Spanish GP 2016

Verstappen Tares Up Record Books

Max Verstappen ended Nico Rosberg's winning streak by winning the Spanish GP on his debut for Red Bull. In doing so, Verstappen broke countless records in F1, something that was bound to happen sooner or later. Kimi Raikkonen finished 2nd behind the Dutchman, with Ferrari team mate, Sebastian Vettel rounding off the podiums with a 3rd place finish. Verstappen's team mate, Daniel Ricciardo finished 4th after a puncture spoilt his chances of a podium finish. Valtteri Bottas ran a very lonely race coming in 5th, with local boy Carlos Sainz coming home 6th in the Toro Rosso, ahead of Sergio Perez in the Force India. Felipe Massa mounted a great recovery race from 18th after a poor qualifying to finish in 8th just ahead of Jenson Button's McLaren and Toro Rosso's Dani Kvyat rounding off the top 10. Both Mercedes retired on lap 1 after colliding with each other at turn 4, allowing for a very refreshing race, one that will live long in the memory of Max Verstappen.

Verstappen became the youngest ever grand prix winner at just 18 years and 228 days, eclipsing Sebastian Vettel's previous record of 21 years and 73 days. He also beat Vettel's record of the youngest podium finisher by the same margin. When Verstappen led his first full lap of the Spanish GP, he became the youngest leader of a Formula 1 race, again beating Vettel's record of 20 years and 89 days (Japanese GP 2007). Moreover, Verstappen became the first Dutchman to win a Formula 1 race, which in turn will surely raise the sports popularity in the Netherlands.

After the Mercedes pair took each other out, it was a straight fight between Ferrari and Red Bull, but not between Ricciardo and Vettel like many would have predicted. Both teams decided to split their strategies, putting Ricciardo and Vettel on a 3 stopper, with Raikkonen and Verstappen going for a 2 stopper. This raised eyebrows due to the early nature of the second stops, as the tyres were not predicted to go too far. However both Verstappen and Raikkonen managed their medium compound tyres superbly and made their two stoppers work to take the top 2 steps on the podium. What we saw in the battle between Verstappen and Raikkonen was just how good Verstappen is, holding off the 2007 World Champion brilliantly with some great race craft. It also showed how good the Red Bull car actually is. In the final sector, Verstappen was able to bridge just enough of a gap, because of the Red Bull's superiority, coming out the final corner. Although had Raikkonen been more aggressive at turn 1 on the occasions he was close, it could have been Raikkonen on the top step. Behind them, a brilliant battle between Vettel and Ricciardo unfolded with some fantastic racing between the pair. A puncture to Ricciardo spoilt a fight to the finish with Vetter, and again had Ricciardo managed to make a move on Vettel stick, it could have been a 3 horse battle for victory. This was not the case however, and the scenes at the end were of a jubilant teenager and a very proud father. Monaco should be a cracker in two weeks time because it is not a track where the Mercedes will run off into the distance. Red Bull will be there or there abouts due to the high downforce nature of the track. 

Mercedes Implode 

 

The incident on lap 1 at turn 4 between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has been coming since mid 2014. We have seen flash points on track between the pair, notably Spa in 2014 where they touched wheels, causing a puncture to Hamilton, and again in Austin last year where an aggressive Hamilton hit Rosberg at the 1st corner. What we saw in Spain though was a Senna/Prost style collision, that could have been avoidable. Hamilton had a poor start from pole which allowed Rosberg to get the initial jump on Hamilton. Coming out of turn 3, Hamilton was so much quicker than Rosberg who went on the defence. The rest is history. Rosberg keeps his advantage over Hamilton, but team relations surely must be strained by the latest scuffle. The race stewards put it down as a racing incident, something the two drivers agreed with, although Rosberg seemed to agree through gritted teeth. Personally, I believe it was a case of over aggressive attacking against over aggressive defending, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it just needs to be managed now by Mercedes. Both drivers want to beat each other so badly, but there will be a time when the Mercedes team will have to do something before it ruins their own championship goals.

The Kvyat Fallout 

Before the Spanish GP, it was announced that Dani Kvyat would drop down from Red Bull to Toro Rosso to make way for Max Verstappen. Kvyat's indifferent form since joining Red Bull at the start of 2014 has ultimately cost him. His antics at his home race in Russia were not the reason for the switch, but certainly would have had an effect. Kvyat was clearly torn up by the demotion over the weekend but to see Verstappen win on his debut would have been a tough pill to swallow. Had it been Kvyat in Verstappen's place, I don't think Red Bull would have came away with a win in Spain. Kvyat has shown glimpses of how good he is with two podium finishes for Red Bull, but the ruthless Dr Helmut Marko felt a change was needed. Marko has had a history of wielding the axe on young Red Bull drivers, even when they have done a solid job, take Jean-Eric Vergne for example. What this has done also is put to rest the speculation that Verstappen will be racing for Ferrari or Mercedes in the near future, a smart move for everybody at Red Bull. Kvyat will have to pick himself up and prove that he should be back in that team, although I do not see that happening any time soon.

Australian GP 2016

Ferrari Ruin Vettel's Chances of Victory

The 2016 Formula 1 season kicked off at the traditional curtain raiser in Australia, and saw Nico Rosberg continue where he left off in 2015 securing his fourth consecutive win. Team mate Lewis Hamilton finished in 2nd with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finishing 3^rd. But how different the story could have been… After the farce that was qualifying on Saturday, the race certainly made up for it as there was action throughout up and down the grid. From the lights going out there was action. The Mercedes pair were sluggish off the line, which allowed Vettel, who made a superb start, to breeze past them like they were not there. His team mate, Kimi Raikkonen also got past both silver arrows. By turn three, Rosberg was 3rd and Hamilton was 6th, behind the Williams of Felipe Massa. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz occupied 4th and 5th as the race settled down. Hamilton made ground but struggled against the two stubborn Toro Rosso drivers who held their own brilliantly. Vettel was comfortable out front, until a turning point in the race occurred on lap 17. At turn 3, Esteban Gutierrez moved slightly left on Fernando Alonso, which saw the double World Champion plough into the back of the Haas driver, which caused the car to flip and fly through the air. The car was a total wreck but Alonso got out and thankfully walked away unharmed. The incident was so huge the red flag had to be brought out and the race was suspended while the marshals cleaned up the track. Just prior to this accident, pit stops were being made, or just about to be made. Hamilton switched to the medium tyre, whereas most others stayed on the super-softs or the softs. During the red flag, teams are allowed to work on the car, change tyres, whatever they please. Many teams decided to change to the medium tyre here, which would allow them to go to the end of the race. Ferrari opted not to put Vettel on these tyres, instead keeping him on the super-softs. When the race restarted, it was clear almost immediately that the two Mercedes would have the advantage. Rosberg would keep pace with Vettel whilst Hamilton, once in clear air, would hunt down his team mate. Vettel pitted and came out behind the Mercedes pair but was left with too much to do and could only finish third. What started out as a fantastic race ended in disappointment for the German. Had they mirrored the Mercedes pair, I am positive that Vettel would have went on to win comfortably.  

Behind all of this, home favourite Daniel Ricciardo finished a brilliant 4th for Red Bull with Felipe Massa finishing 5th. Story of the day though was Romain Grosjean scoring points on the Haas team's debut with a brilliant drive to 6th. He held off Nico Hulkenberg's Force India and Williams' Valtteri Bottas, who finished 7th and 8th, ahead of the Toro Rosso pair of Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen who were 9th and 10th. Jolyon Palmer had a solid debut for Renault on their return as a constructor to finish 11th, with team mate Kevin Magnusson behind him in 12th. Sergio Perez, Jenson Button, Felipe Nasr and Pascal Wehrlein rounded off the classified drivers.

Toys Out of the Pram at Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso were considered dark horses coming into the Australian GP after having an impressive pre-season in Barcelona. This pace was seen throughout the weekend, despite the team running a 2015 Ferrari spec engine. Verstappen qualified 5th with Sainz 7th, showing how impressive that new car really is. From the off, both drivers showed their talent and the potential of the car with Verstappen running 4th and Sainz keeping Hamilton behind him for a long period of time. After the red flag, both drivers found themselves outside the points due to pitting before the flag came out. The result of this was toys out of the pram from Verstappen. Verstappen was stuck behind his team mate and behind Palmers Renault, which angered the young Dutchman. Sainz's inability to move saw Verstappen use some colourful language over the radio to vent his anger. For me this was unnecessary and showed Verstappen's inexperience. We saw last season how good Verstappen was with regards to overtaking and he showed have applied this during the race. I believe this is an area that the team need to work on with Max to help his development so this incident is not repeated, although I can see repeated incidents occurring in the future.        

Haas with a Cracking Debut

It was a debut to remember for the new Haas F1 team as Romain Grosjean scored a brilliant 6th place. His team mate Esteban Gutierrez was not as fortunate as his tangle with Alonso saw him retire, but Grosjean stood out with his points finish. During testing the team looked like it had a decent outfit but technical issues were scuppering them. Qualifying did not look promising either, as both drivers qualified way back in 19th and 20th. However Grosjean showed exactly why he was brought in by Gene Haas as he put in a confident drive to score points on the team’s debut. He was maybe helped by the red flag in which he chose to put on the medium tyres and went until the end. Grosjean took everything in his stride and showed just how good of a driver he is. Haas's result was the best by a new constructor since Brawn in 2009 and the best by a brand new team since Toyota in 2002.

Qualifying Shambles

Formula 1's new elimination style qualifying system was nothing more than a total failure. It was an intriguing concept and one that seemed would work on paper, but when put into practise, it was an absolute shambles. The teams gave off the impression that they didn't understand how the system worked, with a lot of drivers not even having enough time to complete a lap when on the brink of elimination. The cameras would also only focus on the driver that was on the brink of elimination, so the fans were deprived of seeing stunning laps from Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. What was also frustrating for the fans, was the lack of graphics indicating the time left before elimination occurred, although this was rectified during the session. On top of this, we saw drivers exiting cars when the they still involved in the session, but were timed out due to errors by the teams. To top this shambolic start to the season, we had the top eight shoot out finish with four minutes or so remaining! Both Ferraris only ran once and then got their drivers out the car, not posing any more threat to the Mercedes pair, who ran twice and then left the car. Fans were left with no action for the final four minutes of qualifying, which is simply shocking. This new system was meant to shake up a Saturday, to add a bit of spice ready for Sunday. All it has given is an already dwindling audience yet another reason to dwindle. It produced nothing along the lines of excitement, and it was seemingly just like the grid fans and pundits would have predicted before the start of the weekend. Thankfully discussions took place before the race on Sunday and it seems the unanimous decision is that the teams will revert to the old system for Bahrain.     

U.S GP 2015

Hamilton Makes History

Lewis Hamilton took victory at the U.S grand prix and in doing so, ensured a third World Championship, becoming the first British driver to successfully defend his title. He also joins an elite list of drivers, including his idol, Ayrton Senna in winning three championships. Nico Rosberg finished second after a mistake cost him victory, and the chance to extend the championship race for a further week. Sebastian Vettel took third after coming through from 14^th, with Max Verstappen taking a fantastic fourth. Sergio Perez finished fifth with Jenson Button taking a brilliant sixth place. Carlos Sainz, who started last, finished behind Button in seventh, with Pastor Maldonado eighth, Felipe Nasr ninth and Daniel Ricciardo rounding off the top ten. It could have been all so different at the front however, with changeable conditions from the start and virtual safety cars and individual errors. Ultimately though, the day belonged to Hamilton, who took his tenth victory of the season.

The whole weekend in Austin had been a complete washout, with qualifying not taking place until the Sunday morning, and even then the rain was still coming down hard. The session only got as far as Q2, where the conditions were deemed unsafe. Nico Rosberg took pole position ahead of Hamilton; but with the race only hours later, the forecast was that the rain would pass and we could go racing.

When the time for the race came, it was still very damp, with everyone starting off on the intermediate tyre. With a tricky first corner on the cards, it was Hamilton who got to turn one first, but with a seemingly over aggressive move on Rosberg, forcing the German off track. This saw him drop down into fifth place behind the Red Bull pair of Dani Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez's Force India. In the damper conditions, it was the Red Bull's that looked more comfortable, with Kyvat taking the lead from Hamilton with ease, but ran wide and surrendered that lead before the first virtual safety car of the day occurred.

When the racing resumed, the track began to dry out and drivers started to struggle with the intermediates. Ricciardo wasn't struggling however, and breezed past the struggling Hamilton for the lead. Hamilton's struggles then allowed Rosberg past for second before drivers started pitting for dry tyres. The dry tyres saw the Red Bull charge dwindle, and both Rosberg and Hamilton resumed a Mercedes one-two, with Rosberg leading and pulling a gap to Hamilton. A safety car period caused by Nico Hulkenberg's broken Force India brought Hamilton back into the play, only for a second virtual safety car to hamper Hamilton again, as he stayed out and Rosberg pitted for fresh tyres. This wasn't the last twist in this race however, as a heavy crash from Kvyat brought out the safety car again, allowing Hamilton to pit without losing position and able to challenge Rosberg. On fresh rubber, Hamilton put pressure on Rosberg and forced him into an unforced error, costing him victory and the opportunity make Hamilton wait another week at least for his title.

Sainz and Verstappen Talent Shines Again

Many people pay so much attention to the fact that Red Bull have threatened to quit F1 next year if they can't get a competitive engine deal. What many people haven't seemed to pay attention to is the fact that that pull-out could also have an effect on Toro Rosso. Don't get me wrong, there has been whisperings of their future as well but not on the scale that it should be on.

This is a team with so much talent it would be an absolute travesty is it wasn't on the grid next season. The U.S grand prix was a prime example of the sheer talent the team possess. Obviously, it isn't the only time this season that we have seen both drivers drive tremendous races, but it just highlights what the team itself brings to the grid. Max Verstappen will be a World Champion one day that much is clear; his 4th place in the U.S grand prix was another testament to how good he is. When everyone was struggling in the damp conditions, Verstappen kept control and drove a brilliant race. Carlos Sainz, despite a few silly errors, especially speeding in the pit lane, finished a solid seventh place. This was after starting last on the grid! Had he not have had a time penalty, he would have finished sixth. Again, his on track overtakes and coolness behind the wheel is something that can't be ignored. Like I have said before, it is just a pity for him that Verstappen is his team mate this year. Hopefully, this team will be here next year because this would be a colossal waste of talent.

Sauber Celebrate 400th GP Weekend

It wasn't just Lewis Hamilton celebrating a milestone at the U.S grand prix. Sauber celebrated their 400th GP weekend, a magnificent achievement for the small team from Switzerland, who have been in the sport since 1993. The team has had many ups and downs over the last 22 years, but still have a rich history within the sport. Many great drivers have driven for them over the years, including former World Champion Jacque Villeneuve, although he wasn't to be the driver to deliver the teams first, and only win in F1. Under the BMW guise, Robert Kubica stepped up on a crazy and dramatic day at the 2008 Canadian GP, and headed a BMW Sauber one-two with team mate Nick Heidfeld. When BMW left the sport at the end of 2009, Peter Sauber bought back control of the full team. It has been a difficult five years financially for the team, who have never made any secret of this. Despite this, on track they have had some very strong performances, most notably in Malaysia 2012, where Sergio Perez probably should have won the race, only to be beaten to the flag by Fernando Alonso and ended up second. The team has done brilliantly with the limited resources at its disposal, and I'm sure that they will be racing against the odd for many more years to come. Here's to another 400 GP weekends.    

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.

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. 

Malaysian GP 2015

Victorious Vettel dents Mercedes Armour

A lot of people, including myself, thought that after watching the opening race in Australia that it was going to be another Mercedes dominated season. However, Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari have given F1 fans hope of an exciting season after one of the best drives I have ever seen from Vettel. I know this is saying a lot given the fact he has 40 career victories to his name, but these were during his dominate time at Red Bull (excluding his maiden Toro Rosso victory). He was driving the best car and was expected to win week in week out; which he did. I know some of his drives for Red Bull were tremendous, but his drive in Malaysia was the best for me. Nobody was expected to get near Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg all weekend, but from Friday there was something that suggested that Vettel could at least hassle the two Mercedes drivers. With him also being able to split the pair in qualifying, the signs were there that he could get near them in the race. The most refreshing thing about this was that Vettel beat the two Mercedes on pace, not luck. I would say however, that had Mercedes not messed up Hamilton's strategy, it may have been a lot closer, although Hamilton has said that it wasn't his strategy that cost him victory.  The Mercedes tyre woes of the past seemed to hurt them as well during the race. Vettel managed his tyres superbly throughout the race going long during his first stint, whilst the Mercedes pair pitted under the safety car. Hamilton was then heard complaining of his tyres going off very early into his stints, whereas Vettel didn't mention his tyres once. I don't think we should get too carried away by this however, as I believe Mercedes will still be the team to beat all season. The massive temperatures may have contributed to the tyre worries, but don't doubt that Ferrari have made a huge step forward and could maybe give Mercedes a run for their money.

Wheel-to-Wheel Action

A significant stand out during the Malaysian GP was the amount of wheel-to-wheel action that we saw up and down the field. This was a far cry from the Australian GP where there was a lack of action all afternoon. From the second the lights went out in Malaysia, there was action galore; in none more so then the two Toro Rosso drivers of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. Yet again the Red Bull junior program has produced two fantastic talents, and this was evident throughout the weekend. Verstappen equalled his dad’s (Jos Verstappen) best ever qualifying of 6th in just his second race. He had a slow start, initially going backwards to meet Sainz in a midfield battle. Sainz had a bad qualifying but shot up the field and was running as high as 4th. The pair were fantastic and drove with brilliant maturity and looked so comfortable. Kimi Raikkonen was also displaying brilliant wheel-to-wheel action, but it's what you would expect from a former World Champion. Nevertheless it was fantastic viewing and, considering he was running last at one point after suffering a puncture, shows how good of a drive it was from him. The two Force India drivers were involved in close quarter action as well, as Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez were both penalised for collisions on track. Hulkenberg collided with Dani Kyvat at turn two and was harshly, in my opinion, given a 10 second time penalty. Perez's penalty though was probably justified, as he collided with Romain Grosjean and spun the Lotus driver off the track. The action seen all over the grid made for a very entertaining race.

Mixed feelings at McLaren

Fernando Alonso competed in his first race for McLaren since the Brazilian GP back in 2007. He hasn't been in the car since his mysterious testing accident in Barcelona, which caused him to miss the opening round in Australia. To put it bluntly, this new McLaren with the Honda power unit is poor in comparison to that of the Mercedes unit. In Australia, Jenson Button was 5 seconds off the pace with reserve driver Kevin Magnusson not even making it to the grid. Fast-forward two weeks though, and McLaren seem to have taken huge strides already, which is a relief for the team and fans alike. Okay, so they still aren't close to the Mercedes, Ferrari or Renault power units, but there was a definite improvement that was clear to see in Malaysia. They weren't as far off the pace as in Australia, and even gave some competition to the Force India's and Sauber's. Unfortunately neither car made it to the end of the race, as both suffered from mechanical issues that forced them to stop. Both drivers seemed very upbeat about the car, which is very good to see. I am sure throughout the season the car will improve massively, and sooner or later McLaren Honda will be back at the front of the grid where it belongs.