Background
2014 had been a dominant season for Fernando Alonso and Ferrari, holding off all challengers with ease in the first year of a brand-new engine formula.
2015 would largely build on the foundation that 2014 helped set. Cars would not have such distinctive noses as last year, and would be heavier in the interest of drivers not essentially starving themselves to make the weight limit. Sporting-wise, the Virtual Safety Car was formally introduced following tests in the final few races of 2014. This was designed to slow cars down on track without forcing the full Safety Car to intervene, to prevent situations like Jules Bianchi's Suzuka accident. Also, the idea of double points in the final race was scrapped, and there was much rejoicing.
Teams and Drivers
Plenty of change in the grid lineup since last year, with Ferrari moving back up to F1.0 and Caterham going bust in the off-season. Despite similar financial problems for the Marussia team, they were able to find a buyer just in time to go racing for 2015. I'll be referring to them as Manor Marussia, but officially they kept the same entry as before so they could keep their prize money. The grid was the same size as 2014, despite these departures, as two teams re-entered F1.5. Let's take a look, shall we?
All attention was on McLaren as the season got started. Reigning champion Alonso moved to the team to partner 5-time champion Button; with 7 titles between them this made them the most decorated pair of teammates in F1.5 history. Not only that, but they were making a great leap into the unknown by bringing Honda back into the sport for the first time since 2008. Button won 3 of his titles under Honda power - could this be a sign of even greater things to come?
A similar amount of attention went to Toro Rosso's Verstappen. Son of former driver Jos, he would become the youngest driver ever at the age of just 17. His teammate Sainz of course also had a famous father in the form of the double World Rally Champion - but although the F1.5 driver's name is technically Carlos Sainz Jr, he prefers to drop the "Jr" so he can build his own reputation. And why not, eh?
Williams were no strangers to F1.5, despite their year in F1.0 in 2014. Their comeback, however, brought Massa back to the category for the first time since 2005. With only one victory to his name so far, could this second stint of F1.5 bring Massa a new lease on life?
Perhaps more surprising was the return of Red Bull, competing in F1.5 for the first time since 2008. Kvyat had really started to find his feet at Toro Rosso by season's end last year, particularly in qualifying, while teammate Ricciardo had also impressed in 2013.
Pre-season
McLaren's new era did not get off to the best of starts. During pre-season testing in Barcelona, Alonso had a strange accident exiting turn 3. From there, it seems to be all hearsay, as McLaren released very few details of what happened. Alonso was reportedly unconscious for a few seconds after the crash, and may or may not have woken up thinking it was 1995. He spent a few days in hospital and on doctor's orders was made to sit out from the opening round of the season in Australia. 2014 driver Kevin Magnussen was brought in to replace him.
Round 1: Australia
The season proper got underway in Melbourne, where Williams got their return to F1.5 off to the perfect start, as Massa took pole for his first race in 10 years, ahead of Bottas. Ricciardo and Sainz took the second row ahead of Grosjean and Maldonado. Manor Marussia were unable to take part all weekend due to a technical fault.
And even more drama was to follow before the lights went out on Sunday. Bottas was deemed unfit to race after sustaining a back injury in qualifying, and then both Magnussen and Kvyat suffered car failures on their way to the grid from the pits. With neither Manor Marussia starting, that meant just 11 cars would start the race from the 16 entrants. The start saw Maldonado crash out at turn 2, bringing out the Safety Car. Grosjean then had a car failure on the first lap, so we were down to 9 cars already. Nasr had made an excellent start from 6th to get up to 3rd behind Sainz before passing the Toro Rosso on the restart. Ricciardo followed to demote Sainz to 4th as Massa continued to lead. Verstappen was the next retirement on lap 33, meaning 8 cars would finish the race. Massa started off his return in the best way with victory - his second in F1.5 after Canada 2005 - ahead of Nasr and Ricciardo. Hülkenberg, Ericsson, Sainz, Pérez, and Button were the only finishers.
After 1 round:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 25 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 28 | |
F Nasr | 18 | | Williams-Mercedes | 25 | |
D Ricciardo | 15 | | Force India-Mercedes | 18 | |
N Hülkenberg | 12 | | Red Bull-Renault | 15 | |
M Ericsson | 10 | | Toro Rosso-Renault | 8 | |
Round 2: Malaysia
Things were somewhat back to normal in Malaysia following the chaos and confusion of Australia, as Alonso returned to McLaren and Manor Marussia were finally able to get their cars on track. Bottas had also recovered from his injury and would be making his race debut in Sepang. Qualifying saw heavy rain hit the circuit partway through, leaving Q3 to be held on intermediate tyres and pole position to be taken by Ricciardo ahead of teammate Kvyat. Verstappen made it to third on the grid ahead of Massa, while Grosjean was penalised from 5th down to 7th, to the benefit of Bottas and Ericsson.
However, a full grid still eluded F1.5 in 2015, as Stevens was unable to take the start after a fuel system issue had already prevented him from qualifying. The Manor Marussia team insisted they had made a legitimate effort to get him going, but for now Merhi would have to carry the team on his own.
Off the line, Ricciardo kept the lead as Massa passed Kvyat and Bottas fell to 10th. On lap 4, Ericsson spun out, which brought out the Safety Car, prompting several drivers to make an early pit stop. When the race restarted, Ricciardo was still the leader of those who'd pitted, but soon began complaining of a long brake pedal, and on lap 14 he was passed by both Williams drivers for the net lead after strong progress from Bottas, which became the on-track lead when the late stoppers finally came in by lap 16. Ricciardo's brake issues meant he was soon passed by his junior team as Verstappen moved up to third before the Australian made his second stop. With Kvyat now the faster Red Bull, the decision was made to swap places to try and get the Russian up to the podium. Unfortunately, Kvyat was spun by Hülkenberg almost immediately, so Red Bull continued to suffer the ignominy of running behind both Toro Rossos after the final stops as Sainz made the 2-stop work where few others did. In the closing laps of the race, Massa suddenly found himself under attack from Bottas. On the penultimate lap, Bottas went round the outside of Massa at turn 4 to snatch the lead and claim his first F1.5 victory. Massa was disappointed with second after leading most of the race, while third place went to Verstappen in the 17-year-old's second ever race. Sainz, Kvyat, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Nasr, Pérez, and Hülkenberg completed the points.
After 2 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 43 | | Williams-Mercedes | 68 | ↑ 1 |
V Bottas | 25 | ↑ 10 | Toro Rosso-Renault | 35 | ↑ 3 |
D Ricciardo | 23 | | Red Bull-Renault | 33 | ↑ 1 |
F Nasr | 22 | ↓ 1 | Sauber-Ferrari | 32 | ↓ 2 |
C Sainz | 20 | ↑ 1 | Force India-Mercedes | 21 | ↓ 2 |
Round 3: China
A strong start to the season for Williams continued in Shanghai, with a dominant qualifying leaving Massa on pole ahead of Bottas, with a big gap back to Ricciardo and Grosjean on the second row, and the Sauber duo of Nasr and Ericsson completing the top 6.
At the start, Massa and Bottas held position up front as Ricciardo fell down the order, forcing a fight back through the field from 13th. As the Red Bull driver began picking off the likes of reigning-champion-turned-backmarker Alonso, the leaders disappeared off into the distance. Maldonado ran an interesting contra-strategy, but lost out on a good result by missing the pit entry on his in-lap, then spinning after his stop while trying to make up for lost time, then having a collision with Button in the closing laps which put the Lotus out of the race. Toro Rosso were on for another strong result despite Sainz spinning at the start, with Verstappen running 4th and holding off Nasr. That came to an end on lap 53 when the Dutch teenager suffered a transmission failure on the start/finish straight, bringing out the Safety Car for the final 3 laps and neutralising the result then and there. Massa took victory, having only conceded the lead through pit stops, with Bottas second making it another Williams 1-2, while Grosjean finished third. Nasr, Ricciardo, Ericsson, Pérez, Alonso, Sainz, and Button completed the points. Button had originally finished 9th, but was penalised for his crash with Maldonado.
After 3 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 68 | | Williams-Mercedes | 111 | |
V Bottas | 43 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 52 | ↑ 2 |
F Nasr | 34 | ↑ 1 | Red Bull-Renault | 43 | |
D Ricciardo | 33 | ↓ 1 | Toro Rosso-Renault | 37 | ↓ 2 |
C Sainz | 22 | | Force India-Mercedes | 27 | |
Round 4: Bahrain
Qualifying under the lights in Bahrain saw Bottas take his first pole position of the season as his recovery from Australia's disappointment continued. Massa was alongside, ahead of Ricciardo and Hülkenberg, with Sainz and Grosjean completing the top six.
While Williams surged, McLaren's struggles worsened. Button had been experiencing engine troubles all weekend and having already failed to set a time in qualifying, he ended up unable to even start the race. Massa also had pre-race worries, as he had to start from the pit lane after stalling on the formation lap.
Bottas kept the lead off the start ahead of Ricciardo, as Grosjean rocketed into third. Massa's recovery drive had a mixed beginning, as he passed a few cars on the opening laps but ended up stuck behind his compatriot Nasr. Taking the undercut allowed him to move up to 6th after the first pit stops, and another undercut at the second stop moved him up to 4th albeit with old tyres towards the end. Pérez and Kvyat, running 5th and 6th after benefiting from a free choice of tyres at the start, were bearing down on the championship leader as the top 3 were a long way ahead and apart. Ultimately, Massa's tyres were too worn to hold the pair off, but 6th was still a decent result after a pit lane start.
Bottas continued the alternating Williams victories, but drama struck in the closing moments as Ricciardo had a
massive engine failure within sight of the flag. He still managed to finish second ahead of Grosjean. Pérez, Kvyat, Massa, Alonso, Nasr, Hülkenberg, and Ericsson completed the points.
After 4 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 76 | | Williams-Mercedes | 144 | |
V Bottas | 68 | | Red Bull-Renault | 71 | ↑ 1 |
D Ricciardo | 51 | ↑ 1 | Sauber-Ferrari | 57 | ↓ 1 |
F Nasr | 38 | ↓ 1 | Force India-Mercedes | 41 | ↑ 1 |
R Grosjean | 36 | ↑ 1 | Toro Rosso-Renault | 37 | ↓ 1 |
Round 5: Spain
After the difficult start to the season for McLaren, the Spanish GP represented a chance of starting over, a desire which started with a
new livery which would last for the rest of the season. On track, it was Bottas claiming pole for the second race in a row, with Sainz surging to the front row at his home race. Verstappen and Kvyat took the second row, with Massa and Ricciardo on row 3 having only been able to complete one Q3 run.
The start of the race saw the Toro Rosso drivers fall down the order - as they'd predicted in fairness - while Massa recovered from his low grid spot to move up to second behind Bottas. The two Lotuses had a strong start, but contact between them caused damage that ultimately forced Maldonado into retirement. It also allowed Ricciardo to slip through into third after Kvyat lost several places off the line. Bottas was totally untroubled at the front to take his third win of the season, but Massa just about kept the championship lead by finishing second ahead of Ricciardo. Grosjean, Sainz, Kvyat, Verstappen, Nasr, Pérez, and Ericsson completed the points.
After 5 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 94 | | Williams-Mercedes | 187 | |
V Bottas | 93 | | Red Bull-Renault | 94 | |
D Ricciardo | 66 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 62 | |
R Grosjean | 48 | ↑ 1 | Toro Rosso-Renault | 53 | ↑ 1 |
F Nasr | 42 | ↓ 1 | Lotus-Mercedes | 48 | ↑ 1 |
Round 6: Monaco
The ever-important qualifying session at Monaco saw the first real crack in Williams' armour this season. On a track bereft of the long straights and fast corners they excelled in, the team that had won every race so far could only manage 10th and 13th on the grid. Just as in Malaysia, it was Ricciardo who capitalised on the opportunity by taking pole ahead of Kvyat. Pérez started alongside Maldonado, while Verstappen and Button took the third row following penalties for Sainz and Grosjean.
The start saw Kvyat pass his teammate for the lead as Hülkenberg and Massa fell to the back after contact with Alonso and Maldonado respectively. Maldonado's lap 7 retirement saw the two McLarens elevated to a season-high 5th and 6th, but it was not to last as Alonso went on to retire with a gearbox problem. A slow pit stop for Verstappen left the young Dutchman with work to do, and he impressed by overtaking first Sainz and then Bottas before coming up behind Grosjean in pursuit of 6th place. Entering lap 63, Verstappen
ran into the back of the Lotus at turn 1, bringing out the first ever Virtual Safety Car, which was quickly followed by a normal Safety Car. Kvyat continued to lead Ricciardo and Pérez, but the second Red Bull had some monstrous pace at the restart, prompting a controversial call from the team for Kvyat to cede position in hopes of maximising the team's F1.0 result. Ricciardo was unable to make an impression on the F1.0 cars ahead, so the positions swapped back on the final lap to give Kvyat his first F1.5 victory, ahead of Ricciardo and Pérez. Button took an impressive 4th ahead of Nasr, Sainz, Hülkenberg, Grosjean, Ericsson, and Bottas.
After 6 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
V Bottas | 94 | ↑ 1 | Williams-Mercedes | 188 | |
F Massa | 94 | ↓ 1 | Red Bull-Renault | 137 | |
D Ricciardo | 84 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 74 | |
D Kvyat | 53 | ↑ 4 | Force India-Mercedes | 64 | ↑ 2 |
F Nasr | 52 | | Toro Rosso-Renault | 61 | ↓ 1 |
Round 7: Canada
Williams were keen to put their Monaco disasterclass behind them, but a mixed Saturday in Montreal was all they could manage, as engine problems for Massa left the Brazilian out in Q1. Bottas had no such trouble, and despite taking pole once again, it was less than a tenth back to Grosjean on the front row. Maldonado and Hülkenberg took the second row ahead of Kvyat and Ricciardo.
The man to watch on race day was Massa - desperate to minimise his championship losses, he was on fire from the start, carving his way through the field to move up to 4th by the time the front-runners made their pit stops, moving down to 5th after his own stop. The top 4 by lap 40 were the same as they had been on the grid, but a series of incidents conspired to change that. Hülkenberg spun while battling with an F1.0 car to let Massa into 4th, before Grosjean dropped out of second place after giving himself a puncture attempting to lap Stevens. Bottas now led from Maldonado and Massa, but the Venezuelan was under pressure and was eventually passed on lap 64. After scoring just one point at Monaco, Williams were back on form with a 1-2 finish, Bottas winning for the 4th time with Massa second. Maldonado held on for his first podium - indeed, his first points finish - of the season, ahead of Hülkenberg, Kvyat, Grosjean, Pérez, Sainz, Ricciardo, and Ericsson.
After 7 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
V Bottas | 119 | | Williams-Mercedes | 231 | |
F Massa | 112 | | Red Bull-Renault | 149 | |
D Ricciardo | 86 | | Force India-Mercedes | 82 | ↑ 1 |
D Kvyat | 63 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 75 | ↓ 1 |
R Grosjean | 60 | ↑ 1 | Lotus-Mercedes | 75 | ↑ 1 |
Round 8: Austria
The tight competition at the top of the championship was on display again in Spielberg, as Massa claimed his third pole position of the season, with Hülkenberg making the front row. Bottas and Verstappen took the second row, while an engine penalty for Kvyat meant that Nasr and Grosjean completed the top six.
At the start, Massa kept hold of the lead as Verstappen passed Bottas for third. The race was almost immediately disrupted after a crash between Alonso and an F1.0 car brought out the Safety Car, but after the restart Bottas was quickly on the back of the Toro Rosso ahead. On lap 15, Bottas got past and retook third, and by now was gaining on the Force India of Hülkenberg. Ten laps later, the move was made and Bottas was up to second, but Hülkenberg regained the advantage with an undercut pit stop, so it would all have to be repeated again later. Sure enough, Bottas got past for good on lap 35, but by then Massa was simply too far ahead for the Finn to challenge for victory. Attention shifted in the closing laps to Maldonado, who was closing on Verstappen for 4th. Entering turn 1 on lap 69, Maldonado swung to the outside under DRS and nearly lost control, only for Verstappen to lock up and allow the Lotus past anyway.
By leading every lap from pole and setting fastest lap, Massa claimed a brilliant grand slam victory, while Bottas finishing second meant the two were again tied on points. Hülkenberg claimed his first podium of the season ahead of Maldonado, Verstappen, Pérez, Ricciardo, Nasr, Kvyat, and Ericsson.
After 8 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
V Bottas | 137 | | Williams-Mercedes | 274 | |
F Massa | 137 | | Red Bull-Renault | 157 | |
D Ricciardo | 92 | | Force India-Mercedes | 105 | |
D Kvyat | 65 | | Lotus-Mercedes | 87 | ↑ 1 |
R Grosjean | 60 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 80 | ↓ 1 |
Round 9: Great Britain
The big news going into Silverstone, aside from the close title battle between teammates, was Force India's introduction of a B-spec of their VJM08 in an attempt to close the gap to the front. However, qualifying was once again dominated by Williams, as Massa took pole ahead of Bottas with both half a second clear of Kvyat and Sainz on row 2. Hülkenberg and Ricciardo completed the top 6.
Qualifying had indicated it was going to be a difficult race for anyone not driving a Williams, but Nasr had probably expected he'd at least take the start. A gearbox failure on his lap to the grid meant he would not. Massa and Bottas surged away at the start, while a series of incidents at Village corner saw the teammates at Lotus and McLaren collide, with only Alonso managing to keep going. After a brief Safety Car intervention, Verstappen spun into the gravel as Williams imposed team orders to protect their safe 1-2. Bottas was understandably unhappy, and asked the team to rethink on the basis that he could go faster. Massa was given the undercut to stay ahead as Ricciardo retired with electrical failure. With 10 cars left, everyone who finished would score points, catching the attention of Manor Marussia, whose cars were still running and who had not scored yet this year. Sainz's retirement on lap 32 saw a brief Virtual Safety Car period as the threat of rain grew towards the end of the race. Alonso's recovery from his lap 1 incident saw him use his experience to pass Ericsson as the conditions worsened in the closing laps, but otherwise the switch to intermediates affected little. Massa took a second victory in a row to take the outright championship lead ahead of Bottas and Kvyat. Hülkenberg, Pérez, Alonso, Ericsson, Merhi, and Stevens took the rest of the points.
After 9 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 162 | ↑ 1 | Williams-Mercedes | 317 | |
V Bottas | 155 | ↓ 1 | Red Bull-Renault | 172 | |
D Ricciardo | 92 | | Force India-Mercedes | 127 | |
D Kvyat | 80 | | Lotus-Mercedes | 87 | |
S Pérez | 67 | ↑ 1 | Sauber-Ferrari | 86 | |
Round 10: Hungary
Between the rounds at Silverstone and Budapest, the paddock received the news it had been dreading for months. Jules Bianchi passed away on 17 July 2015 due to injuries sustained at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. His death was the first for a driver in over two decades, and tributes were paid throughout the Hungarian GP weekend.
The action continued on track, with Ricciardo claiming pole position ahead of Bottas. Kvyat and Massa followed behind, with Verstappen and Grosjean completing the top six.
The Hungaroring is often compared to Monaco, so Williams qualifying 2nd and 4th on this occasion was already an improvement on their dire Monte Carlo efforts. Race day was a different story from the beginning, as Massa failed to line up correctly on the grid, causing an aborted start and netting himself an immediate penalty. The actual start was just as chaotic. Bottas and Ricciardo collided, leaving the Finn in the lead and the Australian down in 4th. Kvyat moved into 2nd but in third was Hülkenberg after a fantastic start, followed by him overtaking Kvyat for 2nd. Kvyat was ordered to let Ricciardo through on lap 8, allowing him to pass Hülkenberg a couple of laps later. An early stop for Bottas left him stuck in some traffic and meant Ricciardo stayed in the lead after his own stop on lap 21. Hülkenberg kept hold of third place before a sudden front wing failure sent him into the barriers at turn 1, bringing out the Safety Car. The field passed through the pit lane to avoid debris, but some drivers took the opportunity to make an actual pit stop as well, so on the restart it was Ricciardo leading Bottas and Kvyat.
At turn 5 of the restart, Kvyat passed Bottas, while 4th-placed Verstappen hit the back of the Williams, giving Bottas a puncture that sent him to the back of the field, behind even his beleaguered teammate who'd been struggling all day. Verstappen was now up to third, and kept the position despite a penalty for speeding under the Safety Car, while Alonso was now up to 4th after staying out of trouble. Ricciardo's lead continued to grow, and he was catching the F1.0 cars ahead before a tangle at turn 1 forced a late stop for a front wing change. Kvyat was elevated into the lead and, despite a time penalty for overtaking off-track earlier in the race, claimed his second victory of the season. Just as in Monaco, Ricciardo had to settle for second in a race where he'd started on pole. Verstappen finished third to make an all-Red Bull podium (of sorts). Alonso, Grosjean, Button, Ericsson, Nasr, Massa, and Bottas completed the points.
After 10 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 164 | | Williams-Mercedes | 320 | |
V Bottas | 156 | | Red Bull-Renault | 215 | |
D Ricciardo | 110 | | Force India-Mercedes | 127 | |
D Kvyat | 105 | | Lotus-Mercedes | 97 | |
R Grosjean | 70 | ↑ 1 | Sauber-Ferrari | 96 | |
Round 11: Belgium
Despite the mess of a race Williams had suffered in Hungary, Massa had still managed to extend his championship lead somehow. Bottas was well-placed to take the advantage back by taking pole position at Spa, but Grosjean stole the attention with a great lap to go second-fastest before being penalised for a gearbox change. Pérez would therefore start on the front row, with Ricciardo and Massa behind, and Maldonado in 5th ahead of Grosjean after his penalty. McLaren set an unfortunate new F1.5 record after qualifying, with several engine changes for both drivers netting a cumulative 105-place grid penalty. This would not be fully applied, to say the least.
The race was shortened by a lap after Hülkenberg suffered a power unit problem and stalled on the starting grid, ending up unable to start the race. It was a bad start for polesitter Bottas, falling to third as Pérez and Ricciardo moved into the top two. Ricciardo was first to pit, on an aggressive strategy that saw him undercut Pérez for the lead - albeit briefly, as the Force India was quickly past again. Bottas' day went from bad to worse at his first stop, as he was released with
three medium tyres and one soft, earning a drive-through penalty which pushed him down to 7th. Grosjean was now up to third and chasing the leading duo. Ricciardo's early speed meant little as he was swallowed up by the Lotus, who went on to pass Pérez for the lead just as Ricciardo ground to a stop at the Bus Stop chicane. The Virtual Safety Car was brought out, prompting many to make a cheap pit stop, but Kvyat stuck to his strategy and moved up to second behind Grosjean. Stopping a few laps later for the softs, he was the fastest man on track towards the end of the race, passing Verstappen, Massa, and Pérez in the closing laps. But victory was denied, as Grosjean took his first win ever, also giving Lotus their first triumph. Kvyat settled for second ahead of Pérez, while Massa, Verstappen, Bottas, Ericsson, Nasr, Alonso, and Button completed the points.
After 11 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 176 | | Williams-Mercedes | 340 | |
V Bottas | 164 | | Red Bull-Renault | 233 | |
D Kvyat | 123 | ↑ 1 | Force India-Mercedes | 142 | |
D Ricciardo | 110 | ↓ 1 | Lotus-Mercedes | 122 | |
R Grosjean | 95 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 106 | |
Round 12: Italy
Williams bounced back from the Spa struggles with a dominant display in Monza qualifying. Massa took pole ahead of Bottas, with the second row of Pérez and Grosjean more than half a second off. Hülkenberg and Maldonado took the third row following a penalty for 6th-placed Ericsson.
The comparison between Williams and Lotus was made even more stark at the start. Massa and Bottas led away comfortably, while both Lotus drivers were involved in a shunt at the start which saw Ericsson ricochet Grosjean into Hülkenberg into Maldonado. The Lotus pair were out, but the others were undamaged. Massa continued to lead Bottas, but little separated the two in terms of pace, as both were desperate for victory and the championship momentum after a difficult couple of races. They dropped the Force India pair, running 3rd and 4th, while Red Bull struggled for pace. Ricciardo was eventually able to get close to 5th-placed Ericsson, but all attention was on the lead battle. Bottas had DRS on Massa all through the closing stages of the race, with no team orders in play and a championship on the line. Massa was able to hang on for victory, with Bottas just three tenths behind at the line. Pérez took quite a distant third, but Hülkenberg in 4th was a good result nonetheless. Ricciardo stole 5th in the final few metres ahead of Ericsson, Kvyat, Sainz, Verstappen, and Nasr.
After 12 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 201 | | Williams-Mercedes | 383 | |
V Bottas | 182 | | Red Bull-Renault | 249 | |
D Kvyat | 129 | | Force India-Mercedes | 169 | |
D Ricciardo | 120 | | Lotus-Mercedes | 122 | |
S Pérez | 97 | ↑ 1 | Sauber-Ferrari | 115 | |
Round 13: Singapore
F1.5 arrived at Marina Bay with a new face in the paddock, as GP2 driver Alexander Rossi replaced Merhi at Manor Marussia. Rossi and Merhi would share the seat for the rest of the season, with Rossi's GP2 campaign taking precedence. It was a difficult introduction for the American driver, with a crash in free practice and subsequently qualifying last at one of the most gruelling tracks on the calendar. At the other end of the field, however, it was Red Bull who took the initiative, as Ricciardo claimed pole position on another tight, twisty circuit after Monaco and Hungary. Teammate Kvyat lined up alongside, with Bottas and Verstappen on the second row, and Massa and Grosjean completing the top six.
Verstappen's strong grid position came to nothing as he stalled at the start of the race. The Toro Rosso was wheeled into the pits and started manually, allowing the Dutchman to join the race albeit one lap down. Ricciardo set about building a lead as the Force India pair sprang up to move into the top 6 positions. Hülkenberg attempted to undercut Massa for 4th with an early stop, but the German's attempt at defending the racing line saw him instead crash into Massa as he exited the pits. The stricken Force India caused a Safety Car, allowing a free pit stop to those who needed it, and allowing Verstappen to make his lap back up and make the most of his quick pace on the restart. With Sainz also at the back after a momentary engine glitch, the Toro Rosso duo had it all to do. The middle part of the race saw championship leader Massa retire with a similar fault to what had afflicted Sainz. Bottas' fortunes further improved when Kvyat had a slow pit stop, allowing the Williams to move up to 2nd. At that moment, another Safety Car was called after a spectator was seen walking on the track. The restart saw more action from Verstappen and Sainz, as they managed to pass both Lotuses and sit 5th and 6th despite having been in last earlier in the race. In the closing laps, Verstappen received team orders to let Sainz through, with the Spaniard on fresher tyres and Pérez not far ahead, but he refused to comply.
After falling short several times this season, Ricciardo finally took his first F1.5 victory, over 30 seconds clear of Bottas in second and Kvyat in third. Pérez was 4th ahead of Verstappen, Sainz, Nasr, Ericsson, Maldonado, and Grosjean.
After 13 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
F Massa | 201 | | Williams-Mercedes | 401 | |
V Bottas | 200 | | Red Bull-Renault | 289 | |
D Ricciardo | 145 | ↑ 1 | Force India-Mercedes | 181 | |
D Kvyat | 144 | ↓ 1 | Lotus-Mercedes | 125 | |
S Pérez | 109 | | Sauber-Ferrari | 125 | |
Round 14: Japan
One point separated the title rivals as the final stretch of the season got underway. A bit of momentum either way could determine the champion at this late stage. If that momentum starts on a Saturday, Bottas grabbed it with another pole position. Massa joined him at the front of the grid, with Ricciardo and Grosjean on the second row. Pérez and Sainz took the third row, with Sainz moving up from 8th after
a heavy crash for Kvyat forced a pit lane start, and Hülkenberg took a penalty for his crash with Massa in Singapore.
A chaotic start saw Massa and Ricciardo collide, causing punctures for both that demoted them to the back of the field. Pérez also went off-track at the first corner and got a puncture as well. With overtaking always difficult at Suzuka, it was set to be a long afternoon for those three. Bottas now led Grosjean and Maldonado, but Hülkenberg behind was feeling racy and managed to undercut the pair of them. Bottas led comfortably throughout, building a pit-stop's gap by the time of the second stops. The charge from the back of the field for Pérez, Kvyat, Ricciardo, and Massa did not go well, with only Pérez and Kvyat on for points in a race that officially saw no retirements. Nasr did suffer a failure in the final laps, but was still classified.
Bottas took victory in Japan by a comfortable margin, retaking the championship lead as Massa failed to score. Hülkenberg and Grosjean took to the podium ahead of Maldonado, Verstappen, Sainz, Alonso, Pérez, Kvyat, and Ericsson.
After 14 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
V Bottas | 225 | ↑ 1 | Williams-Mercedes | 426 | |
F Massa | 201 | ↓ 1 | Red Bull-Renault | 291 | |
D Kvyat | 146 | ↑ 1 | Force India-Mercedes | 203 | |
D Ricciardo | 145 | ↓ 1 | Lotus-Mercedes | 152 | |
S Pérez | 113 | | Toro Rosso-Renault | 142 | ↑ 1 |
Round 15: Russia
Sochi saw Merhi return to Manor Marussia after a promising pair of debut outings for Rossi, who'd finished ahead of his teammate in both races he'd started. Following Bottas' championship swing last time out, he took advantage of Massa's traffic trouble to take a dominant pole position ahead of Hülkenberg. Pérez and Grosjean took the second row ahead of Verstappen and Ricciardo.
At the start, Bottas got away well while Hülkenberg was put under pressure from Pérez. The German spun at turn 2 while trying to defend his position, collecting Verstappen and Ericsson and causing himself as well as the Sauber to retire immediately. Verstappen was able to continue, albeit with a puncture, as the Safety Car came out with Bottas leading Pérez and Kvyat after a great start from the home favourite. The race restarted on lap 4, but by lap 12 the Safety Car was out again after a big crash for Grosjean at turn 3. Pérez and Ricciardo opted to make their sole pit stop while the race was neutralised, while Bottas and Kvyat stayed out. It looked as though the early stoppers had the advantage at the time of Bottas' pit stop, as he emerged third behind Pérez and Ricciardo. Bottas' fresh tyres quickly produced an advantage of his own, however, and he was bearing down on the leaders. Meanwhile, Massa had a similar strategy that allowed him to push through the pack, capped off with an overtake on Kvyat for 5th, which became 4th after Sainz retired with a brake failure.
Bottas was now up to 2nd and chasing Pérez for the win, but it would be close. Pérez's tyres had simply run out of grip by the end of the penultimate lap, and Bottas went through to take the lead, which he kept for all of 3 corners before being unceremoniously punted by an F1.0 car. With Ricciardo also retiring late in the race with suspension failure, a shocked Pérez was able to hang on for his first victory of the season, with Massa taking second and Kvyat third. Nasr, Maldonado, Button, Verstappen, Alonso, Bottas, and Merhi completed the points.
After 15 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
V Bottas | 227 | | Williams-Mercedes | 446 | |
F Massa | 219 | | Red Bull-Renault | 306 | |
D Kvyat | 161 | | Force India-Mercedes | 228 | |
D Ricciardo | 145 | | Lotus-Mercedes | 162 | |
S Pérez | 138 | | Toro Rosso-Renault | 148 | |
Round 16: United States
The championship rolled on to Austin, with things once again tight at the top of the standings after a shift in luck. Rossi rejoined Manor Marussia for his home event, but it was far from a normal race weekend for anyone as Friday and Saturday saw torrential rain requiring the cancellation of FP2 and qualifying delayed until Sunday morning. Even then, more rainfall predicted before the race start meant Q3 was not run, and grid order was taken after Q2. That left Ricciardo on pole ahead of Kvyat, with Pérez and Hülkenberg on the second row ahead of Massa and Verstappen. Championship leader Bottas could only manage 8th, which became 12th after a gearbox penalty.
With the track still damp by the time the race started, the stage was set for chaos. Kvyat took the lead at the first corner, while Bottas' recovery from 12th started poorly after contact with Alonso. The debris at the first corner from the various scrapes caused a Virtual Safety Car on lap 5, just as Bottas pulled into the pits to retire with a broken suspension following his first-corner shunt. Ricciardo took the lead after the restart when Kvyat ran wide at the long turns 17/18. A few laps later, the track had dried enough to consider slicks, with Verstappen benefitting from making the call early by moving up to third. Massa had hoped to capitalise on his teammate's retirement, but had gone backwards in the race after contact with Grosjean at the start, and joined Bottas in retirement on lap 24. On lap 27, the Safety Car was brought out for Ericsson stopping on-track, with Ricciardo leading Kvyat and Verstappen. The Toro Rosso seemed to be quicker than the senior team at this stage in the race, as Verstappen passed Kvyat for second and then took the lead a lap later. Ricciardo's dreadful luck struck again as Hülkenberg crashed into him while attempting a similar pass, putting the Force India out and sending the Red Bull well down the order. Another VSC was followed by another full Safety Car when Kvyat crashed at the penultimate corner, giving the bizarre scenario 10 laps from the finish of Verstappen leading Alonso and Pérez. The reigning champion's shot at a first podium in 2015 evaporated when his engine lost power at the restart - though he could continue, he fell down to 7th. Button was now third but Sainz was chasing the 5-time champion, aiming for a podium after starting last. The move was made on lap 54, but with a 5-second penalty looming for speeding in the pit lane, it would take a monumental effort to keep the position.
In treacherous conditions that had caught out the very best all weekend, Verstappen came through to win in Texas ahead of Pérez, while Button claimed his and McLaren's first podium of the season after Sainz's penalty. Behind the Spaniard came Maldonado, Nasr, Ricciardo, Alonso, and Rossi. Only 9 drivers finished.
After 16 rounds:
Drivers' Championship | Pts | | Constructors' Championship | Pts | |
V Bottas | 227 | | Williams-Mercedes | 446 | |
F Massa | 219 | | Red Bull-Renault | 312 | |
D Kvyat | 161 | | Force India-Mercedes | 246 | |
S Pérez | 156 | ↑ 1 | Toro Rosso-Renault | 185 | ↑ 1 |
D Ricciardo | 151 | ↓ 1 | Lotus-Mercedes | 172 | ↓ 1 |
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submitted by Haas End of Season Report
Drivers:
Mid-Season Predictions at the End of the Season
Let us look at the predictions I made at the halfway mark of the season and see how far I was.
My 90% prediction was that Haas would have less than 10 points and finish in the bottom 3 at the end of the year. Well, they only collected 2 more points since that point. The team executed a daring strategy for Romain Grosjean at the Eifel GP in October, and he secured two points for the team. Kevin Magnussen had a chance in Russia and in the Eifel GP, but he could not get past his opponents on the track and failed to score again.
My 50% prediction was that Kevin Magnussen would beat Romain Grosjean in qualifying over the season. Well, over the remaining 7 races, the drivers would split the six races they both competed in (Grosjean would miss the last two races after his accident in the Bahrain GP), the final tally for the year being Magnussen 8-7, making this prediction true.
My 10% prediction was that Grosjean would smash his car into a wall, to help Magnussen get a points finish. Alas, my idea of the 2008 Singapore Crashgate being replicated were dashed. The remaining races were not very satisfying for either driver, but there were no shenanigans.
My 0% prediction was that Kevin Magnussen would win a race and give Gunther Steiner a door to replace the one he broke last season at Austria. Now, I did say it was a 0% prediction, so you cannot fault me for not achieving it.
The Season
Haas started off with low expectations. After the 2019 disaster, surely it could not get worse. 2020 had something different in mind for the only USA team on the grid. Let us look at the three components of the team and see how they performed this year.
Car
The less said about the VF-20, the better. Haas were hoping that the Ferrari Power Unit would carry over the strong performance of 2019 into the new year, but a PU redesign turned into a fiasco, the PU losing a lot of power, which significantly hurt all Ferrari-powered teams.
Funding, or lack thereof, has also continued to be a problem for the team. The Rich Energy fiasco left the future of Haas in doubt and with hardly any cash to develop the car, it is really not a surprise that the car’s performance went backwards, as their direct rivals improved (especially Williams).
The car did look fast at times, getting to the Top 6 in FP1 and FP2 at Barcelona this year. Under the right conditions, the car looked great. But the issue was the same as last year: the car was unreliable, unpredictable, and the teams did not have the resources to solve these issues nor to improve the car over its baselines. With Team Principal Guenther Steiner not shy about venting his frustration at
not being able to develop in time for any races this year, it is clear that, without the necessary funding, the team’s performance should only deteriorate further.
Right now, Haas get their non-listed parts solely from Ferrari, and the remainder of their parts are produced by third-party companies, with Dallara building their chassis. A car built using parts from others, and with little to no in-house manufacturing or testing capability (Haas uses Ferrari’s wind tunnel as well), it is hard to believe that Haas can develop a car that will deliver a significantly better performance for 2021.
Drivers
Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will not return for 2021, after 4 years together.
The previous season was hard on both drivers, and they were both keen to bounce back from the doldrums of crashes and car failures to return to fighting for points. But from
winter testing, it appeared they were off the pace against the midfield yet again.
An audacious strategy in Hungary got Magnussen to 10th, Grosjean collected a 9th place in the EIfel GP and that was it for points. Culminating in
Grosjean’s horrific crash in the Bahrain GP, it was another year to forget for the team.
For the drivers, they had a cleaner, more well-behaved season, as they avoided the clashes that permeated their previous years, but with both Grosjean and Magnussen shown the door at season’s end, it is likely not going to be their favorite season in Formula 1.They drove with class and dignity in an effort doomed to not bring home many rewards.
Grosjean’s accident in Bahrain was the perfect summation of the terrible season Haas endured. An opening lap crash while trying to get ahead of the midfield stragglers in order to have any chance of fighting for something other than the last places, a car engulfed in flames, with the driver stuck in the inferno for almost 30 seconds before (newly appointed Vice-President of the FIA Medical Commission) Dr. Ian Roberts and the track marshals managed to help him escape. Considering the accident, the fact that Grosjean escaped with minor trauma and serious burns to his hands is a miracle, and Dr. Roberts, Alan van der Merwe and the marshals (special mention for
Sergeant Thayer Ali Taher and Sergeant Major John Matthew) were some of the saints that saved Grosjean’s life that day. It would be the last time we would see Grosjean in Haas colors and possibly forever as an F1 driver. The
scenes when Grosjean returned to the track during the Sakhir GP were a much-needed
balm to the hearts and minds of many who had witnessed the terrible accident the week before.
With that horrific chapter behind the team and the paddock, the team needed a replacement for Grosjean and so they turned to the team’s reserve driver
Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi. He gelled greatly with the car, showing great maturity in the last two races of the season and, while he did not match Magnussen’s pace (which would be an incredible feat for a driver with no preparation being called into action), the
team was apparently extremely satisfied with his performances in both races.
All in all, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen leave Formula 1 with podiums to their names, both having endured successes and also faced crippling despair in the tough moments. But through it all, they have been consummate professionals and teammates throughout.
Even if both probably had hopes of achieving more when they dreamed of being Formula 1 drivers, they can head off into the next chapters in their lives knowing that they gave their best.
Kevin Magnussen will be heading off to the USA to race with Chip Ganassi in IMSA for next season, while Romain Grosjean will be at his home, recovering from his injuries. We wish them the best of luck in their careers.
Team
The last time I spoke about the team, I had two major sentiments. The first was that either one or both drivers would be replaced with some experienced drivers. The second was that Team Principal Guenther Steiner has the backing from owner Gene Haas to develop the team into the new regulations. Only one of them was right.
Let us talk about Guenther first. While the sentiment I had remains true today, it seems unlikely that bringing home 3 points will cut it. The team will have more money next year (more on this later), and hopefully this means Steiner can push the team to improve on their car. But the ability to push the team forward also means they need to deliver. Gene Haas is a good team owner and a savvy business leader, but his patience has a limit and too many years bringing up the rear of the grid are sure to test that.
Future
The team signed Mick Schumacher, current F2 champion and son of Michael Schumacher, and Nikita Mazepin to drive for them in the 2021 season. It is not unexpected because Guenther had talked a lot about bringing youth with money into the team, and he has done so. But now the results need to follow.
Mick Schumacher clinched the F2 title in the last race of the season, fending off AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda, Callum Ilott, and his future teammate Nikita Mazepin. He showed incredible poise and composure to balance the necessary aggression needed to achieve the results he needed with the maturity to not put the car in places where he would be in too much danger.
He only picked up two wins in the entire season, but with 10 podiums and only four finishes outside the points, Schumacher started the season slowly, but once he hit his stride, he romped to the championship and earned his place in Formula 1.
Obviously, it remains to be seen if he can withstand the weight the Schumacher surname carries, although he could inherit a lot of his father’s fans. But what happens if he does not have the same era-defining pace Michael had? Or fails to show the same trademark consistency of the 7-time World Champion? Very few drivers in history have had to withstand that sort of pressure and even if Mick has a great family behind him, a great support system, and clearly a lot of driving talent, the team will have to take a careful approach as Schumacher’s career gets off the ground.
And then we have to discuss his teammate, Nikita Mazepin. The Russian enters the sport with the backing of his billionaire father Dmitry Mazepin, a P5 in the F2 championship, and a host of controversies.
His spats on and off the track with his fellow racers and his reckless moves on track do not paint him in the best light. And that was before the troubling Instagram video.
The reaction from the Formula 1 community was mostly outrage and anger, with many journalists speaking out against his actions, with the most scathing being the
Sky Sports team discussing his actions on their broadcast of FP1 in Abu Dhabi. Ted Kravitz said that Haas would have no choice but to wash this under the rug and never address it again, and that the media should keep talking about this.
Well, Haas did talk. They issued a boilerplate response to go along with Mazepin’s apology. Guenther Steiner said he needs to look at this ‘objectively’ and avoid feelings when thinking about the issue. But what this incident shows is that the team will not take any action, because they need the money (and probably do not want to deal with Mazepin’s Sr. trigger-happy stance on lawsuits).
Haas will sweep this story under the rug under the ruse of ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘lessons learned’, but this incident is not reflective of the moral standards that we should abide by, and the basic standards that we expect all people to live by. Make sure to
read this article about why this issue causes deep pain for fans and why behavior like this should not be tolerated at any level.
Conclusion
Haas had high hopes before the season, but they were dashed before winter testing was over. The lack of cash for upgrades and the Ferrari PU loss of performance completed a bleak picture for a challenging year.
Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean leave the team with dignity and respect of the grid and fans, while Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin now need to steer the team towards a recovery that will mostly hinge on the money these two young drivers will bring to the team being used in the correct areas. And considering this will depend on the drivers’ feedback regarding where to improve the car, Haas is running a big risk and it could have serious consequences to everyone involved, including Team Principal Steiner.
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