2026 Formula One World Championship (Checkered's Universe)

The 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars. This was the 77th running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship contested over a record twenty-five races around the world. It began in March and ended in December.
Drivers and teams competed for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion, respectively. Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, the reigning drivers' and constructors' champions, were unable to defend their titles as the new regulation changes allowed Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren to challenge Red Bull in a thrilling title fight that saw Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes pull through toward season's end to win the championship. The now 8 time world champion Hamilton, had announced his retirement ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
== Entries ==
Entrant 	Constructor 	Power Unit	Race Driver	Race Driver
Entrant 	Constructor 	Power Unit	No. 	Driver Name
Audi Sport F1 Team Stake 	Audi 	Audi 	81 	Oscar Piastri
Audi Sport F1 Team Stake 	Audi 	Audi 	98 	Théo Pourchaire
Scuderia Toro Rosso 	Toro Rosso-Ford RBPT 	Ford 	8 	Ayumu Iwasa
Scuderia Toro Rosso 	Toro Rosso-Ford RBPT 	Ford 	22 	Yuki Tsunoda
Lenovo Alpine F1 Team 	Alpine-Renault 	Renault 	15 	Gabriele Minì
Lenovo Alpine F1 Team 	Alpine-Renault 	Renault 	31 	Esteban Ocon
Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team 	Aston Martin Aramco-Honda	Honda 	14 	Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team 	Aston Martin Aramco-Honda	Honda 	32 	Felipe Drugovich
Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari 	Ferrari 	16 	Charles Leclerc
Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari 	Ferrari 	55 	Carlos Sainz
Alfa Romeo Haas F1 Team 	Haas-Ferrari 	Ferrari 	10 	Pierre Gasly
Alfa Romeo Haas F1 Team 	Haas-Ferrari 	Ferrari 	50 	Oliver Bearman
McLaren F1 Team 	McLaren-Mercedes 	Mercedes 	4 	Lando Norris
McLaren F1 Team 	McLaren-Mercedes 	Mercedes 	5 	Gabriel Bortoleto
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes 	Mercedes 	44 	Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes 	Mercedes 	63 	George Russell
Oracle Red Bull Racing 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT	Ford 	1 	Max Verstappen
Oracle Red Bull Racing 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT	Ford 	40 	Liam Lawson
BWT Williams Racing 	Williams-Mercedes 	Mercedes 	23 	Alexander Albon
BWT Williams Racing 	Williams-Mercedes 	Mercedes 	42 	Frederik Vesti
Andretti Cadillac Racing 	Andretti Cadillac-Honda 	Honda 	9 	Marcus Ericsson
Andretti Cadillac Racing 	Andretti Cadillac-Honda 	Honda 	11 	Sergio Perez
=== Team changes ===
Audi Sport F1 Team Stake takes over the Sauber F1 Team as the grid expands to 12 teams. Red Bull Racing's Ford partnership starts with their sister team, Toro Rosso also switching from Honda to Ford. Honda now joins Aston Martin which is now alongside Andretti Cadillac as the only 2 Honda teams on the grid. BWT leaves Alpine and now becomes the title sponsor of BWT Williams Racing. Alpine became Lenovo Alpine F1 Team with Lenovo joining as the title sponsor for the team.
=== Driver changes ===
Daniel Ricciardo got his wish to finish his career at Red Bull and retired from Formula 1. Liam Lawson, who had an outstanding rookie season with the Toro Rosso team, replaces him and is teammates alongside 5 time world champion, Max Verstappen. Ayumu Iwasa, who has taken a similar path as Liam Lawson, sticking with the Red Bull Junior Team for multiple seasons until he got a chance as he replaced Lawson at AlphaTauri and lines up alongside fellow Japanese driver, Yuki Tsunoda. Audi Sport F1 Team Stake replaces Sauber and with that Valtteri Bottas calls it a career, Oscar Piastri moves from McLaren to Audi alongside Théo Pourchaire. McLaren F2 star, Gabriel Bortoleto, moves up to replace Piastri alongside Lando Norris. After being unable to keep up with Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly is dropped by Alpine and is replaced by another F2 star in Gabriele Minì. Pierre Gasly moves to Alfa Romeo Haas to replace the retiring Nico Hulkenburg and lines up alongside Oliver Bearman.
=== Calendar ===
The 2026 calendar comprises of a record twenty-five Grands Prix.
Round	Grand Prix 	Circuit
1 	Australian Grand Prix 	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne
2 	Portuguese Grand Prix 	Algarve International Circuit
3 	Chinese Grand Prix 	Shanghai International Circuit, China
4 	Japanese Grand Prix 	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka
5 	Bahrain Grand Prix 	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
6 	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi
7 	Malaysian Grand Prix 	Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur
8 	Monaco Grand Prix 	Circuit de Monaco, Monaco
9 	Canadian Grand Prix 	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
10 	Spanish Grand Prix 	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló
11 	Austrian Grand Prix 	Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
12 	British Grand Prix 	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone
13 	Hungarian Grand Prix 	Hungaroring, Mogyoród
14 	Belgian Grand Prix 	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot
15 	Dutch Grand Prix 	Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort
16 	Italian Grand Prix 	Monza Circuit, Monza
17 	Azerbaijan Grand Prix 	Baku City Circuit, Baku
18 	Singapore Grand Prix 	Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore
19 	United States Grand Prix 	Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
20 	Mexico City Grand Prix 	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City
21 	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix	Imola Circuit, Imola
22 	South African Grand Prix 	Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand
23 	Las Vegas Grand Prix 	Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Paradise, Nevada
24 	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 	Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah
25 	São Paulo Grand Prix 	Interlagos Circuit, São Paulo
=== Calendar Changes ===
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is moved to the final race of the season with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix moving to the 6th race. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is moved to the 21st race of the season as the Malaysian Grand Prix returns to be the 7th race of the season, replacing Miami as a race. The South African Grand Prix is added to make the calendar 25 races.
== Results and standings ==
=== Grands Prix ===
Round	Grand Prix 	Pole position 	Fastest lap 	Winning driver 	Winning constructor
1 	Australian Grand Prix 	Charles Leclerc	Max Verstappen 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT
2 	Portuguese Grand Prix 	Lewis Hamilton 	Carlos Sainz 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
3 	Chinese Grand Prix 	Lewis Hamilton 	George Russell 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
4 	Japanese Grand Prix 	Lando Norris 	Liam Lawson 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT
5 	Bahrain Grand Prix 	Charles Leclerc	Sergio Perez 	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari
6 	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 	Max Verstappen 	George Russell 	George Russell 	Mercedes
7 	Malaysian Grand Prix 	Lewis Hamilton 	Lewis Hamilton 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
8 	Monaco Grand Prix 	Charles Leclerc	Max Verstappen 	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari
9 	Canadian Grand Prix 	Liam Lawson 	Gabriel Bortoleto	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT
10 	Spanish Grand Prix 	Max Verstappen 	Liam Lawson 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT
11 	Austrian Grand Prix 	Lewis Hamilton 	Lewis Hamilton 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
12 	British Grand Prix 	Lando Norris 	Théo Pourchaire 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
13 	Hungarian Grand Prix 	Lewis Hamilton 	Charles Leclerc 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
14 	Belgian Grand Prix 	George Russell 	Lewis Hamitlon 	George Russell 	Mercedes
15 	Dutch Grand Prix 	Max Verstappen 	Alex Albon 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT
16 	Italian Grand Prix 	Lando Norris 	Carlos Sainz 	Lando Norris 	McLaren-Mercedes
17 	Azerbaijan Grand Prix 	Charles Leclerc	Max Verstappen 	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari
18 	Singapore Grand Prix 	Carlos Sainz 	Liam Lawson 	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari
19 	United States Grand Prix 	Liam Lawson 	Pierre Gasly 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT
20 	Mexico City Grand Prix 	Max Verstappen 	Liam Lawson 	Liam Lawson 	Red Bull Racing-Ford RBPT
21 	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton 	Lewis Hamilton 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
22 	South African Grand Prix 	Lewis Hamilton 	George Russell 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
23 	Las Vegas Grand Prix 	Max Verstappen 	Lewis Hamilton 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
24 	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 	George Russell 	Liam Lawson 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes
25 	São Paulo Grand Prix 	Liam Lawson 	George Russell 	George Russell 	Mercedes
=== World Drivers' Championship standings ===
# Lewis Hamilton
# Max Verstappen
# George Russell
# Charles Leclerc
# Lando Norris
# Liam Lawson
# Carlos Sainz
# Yuki Tsunoda
# Fernando Alonso
# Felipe Drugovich
# Gabriel Bortoleto
# Oscar Piastri
# Alex Albon
# Frederik Vesti
# Ayumu Iwasa
# Théo Pourchaire
# Sergio Perez
# Oliver Bearman
# Esteban Ocon
# Pierre Gasly
# Marcus Ericsson
# Gabriele Minì
=== World Constructors' Championship standings ===
# Mercedes
# Red Bull-Ford RBPT
# Ferrari
# McLaren Mercedes
# Aston Martin Aramco-Honda
# Toro Rosso-Ford
# Williams-Mercedes
# Audi
# Andretti Cadillac-Honda
# Haas-Ferrari
# Alpine-Renault
Category:Checkered's Universe