Formula 1’s driver line-up is seeing its most sweeping changes in years, as titans of the grid switch teams, fresh faces make their debuts and some old names make their return to the paddock.

Daniel Ricciardo’s announcement last August that he was to leave Red Bull at the end of 2018 was the first signal that the 2019 season would look rather different.

However, few could have predicted the influx of announcements that we’d see before the 2018 finale in Abu Dhabi.

Ricciardo’s move to Renault proved a catalyst for change across the grid.

The Australian’s seat was filled by Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly, which lead to a whole new rosta at Red Bull’s B-team.

Carlos Sainz was snapped up by McLaren after losing his spot at Renault.

Sainz’s McLaren teammate was announced as F2 runner-up Lando Norris, after one of the biggest, but not least expected, announcements of Fernando Alonso’s retirement from F1 after 17 years.

Another big announcement ahead of 2019 was the promotion of Sauber’s Charles Leclerc to Ferrari, swapping seats with Kimi Raikkonen.

 

Full driver line-up for F1 2019

Mercedes

• Lewis Hamilton
• Veltteri Bottas

 

Ferrari

• Sebastian Vettel
• Charles Leclerc

 

Red Bull

• Max Verstappen
• Pierre Gasly

 

Renault

• Daniel Ricciardo
• Nico Hulkenberg

 

Racing Point

• Lance Stroll
• Sergio Perez

 

McLaren

• Carlos Sainz
• Lando Norris

 

Haas

• Kevin Magnussen
• Romain Grosjean

 

Toro Rosso

• Daniil Kyvat
• Alexander Albon

 

Sauber

• Kimi Raikkonen
• Antonio Giovinazzi

 

Williams

• George Russell
• Robert Kubica

 

The first race of the 2019 Formula 1 calendar is the Australian Grand Prix, on March 17.