The first part of the 2014 Formula 1 season has been a step into the unknown for the sport, but it has produced some stunning and fantastic racing.
In my final mid-season review piece, I take a look back at the 11 races so far and reflect on what we have seen ahead of round 12 in Belgium.
Could the major transformation to the regulations change the competitive order and bring Red Bull Racing’s dominant streak to an end? The answer has been well and truly ‘yes’ but many questions still remain unanswered with eight races still to go. Here is a look back.
Australia
Early indications from winter testing suggested that the pecking order in Melbourne at the season opener would be quite different to the one that we had become used to over the last few years.
Mercedes kept up its testing pace by topping two of the three practice sessions, but the Brackley-based outfit failed to secure a front-row lock-out with Daniel Ricciardo – in his first race for Red Bull Racing – instead joining pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton.
However, the Brit didn’t stay in first place for long and retired on lap three with a misfiring engine cylinder. His power-unit problem cleared the way for Nico Rosberg to dominate the event. Ricciardo impressed to finish second on home turf, but he would later be excluded for exceeding the fuel flow limit – no fault of his own, but a team error.
Kevin Magnussen was another youngster who impressed over the weekend, finishing third (before being promoted to second) on his debut. Ricciardo’s heartbreak helped McLaren score a double podium with Button inheriting third. It was certainly an intriguing start to 2014 and the new era of F1.
Malaysia
Once again Mercedes were denied a front row lock-out thanks to a Red Bull RB10, but in Malaysia it was Sebastian Vettel who took second on the grid. The Milton Keynes-based squad had a disastrous testing period, but the pace of the car was better than many expected.
Hamilton was on pole position for the second race in a row but unlike in Australia, his Mercedes W05 ran without any problems and he was able to put in a controlled drive to first place – 17 seconds clear of his own team-mate.
Vettel wasn’t able to keep up with Hamilton, but he put up a fight against the second Mercedes driver to complete the podium. Ricciardo could have kicked off his points tally at the Sepang International Circuit as well had he not suffered a poor pit stop, a penalty and a front wing failure.
Bahrain
After just two races of the 2014 season, people were already complaining about the new F1. The main problem was the quieter engine sound, which I can tell you are much better in person, but they were soon shut up by one of the most exciting and action-packed races in recent history.
Mercedes had finally locked out the front row of the grid, this time Rosberg ahead of Hamilton, and the two were involved in a close, wheel-to-wheel battle for most of the 57-lap event.
Hamilton had got the better of his team-mate at the start and despite Rosberg’s best efforts – and there were many – he couldn’t find a way through, with the 2008 world champion putting in a stunning defensive drive on the harder compound tyre in the closing stages.
There were plenty of other scraps up and down the grid, with the fight for the final podium being hotly contested. Sergio Perez eventually emerged in third place to score Force India’s first podium since the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, with Hulkenberg in fifth – split by Ricciardo.
Pastor Maldonado and Esteban Gutierrez produced one of the most dramatic moments of the season so far after the former hit the latter, pitching the Sauber into a barrel-roll. Fortunately he was okay.
China
The big story prior to F1’s trip to China was the resignation of Stefano Domenicali as Ferrari team principal, with little-known Marco Mattiacci taking his place and debuting in the paddock at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Following Red Bull Racing’s rejected appeal of Ricciardo’s Australia exclusion; the team had hoped to move on from the mistake and edge closer to the front. Despite the Aussie topping FP3, Mercedes continued to dominate with Hamilton taking pole position once again.
The Brit converted it into a clear victory, which helped him to edge closer to Rosberg in the championship battle. The German had spun on his final qualifying attempt and a poor start from fourth meant he had plenty of work to do early on. However, his superior speed advantage meant he easily moved up to second by the chequered flag, with Alonso in third to score Ferrari’s first podium of the season.
Spain
F1 returned to Europe for the first time since the opening pre-season test in Jerez for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It was the first chance for teams to try out and test major updates, but the competitive order remained the same.
Hamilton and Rosberg locked out the front row once again and were in a league of their own in the race. We were treated to another fantastic fight for the win, with Hamilton eventually emerging victorious.
It was his fourth consecutive victory and he finished just six tenths ahead of his team-mate, taking the championship lead. Ricciardo was third, ahead of Vettel and Bottas.
Monaco
At the Circuit de Monaco on Saturday afternoon, the tension between the two Mercedes drivers really started to show. Rosberg’s Mirabeau mistake during Q3 was deemed to have been deliberate by Hamilton - despite the stewards clearing him of any wrong-doing - as the German secured pole position due to the yellow flags.
Only Rosberg knows the truth, but he went on to win the Monaco Grand Prix the next day and reclaimed the top spot in the drivers’ standings. Hamilton had challenged him several times but, after claiming he had something in his eye, dropped back into the clutches of a charging Ricciardo in the closing laps.
It was certainly an intriguing weekend of on-track and off-track action at the most famous street circuit in the world, as the sport headed away from Europe briefly to Canada for round seven.
Canada
With the performance advantage of Mercedes, many expected them to win every race in 2014. However, the Brackley-based outfit’s run of victories came to an end at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, with Ricciardo standing on the top step of the podium for the first time.
It was a hugely popular win, but despite a strong drive by the Aussie, he was helped by both Hamilton and Rosberg hitting trouble. The two drivers battled closely before they were struck with similar MGU-K problems, which resulted in brake issues.
Hamilton was forced to retire while Rosberg battled on to secure second place, dropping behind Ricciardo in the final stages and just avoiding a huge last-lap crash between Perez and Massa after contact on the run to turn one – fortunately they were uninjured, but both placed the blame on the other.
Austria
Following his retirement in Canada, Hamilton needed to finish ahead of Rosberg to help put his title challenge back on track. However, a spin in Q3 meant he had plenty of work to do from ninth on the grid as F1 returned to the Red Bull Ring for the first time in 11 years.
Rosberg was ironically forced to abort his final run due to the yellow flags and could only manage third, behind Massa and Bottas – the first Williams front-row lock-out since the 2003 German Grand Prix. They couldn’t retain first and second in the race, with Rosberg moving ahead in the pit stops and Hamilton recovering to second after a strong first lap.
Despite dropping to third and fourth – Bottas ahead of Massa – Williams looked a lot closer to Mercedes in Austria. Meanwhile Red Bull, at the track owned by the team’s parent company, struggled with eighth for Ricciardo and a DNF for Vettel. However, it was a successful return for the race with packed crowds, great facilities and a good race.
Britain
Hamilton was hoping to secure a second victory on home turf as F1 headed to Silverstone for round eight of the 2014 season. However, qualifying didn’t go to plan after he decided to back off on his final Q3 attempt to let his team-mate through.
It proved to be a poor error of judgement and as others improved, he eventually slipped to sixth on the grid. Fortunately a strong start on Sunday helped his cause and he was sitting in second place when Rosberg retired from the lead with a gearbox issue.
The crowd went wild as he moved up to first place and took the chequered flag to secure his five win of 2014. Bottas and Ricciardo completed a very popular podium, while Button lost out on a debut top three result on home soil by the slimmest of margins.
We witnessed some fantastic battles throughout the British Grand Prix, with the stand-out fight being between Vettel and Alonso for fifth place. The race also produced one of the biggest crashes in recent F1 history after Raikkonen found the wall on the Wellington Straight, causing a one-hour delay while the barrier was repaired.
Germany
After a painful retirement from the lead at Silverstone, Rosberg returned to the top of the podium in Germany. However, all eyes were on Hamilton as he recovered from the back of the grid after a big brake-failure related crash in Q1 and a gearbox change.
Rosberg started from pole position and led every lap at the Hockenheimring. Hamilton put in a storming and aggressive drive to eventually climb to third, just behind Bottas.
The second Williams of Massa retired on lap one after contact with Magnussen at the first corner, which pitched the Brazilian’s car upside down. It was another race packed full of exciting battles as Rosberg extended his championship advantage.
Hungary
With a strong track record at the Hungaroring and the fastest car on the grid, many expected Hamilton to take the victory in Hungary. However, his race was compromised once again by a problem in Q1 – this time a fuel leak at the start of the session, which meant he lined up from the pit lane.
Rosberg was on pole, with rain earlier in the day causing all 22 drivers to start on intermediate tyres. Conditions were treacherous early on and Hamilton soon found that out after spinning at turn two. The mistake delayed his charge but he was soon advancing up the order, helped by safety car periods caused by crashes for Marcus Ericsson and Perez.
The timing of the first appearance of the Mercedes SLS AMG was disastrous for the top four, as they were forced to pit a lap later than the rest of the field and dropped down the order. Rosberg lost crucial time stuck behind Jean-Eric Vergne and a three-stop strategy meant he was only able to finish fourth.
Meanwhile Hamilton was able to finish third, closing ever so slightly on Rosberg in the title fight, but was unable to get ahead of Alonso and keep behind eventual winner Ricciardo. Here Mercedes had been beaten fair and square, as the sport headed off on the summer break.
F1 2014 in stats: http://bit.ly/1jSYBbz
Mid-season review, part 1: http://bit.ly/1y9L5lb
Mid-season review, part 2: http://bit.ly/XaUaPJ
Top 10 moments: http://bit.ly/1uHai6j
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
In my final mid-season review piece, I take a look back at the 11 races so far and reflect on what we have seen ahead of round 12 in Belgium.
Could the major transformation to the regulations change the competitive order and bring Red Bull Racing’s dominant streak to an end? The answer has been well and truly ‘yes’ but many questions still remain unanswered with eight races still to go. Here is a look back.
Australia
Early indications from winter testing suggested that the pecking order in Melbourne at the season opener would be quite different to the one that we had become used to over the last few years.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
Mercedes kept up its testing pace by topping two of the three practice sessions, but the Brackley-based outfit failed to secure a front-row lock-out with Daniel Ricciardo – in his first race for Red Bull Racing – instead joining pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton.
However, the Brit didn’t stay in first place for long and retired on lap three with a misfiring engine cylinder. His power-unit problem cleared the way for Nico Rosberg to dominate the event. Ricciardo impressed to finish second on home turf, but he would later be excluded for exceeding the fuel flow limit – no fault of his own, but a team error.
Kevin Magnussen was another youngster who impressed over the weekend, finishing third (before being promoted to second) on his debut. Ricciardo’s heartbreak helped McLaren score a double podium with Button inheriting third. It was certainly an intriguing start to 2014 and the new era of F1.
Malaysia
Once again Mercedes were denied a front row lock-out thanks to a Red Bull RB10, but in Malaysia it was Sebastian Vettel who took second on the grid. The Milton Keynes-based squad had a disastrous testing period, but the pace of the car was better than many expected.
Hamilton was on pole position for the second race in a row but unlike in Australia, his Mercedes W05 ran without any problems and he was able to put in a controlled drive to first place – 17 seconds clear of his own team-mate.
Vettel wasn’t able to keep up with Hamilton, but he put up a fight against the second Mercedes driver to complete the podium. Ricciardo could have kicked off his points tally at the Sepang International Circuit as well had he not suffered a poor pit stop, a penalty and a front wing failure.
Bahrain
After just two races of the 2014 season, people were already complaining about the new F1. The main problem was the quieter engine sound, which I can tell you are much better in person, but they were soon shut up by one of the most exciting and action-packed races in recent history.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
Mercedes had finally locked out the front row of the grid, this time Rosberg ahead of Hamilton, and the two were involved in a close, wheel-to-wheel battle for most of the 57-lap event.
Hamilton had got the better of his team-mate at the start and despite Rosberg’s best efforts – and there were many – he couldn’t find a way through, with the 2008 world champion putting in a stunning defensive drive on the harder compound tyre in the closing stages.
There were plenty of other scraps up and down the grid, with the fight for the final podium being hotly contested. Sergio Perez eventually emerged in third place to score Force India’s first podium since the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, with Hulkenberg in fifth – split by Ricciardo.
Pastor Maldonado and Esteban Gutierrez produced one of the most dramatic moments of the season so far after the former hit the latter, pitching the Sauber into a barrel-roll. Fortunately he was okay.
China
The big story prior to F1’s trip to China was the resignation of Stefano Domenicali as Ferrari team principal, with little-known Marco Mattiacci taking his place and debuting in the paddock at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Following Red Bull Racing’s rejected appeal of Ricciardo’s Australia exclusion; the team had hoped to move on from the mistake and edge closer to the front. Despite the Aussie topping FP3, Mercedes continued to dominate with Hamilton taking pole position once again.
The Brit converted it into a clear victory, which helped him to edge closer to Rosberg in the championship battle. The German had spun on his final qualifying attempt and a poor start from fourth meant he had plenty of work to do early on. However, his superior speed advantage meant he easily moved up to second by the chequered flag, with Alonso in third to score Ferrari’s first podium of the season.
Spain
F1 returned to Europe for the first time since the opening pre-season test in Jerez for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It was the first chance for teams to try out and test major updates, but the competitive order remained the same.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Hamilton and Rosberg locked out the front row once again and were in a league of their own in the race. We were treated to another fantastic fight for the win, with Hamilton eventually emerging victorious.
It was his fourth consecutive victory and he finished just six tenths ahead of his team-mate, taking the championship lead. Ricciardo was third, ahead of Vettel and Bottas.
Monaco
At the Circuit de Monaco on Saturday afternoon, the tension between the two Mercedes drivers really started to show. Rosberg’s Mirabeau mistake during Q3 was deemed to have been deliberate by Hamilton - despite the stewards clearing him of any wrong-doing - as the German secured pole position due to the yellow flags.
Only Rosberg knows the truth, but he went on to win the Monaco Grand Prix the next day and reclaimed the top spot in the drivers’ standings. Hamilton had challenged him several times but, after claiming he had something in his eye, dropped back into the clutches of a charging Ricciardo in the closing laps.
It was certainly an intriguing weekend of on-track and off-track action at the most famous street circuit in the world, as the sport headed away from Europe briefly to Canada for round seven.
Canada
With the performance advantage of Mercedes, many expected them to win every race in 2014. However, the Brackley-based outfit’s run of victories came to an end at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, with Ricciardo standing on the top step of the podium for the first time.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
It was a hugely popular win, but despite a strong drive by the Aussie, he was helped by both Hamilton and Rosberg hitting trouble. The two drivers battled closely before they were struck with similar MGU-K problems, which resulted in brake issues.
Hamilton was forced to retire while Rosberg battled on to secure second place, dropping behind Ricciardo in the final stages and just avoiding a huge last-lap crash between Perez and Massa after contact on the run to turn one – fortunately they were uninjured, but both placed the blame on the other.
Austria
Following his retirement in Canada, Hamilton needed to finish ahead of Rosberg to help put his title challenge back on track. However, a spin in Q3 meant he had plenty of work to do from ninth on the grid as F1 returned to the Red Bull Ring for the first time in 11 years.
Rosberg was ironically forced to abort his final run due to the yellow flags and could only manage third, behind Massa and Bottas – the first Williams front-row lock-out since the 2003 German Grand Prix. They couldn’t retain first and second in the race, with Rosberg moving ahead in the pit stops and Hamilton recovering to second after a strong first lap.
Despite dropping to third and fourth – Bottas ahead of Massa – Williams looked a lot closer to Mercedes in Austria. Meanwhile Red Bull, at the track owned by the team’s parent company, struggled with eighth for Ricciardo and a DNF for Vettel. However, it was a successful return for the race with packed crowds, great facilities and a good race.
Britain
Hamilton was hoping to secure a second victory on home turf as F1 headed to Silverstone for round eight of the 2014 season. However, qualifying didn’t go to plan after he decided to back off on his final Q3 attempt to let his team-mate through.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
It proved to be a poor error of judgement and as others improved, he eventually slipped to sixth on the grid. Fortunately a strong start on Sunday helped his cause and he was sitting in second place when Rosberg retired from the lead with a gearbox issue.
The crowd went wild as he moved up to first place and took the chequered flag to secure his five win of 2014. Bottas and Ricciardo completed a very popular podium, while Button lost out on a debut top three result on home soil by the slimmest of margins.
We witnessed some fantastic battles throughout the British Grand Prix, with the stand-out fight being between Vettel and Alonso for fifth place. The race also produced one of the biggest crashes in recent F1 history after Raikkonen found the wall on the Wellington Straight, causing a one-hour delay while the barrier was repaired.
Germany
After a painful retirement from the lead at Silverstone, Rosberg returned to the top of the podium in Germany. However, all eyes were on Hamilton as he recovered from the back of the grid after a big brake-failure related crash in Q1 and a gearbox change.
Rosberg started from pole position and led every lap at the Hockenheimring. Hamilton put in a storming and aggressive drive to eventually climb to third, just behind Bottas.
The second Williams of Massa retired on lap one after contact with Magnussen at the first corner, which pitched the Brazilian’s car upside down. It was another race packed full of exciting battles as Rosberg extended his championship advantage.
Hungary
With a strong track record at the Hungaroring and the fastest car on the grid, many expected Hamilton to take the victory in Hungary. However, his race was compromised once again by a problem in Q1 – this time a fuel leak at the start of the session, which meant he lined up from the pit lane.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Rosberg was on pole, with rain earlier in the day causing all 22 drivers to start on intermediate tyres. Conditions were treacherous early on and Hamilton soon found that out after spinning at turn two. The mistake delayed his charge but he was soon advancing up the order, helped by safety car periods caused by crashes for Marcus Ericsson and Perez.
The timing of the first appearance of the Mercedes SLS AMG was disastrous for the top four, as they were forced to pit a lap later than the rest of the field and dropped down the order. Rosberg lost crucial time stuck behind Jean-Eric Vergne and a three-stop strategy meant he was only able to finish fourth.
Meanwhile Hamilton was able to finish third, closing ever so slightly on Rosberg in the title fight, but was unable to get ahead of Alonso and keep behind eventual winner Ricciardo. Here Mercedes had been beaten fair and square, as the sport headed off on the summer break.
F1 2014 in stats: http://bit.ly/1jSYBbz
Mid-season review, part 1: http://bit.ly/1y9L5lb
Mid-season review, part 2: http://bit.ly/XaUaPJ
Top 10 moments: http://bit.ly/1uHai6j
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