Lewis's record‑breaking year

The 2020 Formula 1 season was significantly impacted by the global spread of the Covid‑19 virus. The season, originally scheduled to begin in March, was postponed for several months until July. The first eight rounds of the Championship were held without spectators, and the remaining races were either run with limited capacity or behind closed doors due to the second wave of the pandemic.

Race Calendar

The season witnessed several significant developments. The Australian Grand Prix, scheduled to be the season opener, was canceled just hours before the first FP session. Other notable cancellations included the Vietnam Grand Prix at Hanoi Street Circuit and the Netherlands Grand Prix at Zandvoort, which was set to return after a hiatus of more than 30 years.

Initially, the calendar featured eight European tracks, but as time progressed, more circuits were added. New venues such as Mugello (Tuscany GP) and Algarve (Portugal GP) made their debut, while iconic circuits like Nürburgring, Imola, and Istanbul Park returned.

An interesting aspect of the season was the hosting of multiple Grands Prix on the same track. Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, and Bahrain each hosted two races under different names.

Overall, the 2020 season comprised 17 Grands Prix.

Drivers and Constructors

The grid consisted of 10 teams and 23 drivers, including three reserve drivers. Compared to 2019, several notable changes took place:

• Esteban Ocon replaced Nico Hülkenberg at Renault
• Nicholas Latifi replaced Robert Kubica at Williams
• Toro Rosso was rebranded as AlphaTauri
• Mercedes AMG Petronas adopted a black livery in 2020

Throughout the season, Nico Hülkenberg was called by Racing Point three times as a replacement for drivers who contracted Covid‑19. Additionally, Jack Aitken and Pietro Fittipaldi made their Formula 1 debuts.

2020 Season Analysis

Among the 17 tracks, Lewis Hamilton stood out with the highest number of wins, including an impressive five‑race winning streak from the Eifel GP to the Bahrain GP. His teammate Valtteri Bottas crossed the finish line first twice, contributing to Mercedes AMG Petronas’ total of 13 victories.

Max Verstappen secured two wins for Red Bull Racing, while Pierre Gasly and Sergio Pérez claimed memorable victories at Monza and Sakhir, respectively.

Pole‑sitters successfully defended their positions in 10 races, with Hamilton leading the way with eight successful defenses. In five races, the winner also set the fastest lap, collecting the maximum available points.

One of the most dramatic moments of the season occurred at the Bahrain GP, where Romain Grosjean’s horrific accident on lap 1 led to a red flag and halted the race for more than one hour.

Points, Podiums and DNFs

A total of 13 drivers from seven teams achieved podium finishes. Scuderia Ferrari endured a challenging season with only three podiums, while Albon, Norris, Gasly, and Ocon celebrated their first Formula 1 podiums.

Throughout the season, 20 drivers scored at least one points finish. Hamilton recorded 16 point‑finishes in 17 races, missing only the Sakhir GP.

A total of 57 DNFs were recorded. Kevin Magnussen led the count with seven retirements, while Verstappen stood out by finishing on the podium in 11 of the 12 races he completed.

Final Standings

Lewis Hamilton secured his seventh World Championship, equalling Michael Schumacher’s record. Mercedes dominated the Constructors’ Championship once again, finishing more than 200 points ahead of Red Bull Racing.

Note: The data is compiled from the F1 Developer API (http://ergast.com/mrd/).