As we bide goodbye to the 2010s with Lewis Hamilton rollercoaster performances lightening up the decade, there is a need to review the years gone by.
Hence, the various teams and their viable respective drivers are bracing up for the 70th anniversary season of the Formula 1.
In the 2000s, Michael Schumacher notched up 56 grand prix wins, and won five championships with Ferrari. Fernando Alonso - who made his debut in 2001 - also took 21 wins and two titles while racing for Renault. While Kimi Raikkonen won 18 races, and a title in 2007 - Ferrari's last title it must be mentioned.
In the 2010s, Lewis Hamilton had 73 grand prix wins in the Formula One. The dawn of Mercedes turbo-hybrid era signalled the beginning of Hamilton's ongoing dominance.
Sebastian Vettel's 48 wins in the 2010s yielded all four of the decade's first championships before Hamilton domination.
While Nico Rosberg managed to rack up 23 wins , his first in 2012 and his last in 2016 - when he bowed out as champion.
Teams Stats
Ferrari
The Italian based team is the oldest and the most successful Formula One team, having competed in every world championships since the 1950.
Stats
Races entered - 993 (990 starts)
Races won - 239
Pole Position - 229
Fastest laps - 260
Podiums - 776
Constructors Championships - 16 titles (1961, 1964, 1975 -1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1999 - 2004, 2007 and 2008).
Drivers Championships - 15 wins (1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2000 - 2004 and 2007)
Michael Schumacher is the team's most successful driver. From 1996 to 2006, he won 5 drivers titles and 72 Grands prix for the team.
Mercedes Benz
Mercedes has become one of the most successful teams in recent formula one history, having achieved consecutive Drivers and Constructors Championships wins from 2014 to 2019.
Mercedes debuted in Formula One in 1954, their nickname is the "Silver Arrows".
Stats
Races competed in - 482 races (480 starts).
Won - 188 race victories
Podiums - 479 times
Pole positions - 194 times
Fastest lap - 170
Points - 10, 377
They had 739 points in 2019 (to emerged champion).
Constructors championships - 8 titles ( 1998, 2009, 2014 - 2019).
Mercedes collected 16 victories in 2014 and 2015 apiece breaking Mc Laren (1988) and Ferrari's (2002 & 2004) record of 15.
In 2016, they extended this record with 19 wins.
Drivers Championships - 12 wins (1954, 1955, 1998, 1999, 2008, 2009 and 2014 - 2019)
Drivers Stats
- The Drivers Championship was first awarded in 1950 to Giuseppe Farina.
- The first driver to win multiple Championships was Alberto Ascari in 1952 & 1953.
- The Drivers Championship has been won in the final race of the season 29 times in the 69 seasons it has been awarded.
- Overall, thirty - three different drivers have won the championship, with Germany's Michael Schumacher holding the record for most titles (7 wins), while the current Drivers Champion is Lewis Hamilton who won his sixth title in 2019.
- The United Kingdom (UK) has produced the most champions with 10 wins.
Brazil, Germany and Finland are next with three wins apiece.
- Of the 33 drivers to have won the World Championship, 19 are still alive.
- Among the teams Scuderia Ferrari has the most drivers wins with 15.
The Formula One new season is set for commencement on March 15th 2020 with Australian Grand Prix.
With 21 races to compete in - China has been cancelled due to the corona virus outbreak - will Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton continues their dominance?
Fabiyi Ridwan
Sports Writer and Analyst
