Driver of the season
Lewis Hamilton, with a special mention for the thrilling Max Verstappen. Hamilton was more dominant than in his championship years of 2008 and 2014. He won 10 races and took the title with three grands prix to spare. He improved on his 2014 qualifying performances, winning 11 of the first dozen poles. He fluffed only his curtain call. His admission in Brazil that his road accident in Monaco had been preceded by excessive partying made it easy to point the finger when he lost his edge at the end – but this brilliant driver had earned some downtime.
Team of the season
Mercedes. They went from strength to stranglehold, winning 16 of the 19 races and their 12 one-two finishes is an F1 record. The Silver Arrows were in a class of their own and all the time they suggested they had a little bit more in the tank. The only surprise was they did not win the Davis Cup as well. In their spare time Mercedes supplied engines to the consistent Williams and Force India teams. Little surprise they would not let Red Bull buy one.
Race of the season
The United States Grand Prix in Austin. There are other contenders. Hamilton’s home win at Silverstone was one of his most memorable and the race in Hungary, won by Sebastian Vettel, stand out, too. Texas, never shy to boast, really had a race to shout about. It was a rubbish weekend in terms of weather, with soggy Stetsons everywhere, but the Sunday afternoon made it all worthwhile. It was simply impossible to call the result until the end, with plenty of overtaking and safety cars and many different race leaders.
Moment of the season
Ask Nico Rosberg. The first turn at Austin is still a talking point a month later. Rosberg had pole but Hamilton squeezed him off the track on the first corner – tough but fair, though “extremely aggressive” according to Rosberg. From there, Hamilton went on to win the race and the championship. Until then – apart from a little spat in China – there had not been the bitterness between the two that was so evident last year, especially in Monaco and Spa. However, after Austin, cap throwing et al, they were once again the best of enemies.
Overtake of the season
Any one of half a dozen from the stunning Verstappen but if I had to choose one it would be the 18-year-old’s move on Felipe Nasr at Spa, holding his outside line to pass at Blanchimont. A close second would be his late braking in China to slip past Marcus Ericsson on the inside. He’s not shy, this one. In challenging in Singapore he went from last to eighth. Some drivers thought he was sometimes too aggressive. They said the same about Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
The season was great because …
In the midst of the sport’s many troubles, it can return to an old circuit, Mexico, and create a wonderful atmosphere. Mexico was a stunning success, with a three-day crowd of 330,000 coming to see the city’s first race in 23 years. The season was also great because of the intense rivalry between the top two drivers, Hamilton and Rosberg. Although the British driver was way on top for most of the year, the German had things much his own way in the last few races.
The season was disappointing because …
There was too little competition from the other teams. Only Ferrari, occasionally, gave Mercedes problems. It was all too predictable. Honda and Renault forgot how to make engines. Lotus looked haunted and strapped for cash all season – and a once great team, McLaren, with their two world champion drivers, were too often languishing at the back of the field.
Wish for next season
That Ferrari step up and give Mercedes a proper battle because Red Bull and Williams will not be good enough to take them on. That Lotus will still be around. That the insolvent back half of the grid – in a £1.5bn sport, mark you – will find solutions to their problems. That F1 is given the leadership it needs. That the leading shareholders, CVC, either give something back to the sport or sell up after making billions from their purchase.
Fear for next season
That none of these things will happen. That Mercedes will be just as dominant – there were signs they were sandbagging on occasions this year. That McLaren will not get much better, with an awful Honda engine you would not trust to power your lawnmower. That moves towards the promised brave new world of 2017 will not only concentrate on making cars faster but also look at increasing overtaking moves, which have declined in the past two years.
