Abu Dhabi GP 2015

Rosberg Spring Stepping into 2016

Nico Rosberg's stunning end to 2015 was capped off with the first victory hat-trick of his career as he won the Abu Dhabi GP. A habit since winning his third World Championship, Lewis Hamilton came home second behind his team mate. It was another comfortable victory for Rosberg, who has won every race since Hamilton took the title in October. This brilliant run of form at the end of the season has seen Rosberg not only win races, but record six successive pole positions and see his total career wins move onto 14. Most importantly though, his confidence going into 2016 will be high.

Rosberg finished 8.2 seconds ahead of Hamilton, who once again opted for a different strategy to try and find a way past Rosberg, only to fall short again. Rosberg made his second stop on lap 31, which saw Hamilton stay rather than pit a lap later. Hamilton's aim was to try and extend the life of his soft Pirelli tyres, which resulted in an exchange of words between Hamilton and the pitwall over whether or not he could go to the end, not for the first time this season. The resulting decision saw Rosberg close in rapidly, forcing Hamilton to pit for the second time on lap 41. Oddly, Hamilton took on used soft tyres rather than the super-softs, seeing him fall back 12.5 seconds on Rosberg. Hamilton did produce another brief attack on his team mate, but in the end it was for nothing as he finished behind Rosberg again.

Behind the ever dominating Mercedes pair, (scoring a record 12th one-two of the season) Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen finished on the podium for only the third time this season. Brilliantly for Raikkonen, he finished ahead of team mate Sebastian Vettel, who came from 15th on the grid to finish 4th. The Force India pair of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez finished 5th and 7th, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo between them in 6th. Felipe Massa came home in 8th, after another average race for the Williams team. In his final race for Lotus before a switch to Hass in 2016, Romain Grosjean came from 19th on the grid to score a 9th place finish. Rounding off the top 10 was Daniil Kvyat for Red Bull.

Impressive Race ends Impressive Season for Many

This season, there have been many impressive performances by so many drivers. This trend continued at the final race in Abu Dhabi. Sebastian Vettel's problems in qualifying saw him start down in 15th. He opted for a different strategy of soft-soft-super-soft which saw him tear his way through the field on his way to fourth. This strategy saw him out of sync with his main rivals, but it still got him into fifth place after his second stop before catching Perez's Force India for fourth with ten laps remaining. Vettel's first season with Ferrari has been brilliant, and he will be hoping for more success in 2016.

Sergio Perez is another who ended an impressive season on a high. Starting on the second row, he couldn't quite match the pace of the Ferrari's over a long distance, but he did manage an impressive fifth place to consolidate a best ever ninth position in the Drivers Championship.

Although nothing compared to 2014, Daniel Ricciardo's run to 6th place capped off a solid campaign. Had the engine in his Red Bull been up to scratch over the season, he would have made a big impact in the championship picture.

He was involved in a frantic opening lap in the midfield pack, but couldn't quite get ahead of team mate Kvyat. Ricciardo drove a solid race whereas Kvyat faded out during the course of the race and faded into 10th place.

Starting his final race for Lotus at the back of the grid, Romain Grosjean opted for a similar tyre strategy to Vettel, which managed to get him into contention for points. He made the most of super-softs in the closing stages and passed both Max Verstappen and Kvyat to finish a superb 9th. After all the problems that Lotus have encountered this season, Romain Grosjean's performances are something that have caught the eye. Hass have a very talented driver coming on board for their 2016 debut.

Stars and Flops of 2015

Every year in Formula 1 there are teams, and drivers, who stand head and shoulders above the rest. This year, without a doubt it has to be the Mercedes team and Lewis Hamilton. The team has went from strength to strength following their dominance in 2014, notching up a record 12 one-two finishes and having an almost bullet proof car. The car they produced helped Lewis Hamilton equal Sir Jackie Stewart's three World Championships and produce some outstanding drives. Most notably his drive in Silverstone, where he overcame the Williams pair of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas and the great British weather to record a famous win.

I could easily pick Sergio Perez and Force India for their fantastic efforts over the season, but Max Verstappen needs a serious mention simply because, at 17 years of age, what he has done this season is nothing short of tremendous. He has driven with the confidence of a multi World Champion and some of the over takes he has performed over the year have been jaw dropping. What sticks out for me is his overtake at Spa at nearly 200mph around the outside of Felipe Massa. A minor blip came at Monaco where he caused an accident on lap 64 with Romain Grosjean at turn 1. Other than that it was a fantastic rookie year. This man will be a World Champion before he is 21, if he is given the proper equipment, whether it is at Red Bull or Ferrari in the years to come.

While there were plenty stars of 2015, there were also flops. None more so than McLaren. I have written so much over this season about how bad that car has been. Tragic would not be an over exaggeration. It has seen Fernando Alonso finish with his lowest ever points tally, and pushed Jenson Button into thinking of retiring. The outrageous notion that the team improved over the season, I think, is ridiculous. At the tracks where engine power was not the defining factor, they faired reasonably well. However too many tracks were engine power focused. This led to many outbursts from Fernando Alonso about the quality of the car even referring to the engine as a "GP2 engine". 2016 surely cannot be any worse? Something has to be done engine wise, or else the team will be further behind. I do not think that Alonso would want to hang around to endure another season like 2015.

Japanese GP 2015

Mercedes Bounce Back From Singapore Slump

Lewis Hamilton consolidated his lead at the top of the drivers' championship after a dominating drive saw him take victory at the Japanese GP. His closest challenger and team mate Nico Rosberg came home in 2^nd with Sebastian Vettel taking the final podium place. For Hamilton and Mercedes, it was back to business in Japan after the horror show of Singapore. A heavy crash in qualifying for Dani Kvyat prevented Hamilton from taking pole position from Romberg, but it didn't take Hamilton long to take the lead. A brilliant start from Hamilton allowed him to get alongside Rosberg into turn 1 and muscle his way into the lead. From then on, it was like a Sunday afternoon drive for Hamilton as he edges closer to a 3^rd World Championship. The result also saw Hamilton equal his hero Ayrton Senna's record of 41 grand prix victories. The joy was evident on Hamilton's face as he received his trophy in front of the thousands of Japanese fans.

Behind the Mercedes pair, the Ferrari pair also enjoyed another strong afternoon, even though they couldn't match the Mercedes for pace. Kimi Raikkonen beat fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas to 4th place, whilst Nico Hulkenberg came from 13th on the grid to finish a brilliant 6th. A stand out result, and possibly the most needed one, was the Lotus double points score with Romain Grosjean finishing 7th ahead of Pastor Maldonado. It was a difficult weekend for the team, whose equipment was late in arriving and were locked out of their hospitality unit all weekend. Things were so bad that Bernie Ecclestone stepped in to feed the team. Hopefully the Renault buy-out of the team will happen very soon. The Toro Rosso pair rounded off the points places, with Max Verstappen 9^th and Carlos Sainz 10^th after starting 17^th and colliding with the pit lane bollard. It was a torrid day for Red Bull, with Dani Kvyat starting from the pit lane after his huge crash in qualifying and finishing a lowly 13^th. Team mate Daniel Ricciardo finished 15^th after starting 7^th, but a collision with Felipe Massa as they went through turn 1 meant he had to pit for repairs.

Rosberg Not Tough Enough

For the second season running, Lewis Hamilton has proven how good he truly is. For the second season running, Nico Rosberg has shown how good he can be but, unfortunately for Rosberg, he is nowhere near Hamilton's level. The difference between Hamilton and Rosberg is that Hamilton is so much more consistent and willing to win at all costs. The aggression that he produced at turn 1 to get past Rosberg is the real difference between the two drivers. Had those roles been reversed, I don't believe Rosberg would have shown the same ruthlessness as Hamilton. Both have the same machinery, but only one has that win-at-all-costs attitude. Rosberg's conservatism has cost him many times this season, and it did so again at the Japanese GP. When Hamilton overtook Rosberg, Rosberg managed to slip to 4^th place behind Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas, and ultimately cost him any chance of catching and passing Hamilton. He did well to get past Bottas and eventually undercut Vettel at the pit stops, but after that there was nothing he could do to get near Hamilton, let alone pass him. We've seen over the years Hamilton's ability to get quick laps in when they are needed, but in Rosberg's case he hasn't been able to deliver in that respect. Rosberg's body language has a defeated look to it, and he will want this season to end so he can go away over the winter and look at ways to improve himself and come back in 2016 a better driver.

Alonso in New McLaren Outburst

It's fair to say, Fernando Alonso's return to McLaren hasn't went the way the Spaniard would have liked. 11 points scored all season, seriously down on power and reliability issues the length of my arm, you can understand why the double World Champion isn't a happy man. His latest outburst over the team radio at the Japanese GP, Honda's home grand prix, has left many wondering if Alonso will be in F1 at all next year, never mind at McLaren.

Alonso finished a lap down in 11th place after describing his team's performance during the race as very embarrassing. His damning verdict came early in the race whilst he was briefly running in the points, but was passed with ease by Carlos Sainz's Toro Rosso and Marcus Ericcson's Sauber. Both moves were in the DRS zone going into turn 1, with the Honda power unit showing how much power it was lacking. To make matters worse for Alonso and the team, Max Verstappen also overtook Alonso at the same point leading to Alonso calling his engine a GP2 engine. This latest outburst from Alonso did not go down well with Ron Dennis, the McLaren CEO, who came out and said he was unhappy with Alonso's remarks. Alonso is adamant that he will see out his contract with the team, which has another two years to go. However, I can see another early divorce for Alonso and McLaren if the team don't improve next year. If the team struggles in the final 5 races the way they have all season, it may happen even sooner. 

Singapore GP 2015

Vettel Dominates as Mercedes Hit Troubles

Sebastian Vettel once again reminded fans of why he has won four Formula 1 World Championship crowns after a stunning lights to flag victory at the Singapore GP. Daniel Ricciardo finished second behind his former team mate, with Kimi Raikkonen rounding off the top 3. Two notable absences from the podium were the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Rosberg came home 4th whilst his title rival Hamilton failed to finish for the first time this season. It was also the first time this season that a Mercedes driver hasn't finished on the podium. So with Rosberg's engine failure in Italy and Hamilton's retirement in Singapore, is this just a blip for Mercedes or is there a serious problem slowly creeping in?

Hamilton's retirement is being blamed on a "freak issue" by the team, but this will surely worry Hamilton with the Japanese GP just one week after Singapore. The problem with back to back races is that the team will not have as much time as usual to determine what went wrong in Singapore, and to make sure the problem is rectified before Japan. Thankfully for Hamilton though, Rosberg was unable to take full advantage of the situation and still sits 41 points behind Hamilton in the standings. For Mercedes though, it was a baffling weekend in general. From total domination two weeks before in Italy to being almost three seconds off Vettel, is certainly a worry. The Marina Bay street circuit is a very different from many circuits on the calendar - and it certainly showed. The twists and bends of the circuit played straight into Ferrari's and Red Bull's hands, and showed that the Mercedes do have weaknesses. The fact that the circuit isn't focused on power may be a plausible explanation to the slump in performance, but the team won't feel comfortable until they know exactly what caused the issues. Japan may provide some reassurance for the team with a focus back towards power and give more indication if there an underlying issue, or if it was a one-off weekend.

Verstappen Provides the Entertainment Again

Formula 1 once again produced a tepid grand prix, albeit with a different victor this time out. Sebastian Vettel did what the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton has done for the majority of the season. So once again, we must look for the action further down the field. Once again, Max Verstappen stepped up to produce a superb drive that kept viewers entertained. It wasn't an easy evening for the teenager however, as he stalled on the grid from 8th position and found himself a lap down, seemingly ruining his race before it even started. A collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa brought out the safety car, enabling Verstappen to un-lap himself and begin to make good progress through the pack. One safety car period enabled Verstappen to fight his way through the field, another safety car period put Verstappen right in the fight for points again. On the super-soft tyres, Verstappen pulled off some of the fantastic moves that we've been accustom to all season, allowing him to finish an impressive 8th place.

During his fight from the back, he was in a constant duel with his team mate Carlos Sainz. In the closing laps of the race, Verstappen was then asked to swap place with Sainz by the team, who determined Sainz had fresher tyres and could challenge Sergio Perez for 7th. The decision didn't go down well with Verstappen who reacted angrily and defied his team.

Personally I think Verstappen had every right to ignore his team. If you can drag yourself from being a lap down, albeit with safety car periods, and find yourself in 8th place with 5 laps to go, there really isn't any need for him to move over. Had the Toro Rosso had a more powerful engine he may have gotten Perez, whose top speed was just too much for the young Dutchman. Verstappen did say afterwards that he feared the reaction of his dad, ex F1 driver Jos Verstappen, more than the team’s. Verstappen said "He told me if I had let him past he would have kicked me in the nuts" All the motivation that Max needed right there!

Maldonado Signs on for 2016

I suppose it was inevitable that the announcement of Pastor Maldonado having another year in F1 was announced after the Singapore GP, when Lotus announced that he would be driving for the team next year. It was a very strange announcement from the team with it being very low key, and a lot of the media had already packed up and left the circuit. On top of that, the team had already left the circuit as well when the press release came out. Lotus did not want to talk about their line-up for obvious reason. I have written a lot on Maldonado this season, and how patience surely should have been lost by now with him. Unfortunately what this announcement says, once again, is that money is more important and influential in getting a drive in F1 than talent. Also what was notable from the driver announcement was that there was no mention of Romain Grosjean, fuelling speculation that Grosjean is ready to walk away from Lotus at the end of the season. On the upside to this, the announcement could indicate that Lotus will be staying in F1 for 2016, which is brilliant news. The team only staved off a winding-up petition in the high court three days earlier, which revealed how bad Lotus' debt actually is. For the sake of the team, Renault's buyout of the team can't come soon enough.

Belgian GP 2015

Hamilton Bounces Back In Style

After a shocking Hungarian GP before the summer break, Lewis Hamilton bounced back to dominate the Belgian GP. It had looked as though team mate Nico Rosberg was going to be the man to beat during the weekend, until Saturday morning practise where Hamilton found his groove. He showed his dominance by gaining a half second gap to team mate Rosberg in qualifying thanks to two utterly fantastic laps. From then, Hamilton never looked back and had the race under control from start to finish. Although Hamilton and Rosberg are in identical machinery, Hamilton's sheer dominance over Rosberg leaves a feeling that the final run in for the title may be a procession. Rosberg has been very open about his team mates superiority, which is slightly unnerving. We have seen over the course of the season that Rosberg can challenge Hamilton on the track, but something seemed to be different over the Spa weekend. Hamilton was in a different race to his team mate and, of course, the rest of the field. Rosberg's pursuit of Hamilton near the end of the race where he was closing in was only due to Hamilton easing off under the instructions of the team. Rosberg has to go away and have a think about how he can beat Hamilton, and actually believe he can beat, him or the title race will be over sooner rather than later.

Pirelli Forces to Defend Tyres

Two huge 190mph tyre blowouts for Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel over the weekend have forced Pirelli to come out and defend their tyres, not for the first time during their spell in F1. During practise, Rosberg's tyre blew spectacularly and he somehow managed to keep it out of the wall. Worryingly, onboard camera shots show Rosberg's tyre starting to tear away near the beginning of the lap, not blowing until near the end. Vettel's tyre blew right near the end of the race where a podium could have been on the cards for the Ferrari driver. This led Vettel to deliver a damning verdict on the tyre supplier. As usual however, Pirelli's attempt to come out and explain themselves hasn't done them any favours. Even if Pirelli are right in what they say, they simply won't win the argument. Pirelli's motorsport director, Paul Hembery, came out and said that they had issued a pre-race warning to the teams indicating that the anticipated life on the medium tyres would be 40 laps, almost the entire race distance. The problem for Pirelli here is that Vettel's medium tyre blew after just 28 laps. Pirelli then issued a press release on the Sunday night stating that in 2013, they had sought it impose a lap limit for their tyres that would have restricted a single stint to 50% of a full race distance. The fact that Pirelli are looking back to the last time nude blowouts were occurring for their excuse is sure to put more scrutiny on the Italian company, who insist they want to stay in F1. After this latest series of blowouts, surely the teams will have concerns heading into the Italian GP where the high speed straights and corners may have a huge effect on tyres once again.

Grosjean Lifts Debt Crippled Lotus

Over the weekend, rumours were circulating that the Lotus F1 cars were to be impounded as the Enstone team's financial problems hit critical point. Even with Pastor Maldonado's Venezuelan oil backing the team, things are really bad at the team. So, for Romain Grosjean to score his and the teams first podium since the American GP in 2013 was something special. The fact the place was secured after Vettel's tyre failure is irrelevant, as Grosjean was nailed on to claim third even after his five place grid penalty. Grosjean was fantastic all race and was constantly there, or thereabouts, all race. It was fitting his podium came at Spa, as this was the track in 2012 where the Frenchman earned himself a race ban after causing a first lap pile up, which also led to Mark Webber labelling him as a "first lap nutcase".

This certainly seemed to be the turning point in Grosjean's F1 career because he has slowly became one of F1's most underrated drivers, who deserves a lot more than he is getting at Lotus at the minute. He openly admits to working with a sporting psychologist since the incident, and it seems to be working an absolute treat for Grosjean. Lotus' trackside chief, Alan Permane revealed that Grosjean's grid penalty was a result of the team only being able to afford three gearbox units for the 2015 season, again showing the crippling financial problems for the team. The car itself is good, and it showed this at the weekend as both drivers qualified in the top 8 in Spa. At the moment, Renault look like Lotus' best and only hope of avoiding administration. I certainly hope that Renault buy out the team as it would be a huge shame to see the famous team vanish from its Enstone base where it has held the team under all of its previous guises.  

Red Bull and Renault Finally Set for Divorce?       

Rumours have been circulating that Red Bull are looking for a different engine supplier for 2016, and frankly, who could blame them? The partnership that delivered four consecutive World Championships has quickly went south, with both sides blaming the other for the poor season that Red Bull have had. Mercedes seemed to warm to the idea of supplying engines to Red Bull, with the stipulation that it wouldn't disrupt any agreement already in place, then Red Bull say they want an early exit from their contract. Coincidence?

The situation that Red Bull find themselves in deserves some sympathy. All season, Red Bull's goal has been to fire up Renault to get them to progress and commit for 2016. What Red Bull don't want is a 2016 season where they are bashing their heads against a wall again. Christian Horner has said he wants to hear what Renault’s plans entail for the future, and has said they will go from there. The spat has not been kept in house at either Red Bull or Renault which has, in my opinion, damaged both outfit’s reputations. Ultimately, Red Bull's frustration boils down to the fact that F1 is now very engine critical. The first victim of this realisation is Red Bull's previous firm stance that they could win in any given race and season through chassis design alone. Unfortunately for them, F1 is all about engine power now, not chassis design. 

Hungarian GP 2015

Hamilton Implodes as Vettel Takes Victory

Lewis Hamilton said he had "a bad day at the office" as he slumped to a 6th place finish after a poor showing at the Hungarian GP, which was won brilliantly by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Dani Kvyat scored his first ever podium finish in 2nd, followed by the 2014 winner, Daniel Ricciardo. Fernando Alonso scored McLaren's best finish of the season, coming home in 5th ahead of Hamilton's Mercedes. It was a fantastic race from start to finish with action all over the circuit; but the major talking point from the race was Hamilton's poor performance. For the first time that I can remember, he looked like a distinctly average racing driver. All season, fans have seen him drive like a true champion, with all those years of experience under his belt. His performance in Hungary however was littered with errors throughout; from his first excursion across the gravel which saw him drop to 10th early on, to his collision with Daniel Ricciardo, which resulted in front wing damage for Hamilton. Hamilton's afternoon got worse before it got better, as he received a drive through penalty for the incident with Ricciardo. Only a puncture for team mate Nico Rosberg near the end of the race, again after a collision with Ricciardo, meant Hamilton finished ahead of his championship rival and extended his championship lead to 21 points going into the summer break. 

Whilst all of this was happening, Vettel scored his second victory of the season after a truly brilliant drive from the second the lights went out. His start was fantastic and he was leading the race into the first corner, and never really looked in trouble from there. He has often been questioned over the last 18 months about his ability in a car that isn't the most dominant on the grid, like the ones he had during his time at Red Bull, but for me his performance in Hungary should silence those critics.

Red Bull stood out for all the right reasons during the race, with their cars coming home 2nd and 3rd. Both drivers put in brilliant performances after poor starts. Kvyat dropped as low as 13th at one point and looked like he was going nowhere. Ricciardo also dropped from a 4th place start down into 9th as well. The Red Bull package worked really well around the tight and twisty Hungaroring, where the engine power output isn't as important as it is at other circuits. This can't take anything away from either driver as Kvyat's drive was brilliantly clean coming through the field, and Ricciardo's speed was evident throughout as he was putting in fastest laps and closing down both Mercedes at one point. His bravery on the brakes at turn one was also something to admire. He was coming from such a long way back for some of his overtakes and making them stick superbly. Granted, his collision with Rosberg came from one of these gutsy attempts, but it didn't stop him from claiming another podium in Hungary.

Kimi's Poor Luck Continues

It was a tale of two stories for Ferrari at the Hungarian GP, as Kimi Raikkonen had another disappointing weekend as the pressure mounts on the Finn for 2016. All season, it has been Vettel scoring the big points for Ferrari with two victories and a few more podiums. Raikkonen on the other hand has had an indifferent time this year. He has scored podiums yes, but the consistency that Vettel has been delivering hasn't been there from Kimi, something that is putting doubts over Kimi's drive at the team next year.

Raikkonen was having a strong weekend in general in Hungary, even leading the race at certain stages through pit stops ahead of him. The team were nailed on for a one-two finish as Kimi looked reasonably untroubled in second place before a technical issue caused him to fall back through the field, eventually causing him to retire from the race. His bad luck streak has hit a hat-trick now after his accident in Austria, which saw him retire and a bad tyre call in Britain. For Kimi to stay at Ferrari next season, his luck has to change after the summer break and he will have dug extremely deep and shown the talent which saw him win the 2007 World Championship.

How Many More Chances For Maldonado?

The Hungarian GP saw Lotus' Pastor Maldonado receive a hat-trick of penalties during the race. The penalties were for pit lane speeding, overtaking under the safety car and a collision with Sergio Perez. Maldonado may be a race winner in F1 but for me, he has had way too many chances in the sport, and I think it is high time that he was replaced at Lotus. His career has been overshadowed by incidences and high profile collisions, most notably with Lewis Hamilton at Monaco in 2011 and in Valencia 2012. His crash at Bahrain last year with Esteban Gutierrez, where he managed to flip the Sauber, was another incident that stood out. He has retired from 6 out of the 10 races this season which in all fairness, not all were down to him crashing the car. A hat-trick of penalties in one race though is a bit extreme, and for incidents that he as an elite racing driver shouldn't be incurring. Pit lane speeding and overtaking under the safety car is something you would expect to see from a rookie, not a driver with 4 seasons under his belt. Personally, I believe if he didn't have his oil money backing, Maldonado wouldn't have been in F1 long enough to win a race let alone be in the sport for 4 full seasons.

F1 Says Farewell to Jules Bianchi

I couldn't write this without mentioning the untimely passing of Jules Bianchi and the tribute that was paid to the young Frenchman at the Hungarian GP. It had been a very difficult week for everyone involved with the sport and it was clear to see from the start of the weekend. The minutes silence that was held before the start of the race was a fantastic touch from everyone involved. The scene of all twenty drivers stood round in a circle with their racing helmets in the middle with Jules' taking centre stage is something that will stay in my mind for many years to come. It was fitting tribute to Jules that the race was such a fantastic spectacle for the fans and all the teams and people involved. #CiaoJules

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. 

Why Felipe Massa Shouldn't Fall into the F1 Abyss

If anybody reading this entry has read previous entries, then they will know I am a huge fan of Felipe Massa. The formality of him leaving Ferrari at the end of the year still saddens me. My major fear about this popular little Brazilian is that he will fall into the F1 abyss like many other popular drivers such as Heikki Kovalainen, Jerome d’Ambrosio and Jamie Alguersuari. In this entry, I will look at the reasons that F1 teams should be doing all they can to sign Massa up for a 2014 drive.

Before his eight year spell with the Scuderia, Massa was at what could be called Ferrari’s junior team, Sauber. Massa made his debut with Sauber in 2002 where he scored 4 points in his first season, with a best finish of 5^th at the Spanish GP. He showed his competitiveness, but did make several mistakes. He earned a one race suspension which meant he missed the US GP. He returned for the Japanese GP, but was subsequently dropped by the team for the 2003 season, however he moved to Ferrari as their test driver. Massa re-signed for Sauber in 2004 scoring 12 points with a best finish of 4^th at the Belgian GP. His steady season earned him a second consecutive year at Sauber in 2005, where he scored 11 points and outpaced Jacques Villeneuve and beat him in the drivers’ standings. He got his big break the year after with Ferrari, partnering 7 times World Champion, Michael Schumacher.

During his first season at Ferrari, he scored 80 points and finished third in the title race behind champion Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. It was a year that Massa was to be mentored by Schumacher, to try and help cut out the driver errors. Evidence of nerves could be seen during some races during the season such as in Bahrain, where he spun several times. He also crashed his Ferrari in Australia during both qualifying and the race itself. Despite all of this, Schumacher's influence could be seen as Massa scored his first pole position and victory at the Turkish GP. My personal favourite memory of his debut season at Ferrari was his victory at his home Brazilian GP in front of his adoring fans. He was the first Brazilian to win at Brazil since Ayrton Senna.

Schumacher left the team and Massa was partnered by Kimi Raikkonen, his team mate at Sauber in 2002. Massa seemed a much more complete driver, especially during pre-season testing where he looked on brilliant form. When it came to the opening race of the season, Massa suffered a gearbox problem during qualifying and started last, however he still managed to come home in 6^th. Problems continued into Malaysia where he was overtaken by the two McLaren's, despite starting on pole position. Massa attacked Hamilton and went wide, which meant he finished 5^th. His luck and form picked up as he won back to back races in Bahrain and Spain, both from pole position. He won the Turkish GP again and scored another 6 podiums. His team player image was first seen at Ferrari when he yielded the lead of the Brazilian GP to allow Kimi Raikkonen to win the World Championship.

So onto 2008. This without doubt, was Massa’s best year in F1. It all started wrong for Felipe again as he retired from the first two races, both by spinning out. People began to question if Massa was up to the job of racing at the sharp end of the grid without the assist of traction control. Massa silenced his critics in the best way possible. He dominated the entire weekend in Bahrain, only to have pole position snatched away by Robert Kubica. However, this didn’t stop Massa’s awesome pace in the race. Massa had Kubica by the first corner and went onto a dominant win. He scored another brilliant podium in Spain and went onto record his 3^rd consecutive victory in Turkey and started to gather real momentum.

He carried this momentum into Monaco, where he amazed himself by sticking his car on pole position. He started brilliantly and led by 15 seconds in the rain before the safety car came out and took out his lead. After the safety car, Massa pulled away again before he ran off at the first corner and lost the lead. He eventually finished her 3^rd behind his title rival Lewis Hamilton and Kubica. A fifth place in Canada, followed by a win in France meant he led the drivers’ championship, the first time a Brazilian had led the championship since Senna. The next two races saw Massa score zero points as he spun an amazing 5 times at the British GP, and retired from the lead of the Hungarian GP with only 3 laps left. The European GP saw Massa make his 100^th start in F1 and went onto win the race, making him the only driver to date to win on his 100^th start. He was awarded the win in Belgium after his main rival Hamilton was penalised 25 seconds for cutting the final chicane.  Points came his way in Italy before a pointless finish in Singapore meant he was 7 points behind Hamilton. At the Chinese GP, Massa’s stance as number 1 for the season could be seen as Raikkonen yielded 2^nd to Massa to ensure he could keep his title hopes alive.

The final race of the season was held in front of his adoring fans in Brazil, with Massa 7 points behind Hamilton. It was simple for Massa, he had to win or finish second, and for Hamilton for finish lower than 5^th. It started fantastically for Massa, qualifying on pole, with Hamilton fourth. Massa blew everyone away with his performance and won by 13 seconds. His part was done. Felipe Massa was World Champion for 38 seconds. His title was cruelly taken away as Lewis Hamilton overtook Timo Glock at the second last corner for 5^th place and the title by a single point. He was praised left right and centre by everyone and his maturity was praised by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo. All in all, Massa managed 6 victories and 6 pole positions.

After all the highs of the previous three seasons, 2009 would ultimately see the downfall of Felipe Massa. A poor, uncompetitive Ferrari at the beginning of the year meant the Brazilian couldn’t relive the form of 2008. It was the middle of the season at the Hungarian GP where Massa could have lost his life. He was struck in the head at 180mph by a spring that fell off the back of the Brawn Mercedes of Rubens Barrichello. It would see Massa miss the rest of the season and return in 2010 to partner Fernando Alonso. Despite what Massa said, I believe that his head injury played a part in his below-par 2010 season. He did lead the German GP before being told to move over for Alonso. I also believe this was hard for Massa to take and psychologically destroyed Massa’s confidence. This form continued into 2011. He was continually out-performed by Alonso again and was caught up in many high profile incidents with Hamilton. 2012 started off poorly for Massa before he managed to keep place with Alonso in the second half of the season, even out-qualifying the Spaniard occasionally. He was awarded a new one year deal for 2013. 2013 saw Massa start just as strong as he ended 2012, out-qualifying Alonso and looking as though he had re-captured his 2008 form. However his form faded and Ferrari announced that Massa would be replaced by Raikkonen for 2014.

So there you have it. Eight years at the oldest F1 team have ended. Looking back at his career, Massa deserved so much more. In my opinion Massa deserved the title in 2008 and had he won that, I believe that he could have achieved even more. The end of 2012 and beginning of this year, we saw the old Massa back in action. Unfortunately this form couldn’t be kept up, and it’s now time for a change. I believe Massa still has enough to offer a top team in 2014, possibly Lotus? Only time will tell if he gets another shot, or fall into the F1 abyss.