2016 HM Formula One World Championship

The 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship is a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which is the 67th running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship is contested over twenty-one Grands Prix, which will be held around the world, and began in March and ended in November.

Drivers and teams compete for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion, respectively. Dominik Harris, driving for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, is the reigning Drivers' Champion, while his team is the reigning Constructors' Champion.

Entries
The following constructors and drivers are under contract to compete in the 2016 World Championship. Each team is required to enter at least two drivers, one for each of the two mandatory cars.

Relegation to Formula Supra

 * Lada F1 Racing

Promotion from Formula Supra

 * Ford Performance Formula Team

Other changes

 * Lotus F1 Team was bought out by Formula Supra team Renault Sport Racing at the end of the 2015 season. As an agreement between the two teams and the FIA, Renault Sport Racing was granted to take over the Formula One slot of Lotus and Lotus was allowed to take on the spot of Renault Sport Racing together with officially becoming the junior team for Renault Sport Racing.

Entering Formula One
Four drivers racing in Formula Supra joined Formula One during the 2016 Driver Selection.
 * Petronas driver Eduardo González was chosen in Round 19 by Renault Sport Racing to driver in the teams second car.
 * Francis Shaw and Marcel Székely, who raced for Ford in Formula Supra in 2015, were chosen by Ford in Rounds 14 and 15 respectively and thus graduate with their team to Formula One.
 * GENII driver Gunnar Truelsen was selected in Round 22 by Red Bull Racing to partner David Beahan.

Changing teams
Several driver changes occurred during the 2016 Driver Selection.
 * In Round 2 Teodoro Morais, who raced for Ferrari in 2015, returned to Williams Racing where he raced during the 2014 season.
 * In Round 5 Red Bull driver Stephan Börner took up the seat left behind by Teodoro Morais at Ferrari.
 * In Round 6 Leon Philipsen vacated his seat at Williams Racing to join the newly merged Renault Team.
 * In Round 16 Infiniti selected Lotus driver Thiago Cardenal to drive in the teams second car, partnering Georgios Petroulis.

Leaving Formula One
Four drivers left Formula One at the end of the 2015 season.
 * Infiniti driver Lars Gassbeek, who was not selected by any team during the 2016 Driver Selection joined Formula E with Venturi Racing after being selected in the Driver Selection.
 * Lotus driver Timothé Rousseau decided to move with Lotus into Formula Supra after rejecting an offer from Renault to retain him for the 2016 season.
 * Lada driver Juan Manuel Pérez did not remain on the grid for 2016 and decided not to join Lada in Formula Supra. Instead Pérez joins RGR Racing by Morand in the LMP2 category in the World Endurance Championship.
 * Zinoviy Kapustov who also raced for Lada in 2015 was not selected during the Formula One Driver Selection, instead joining Formula Supra side Scuderia Toro Rosso after signing for the Red Bull Junior Team. He will remain in the greater 2016 paddock after being selected by Infiniti to fill the Reserve Driver role.