In this Dec 13, 2020 photo, Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton (center) takes part in the End Racism event ahead of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in the Emirati city of Abu Dhabi. (HAMAD I MOHAMMED / POOL / AFP)

BEIJING - After COVID-19 threatened to derail the entire 2020 Formula One season, teams and drivers will be hoping for an altogether more conventional year in 2021, with this season kicking off on Sunday with the Bahrain Grand Prix. Will Lewis Hamilton cement his place among F1's all-time greats by winning a record eighth world championship? Or will Red Bull and Max Verstappen finally come good after impressing in pre-season? And which of the drivers in new teams will perform the strongest? Ahead of what could be another unpredictable year, Xinhua takes a look at the runners and riders in the 2021 Formula 1 world championship.

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Mercedes

44. Lewis Hamilton (2020: 1st, 347 points, 11 wins)

77. Valtteri Bottas (2020: 2nd, 223 points, 2 wins)

Another year, another clean sweep of both championships for Mercedes in 2020, but is the wind set to change in 2021? Pre-season testing went far from smoothly for the Silver Arrows, with both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas complaining of instability at the rear of the new W12. The innovative dual-axis steering mechanism introduced on last year's car has also been outlawed by F1's powerbrokers, and new regulations governing the cars' floors seem to have thrown the reigning champions off their stride. However, Mercedes have a history of hiding their true pace over the winter before blowing their rivals out of the water at the first race, so it would be no surprise to see the three-pointed star remain at the front in Bahrain. World champion Hamilton will certainly hope that is the case as he bids to win an unprecedented eighth F1 crown. Bottas spent 2020 firmly in the shadow of his illustrious teammate, and with rumors that George Russell will drafted in for 2022, this may be the Finn's last shot in a top-line ride.

Red Bull

11. Sergio Perez (2020: 4th, 125 points, 1 win)

33. Max Verstappen (2020: 3rd, 214 points, 2 wins)

After sweeping every title on offer between 2010 and 2013, Red Bull have since been relegated to scrapping for the occasional win when the stars align and the Mercedes hit trouble. 2021 may be a different story, however. The RB16B looked ominously good in testing, with the chassis appearing responsive and the new Honda power unit proving quick and reliable. Verstappen in particular appeared to be enjoying himself, and despite the team's eagerness to play down their promising pre-season, the Dutchman may finally have a genuine shot at the title. After years in middling machinery, new signing Perez will be eager to prove how good he is in a front-running car. The Mexican's tyre management is the stuff of F1 legend, and Red Bull will be hoping he can run Verstappen more closely than the axed Alex Albon.

McLaren's British driver Lando Norris (left) and McLaren's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo pose for a picture ahead of the first day of the Formula One (F1) pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in the city of Sakhir on March 12, 2021. (MAZEN MAHDI / AFP)

McLaren

3. Daniel Ricciardo (2020: 5th, 119 points, best result 3rd)

4. Lando Norris (2020: 9th, 97 points, best result 3rd)

With teams only able to make limited adjustments to their cars for this season, paddock whispers had suggested that McLaren would struggle to accommodate their new Mercedes power unit in a chassis originally designed around a Renault. Judging by their testing form, the Woking squad appear to have managed the transition astonishingly quickly. The papaya MCL35M looks to be leading the chasing pack behind Mercedes and Red Bull, with its trick rear diffuser notably drawing admiring glances from elsewhere. Following his move from Renault, new signing Daniel Ricciardo was well on the pace, and he and Lando Norris must be quietly confident of emerging at the head of F1's congested midfield and closing the gap to the top two teams.

Aston Martin

5. Sebastian Vettel (2020: 13th, 33 points, best result 3rd)

18. Lance Stroll (2020: 11th, 75 points, best result 3rd)

A new livery, a new name and a new driver for the team latterly known as Racing Point. The deep pockets of ambitious owner Lawrence Stroll saw the Silverstone squad take a big step forward in 2020, and following the signing of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, much is expected of the newly-christened Aston Martin F1 team in 2021. Pre-season was frustrating, however, as a series of niggling problems disrupted the squad's running and prevented Vettel from completing any low-fuel performance runs. The German completed the fewest laps of any 2021 race driver during testing, and acknowledged that his preparations were not ideal as he beds down in a new team. Teammate Lance Stroll - son of Lawrence - did manage a few quick laps, however, and the well-funded squad should have plenty of resources to throw at mid-season upgrades in their quest to reach the front.

Alpine

14. Fernando Alonso (2020: N/A)

31. Esteban Ocon (2020: 12th, 62 points, best result 2nd)

Another team with a new moniker for 2021, the squad formerly known as Renault scored something of a coup by tempting Fernando Alonso back to F1 after two years away. But despite a pre-season cycling crash that resulted in a broken jaw, the two-time champion showed during testing that he had lost none of his famously relentless consistency even as he approaches his 40th birthday. The A521 with its strikingly bulbous airbox looked reliable enough, but given the competitiveness of the rest of the midfield, it may be too much to expect Alonso and Esteban Ocon to be fighting for anything other than occasional podiums. A season of mid-table mediocrity beckons ahead of F1's hard reset in 2022, when a completely new set of technical regulations come into force.

Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc (left) and Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr (center) look on during first day of the Formula One pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in the city of Sakhir on March 12, 2021. (MAZEN MAHDI / AFP)

Ferrari

16. Charles Leclerc (2020: 8th, 98 points, best result 2nd)

55. Carlos Sainz (2020: 6th, 105 points, best result 2nd)

Ferrari suffered a spectacular fall from grace in 2020, as the team struggled with an asthmatic power unit and an unstable rear end. Pre-season testing showed that the SF21 was at least reliable, but whether Ferrari have made enough gains to drag themselves above the midfield is doubtful, with the new car not showing any eye-catching turns of speed. Charles Leclerc frequently hustled the 2020 car into places it had no right to be, and the Italian squad will need more such brilliance from the Monegasque if they are to achieve any tangible success this season. Carlos Sainz's stellar performances at McLaren prompted the Scuderia to sign him up in place of the departed Vettel, but the Spaniard faces an uphill struggle to stand out in a team centered around Leclerc and unlikely to be featuring at the sharp end of the grid.

AlphaTauri

10. Pierre Gasly (2020: 10th, 75 points, 1 win)

22. Yuki Tsunoda (2020: N/A)

AlphaTauri had their day of days at Monza last year, as Pierre Gasly kept his head amid the chaos to score a fairytale maiden win. A reversion to the mean in more conventional races saw the Faenza squad finish seventh in the 2020 standings, but there are reasons to be cheerful for 2021. Rookie Yuki Tsunoda posted the second-fastest time of winter testing, just one-tenth of a second shy of Max Verstappen's best. That will not be the natural order of things once the teams hit the track in Bahrain, but it nevertheless points to a definite step forward for AlphaTauri, who have a young and talented driver line-up eager to mix it with the best.

Alfa Romeo's Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen (center) and Alfa Romeo's Italian driver Antonio Giovinazzi pose for a picture ahead of the first day of the Formula One pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in the city of Sakhir on March 12, 2021. (MAZEN MAHDI / AFP)

Alfa Romeo

7. Kimi Raikkonen (2020: 16th, 4 points, best result 9th)

99. Antonio Giovinazzi (2020: 17th, 4 points, best result 9th)

Alfa Romeo fell backwards in 2020 after being hobbled by the recalcitrant Ferrari power unit, and there were few signs in testing that the Hinwil outfit would be doing anything other than striving to beat Haas and Williams at the rear of the field again in 2021. The experience of 41-year-old Raikkonen is useful to the team, and the Finn has clearly decided that being at the back in F1 is better than not being in F1 at all. Antonio Giovinazzi ended 2020 closer to Raikkonen than he had been at the start of the year, which probably convinced Alfa to extend his contract by 12 months. The affable Italian will need to impress to stay there beyond 2021 though, with plenty of talented Ferrari juniors eager to swoop in and take his seat.

Haas

9. Nikita Mazepin (2020: N/A)

47. Mick Schumacher (2020: N/A)

All change at Haas, with financial realities dictating the arrival of the well-backed rookie duo of reigning F2 champion Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, who finished fifth in that series. All signs point to a tough debut year for the young chargers, with team boss Guenther Steiner brusquely acknowledging that no in-season development work would be done on this year's VF-21 challenger, as the American squad focuses solely on the new regulations for 2022. The VF-21 did at least look reliable in testing, meaning Schumacher and Mazepin may be in the hunt for the lower points if they can stay on track in unusual or attritional races.

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Williams

63. George Russell (2020: 18th, 3 points, best result 9th)

6. Nicholas Latifi (2020: 21st, 0 points, best result 11th)

The record books will show that Williams finished pointless in 2020 for the first time in their illustrious history, but there is genuine reason to be optimistic, with new owners Dorilton Capital clearing Williams of its debts and securing the Grove squad's future in F1. On the driving side, George Russell's star turn as a stand-in for Mercedes at the Sakhir GP underscored his status as a future champion, and an eventual promotion to the Silver Arrows on a full-time basis seems likely. Nicholas Latifi did what he could in the other car, with the likeable Canadian a cheery presence in the paddock despite few prospects of success. The FW43B at least looked quicker in testing than Haas, and may be in the hunt for occasional points.