The reigning Drivers' Champion Nico Rosberg was originally due to drive for Mercedes in 2017. Teams and drivers competed in twenty Grands Prix-starting in Australia on 26 March and ending in Abu Dhabi on 26 November-for the World Drivers' and World Constructors' championships. It featured the 68th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which is recognised by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 71st season of Formula One motor racing. Pictured is the W08 EQ Power+, the car entered by the team in 2017. Mercedes retained the Constructors' Championship for a fourth consecutive year.