Many dream of being a Formula One driver, but few, in reality, make it to this top level. Working as a Formula One driver is not an easy feat. These drivers need to go through rigorous training regimes to ensure that they can withstand the high temperatures in their cars and on the heated tracks before they can qualify to be one!
Here are some of the best Formula One drivers in 2019.
Lewis Hamilton
A familiar name in the world of motorsports, Lewis Hamilton was born in the United Kingdom and won his first World Championship title with McLaren in 2008 before he switched teams to Mercedes Motorsport.
From that point onwards, Hamilton has won several other world championship titles, including a back-to-back victory in 2014 and 2015. Currently, he holds 5 world titles.
In his most recent win in the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton dedicated his win to Niki Lauda, a top F1 driver several decades ago who has recently passed – which we thought to be a noble and honourable gesture.
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel was seen as the world motorsport champion before Lewis Hamilton entered the scene. The Germany driver obtained his first win in the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
A close competitor to Lewis Hamilton with only one championship short, Vettel remains a strong contender while racing for Ferrari. He also won the Red Bull Racing championship from 2010 – 2013 – a fantastic feat!
Before Hamilton’s continuous championship streaks, Vettel was the driver who everyone believed was the best driver. Who are we to say that Vettel will not be the champion for the next season with the scores being as close as they are?
Valtteri Bottas
Another driver competing for Mercedes – but this time under Mercedes AMG Petronas F1, the Finnish driver has only recently won his first championship in the 2017 Russian Grand Prix.
His car design is similar to Hamilton’s, which is not entirely surprising because they are both representing a brand that prefers simplistic elegance.
In the recent Monaco Grand Prix, Bottas ranked third, losing to Hamilton and Vettel. However, his scores for this year so far are higher than Vettel’s, so he could still be on his way to the world championship title!
Daniel Ricciardo
The Australian driver competing for Renault F1 team debuted his racing career in 2011 during the British Grand Prix and won his first race in the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix.
Ricciardo partnered with Red Bull during his debut, which could be why you can still see his race car decorated with a car wrap that sports the Red Bull vibe.
He might only be within the top 10 rankings for his races so far this season, but he’s gaining some traction and could be in the top 5 before long!
Max Verstappen
The Belgian-Dutch racing driver debuted with his first entry in the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, and won his first victory the year after, in the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Born in 1997, Verstappen is the youngest person to compete in the Formula One races. When he first debuted, he was only 17!
A sneak peek into his early childhood showed that Verstappen started karting when he was only a little over four years old. Several junior championships later, he took part in international karting. He then had his first car race driving experience when he was only 16, and the rest is history.
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