace: Bristol, England

Years active in F1: 6

Instagram: @landonorris

Norris was only 17 when he officially joined F1 in 2019 as a driver for McLaren, where he has stayed ever since.

The team announced in January 2024 that Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren on a multi-year deal.

Throughout his career, Norris has yet to win a race, but placed second seven times and placed third six times.

Norris placed right below Leclerc with a one-point difference in the 2023 driver standings, placing sixth.

Oscar Piastri

Team: McLaren Formula 1 Team

Age: 22

Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia

Years active in F1: 2

Instagram: @oscarpiastri

Piastri has not been in F1 for long, but he has made his mark.

In 2022, he was a test driver for Alpine and a reserve driver (or standby driver who fills in when the main drivers are not able to race) for McLaren, before officially joining McLaren in 2023.

Piastri had a successful rookie season. In the 22 races entered, he stood on two podiums, both which he placed second.

He came in ninth place in the drivers standings for 2023.

Fernando Alonso

Team: Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team

Age: 42

Birthplace: Oviedo, Spain

Years active in F1: 22

Instagram: @fernandoalo_oficial

Alonso's racing career started over two decades ago. The Spanish driver joined F1 in 2001, driving for Minardi for one year before moving to Renault. Over the course of his career, he's also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine, and now Aston Martin.

He stepped away from F1 for two years in 2019 and 2020, but then returned to drive for Alpine in 2021 before moving to Aston Martin in 2023.

The Spaniard is a two-time world champion, named the top driver two years in a row in 2005 and 2006. He's driven in 380 Grand Prix, has stood on 106 podiums, and won 32 races.

Alonso came in fourth place in the 2023 driver standings.

Lance Stroll

Team: Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team

Age: 25

Birthplace: Montreal, Canada

Years active in F1: 8

Instagram: @lance_stroll

Stroll made his F1 debut in 2017, driving for Williams before joining Racing Point in 2019. The team was later renamed to Aston Martin.

Throughout his career, Stroll has raced in 143 Grand Prix and has yet to win a race. He has, however, come in third place three times.

In his seventh season in F1, Stroll placed 10th in the 2023 driver standings.

Pierre Gasly

Team: BWT Alpine F1 Team

Age: 28

Birthplace: Rouen, France

Years active in F1: 8

Instagram: @pierregasly 

Gasly first joined F1 in 2017 driving for Toro Rosso. Throughout his career, the French driver has also been a member of team Red Bull, AlphaTauri, and now drives for Alpine.

In the last seven years, Gasly raced in 130 Grand Prix and stood on four podiums, one of which was at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix where he came in first place.

Last season, Gasly placed 11th in the driver standings.

Esteban Ocon

Team: BWT Alpine F1 Team

Age: 27

Birthplace: Évreux, Normandy

Years active in F1: 8

Instagram: @estebanocon  

Ocon debuted in F1 in 2016 as a driver for Manor Racing. He then moved to Force India, was a reserve driver in 2019 for Mercedes, before becoming an official driver for Renault in 2020.

He joined his current team, Alpine, in 2021.

Last season, Ocon placed right below his teammate in the driver standings, placing 12th.

Alexander Albon

Team: Williams Racing

Age: 28

Birthplace: London, England

Years active in F1: 6

Instagram: @alex_albon

Albon — who under the flag of Thailand — first walked into F1 in 2019, driving for Toro Rosso, before he moved up to Red Bull Racing that same year. While driving for Red Bull in 2020 and struggling on the team, he was demoted to a reserve driver in 2021.

However, a year later, Albon signed a new contract making him Williams Racing’s new driver, where he has stayed ever since.

In 2023, Albon placed 13th in the driver standings. While he has yet to win his first race of his career, he stood on the podium twice placing third both times.

Logan Sargeant

Team: Williams Racing

Age: 23

Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Years active in F1: 2

Instagram: @logansargeant

The only American driver on the current F1 grid earned his seat in 2023. In his rookie season, he drove for Williams, and was able to extend his contract with the team through 2024.

In Sargeant’s first year in F1, his highest finishing race position was 10th, placing him 21st on the 2023 driver standings.

Daniel Ricciardo

Team: Visa Cash App RB

Age: 34

Birthplace: Perth, Australia

Years active in F1: 14

Instagram: @danielricciardo

Ricciardo began his F1 career over a decade ago. He debuted in 2011 driving for HRT before moving to Toro Rosso in 2012, where he stayed for two years.

Since then, he's been a driver for Red Bull, Aston Martin, Renault and McLaren before joining Alpha Tauri (now renamed Visa Cash App RB) in 2023. Last season, Ricciardo placed 17th in the 2023 driver standings.

In the 239 Grand Prix he's raced in throughout his career, Ricciardo has stood on 32 podiums and took home eight first place wins.

Yuki Tsunoda

Team: Visa Cash App RB

Age: 23

Birthplace: Sagamihara, Japan

Years active in F1: 4

Instagram: @yukitsunoda0511

Tsunoda debuted in F1 in 2021, racing all three seasons for AlphaTauri. He’ll be returning to the team in 2024.

In the past three years, Tsunoda has raced in 66 Grand Prix but has yet to stand on the podium. His highest race finish was fourth place during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In 2023, he came in 14th in the 2023 driver standings.

Valtteri Bottas

Team: Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber

Age: 34

Birthplace: Nastola, Finland

Years active in F1: 12

Instagram: @valtteribottas 

Bottas made his F1 debut in 2013 at Williams, where he stayed until 2016. In 2017, he joined Mercedes, driving alongside Hamilton, before he departed the team in 2021.

For the past two years, the Finnish driver has been at Alfa Romeo (now renamed to Kick Sauber), and will continue to drive for them during the 2024 season.

In the 222 Grand Prix he's entered, Bottas has stood on 67 podiums, coming in first place for 10 races. In 2023, he placed 15th in the driver standings.

Zhou Guanyu

Team: Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber

Age: 24

Birthplace: Shanghai, China

Years active in F1: 2

Instagram: @zhouguanyu24

Zhou made his F1 debut in 2022 driving for Alfa Romeo and is continuing to race for the team under its new name.

Racing in a total of 44 races, the highest position he's come in a race was eighth place.

In 2023, he placed 18th in the 2023 driver standings.

Kevin Magnussen

Team: MoneyGram Haas F1 Team

Age: 31

Birthplace: Roskilde, Denmark

Years active in F1: 9

Instagram: @kevinmagnussen

Joining the sport in 2014, Magnussen had a couple year-long breaks.

He first joined McLaren in 2014 and drove there for one year. In 2015, Magnussen was left without a seat, but returned in 2016 after signing with Renault.

He then drove for Haas from 2017 to 2020, was left without a spot in 2021, but rejoined the team in 2022.

Magnussen raced in 164 Grand Prix throughout his career and stood on one podium when he came in second place. He has yet to win his first race.

In 2023, he finished the season 19th in the driver standings.

Nico Hulkenberg

Team: MoneyGram Haas F1 Team

Age: 36

Birthplace: Emmerich am Rhein, Germany

Years active in F1: 13

Instagram: @hulkhulkenberg

At times in his career, Hulkenberg, like his current teammate, had no F1 seat between seasons.

The German driver made his F1 debut with Williams in 2010, but was left without a spot in 2011. A year later, he joined Force India, before driving for Sauber.

Throughout his decades-long-plus career, Hulkenberg has also been a driver for Renault, Aston Martin, and most recently joined his current team, Haas, in 2023.

In the 206 races he's driven in his career, he hasn't stood on any podiums. The highest he's placed in a single race is fourth three times. In 2023, he placed 16th in the driver standings.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com