F1 Madness

Tag: kimi raikkonen

  • F1 2016: Australian GP Preview – F1 season of possibility

    F1 2016: Australian GP Preview – F1 season of possibility

    The question at the forefront of everything is can Ferrari take the fight to Mercedes. All indications are that the Italian team has made strides since last year and has closed the gap to Mercedes. All that remains to be seen is how close they can get.

    As F1 2016 gets under way this season will be longest in the sport’s history with 21 races. Germany’s Hockenheim makes a return to the calendar and Azerbaijan hosts its first ever race on the Baku City streets. The confirmation of the US grand prix gives the teams an added bonus. The F1 sporting regulation state that one engine must be used for four race weekends. As the US Gp makes it 21 races the teams will be given a fifth engine thanks to the wording of the rule.

    When the change to the qualifying format was announced it left many perplexed. The quali format hadn’t been a bad one so why fix something that isn’t broken? But, let’s give it chance and see how it pans out.

    The one hour session will still consist of three parts. Q1 will be 16 minutes, after the first seven the slowest car is eliminated. Thereafter, the slowest car is eliminated every 90 seconds. Seven drivers will be eliminated while 15 advance to Q2.

    Hamilton-Australia-MercedesQ2 will be a 15 minute session with the slowest driver eliminated after 6 minutes. Likewise, every 90 seconds will see the slowest car eliminated. Seven drivers will be eliminated in this session with eight advancing to Q3.  The Q3 session will run for fourteen minutes with the slowest driver eliminated after five minutes. The slowest driver will continue to be eliminated every 90 seconds. Two drivers will remain in the final 90 seconds of the session to shoot it out for pole position.

    An interesting aspect of this style of qualifying will be that the quickest cars will no longer be able to rely on getting through to the second part of qualifying on the harder of their tyre selection. It’s sure to throw the cat amongst the pigeons when there is rain about, and if it’s a lap longer than 1 minute 30 seconds. And let’s be honest anything that adds a bit of drama and intrigue is never a bad thing. What the new format has in its favour is that it takes the excitement from the final ten minutes of the session and spreads it throughout the entire hour.

    australiaThe Albert Park circuit is a well known one. But there are many unknowns at the first race of the season. A new qualifying format, new tyre regulations, more driver freedom on strategy calls, to name a few. The clampdown on radio communication from the pitwall carries its own connotation, especially where the start of the race is concerned. Drivers are not allowed any feedback during the formation lap and are only being allowed to use one clutch at the start. This combined with Albert Park’s tight turn one could result in dramatic start to the grand prix. And all of this has the potential to combine into an explosive season-opening race.

    Mercedes has chosen to play up Ferrari’s performance so far. Choosing to send both Nico Rosberg and Niki Lauda into the press with statements of Ferrari being a great threat. It could just be some clever psychological play by the champions. Or it could be real and we could in for a F1 season to be remembered. One way or the other the more than 100 day wait is finally over.

  • Raikkonen Ends Day Three Fastest

    Raikkonen Ends Day Three Fastest

    Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen ended the penultimate day of the second test in Barcelona on top of the time sheets.

    Raikkonen set his fastest time of 1:22.765 in the morning session using Pirelli’s Ultra Soft Compound tyre. But before that, Ferrari trailed the “Halo” head protection that the FIA hope to get on the cars by 2017.

    Raikkonen’s reaction to the new device was classic Kimi. “A little bit limited in the front, but I don’t think it’s the final version. Surprisingly little difference.”

    There were mixed reactions from the drivers and from fans across social media. Some are all for it and were very complimentary while others mocked the looks and questioned the practicality of it.

     

     

    The Williams of Felipe Massa was second fastest on the day about 0.5s slower than Raikkonen. Hulkenberg was 3rd fastest for Force India with Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen was 4th fastest. Verstappen completed the day with the highest lap count of 159 laps.

    Nico Rosberg was at the wheel of the Mercedes W07 in the morning working on car setup while team mate Lewis Hamilton took over in the afternoon. Between the Mercedes pair, they clocked up a total of 144 laps on the day with Rosberg ending the day 5th fastest and Hamilton 11th fastest.

    Felipe Nasr finished his day 6th fastest ahead of Mclaren’s Fernando Alonso in 7th with 118 laps. Pascal Wehrlein and Daniil Kvyat were 8th and 9th respectively with Jolyon Palmer 10th for Renault.

    After turbo troubles  on Wednesday the Haas F1 team aimed for a complete race simulation on Thursday. Things did not go according to plan for the Kannapolis based team. Romain Grosjean Brought out the red flag three times on Thursday. The first time he went off at Turn 4 in the morning session and again at Turn 1 in the afternoon. He managed to avoid the barriers and the team was able to get him back out on track. With 5mins left in the session, Grosjean once again brought out the red flags stopping out on track. Despite the troubles Grosjean racked up 78 laps.

    POS Driver Team/Car Best lap Gap Laps
    1 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari SF16-H 1:22.765 – 136
    2 Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes FW38 1:23.192 +0.428 119
    3 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes VJM09 1:23.251 +0.486 137
    4 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR11 1:23.382 +0.617 159
    5 Nico Rosberg Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:24.126 +1.361 81
    6 Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari C35 1:24.760 +1.995 116
    7 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Honda MP4-31 1:24.870 +2.105 118
    8 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Racing-Ferrari MRT05 1:24.913 +2.148 48
    9 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer RB12 1:25.141 +2.376 121
    10 Jolyon Palmer Renault R.S.16 1:26.224 +3.459 98
    11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:26.488 +3.723 63
    12 Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari VF-16 1:27.196 +4.431 78
  • Rosberg On Top at Second Barcelona Test

    Rosberg On Top at Second Barcelona Test

    Nico Rosberg stamped Mercedes’ authority on day one of the second test in Barcelona by going quickest on the day.

    Rosberg’s fastest time of 1:23.022 just told half the story. Lewis Hamilton took over in the afternoon session and went on to complete a very impressive race simulation. Between the Mercedes drivers they managed to rack up 169 laps.

    “It was a great afternoon of running with great mileage,” said Hamilton.

    “We did a race simulation and after that I feel I’m ready for race one.

    “The car is feeling great and was consistent all day.”

    Valtteri Bottas ended his day second fastest with a time of 1:23.229 with 123 laps under his belt.

    Finishing third fastest was McLaren’s Fernando Alonso with a time of 1:24.735 ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in 4th with a best time of 1:24.836. Both Raikkonen and Alonso brought out the red flags today with Alonso stopping at the end of the pit lane at the end of the morning session and Raikkonen in the mid afternoon with a gearbox problem.

    Daniil Kvyat in the Red Bull finished 5th fastest with Hamilton in the Mercedes 6ht.

    In the new liveried Toro Rosso, Max Verstappen ened his day 7th fastest with the highest lap count of the day at 144. Another solid day of running for Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India seen him finish 8th fastest. Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer at Force India called it “another routine day.”

    The Sauber C35 made its debut today at the hand of Felipe Nasr who completed 103 laps to place 9th fastest ahead of Kevin Magnussen in the Renault R.S.16 in 10th. Magnussen clocked up 119 laps until he came to a stop at Turn 3 just 10mins before the end of the day.

    Haas F1 had one of their worst testing days so far with Esteban Gutierrez confined to the garage for most of the day after a problem with the fuel system.

    It was not much different for Rio Haryanto in the Manor. The car suffered from an oil leak which kept in the pits for most of the morning session.

    POS Driver Team/Car Best lap Gap Laps
    1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:23.022 – 82
    2 Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes FW38 1:23.229 +0.207 123
    3 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Honda MP4-31 1:24.735 +1.713 93
    4 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari SF16-H 1:24.836 +1.814 72
    5 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer RB12 1:25.049 +2.027 69
    6 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:25.051 +2.029 90
    7 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR11 1:25.176 +2.154 144
    8 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes VJM09 1:25.336 +2.314 121
    9 Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari C35 1:25.493 +2.471 103
    10 Kevin Magnussen Renault R.S.16 1:25.760 +2.738 119
    11 Esteban Gutierrez Haas-Ferrari VF-16 1:26.661 +3.639 23
    12 Rio Haryanto Manor Racing-Ferrari MRT05 1:27.625 +4.603 45
  • Raikkonen Closes off the First Test On Top

    Raikkonen Closes off the First Test On Top

    Kimi Raikkonen closed off the final day of the first pre-season test of 2016 on top of the time sheets in the Ferrari SF16-H

    The Finn set his fastest time of 1:23.477 on the Ultra Soft compound tyres late in the morning. Second fastest to Raikkonen was Daniil Kvyat in the Red Bull who was almost a second slower with a 1:24.293.

    Alfonso Celis had a good day out with some solid running for Force India which put him 3rd fastest setting his time on the super softs.

    Renault had a very good day with 153 laps completed with Kevin Magnussen at the wheel of the R.S.16. This sort of reliability from Renault is encouraging for the manufacturer and although they’re still down on power the driveability seems to have improved.

    Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen put in another solid day of running for the Faenza based team racking up 110 laps for the day and finishing 5th fastest for the day. Felipe Nasr in the 2015 Sauber C34 was 6th fastest with 121 laps to his name.

    Both Mercedes drivers were at the wheel of the W07 today with Rosberg finishing 7th fastest and Hamilton 8th. They both completed 86 and 99 laps respectively which brings the grand total of 185 laps on the day for Mercedes. Such was the reliability of the Mercedes they had to get both their drivers to keep up.

     

     

    Although conceding that they would’ve liked to have done more mileage, Esteban Gutierrez had a solid day for newcomers Haas F1 with 89 laps. He’s day was cut short after his car stopped on track an hour before the end of the session.

    “We had a productive day. In the morning we had a small problem which we sorted pretty quickly due to the team working well together,” said Guther Steiner the Team Principal of Haas F1.

    “In the afternoon after a long run we went into pit-stop practice. We had a problem with our ECU and we stopped testing for the day but it looks promising.

    “In general the first test was a fantastic four days for us, we got a lot of running in which we didn’t expect because we are a new team, we are only four days old.”

    Fernando Alonso did not set a time. He had completed three installation laps until he was confined to the garage after a coolant leak. The awkward position of the leak meant that it took longer for the team to fix the problem.

     

    POS Driver Team/Car Best lap Gap Laps
    1 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari SF16-H 1:23.477 – 78
    2 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer RB12 1:24.923 +0.816 94
    3 Alfonso Celis Force India-Mercedes VJM09 1:24.840 +1.363 75
    4 Kevin Magnussen Renault R.S.16 1:25.263 +1.786 153
    5 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR11 1:25.393 +1.916 110
    6 Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari C34 1:26.053 +2.576 121
    7 Nico Rosberg Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:26.187 +2.71 86
    8 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:26.295 +2.818 99
    9 Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes FW38 1:26.483 +3.006 54
    10 Esteban Gutierrez Haas-Ferrari VF-16 1:27.802 +4.325 89
    11 Rio Haryanto Manor Racing-Mercedes MRT05 1:28.268 +4.789 51
    12 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Honda MP4-31 No time – 3
  • F1 2016: Pre-season Test 1 Day 3 – Hulkenberg On Top

    F1 2016: Pre-season Test 1 Day 3 – Hulkenberg On Top

    The third day of testing at Spain’s circuit de Catalunya was headed by Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg.

    The morning running was marked with the introduction to Formula 1 of Indonesia’s first ever grand prix driver Rio Haryanto. The rookie Manor driver seemed comfortable in the early running and put together a solid first few stints. A slight error later on in the morning saw the Manor end up in the gravel trap of turn 5 which prompted the second red flag of the morning.

    The first red flag of the day was prompted by the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz as the Spaniard was forced to stop at the exit of the pitlane with a loose rear wheel. The morning was a complete write-off for Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen as the team struggled to get on top of a fuel pick-up issue. The Finnish driver was only able to complete three installation laps before lunch.

    Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg continued with Mercedes’ run programme by putting together several race simulation runs in the morning. As lunch rolled around it was Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India heading the timing sheet with a 1:25.286. The German would later improve his time to a 1:23.110.

    The session after lunch saw the two Mercedes drivers swop around with Lewis Hamilton taking over testing duties for the remainder of the day. Kimi Raikkonen was able to put Ferrari on the board after lunch and the Finn completed xx laps for the day. Felipe Massa was the first driver to reach 100 laps on day three of the first pre-season test in the Williams whilst Carlos Sainz also put more than 100 laps on the board in his Toro Rosso.

    Late on in the day’s running Renault driver Kevin Magnussen brought out the red flag as his car stopped on the start/finish strait. It proved a minor blip on the radar as proceedings got underway within minutes. Haryanto was first out on track in the Manor Mercedes on the medium compound tyres. By this stage no driver had opted to strap on the ultrasoft compound.

    McLaren called an end to their day’s running thirty minutes before the close of the session. Jenson Button’s car, which completed only 51 laps, suffered an hydraulic leak.Williams too brought an early end to proceedings after discovering an oil leak of Felipe Massa’s car.

    Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz ended the day with 161 laps on the board while Hulkenberg in the Force India heads Romain Grosjean, in the Haas, at the top of the leaderboard.

    POS Driver Team/Car Best lap Gap Laps
    1 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes VJM09 1:23.110 – 99
    2 Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari VF-16 1:25.874 +2.764 82
    3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari SF16-H 1:25.977 +2.867 78
    4 Kevin Magnussen Renault R.S.16 1:26.014 +2.904 111
    5 Nico Rosberg Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:26.084 +2.974 74
    6 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR11 1:26.239 +3.129 161
    7 Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari C34 1:26.392 +3.282 115
    8 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid 1:26.421 +3.311 88
    9 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer RB12 1:26.497 +3.387 74
    10 Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes FW38 1:26.712 +3.602 109
    11 Jenson Button McLaren-Honda MP4-31 1:26.919 +3.809 51
    12 Rio Haryanto Manor Racing-Mercedes MRT05 1:28.249 +5.139 78

     

  • F1 2016: Ferrari Launches 2016 Challenger – The SF16-H

    F1 2016: Ferrari Launches 2016 Challenger – The SF16-H

    In a week dominated by car launches Ferrari has joined the party by unveiling its challenger for the 2016 season – the SF16-H.

    In an online launch, hosted by F1 journalist James Allen, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel pulled the covers off their new car which Ferrari are calling the SF16-H.

    The first, most notable, change is the livery which has a distinctively more retro feel with the addition of the white inlay over the cockpit and airbox.

    Ferrari SF16-HTeam principal Maurizio Arrivebene was also in attendance for the unveiling of the SF16-H and shared his hope that the team and car will be able to challenge for the championship this season.

    “Normally I am not setting the objectives, my boss sets the objective for the team. I think this year, we need to push a bit more. We would like to fight until the end for the championship,” he said.

    “I know that is not going to be easy, because our competitors are not sleeping, but we are committed to do our best.”

    Ferrari SF16-HThe nose of the SF16-H is noticeably shorter than its predecessors and after an arguably failed attempt at running pullrod suspension Ferrari has opted to run a pushrod suspension configuration for 2016.

    Technical director James Alison noted that the SF16-H is different in “a number of areas.”

    “Last year was a decent step forward and we hope this car will be another good step forward to make us properly competitive,” he added.

    “We have improved across the board. All our hopes are in this car, and we can’t wait to see it on the track.”

    (SF16-H Images courtesy of ferrari.com)

     

  • Pirelli Wet Weather Test Report

    Pirelli Wet Weather Test Report

    Pirelli concluded their two day wet weather tyre test at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France to develop the 2016 Wet tyres.

    More than 650 laps were completed and a total of 2 326km driven between 5 drivers and three teams. The circuit was chosen because of its very sophisticated variable sprinkler system which uses recycled rain water to simulate various wet weather conditions. This allowed the drivers to try out different tyre compounds.

    The test was run over two days with Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren participating in the test. Pirelli had extended the invite to all the teams where the cars from the 2015 season were used. No additional testing of components was allowed.

    Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel drove for Ferrari on Monday and Tuesday respectively while McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne drove for both the days. Daniel Ricciardo tested for Red Bull on day one with Daniil Kvyat testing on day 2.

    Over the two days, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was the fastest and completed the most laps(134) from all the runners.

    The development of the tyres continues at Pirelli’s headquarters in Milan by analyzing the telemetry from the teams and comparing that with its own data.

    Pictures by courtesy Pirelli

  • F1 2016: Ferrari Passes Crash Test

    F1 2016: Ferrari Passes Crash Test

    The 2016 Ferrari car is well on course to make its debut in February after passing a mandatory FIA crash test.

    The safety regulations of the FIA dictate that all critical areas of a Formula 1 car pass a standardised crash test before it is allowed to be officially entered into any official FIA race.

    The latest team to pass the crash test is Ferrari who received the official stamp of approval after undergoing several tests. Reports are that the Italian team needed several attempts at passing the test because sampled more than one nose for their 2016 challenger. The Ferrari team’s 2016 car is already reported to be quite different from it’s 2015 predecessor and is rumoured to be introducing a short nose concept for the new season. The new nose isn’t so much a reproduction from what we’ve seen on other cars in 2015 but more a mixture between the nosecone sported by Mercedes and Toro Rosso.

    The 2016 Ferrari, still unnamed, is expected to be launched towards the end of February as testing for the 2016 season gets underway in Spain.

  • F1 2016: What to look out for in F1 2016

    F1 2016: What to look out for in F1 2016

    2016 is here and it brings with it the opportunity to create a dynamic, and with any luck, an unforgettable new chapter of Formula 1 racing. Already an array of topics from driver line-ups to power unit suppliers is demanding attention.

    Ferrari expectations

    The Italian marquee’s 2015 season while not earth shattering has created big expectations in Italy. The rest of the world, who’s perspective is a bit more realistic than that of the passion infused Tifosi, know that even matching the might of Mercedes is not a foregone conclusion. Since joining the team in 2013 Technical director James Alison is now firmly entrenched in Ferrari. The turnaround from a disastrous 2014 to a race-winning 2015 means serious pressure on Alison and his team to perform in 2016. It will be the responsibility of team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene to keep his team focused on its goals and to temper the expectations of the Ferrari board and its fans.

    Mexico Grand Prix Preview Quotes - Mercedes F1 TeamMercedes quandary

    It’s no question that where it concerns driver line-ups the spotlight will be squarely focused on the “relationship” between Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Through their partnerships both have enjoyed spectacular and conversely poor moments and spent plenty of time sulking in respective corners. Up until now the team has been able to handle its drivers without too much issue. But the balancing act between placating both drivers and avoiding a full blown war between the two is a tenuous line.

    If Mercedes finds itself as runaway leaders of the pack again team director Toto Wolff has said it may prompt them allow the drivers free reign when it comes to strategy, thereby “improving the show.” For the sake of the show let’s hope Mercedes has a real challenger.

    Renault resurgence

    The French manufacturer’s purchase of the Lotus F1 Team has been made official which will see the championship winning constructor return to the sport as a fully-fledged works team. 2016 is a big year in many ways for Renault of which priority number one will be to silence the boisterous criticism of its power unit.

    Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado has been retained by Renault for 2016 and will be partnered by British rookie Jolyon Palmer. Together these two drivers will form one of the weakest driver line-ups of the season. While Palmer appears to be a solid driver any rookie is a leap into the unknown. Normally, a teammate with five years worth of experience would be useful for someone like Palmer. But when that teammate is Pastor Maldonado it’s a bit of a different story.

    Many will attest to the fact that you could hardly meet a greater gentleman than Pastor Maldonado in the F1 paddock. He has shown glimpses of real potential throughout his F1 career including the stunning victory at the 2012 Spanish grand prix. But the Venezuelan has a big chink in his armour – his habitual tendency to crash frequently and expensively. For Renault the conservative objective is to finish solidly in the top ten and perhaps snatch a podium or two should the frontrunners fail to reach the chequered flag. Their drivers will have to step-up is this is to be achieved.

    Haas F1_Grosjean AnnouncementHaas’ sure-fire plan

    Gene Haas is American racing royalty but he isn’t banking on his stateside fame and success to make it in Formula 1. The team has forged an alliance with Ferrari who will supply Haas with a power unit. In addition, Ferrari can also supply the American team with front and rear suspension and share in the R&D costs. While Ferrari supply the mechanical side of the Haas car Italian manufacturer Dallara has designed its chassis. This resourceful recipe should catapult this team firmly into the midfield.

    The next step in preparation for the 2016 season is for the customary shakedown tests of the new cars to be completed before they’re unveiled to the world. Most teams have announced mid-February launches for the respective cars just ahead of the vital first test session of the season.

  • F1 2015: Year In Review

    F1 2015: Year In Review

    As the year draws to its conclusion it and the 2015 Formula 1 season will soon be consigned to the history books. As ever the season’s intriguing battles were never solely consigned to the race track.

    The engine debate

    Engines have been the subject of heated debate for the entire season. From the cost of manufacturing to performance levels to how it affects the sustainability of the sport; all of it has been questioned and picked apart throughout 2015.

    After months of wrangling Renault and Red Bull have reached an agreement on power unit supply. The public quarrel between the two ended in what we thought was a messy divorce. However, when neither Ferrari nor Mercedes and not even Honda wanted to supply a potential rival the team had to slink back to Renault. After smoothing over some sizeable differences the Red Bull team will run the French engine but it will branded as TAG Heuer.

    Red Bull won’t have Renault’s undivided attention though as the French manufacturer has purchased the Lotus F1 Team. It’s a saving grace for Lotus who has been in financial strife for a number of years. The most public example of this was the failure of the team to pay then driver Kimi Raikkonen’s salary. Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado will be partnered by English rookie Jolyon Palmer in 2016.

    Mexico Grand Prix Mclaren-Honda preview quotesAt McLaren the debacle that was Honda’s season will soon want to be forgotten. In the end Fernando Alonso used twelve engines in the back of his McLaren – that’s three times more than he was allotted. Issue of after issue dogged both drivers throughout the season as Honda, and McLaren fell miserably short of its expectations. The up-side is that 2016 can hardly be any worse than Honda’s first year back in the top echelon of racing.

     

    Mighty Mercedes and a Ferrari revival

    Early on in the season it was clear that Mercedes had maintained its pace advantage. For anyone it would be too difficult to consistently beat the mighty Silver Arrows. The highly billed duel between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton never reached the heights or intensity of 2014. This time around Hamilton summarily outperformed Rosberg to the point where when the German driver finally pitched up the championship was already won by his British teammate.

    GP ABU DHABI F1/2015In Texas Lewis Hamilton was crowned a three time world champion and luck had very little to do with it. Three years ago he made a move to Mercedes that was met with a great deal of apprehension. From a team with championship pedigree in McLaren he went to Mercedes who were seemingly condemn to the mid-field. It didn’t suddenly turn around in 2014 either. Rather it was the culmination of years of work put in by those behind the scenes of this team. It is never about one year in isolation and so to winning world titles for any driver is a culmination of years of work and dedication.

    A complete reshuffle of personnel at Ferrari resulted in a stunning turn-around for the Italian team. Three dazzling victories and slew of podiums resulted as they continue to push towards the front of the grid. The arrival of Sebastian Vettel and the relationship between himself and teammate Kimi Raikkonen brought a harmony to the team. In 2015 Ferrari admitted that this driver-pairing and their ability to work together has been a relief for the team; something that was sorely lacking in 2014.

    Rookie sensation

    Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso - Australian GP Thursday drivers press conferenceDrivers that enter F1 for the first time hardly make as big a splash as Max Verstappen has. Not even Lewis Hamilton’s first year, back in 2007, was met with such unilateral hype. The teenaged Dutch driver, Verstappen, burst onto the scene with audacious overtaking manoeuvres and a clear-as-day hunger to go racing no matter what he has to driver. Even the staunchest of critics have to submit that Verstappen has huge potential. While one season does not make a driver it is indisputable that if Verstappen can keep it all together we are all in for a quite a ride.

    There was much more than mentioned here which made up the 2015 season. And in less than 100 days it resumes with dynamism that no other sport in the world can match.