It has been a mixed first half of the 2015 Formula 1 season. Some races have been underwhelming, while others have packed full of fantastic battles and spectacular drives.
The summer break is the perfect time to reflect on the opening 10 rounds of the year. Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix later this month, here is the F1 2015 story so far.
Australia
Mercedes looked strong and reliable throughout winter testing, so it was no surprise that the team dominated practice, qualifying and the race at the Albert Park Circuit – an unusual layout that usually fails to show the true pecking order.
Lewis Hamilton secured pole position from Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa – who was 1.5 seconds off first place. The reigning world champion led the way into Turn 1, but there was chaos behind after Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Nasr and Pastor Maldonado collided. The Lotus driver was spun into the wall, ending his race early.
Following a brief stint behind the Safety Car, the Australian Grand Prix resumed. The Mercedes duo scampered off into the distance, with Rosberg keeping his team-mate within his sights through the pit stops. Hamilton eventually won by 1.3 seconds, with Rosberg in second to complete a perfect first weekend of the season for the Brackley-based outfit.
Sebastian Vettel was a distant third, ahead of Massa. Rookies Felipe Nasr and Carlos Sainz Jr impressed in fifth and ninth, while McLaren’s woeful pace and reliability meant Jenson Button finished 11th (and last), and Kevin Magnussen – replacing Fernando Alonso, after the Spaniard was injured in testing – suffered an engine failure on his way to the grid.
Malaysia
Mercedes topped the timesheets in practice, but in the warmer temperatures at the Sepang International Circuit, Ferrari were much closer. Hamilton scored his second consecutive pole position, with Vettel beating Rosberg to second place, and held the lead through the early laps.
Marcus Ericson spun at Turn 1 on lap four, bringing out the Safety Car. Mercedes pitted both drivers but Ferrari kept Vettel out and he moved into the lead. While Hamilton and Rosberg made their way through traffic, Vettel was able to eke out a comfortable advantage before falling to third when he pitted on lap 17.
He soon reclaimed the lead on fresh rubber as his nearest rivals stopped again. The four-time world champion put in another impressive stint and pitted for the final time on lap 37. It was a supreme drive by Vettel to finish 8.5 seconds clear of Hamilton, securing a euphoric first win for Ferrari. Rosberg completed the podium, while Max Verstappen impressed in seventh. Manor returned to the grid but with only one car. Roberto Merhi made the chequered flag three laps down, while Will Stevens failed to start due to a problem.
China
Many hoped and expected Ferrari’s improved form to continue in China, but it was a return to business as usual at the front. Hamilton and Rosberg locked out the front row, with the Englishman dominating the third round of the season.
However, his winning margin was just seven tenths of a second, after a late Safety Car to recover Verstappen’s broken down Toro Rosso on the pit straight meant the field was released at the end of the final lap. Vettel was third, ahead of Raikkonen, Massa and Valtteri Bottas.
Bahrain
Racing under the lights once again, the Bahrain Grand Prix failed to match 2014’s thriller, but we still witnessed some good on-track action. Hamilton was on pole for the fourth time in 2015, with Vettel beating Rosberg to the final spot on the front row. However, the German suffered a scruffy race.
Both Vettel and Raikkonen enjoyed clean battles with Rosberg through the first stint, with Hamilton a little way up the road. The top three drivers were separated by just 2.2 seconds following the opening pit stops, with Raikkonen on an alternative strategy. The leading Mercedes drivers pulled away from Vettel in the second stint, before the ex-Red Bull driver fell out of contention when he had to pit for a new nosecone.
Mercedes’ attention then turned to Raikkonen, with the Finn closing rapidly in on Rosberg. He moved ahead with just a handful of laps to go but ran out of time to catch Hamilton, who scored his third win of the year. As the fireworks lit up the night sky, Ricciardo’s engine gave way in spectacular fashion as he exited the final corner on the last lap – more Renault problems for Red Bull.
Spain
Strategy was key at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Rosberg completing a two-stop strategy to finish well clear of his team-mate, who suffered a bad start. From there, it was damage limitation and he was switched to a three-stopper. There was no way he could challenge Rosberg.
Sebastian Vettel kept with Hamilton for the opening half of the race, but once the Brit got past him at his final pit stop, the Ferrari driver dropped back considerably. There were some good battles in the midfield, while it was a difficult day for pit stops – Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean both overshot their marks.
Monaco
F1’s most iconic and prestigious race threw up one of the most shocking moments of the season so far, with Hamilton pitting during a late Safety Car period and falling behind both Rosberg and Vettel. It was a misjudgement from the Englishman and his Mercedes team, costing him what had looked set to be a clear and easy win.
Hamilton had dominated the race before Verstappen’s huge Turn 1 crash brought out the Mercedes AMG GT. It mixed up the result, gifting Rosberg his third consecutive victory in the Principality. The characteristics suited Red Bull, with Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo fourth and fifth. Jenson Button scored McLaren’s first points with eighth.
Canada
The sport then moved on to the popular Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for round seven of the season. Unsurprisingly Hamilton and Rosberg locked out the front row, with the long straights suiting Mercedes – despite Ferrari making good strides with engine power.
The top two quickly raced off into the lead, with Raikkonen and Bottas taking up chasing. However, the Ferrari driver lost the final podium position when he spun at the hairpin on lap 27, falling behind Bottas and failing to find a way through. Rosberg cut Hamilton’s lead on several occasions, but his challenge eventually faded.
Hamilton won by 2.2 seconds, with Rosberg and Bottas second and third. Raikkonen was fourth, with team-mate Vettel recovering to fifth after being eliminated from qualifying in the first segment due to a MGU-H problem.
Austria
Qualifying at the Red Bull Ring ended in drama, with both Hamilton and Rosberg going off on their final laps. The former took pole position yet again, but a slow start saw his team-mate move into the lead on the uphill run to the first corner. The early stages were dominated by a Safety Car, following a heavy crash for Raikkonen and Alonso.
When the racing resumed, Rosberg opened up a small lead, but Hamilton was always close behind. A five-second time penalty for crossing the pit lane exit line dented Hamilton’s hopes of a victory and from there, he dropped back. Rosberg took the chequered flag in first place to win by 3.8 seconds, with Mercedes securing another 1-2 finish. Massa was a fine third, just holding off Vettel.
Britain
Next up was the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit. Mercedes took first and second in qualifying, but it was the two Williams drivers leading into the first corner after quick starts for Massa and Bottas. Early incidents led to the Safety Car being deployed, and the Williams duo led away on the restart.
Hamilton returned to the lead after the first pit stops, while Rosberg moved ahead when light rain arrived. He started closing in on his team-mate but lost a considerable amount of time through the next round of stops, as drivers switched to intermediates.
Hamilton went on to score his third home win, with Vettel finishing behind Rosberg in third after a perfectly timed final trip to the pits. After leading early on, Massa and Bottas fell to fourth and fifth, struggling in the rain.
Hungary
The last race at the Hungaroring was chaotic to say the least. It was a sad weekend for the motorsport world, following the death of Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman was in everyone's thoughts. Hamilton and Rosberg were beaten away from the line by Vettel and Raikkonen, with the former then going off at the sector two chicane and falling to 12th.
It was a disastrous race for Mercedes, with contact, front wing damage, penalties and punctures meaning Hamilton and Rosberg eventually finished sixth and eighth. Vettel put in a faultless drive to take his second win of the season, with Kvyat and Ricciardo second and third, despite getting caught in incidents themselves. Verstappen was an impressive fourth, with Alonso a surprise in fifth for McLaren.
Which race has been your favourite so far this season? Let me know on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
My top 10 moments from 2015: http://bit.ly/1hjAdzK
The rookies: http://bit.ly/1EgmE9f
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| © Octane Photographic |
Australia
Mercedes looked strong and reliable throughout winter testing, so it was no surprise that the team dominated practice, qualifying and the race at the Albert Park Circuit – an unusual layout that usually fails to show the true pecking order.
Lewis Hamilton secured pole position from Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa – who was 1.5 seconds off first place. The reigning world champion led the way into Turn 1, but there was chaos behind after Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Nasr and Pastor Maldonado collided. The Lotus driver was spun into the wall, ending his race early.
Following a brief stint behind the Safety Car, the Australian Grand Prix resumed. The Mercedes duo scampered off into the distance, with Rosberg keeping his team-mate within his sights through the pit stops. Hamilton eventually won by 1.3 seconds, with Rosberg in second to complete a perfect first weekend of the season for the Brackley-based outfit.
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| © Octane Photographic |
Sebastian Vettel was a distant third, ahead of Massa. Rookies Felipe Nasr and Carlos Sainz Jr impressed in fifth and ninth, while McLaren’s woeful pace and reliability meant Jenson Button finished 11th (and last), and Kevin Magnussen – replacing Fernando Alonso, after the Spaniard was injured in testing – suffered an engine failure on his way to the grid.
Malaysia
Mercedes topped the timesheets in practice, but in the warmer temperatures at the Sepang International Circuit, Ferrari were much closer. Hamilton scored his second consecutive pole position, with Vettel beating Rosberg to second place, and held the lead through the early laps.
Marcus Ericson spun at Turn 1 on lap four, bringing out the Safety Car. Mercedes pitted both drivers but Ferrari kept Vettel out and he moved into the lead. While Hamilton and Rosberg made their way through traffic, Vettel was able to eke out a comfortable advantage before falling to third when he pitted on lap 17.
He soon reclaimed the lead on fresh rubber as his nearest rivals stopped again. The four-time world champion put in another impressive stint and pitted for the final time on lap 37. It was a supreme drive by Vettel to finish 8.5 seconds clear of Hamilton, securing a euphoric first win for Ferrari. Rosberg completed the podium, while Max Verstappen impressed in seventh. Manor returned to the grid but with only one car. Roberto Merhi made the chequered flag three laps down, while Will Stevens failed to start due to a problem.
China
Many hoped and expected Ferrari’s improved form to continue in China, but it was a return to business as usual at the front. Hamilton and Rosberg locked out the front row, with the Englishman dominating the third round of the season.
However, his winning margin was just seven tenths of a second, after a late Safety Car to recover Verstappen’s broken down Toro Rosso on the pit straight meant the field was released at the end of the final lap. Vettel was third, ahead of Raikkonen, Massa and Valtteri Bottas.
Bahrain
Racing under the lights once again, the Bahrain Grand Prix failed to match 2014’s thriller, but we still witnessed some good on-track action. Hamilton was on pole for the fourth time in 2015, with Vettel beating Rosberg to the final spot on the front row. However, the German suffered a scruffy race.
Both Vettel and Raikkonen enjoyed clean battles with Rosberg through the first stint, with Hamilton a little way up the road. The top three drivers were separated by just 2.2 seconds following the opening pit stops, with Raikkonen on an alternative strategy. The leading Mercedes drivers pulled away from Vettel in the second stint, before the ex-Red Bull driver fell out of contention when he had to pit for a new nosecone.
Mercedes’ attention then turned to Raikkonen, with the Finn closing rapidly in on Rosberg. He moved ahead with just a handful of laps to go but ran out of time to catch Hamilton, who scored his third win of the year. As the fireworks lit up the night sky, Ricciardo’s engine gave way in spectacular fashion as he exited the final corner on the last lap – more Renault problems for Red Bull.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Spain
Strategy was key at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Rosberg completing a two-stop strategy to finish well clear of his team-mate, who suffered a bad start. From there, it was damage limitation and he was switched to a three-stopper. There was no way he could challenge Rosberg.
Sebastian Vettel kept with Hamilton for the opening half of the race, but once the Brit got past him at his final pit stop, the Ferrari driver dropped back considerably. There were some good battles in the midfield, while it was a difficult day for pit stops – Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean both overshot their marks.
Monaco
F1’s most iconic and prestigious race threw up one of the most shocking moments of the season so far, with Hamilton pitting during a late Safety Car period and falling behind both Rosberg and Vettel. It was a misjudgement from the Englishman and his Mercedes team, costing him what had looked set to be a clear and easy win.
Hamilton had dominated the race before Verstappen’s huge Turn 1 crash brought out the Mercedes AMG GT. It mixed up the result, gifting Rosberg his third consecutive victory in the Principality. The characteristics suited Red Bull, with Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo fourth and fifth. Jenson Button scored McLaren’s first points with eighth.
Canada
The sport then moved on to the popular Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for round seven of the season. Unsurprisingly Hamilton and Rosberg locked out the front row, with the long straights suiting Mercedes – despite Ferrari making good strides with engine power.
The top two quickly raced off into the lead, with Raikkonen and Bottas taking up chasing. However, the Ferrari driver lost the final podium position when he spun at the hairpin on lap 27, falling behind Bottas and failing to find a way through. Rosberg cut Hamilton’s lead on several occasions, but his challenge eventually faded.
Hamilton won by 2.2 seconds, with Rosberg and Bottas second and third. Raikkonen was fourth, with team-mate Vettel recovering to fifth after being eliminated from qualifying in the first segment due to a MGU-H problem.
Austria
Qualifying at the Red Bull Ring ended in drama, with both Hamilton and Rosberg going off on their final laps. The former took pole position yet again, but a slow start saw his team-mate move into the lead on the uphill run to the first corner. The early stages were dominated by a Safety Car, following a heavy crash for Raikkonen and Alonso.
When the racing resumed, Rosberg opened up a small lead, but Hamilton was always close behind. A five-second time penalty for crossing the pit lane exit line dented Hamilton’s hopes of a victory and from there, he dropped back. Rosberg took the chequered flag in first place to win by 3.8 seconds, with Mercedes securing another 1-2 finish. Massa was a fine third, just holding off Vettel.
Britain
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| © Octane Photographic |
Next up was the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit. Mercedes took first and second in qualifying, but it was the two Williams drivers leading into the first corner after quick starts for Massa and Bottas. Early incidents led to the Safety Car being deployed, and the Williams duo led away on the restart.
Hamilton returned to the lead after the first pit stops, while Rosberg moved ahead when light rain arrived. He started closing in on his team-mate but lost a considerable amount of time through the next round of stops, as drivers switched to intermediates.
Hamilton went on to score his third home win, with Vettel finishing behind Rosberg in third after a perfectly timed final trip to the pits. After leading early on, Massa and Bottas fell to fourth and fifth, struggling in the rain.
Hungary
The last race at the Hungaroring was chaotic to say the least. It was a sad weekend for the motorsport world, following the death of Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman was in everyone's thoughts. Hamilton and Rosberg were beaten away from the line by Vettel and Raikkonen, with the former then going off at the sector two chicane and falling to 12th.
It was a disastrous race for Mercedes, with contact, front wing damage, penalties and punctures meaning Hamilton and Rosberg eventually finished sixth and eighth. Vettel put in a faultless drive to take his second win of the season, with Kvyat and Ricciardo second and third, despite getting caught in incidents themselves. Verstappen was an impressive fourth, with Alonso a surprise in fifth for McLaren.
Which race has been your favourite so far this season? Let me know on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
My top 10 moments from 2015: http://bit.ly/1hjAdzK
The rookies: http://bit.ly/1EgmE9f
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