McLaren
Established by Bruce McLaren in 1963, McLaren joined Formula 1 as a constructor in 1966 with its founder driving. The team claimed its first victory at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix. Despite Bruce McLaren’s death in 1970, the outfit grew into one of F1’s most successful teams, accumulating more than 200 wins and securing multiple Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships with drivers such as Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.
Mercedes
Mercedes first raced in F1 in the early 1950s with Juan Manuel Fangio before withdrawing for decades. The modern Mercedes team evolved through a chain of British operations: Tyrrell-era roots, then the BAR and Honda periods, followed by Ross Brawn’s ownership. After a transitional 2009–2010 phase Brawn was sold to Mercedes, which revived the Silver Arrows name in 2010 and then dominated the hybrid era with championships led by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Red Bull
Red Bull Racing traces its origins to Jackie Stewart’s Stewart Grand Prix, founded in 1997. The operation became a Ford works team, later transformed into Jaguar Racing. When Ford exited F1 in 2004 the squad was bought by Red Bull, rebranded, and rose to prominence in the late 2000s and beyond, winning multiple Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles with stars including Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the sport’s most enduring presence, the only team to have raced in every F1 season since 1950. Known for its iconic red cars and passionate tifosi, Ferrari’s history spans early champions like Alberto Ascari to modern legends such as Michael Schumacher. Team fortunes have fluctuated, but Ferrari remains central to F1’s heritage and pursuit of victory.
Williams
Founded by Frank Williams and Patrick Head in 1977, Williams entered F1 in 1978 and quickly rose to success, claiming Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles in 1980 and through the 1980s and 1990s with drivers like Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. After years of decline the Williams family sold the team to Dorilton Capital in 2020; the familiar name continues while the team rebuilds under new ownership.
Racing Bulls
The current Racing Bulls began as Minardi, an independent Italian team from 1985 to 2005. Red Bull purchased and rebranded it as Toro Rosso in 2006 to serve as its junior squad; that operation nurtured talent such as Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen. The team later became AlphaTauri and underwent further rebranding, adopting the Racing Bulls identity in 2025.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin’s modern F1 team traces back to Eddie Jordan’s Jordan Grand Prix, founded in 1991. Jordan became Midland, then Spyker and Force India after successive sales. Financial trouble in 2018 led to a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll rescuing the outfit; it raced as Racing Point before being rebadged Aston Martin in 2021 following Stroll’s investment in the marque.
Haas
Haas F1 entered the grid in 2016 as a new American team founded by Gene Haas. The team benefited from acquiring assets tied to the former Marussia operation and established a UK base in Banbury. With Guenther Steiner as team principal and drivers such as Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, Haas scored points early and reached a best Constructors’ finish of fifth in 2018, before facing mixed results and ongoing recovery.
Audi (Sauber)
Audi’s planned factory entry in 2026 comes through a works takeover of the long-running Sauber operation, which debuted in 1993. Peter Sauber’s team had sports-car roots, became BMW Sauber for a period and returned to independent status after BMW’s exit. Sauber achieved a race win and strong championship form in its various incarnations; Audi’s takeover marks the German manufacturer’s move into F1 after extended preparation.
Alpine
The team now known as Alpine has one of the most layered lineages. It began as Toleman in 1981, the team that launched Ayrton Senna, was bought and rebranded as Benetton in 1986, and then became a Renault works operation in 2002. Benetton and Renault eras produced championships, including Michael Schumacher’s successes and Fernando Alonso’s titles in 2005–2006. After spells as Lotus and a return to Renault, the squad was rebranded Alpine in 2021 to promote Renault Group’s sports-car marque.
Cadillac
Cadillac is the newest factory-backed entrant, approved in March 2025 to join the grid and making its competitive debut in 2026 as General Motors’ works team. Based in Silverstone with U.S. operations, Cadillac will initially run Ferrari power units while developing its own engines toward 2029. The team assembled experienced F1 management and staff and signed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez to lead the driving line-up.
The current F1 grid is the result of decades of founders, mergers, manufacturer returns and rebrands. Each team carries a distinct family tree that shapes its identity and ambitions as the sport moves into a new era.