2015 So Far

2015 So Far (Pre Spanish GP)

Formula 1 enters a 3 week break before the start of the European season in Spain. So far, the season is progressing the way many people expected; with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes topping both championships. Behind them though has seen a few changes since the end of the 2014 season, including the much improved Ferrari and the dismal Renault power unit. In this post, I will be looking at each team’s performance and giving them a mark out of ten.

Mercedes

What can I really say about Mercedes that hasn't already been said this season. They are leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else despite the re-emergence of Ferrari, they look so comfortable. Lewis Hamilton looks to be in the best form of his career and looks almost untouchable. Everything looks to be falling in place to emulate his idol Ayrton Senna and become a three time world champion this year. The same can't be said however for team mate Nico Romberg, who has had a very different start to the season, being out classed and outpaced by his team mate. Luckily in Bahrain he showed the tenacity and speed that he showed last season. Hopefully Rosberg can kick on now and put some serious pressure on Hamilton when the season resumes in Spain.

Ferrari

What a start to the season Ferrari have had. After a shocking 2014, the team has had a complete overhaul of its staff and replaced Fernando Alonso with Sebastian Vettel. What a stroke of genius this appears to have been. Vettel scored his first win for Ferrari in Malaysia with a drive that showed his class and reminded us why he is a four time World Champion. Kimi Raikkonen seems a reinvigorated character this season as well and has been brilliant, just a few bits of bad luck have seen him fall a little behind Vettel. For me though, the change that has had the biggest effect at Ferrari is the arrival of Maurizio Arrivabene. He has brought something to the team that has been lacking in the last few years and he really seems to be getting the best out of the team.

Williams

The Williams team have had a solid if not spectacular start to the 2015 season. They look set on consolidating their place at the front of the grid and trying to challenge the Mercedes team for victories. Unfortunately for them, they seem to have slipped a little behind Ferrari and will need to bring some updates ready for the European season to challenge them. Having said that, their drivers don't seem to be bothered by the Ferrari revival, no more so than Valtteri Bottas who keeps on impressing everyone in the Formula 1 world.  Bottas' skill and talent was evident during the Bahrain weekend when he kept Sebastian Vettel behind him in the closing stages to take another 4th place finish. Felipe Massa has been quiet yet solid in the other Williams car, putting in performances that show his experience and consistently scoring points.     

Red Bull

Although Daniel Ricciardo has scored points in every race this season, Red Bull have had a rotten season thus far. Public spats with engine suppliers Renault and poor performances on track have led to speculation that they could up and quit the sport if things aren't changed. A big issue for team principle Christian Horner is the fact that nothing has been done to help teams reel in Mercedes. He has claimed when Red Bull were at the height of their dominance, everything was done to try and peg back their dominance, yet nothing has been done about Mercedes. This can't take away from the fact that the car itself is a shadow of previous models and has a lot of issues that need resolving. Dani Kvyat has had a slow start to his Red Bull career, but I think that this is due to his car and not a lack of talent.

Sauber

There was a lot of uncertainty about the future of the Sauber team towards the end of last season and many feared the team might fold. Luckily they survived and made into 2015 with about 5 drivers under contract for just two seats. The whole event was an utter shambles which resulted in the court case during the opening weekend in Australia with Giedo van der Garde. However, with this all done and dusted now, the team have had a solid start to the season. Felipe Nasr has been a stand out performer for me, with his 5th place finish in Australia and a series of good performances. His team mate Marcus Ericson has impressed me as well. I couldn't really judge him last year with the Caterham being so far back and unreliable. Now seeing him race wheel to wheel, I have been impressed. He still has a lot to work on but I'm sure he, and the team, can build on a solid start.  

Lotus

Lotus have moved from the Renault power unit to Mercedes for 2015, and it seems to be the best move they could have made. This years' car is leaps and bounds ahead of what they produced last year and it is clear to see from the performances on track. Romain Grosjean has looked good in the opening round scoring a few points here and there and showing that he has what it takes to take the team forward as leader. Things are very different on the other side of the garage however as Pastor Maldonado still hasn't finished a race this year. For me, if Maldonado didn't bring the finance that he does, there is no way he would be on that grid. Yes he has won a race, but so have many other drivers in F1. His overall career has been littered with incidents and poor driving. I personally think Lotus may be higher up the pecking order if they had another driver in their ranks other than Maldonado.

Toro Rosso

This is the team that has excited me the most during the opening rounds this season and it is purely down to their driver line up. It's a completely different line up from last year and it has me on the edge of my seat watching them. Carlos Sainz has been solid and out-performing in Toro Rosso constantly and looks a fantastic talent for the future. For me though, his team mate Max Verstappen has been on another level and an absolute joy to watch. The youngster drives with the head of a veteran on his shoulders and that is clear to see in some of the overtakes and defence moves he has made. A champion of the future if ever there was one, and a man who could brake many records in the sport.

Force India

Force India have made no secret of the financial problems they have found themselves in, and this has clearly had an effect on their season thus far. They are still using a modified version of last years' car and even missed the first pre-season test. They were always on the hunt for points last season but have scored very few this season. I rate both Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez very highly but ultimately, there is only so much the pair of them can do.

McLaren

2015 has seen McLaren and Honda reunited in a bid to take over F1 again. The fairy tale partnership however is a nightmare in reality, with the team failing to score a single point so far and being plagued with reliability issues. Not to mention that the Honda power unit is massively down on power compared to everyone else. There have been signs of improvement race by race, but there is still a massive way to go if they are to be competitive this season. There have been whispers of podium ambitions this season, but I think they need to be more realistic and just aim to score points at this moment in time. They have two fantastic drivers in their ranks in Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, who deserve a lot more than they are getting.

Manor

Just to see the Manor team on the grid this season is an achievement in itself. The team have been formed of what was left of Marussia and have always been within the 107% rule, which is brilliant to see. It was unfortunate that they didn't make it out of the garage in Australia but since then, they have managed to have at least one car run in every session, which is good to see. Their drivers have been nothing but professionals as well, and have just gotten on with the job at hand. Both Will Stevens and Roberto Mehri deserve a lot of credit for keeping within 107% of the Mercedes dominance in a car that is, again, a modification of last years' Marussia. Still though, a lot of work is to be done at the team to ensure its long term future.