2016 Formula One World Championship

The 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 70th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)'s Formula One motor racing. It featured the 67th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which is recognised by the sport's governing body, the FIA, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Teams and drivers took part in twenty-one Grands Prix—making for the longest season in the sport's history to that point—starting in Australia on 20 March and finishing in Abu Dhabi on 27 November as they competed for the World Drivers' and World Constructors' championships.^[1]

Nico Rosberg won his first and only World Drivers' Championship, shortly before announcing his retirement from the sport.

Lewis Hamilton finished runner-up by 5 points driving for Mercedes.

Daniel Ricciardo (pictured in 2015) finished the season in third place, driving for Red Bull.

Mercedes successfully defended their World Constructors' title in a highly dominant performance, winning 19 of the 21 races ran during the season.

Red Bull Racing finished second in the Constructors' Championship.

Ferrari finished third in the Constructors' Championship.

The 2016 season saw the grid expand to twenty-two cars with the addition of the Haas F1 Team entry.^[2] Renault returned to the sport as a constructor after a four-year absence following their takeover of Lotus prior to the start of the season.^[3] The calendar similarly expanded, with the return of the German Grand Prix. The European Grand Prix was also revived, with the event visiting a new circuit in Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku.^[1]

Nico Rosberg won his only World Drivers' Championship title in the final race of the season. With nine wins and seven other podiums, Rosberg beat teammate and defending World Champion Lewis Hamilton by five points, ending Hamilton's 2 year dominance. In doing so, Rosberg followed the success of his father in 1982 - becoming the second son of a champion to become champion himself, a feat previously achieved by Damon Hill in 1996 and the third title winner for Mercedes. Rosberg announced his retirement from the sport shortly after winning the title.

In the World Constructors' Championship, Mercedes successfully defended their title for the second consecutive year, beating Red Bull Racing by 297 points. Ferrari finished third overall, a further seventy points behind.^[4]

As of 2023, this is the last championship for a German driver. This was the last season to be held during Bernie Ecclestone's tenure as Chief Executive of the Formula One Group. Ecclestone would be removed from his role on 23 January 2017 after nearly 40 years in the job following Liberty Media's purchase of the sport from CVC Capital Partners.^[5] It was the final full season for 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, who would only make one more Grand Prix appearance at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix.