With 11 races down and just nine to go we’ve raced past the halfway point of the Formula 1 season, but with a two week break before the racing resumes in Belgium, we thought now would be the perfect time to take stock of the season so far.. and what a season it’s been. We’ve had retirements, road rage and Patrick Stewart drinking from a boot, and that’s not even the half of it!
Here’s the story of the season so far..
The season started with F1 fans still coming to terms with the shock retirement of Nico Rosberg, but out on the track it was business as usual, and with the reigning world champion out of the picture it was all to play for in the first race of the season at Melbourne. Rosberg’s teammate/title rival Lewis Hamilton started the season as favourite, but it was four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel who set the pace and stormed into an early lead at the top of the drivers’ championship.
Despite Ferrari’s strong start to the season (winning two of the first three races), Vettel’s victory in Oz was followed by wins for both Lewis Hamilton and Valterri Bottas. But there were definite signs that Mercedes dominance was finally coming to an end, and it wasn’t just Ferrari who benefited from the shift in power. F1 fans had been dreaming of a title fight between Vettel and Hamilton for years, and as they both finally had a car that was capable of pushing for the title, it was on! More on that later though..
Away from the fight for the title there were big concerns about the lack of overtaking, with drivers, fans and F1 bosses all unhappy at the lack of competitive racing. Epic races in Bahrain, Baku and Britain soon silenced any critics though, and as drivers adjusted to their improved cars we were treated to some of the best racing of the season. It was in Azerbaijan where the action really burst into life though, and the Baku street circuit hosted one of the most memorable races in F1 history. There were crashes, safety cars and an unlikely win for Daniel Ricciardo, but what the race will really be remember for is Sebastian Vettel’s infamous bout of road rage. Ramming race-leader Lewis Hamilton might not have been his brightest decision, but it certainly spiced up their rivalry and got F1 fans around the world picking sides.
By this point the season was in full swing and most teams were now starting to find their form, there were still huge problems at one team though. McLaren Honda had been blighted by mechanical problems from the off and their drivers failed to score single point in the opening ten races of the season. That wasn’t their only problem though, star driver Fernando Alonso had also been given permission to miss the Monaco Grand Prix and race in the Indy 500. Pointless, and a driver down, what McLaren needed was a hero, so step forward Mr Jenson Alexander Lyons Button! Unfortunately not even Jenson could turn things around though and the former world champion’s big comeback ended with a collision on the 66th lap of the race.
Not even the title chasing Ferrari’s were safe from mechanical failures though, and as we reached the season’s halfway point at Silverstone both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were hit by mechanical problems. As the race reached its climax both suffered front-left tyre failures, allowing Mercedes to cut the gap at the top of the constructors’ championship and Lewis Hamilton to move within a point of Vettel at the top of the drivers’ championship. Talk in the week had been on the long-term future of the British Grand Prix, but after such an exciting race rumours of Silverstone losing the rights to host the British Grand Prix thankfully died down.
Following the British Grand Prix the F1 action headed to Hungary, which is where our story of the season so far ends, but just like at the start of the season it’s Sebastian Vettel who’s sitting pretty at the top of the table. It’s all still to play for though and if this season has taught us anything it’s that anything can happen in Formula 1. Here’s to a second half of the season that’s even more memorable than the first!