Honda left F1 in December 2008, BMW announced in July its decision to quit the sport at the end of the season, while Toyota were the most recent to withdraw in November -- only a few days after the final race of the season.

CNN: Renault continue in Formula One

Team principal Brawn and partner Nick Fry set up their new team in a management buy out after Honda pulled out of F1 at the end of 2008.

CNN: Brawn wants Ferrari to stay in F1

Honda's F1 team endured a deeply disappointing 2008 season on the track, earning just 14 points to leave them the lowest of the nine points-scoring teams.

BBC: Billionaire Slim denies Honda bid

Kubica was considered one of the most promising drivers in F1 before his crash, winning the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with Sauber before switching to Lotus Renault for the 2010 season.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The company had poured huge amounts of capital into F1 and ironically the team was on the verge of great success before pulling out in 2008.

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Alonso's switch to Ferrari has been an open secret in F1 for weeks and BBC Sport understands he signed his contract as long ago as July 2008.

BBC: Ferrari confirm capture of Alonso

Glock hit out at F1 fans in his home country of Germany for abuse he had received after the final race of the 2008 season.

BBC: Toyota commit to F1 with new car

He finished as runner-up in the 2008 GP2 feeder series and tested with Honda last November before the Japanese manufacturer pulled out of F1 at the end of the year.

BBC: Senna seals F1 drive with Campos