In some ways, this past week has been a relatively busy one in the press office for Italian Formula One-giant Ferrari.
Although that might not necessarily be saying too much in the midst of a cold January.
Truth be told, this is normally the week when someone finally remembers to plug in the fax machine, so that strong words and confident declarations, designed to get people fist pumping in the aisles, are declared.
Around about now launch dates emerge, while drivers and managers talk about their hopes and goals for the coming year – and for the most part in the past, the iconic Maranello team have delivered impressive sounding noise in a move to strike fear – or something – in the hearts of their rivals.
Yet for 2015, a more somber Scuderia have entered stage left come 2015.
Amidst the upheaval process that began at Ferrari last September with the ousting of former-president Luca di Montezemolo, the scarlet squad have been busy playing down their expectations.
Indeed, new president Sergio Marchionne began the process before 2014 had even drawn, declaring prior to Christmas that, “2015 will be a year of reconstruction. We have made some sharp decisions on the make-up of the team and we know exactly who the key people are for development. We have taken away all the baggage of uncertainty which harmed the start of the work on the 2015 project.”
The winter months have indeed given Ferrari ample time to rearrange the furniture following the departures of double-world champion Fernando Alonso, director of engineering Pat Fry and chief designer Nicholas Tombazis.
As revealed during last year’s Japanese Grand Prix, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel has replaced Alonso with the German racer taking time out to enjoy his first full tour of the facilities at the Maranello factory recently as preparation continues.
Kimi Raikkonen has one further season in red, although it is unclear whether he will be retained beyond the end of this season. Commenting in Abu Dhabi last month, the Finn was relatively open when speaking of the challenges ahead. “It’s not been an easy year for me or the team. Ferrari is always expected to win races and fight at the front. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, but for the next season we laid down the basis for Scuderia Ferrari to come back to the level it should be at.”
Raikkonen, who won the world championship in 2007 with Ferrari, is well aware that much is still to be done behind the scenes. “There’s a lot of work to do but we know which areas we need to improve on. This job has already started and in the factory, we have everything we need, in terms of personnel and the means to make the necessary progress. All we need to do is work as a team, in the unified way that typified this team in past years.”
Yet, there is little doubt that Raikkonen – hampered by difficulties adapting to the new brake-by-wire system – appeared to racing below par on too many occasions last year. Should the Finn endures another year like the last one, his retirement note from Formula One may be drafted sooner rather than later.
In the wings are a trio of young stars. Former Sauber pilot Esteban Gutierrez joined last month as third and reserve driver following what can only described as a horror year with the Swiss squad.
The Mexican is confident the move to Italy will reinvigorate his career. “The important thing for me is to adapt and to settle in to this new environment as quickly as possible,” said the 23-year-old recently. Having used the Ferrari engine and power unit while at Sauber, Gutierrez is by no means a stranger to the tech lying beneath his left foot; however he understands there is still plenty to learn. “I need to get to know the people I will be working with and I hope that my experience with the Ferrari engine will mean I can contribute to the development of the new power unit.”
Alongside Gutierrez is Red Bull-expatriate Jean-Éric Vergne who will work at the team as simulator and test pilot. The 24-year-old Vergne commented, “The objective is a unanimous one and that is to help the Scuderia get back to the top step of the podium. Having had two years working in the simulator for a top F1 team and three years racing with Toro Rosso, my experience will add to the great efforts that are currently being made in order to get the team back to its winning ways.”
On the fringes, Ferrari Driver Academy racer Raffaele Marciello has been appointed as Sauber’s test and reserve driver and will enjoy an unspecified number of Friday Free Practice One sessions. The impressive Swiss-Italian racer will also continue in the GP2 Series with the Racing Engineering squad.
Both Marc Genè and Davide Rigon also continue in their roles as test drivers, with the latter believed to be remaining with the factory AF Corse squad in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
On the engineering side, Ferrari continue their preparation ahead of what may be a very difficult year in the chase behind Mercedes and Red Bull.
A restructure announced prior to Christmas sees Allison in the Technical Director position, while also taking up track engineering duties. The Briton will be supported by Chief Designer Simone Resta and Power Unit Director Mattia Binotto, with latter assisted by Power Unit designer Lorenzo Sassi.
As with last year, the Mercedes-powered Williams F1 team may be in the mix, but a reported smaller budget for the Didcot team could potentially hinder their progress later in the season, inviting the Scuderia back to 3rd in the Constructors – should they be in a position to take advantage.
The as-yet-unnamed 2015 car is due to be launched online on January 30th, with the first day of testing commencing at Jerez the following day. But this is Ferrari and 3rd place is not their desire; for Allison, the medium term gains will need to be significant.
Happy New Year everybody,
I hope you had a great 2014 and will have another top year over the coming twelve months.
Much fun,
Leigh O’Gorman
The Motorsport Archive
Verstappen was a prize rookie in 2014. © FIA F3 Media Services.
If Esteban Ocon surprised all-comers with his rookie form in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship, then Max Verstappen’s debut in car racing positively stunned.
With only the short Florida Winter Series and several Formula Renault 2.0 tests sessions behind him, the Dutch racer immediately looked at home at Van Amersfoort Racing in the Dallara F312 machine, with the then 16-year-old scoring his first win at the second round at Hockenheim.
Verstappen hit a brilliant patch of form over the Spa-Francorchamps and Norisring rounds, which saw him score two perfect weekends, followed by victory at the Zandvoort Masters.
That Verstappen showed such form in such a short space of time over a fast, flowing monster track (Spa), an astonishingly tight, wall-lined street circuit (Norisring) and quick, but twisty old favourite (Zandvoort) only served to signpost the teenager’s ability to adapt quickly and be quick.
Within a month, Verstappen was part of the Red Bull driver programme and the shock announcement of his graduation to the Toro Rosso Formula One team came shortly thereafter. Admittedly, Verstappen’s form tailed off slightly once his Formula One commitments began in earnest, but that was to be expected.
Verstappen’s aggressiveness and his continued promise that ‘Overtaking is an Art’ was a joy to watch and one can only hope it is not neutered by Formula One, although there is no doubt that he will find the top level a far tougher prospect than anything Formula 3 presented.
Meanwhile, amongst al his other challenges, Verstappen still has to finish school as he is not due to graduate until next summer and with the young man coming of age, it will be interesting to see how he handles this.
In the end, Verstappen did not finish runner-up to Ocon in the points – that honour went to Tom Blomqvist; however the teenager had made his mark and done so in epic style.
Vandoorne proved his speed again in GP2. © Zak Mauger/GP2 Series Media Service.
Following a season long battle with eventual GP2 Series champion Jolyon Palmer, in the end Felipe Nasr couldn’t hold onto the runner-up spot.
In his stead, the super impressive and quick Stoffel Vandoorne piped the Brazilian at the last and considering the Belgian’s natural speed and rate of improvement during what was his first GP2 season, this was a deserved position.
Realistically though, it is something of a stretch to call the McLaren Development driver a rookie at this level, considering his run in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2013. He was impressive then and he remained impressive in GP2.
Vandoorne starred from the off. Victory in the season opener at Bahrain appeared to set the ART Grand Prix man for a powerful campaign, but the season returned to Europe, they hit a stumbling block.
Early season changes in the management and engineering departments began to take effect, while Vandoorne began to suffer difficulties with the Pirelli tyres, just as both Palmer and Nasr hit their stride.
Following a four-week break after Monaco, the season came back together for Vandoorne, starting with a podium in Austria, before repeating that feat in Germany and Britain.
A win in the Sprint Race at the Hungaroring signposted the latter third of the season, where Vandoorne launched into a run of two victories, two podiums, four pole positions and a fastest lap.
Unfortunately for Vandoorne, Palmer was at this point long past the point of being caught; however the Belgian focused on his new charge of catching and passing Nasr with determination and authority.
Yet, it appears the Brazilian has had the last laugh. Whereas Nasr moves up to Formula One with Sauber, a significant change in driver line-up at McLaren for the 2015 Formula One season means that the ART Grand Prix man is now fourth in line at the Woking team. Another year in GP2 looms and it is a campaign that Vandoorne must stamp upon.
Vandoorne could easily slot into Formula One now, but it seems apparent that one of the brightest young stars of recent years is now on the verge of being locked out of the sport’s top level.
And that’s sad.
Stoneman finished runner-up to Alex Lynn in GP3. © Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service.
During what was, at times, a disjointed season for the GP3 Series, only Dean Stoneman became a reasonably persistent threat to eventual champions Alex Lynn.
Managed this upon his full-time return to single-seater racing caught the attention. That he did so despite changing team with two rounds remaining made his run even more impressive.
Initially driving for the Marussia Manor squad, Stoneman won the opening round’s reverse grid race; however fortunes went somewhat south for the 24-year-old, as he only picked up a point over the next two weekends.
Thereafter visits to Germany and Hungary merely dropped him further behind Lynn, while others around him – notably Marvin Kirchhöfer, Jimmy Eriksson and Richie Stanaway – built their own short-lived title fights.
Yet once the series returned after the summer break, Stoneman turned it on. Victories at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza just kept him in the championship hunt, but as the finish line drew into sight, the early season dry spell really began to hurt.
Amidst his late season charge, Marussia Manor closed their doors after Monza and Stoneman switched to Koiranen GP, replacing the hapless Carmen Jorda from Sochi onward.
In a car that not qualified in the top twenty or even scored a point, Stoneman took two wins, a 2nd place, a pole position and a fastest lap. Alas, such was the gap to Lynn, that Stoneman’s inability to pick up the bonus points for pole in Abu Dhabi dropped him out of contention, deciding the title in Lynn’s favour, but the point had been made.
As per usual Stoneman displayed his fighting spirit to the last and one can only hope the Briton gets a proper chance to display his talents in a top tier series soon.
Sainz Jr reigned supreme in FR3.5 this year. © François Flamand / DPPI / Renault Sport Media.
If one thinks about it seriously for a moment, it is quite incredible that the discussion about Carlos Sainz Jr’s Formula One future was ever up in the air.
Yet despite the Spaniard becoming the youngest Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion, the driver who had taken the most race wins in a FR3.5 season and indeed the first Red Bull junior driver to take the crown, that was exactly the up until earlier this month.
One might argue that under normal circumstances, Sainz Jr may have taken the title earlier than the final round at Jerez, but as with most times within the Red Bull junior programme, things are rarely “normal”.
Driving for the all conquering DAMS team, Sainz Jr’s unfortunate retirement from pole position in the season opener at Monza merely delayed his charge and gave some false hope to Will Stevens.
Where Stevens’ championship challenge fell south from the first race onwards, Sainz Jr gathered himself up to take three victories in the opening seven races, before collecting a fourth at the Nürburgring in July.
Yet the signing of Max Verstappen to the 2015 Toro Rosso drive during the FR3.5 summer break threatened to derail all of that and the shell-shocked Sainz Jr notably went through a blip at the Hungaroring, as he collected himself back together.
That this “blip” coincided with title rival Roberto Merhi and his Zeta Corse team hitting form was doubly unfortunate. In the space of a few rounds, Merhi closed from over 60 points behind to just 16 adrift with two rounds remaining cast alarm bells in the DAMS camp; however Sainz Jr’s two victories in the penultimate round did much to seal the deal.
Penalties in qualifying at the final round in Jerez cast a low-key over his title success, but when Merhi was taken out at the start of race one, it mattered little.
Meanwhile after much anticipation, Sainz Jr has been promoted to the Toro Rosso team for the 2015 season and after four years of covering Carlos’ racing efforts in Formula 3, GP3 and FR3.5, I feel I can now reasonably drop the “Jr” and just call him “Sainz”.
Rosberg pushed hard for the F1 title. © MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team.
If nothing else, Nico Rosberg convincingly answered many of his critics through 2014. Those who claimed that the 29-year-old was not tough enough or decisive enough to be true championship material were made to eat their words – for the most part.
Rosberg is tough and he is decisive – we have seen plenty of examples of this throughout his career – but whether German had enough to keep delivering over the course of a nineteen-race campaign was still questioned.
Where Rosberg was uncompromising in qualifying in Monaco, he was beaten squarely on track by teammate and eventual champion Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain. Where he was dominant and defiant in Germany, he was clumsy when he clashed early with Hamilton in Spa-Francorchamps.
He had certainly done an excellent job during the opening portion of the season. Three wins and five runner-up classifications in the eight Grand Prix kept Rosberg in good stead, until he finally suffered a mechanical failure while leading at Silverstone.
There was a consummate victory at an under-attended Hockenheim in July, but from there on Rosberg’s campaign began to stutter somewhat. Although he still recovered to take 2nd in Belgium, Rosberg received a tough talking to from Mercedes bosses amidst the fall-out that appeared to leave him deflated.
When the championship reconvened in Monza, the German seemed like a shadow of his former self and Hamilton twice forced an error from Rosberg – assuming the win in the process – it began a run of five consecutive victories for Hamilton that for all intents and purposes buried Rosberg’s championship chances.
In this time, Rosberg still notched up a handsome batch of 2nd place finishes; however the real damage was inflicted when his W05 machine stalled on the line in Singapore.
There was a brief, but spirited fight back to win the penultimate Grand Prix in Brazil, but with Hamilton on such fine form, it was going to be almost impossible to Rosberg to overturn the Briton’s points advantage, unless outside influences struck. That it was Rosberg who suffered an ERS failure in Abu Dhabi was almost typical of the nature of the latter third of the season.
Irrespective, Rosberg fought a good fight and one can only hope that he can keep the momentum and aggression alive in 2015.
Ricciardo took three Grand Prix in 2014. © Red Bull Media House.
To say that Daniel Ricciardo came of age this year would be one thing. Truth be told, the Australian was exceptional for most of the season.
More often than not, Ricciardo was the leading man behind the Mercedes onslaught and his victories in Montreal, Hungary and Spa-Francorchamps were all well deserved – if a touch fortunate in some regards.
That those wins came off the back of mechanical issues or incidents affecting both Mercedes duo should not be something used to detract from Ricciardo. If anything, he should take some praise for being in the right place at the right time.
After all, race wins are harder to come by if one does not put one’s self into a position to gain an advantage on track.
However it is not just the successes that marked 2014 as a special year for Riccardo, but also the way in which he handled the pre-season mechanical woes.
An unfortunate disqualification from 2nd place in Melbourne was a blip, but it set a benchmark for the season. Two more podiums behind the Mercedes’ came before winning in Canada, with an addition three 3rd place finishes coming prior to season’s end.
There were blips, of course. Both Red Bull’s endured nightmare race’s at their home race at the renamed Red Bull Ring in June, while the red and blue cars were occasionally made to feel invisible behind the resurgent Williams team.
The key to Ricciardo’s season was woven by the reigning champion on the other side of the garage. Many commentators – this one included – expected Ricciardo to manage reasonably well against reigning world champion and teammate Sebastian Vettel, but it doubtful that a great number thought Ricciardo would trounce Vettel in the way he did.
Through the opening two-thirds of the year, Ricciardo consistently made Vettel appear ordinary and it was only when the German wunderkind finally started to get to grips with the RB10 late in the year that their respective performances came close to leveling.
In the end, Vettel has decided to head to the door and out to Maranello, leaving Ricciardo to face the very impressive Daniil Kvyat next year.
Ocon took the European F3 title early. © FIA F3 Media services.
Max Verstappen may have stolen all the headlines thanks to his quick promotion to Formula One, but there is little doubt that FIA European F3 champion Esteban Ocon was the star of the series this year.
From the moment the teenager tested with Prema Powerteam last September, the was a feeling that the championship might be coming Ocon’s way.
That he was able to deliver the title with three races to spare (and could arguably have done it earlier) while up against such competition as Verstappen and the experienced Tom Blomqvist was impressive.
After a year in Formula Renault 2.0, Ocon reveled in the similar feel delivered by the new Formula 3 engine, transmission and electronics package and the French teen made his mark early on by taking five wins in the first twelve races.
More impressive was Ocon’s consistency, which involved regular podium visits when things weren’t going right. Indeed during a “dry spell” over the fifth and sixth rounds, Ocon still took four 2nd place finishes. It was necessary – in those two rounds, Verstappen took six consecutive victories, giving some temporary life to the championship fight.
A perfect weekend at Moscow Raceway solidified his charge once again and apart from a blip at the Red Bull Ring, Ocon’s late season run was all about delivering that title as promised pre-season.
His relief at securing the championship at Imola was plain to see, but with two guest rounds of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in the bag courtesy of Gravity Sports Management, it was clear that Ocon’s attention was already focusing very much on the future.
The only criticism that could be laid at Ocon’s door is that he is never always the best at fighting through fields, although in saying, he rarely ever had. Tests with the Lotus and Ferrari Formula One teams and a possible GP2 drive are very much deserved – in this tall teenager, Lotus have a potential star.
Palmer was GP2 champion a round as early as Sochi. © Charles Coates/GP2 Series Media Service.
There is little doubt that Jolyon Palmer was the deserved victor of the GP2 Series this year. Just when the 23-year-old really needed to step up, he did so and in a stylish manner, putting soon-to-be Formula One debutante Felipe Nasr in the shade for much of the season.
Yet if Palmer’s campaign did not necessarily mark him out as the next big thing – this was his fourth year in GP2 after all – it did confirm the conversion of a once gangly, quick but uncomfortable Palmer into an assured, confident racer, who had finally found his qualifying pace.
While Palmer has improved his single-lap pace, he was probably still not the absolute fastest raw driver in GP2. In terms of being the out-and-out best driver on the grid, the likes of Stoffel Vandoorne and Raffaele Marciello will most likely outshine him.
But what Palmer did manage – and this was very impressive – was his experience, natural abilities and intelligence to create a championship programme that stifled the opposition early doors.
The efforts of DAMS cannot be understated either. The French squad has proven incredibly successful in GP2 during recent seasons, with Palmer securing their 3rd driver’s crown, while DAMS took their 2nd teams’ crown. DAMS and Palmer appeared to gel instantly and from their first victory together in the Sprint race at Bahrain, they rarely looked back.
That Palmer’s chief rival, Nasr, appeared to sleepwalk through the opening round didn’t help the Brazilian’s charge. Nasr eventually picked up his first series win in Spain and continued to look strong intermittently – picking up further victories in Austria, Britain and Belgium – however there were simply too many anonymous days. Nasr’s non-defence against Palmer during the Sprint Race in Hungary said everything about the direction of the championship.
Up until Monza, Palmer had only taken two race wins, but it was his consistency that kept him close to the top all year. In twenty-two races, the Briton was on the podium thirteen times – precious few other competitors came close to matching that.
At Monza, Nasr failed to convert Palmer’s exclusion from qualifying into a meaningful result. In fact, where Palmer started from the pitlane, he notched up an 8th and then a Sprint race win, while Nasr managed two 6th place finishes from 7th and 3rd…
Another win for Palmer in Sochi sealed the deal three races early, while Nasr took a qualifying penalty and a pair of drive through penalties in the Russian Feature.
Alas, Palmer is looking like becoming the third consecutive GP2 Series champion to not progress to Formula One; however such was the length of time it took for Palmer to truly emerge, the Briton was always likely to have trouble finding a drive at the top level in 2015.
Merhi took 3 wins on his return to single-seaters. © Jean Michel Le Meur / DPPI / Renault Sport Media.
When Roberto Merhi was cut loose from the Mercedes DTM team at the end of the 2013 season, the Spaniard was left facing a bleak future.
Some post-season tests gave Merhi options for the year, but when the 23-year-old joined the small Zeta Corse team, precious little was expected. That he took three victories on the way to 3rd in the championship upon his return to single-seaters displays just how close motorsport came to losing an excellent talent.
A podium in the opening race at Monza was something of a false dawn and Merhi spent the following two race weekends in the lower reaches of the points, before a pointless trip to Spa-Francorchamps in May left the Castellón native far adrift of the championship leaders.
The season began to turn around come the season halfway point at Moscow Raceway, as a succession of tight and twisty tracks played to Zeta Corse’s favour. Truth be told, the upturn in results had as much to do with Merhi’s abilities as it had with Zeta Corse’s growth in confidence.
In just their 2nd season, the Russian team were finally beginning to dial into the technicalities of the series; however their run began to falter as the series transferred to the quicker Paul Ricard circuit in September.
Merhi still held an outside shot of the title going into the final round in Jerez, but it required the Spaniard to victorious in both races, with points leader (and eventual champion) Carlos Sainz Jr scoring virtually nothing. Once again, the speed of the Jerez made Merhi’s efforts difficult, but a crash in the opening race put the result beyond doubt.
A further retirement in the season finale only served to drop Merhi to 3rd in the standings when the ever-consistent Pierre Gasly jumped him following a fine debut season in the category.
Yet Merhi might still consider this a reasonably successful effort, considering his brief thoughts of retiring from motorsport altogether at the beginning of the year. While no championship title, Merhi’s career does seem to be getting back on track, although where the Spaniard goes next remains to be seen.
Lynn led the GP3 standings for the duration. © Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service.
Dean Stoneman’s inability to secure pole position for the GP3 Series season finale in Abu Dhabi may have given Alex Lynn the title in a less than satisfactory style, but there is little doubt that the Briton was a convincing champion.
Indeed Lynn’s efforts over the course of the nine-round European and Middle East adventure were such that the Carlin man took the crown with an air of expectation.
The only surprise was that Lynn still had a challenger coming into Abu Dhabi.
It could be argued that the championship should have been put beyond any reach in Sochi, but Lynn’s almost blasé run through the penultimate weekend kept the door open – just a touch – for Stoneman to still have a chance.
Realistically the damage had been done in the opening portion of the season. Pole, fastest lap and the race win in the season’s first race in Barcelona in May gave Lynn a points lead that he would never give-up.
Another pole, win and fastest lap in race one in Austria four weeks later should have been enough to put Lynn on course for a dominant campaign, but his inability to deliver in Sunday’s reverse grid races on a consistent basis held him back.
At the same time, part of the blame could also be laid at the door of the GP3/13, the modifications to which made overtaking incredibly difficult, unless tyre problems became an issue.
While Lynn struggled to deliver victories following Austria, he did continue to collect podiums and points on a regular basis – allotting to secure solid numbers rather than risk crashing and emerging from a weekend empty handed – before eventually taking a reverse grid win at Spa in August.
Five podiums alongside his three victories certainly helped Lynn’s cause, but the lack of a regular challenger throughout the season played in his hands. While the points leader continued to pick up scores, Marvin Kirchhöfer, Jimmy Eriksson, Richie Stanaway and Emil Bernstorff all took race wins, but also endured numerous blank patches where the campaigns fell to nothing.
There is little doubt that Lynn is a very good talent, but it would be far more convincing if he were more aggressively challenged for the top spot and while the 21-year-old spoke of making the jump to F1 this summer, it is understandable that Red Bull may wish to place the Essex man in a championship that will deliver more persistent opposition.
Hamilton with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. © MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team.
It is incredibly difficult to fault much of Lewis Hamilton’s world championship winning performance in 2014.
Now a seemingly far more mature animal than the man who claimed a first title in 2008, Hamilton surged to win eleven of the nineteen Grand Prix; however the Briton was kept in check for the duration by championship rival and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.
Like last year, the 2014 season showed Hamilton and Rosberg were far closer in terms of performance than initially expected, but with the distinct advantage held by the W05 machine, the stakes grew significantly.
Many commentators expected Hamilton to ratchet up the poles, with Rosberg playing the intelligent racer. That the opposite became the norm gave a glimpse into how Hamilton has developed since his early days at McLaren.
But maybe perhaps we should not have been surprised. When partnered by Jenson Button at the Woking squad for three seasons from 2010, Hamilton then surprised critics as he displayed an ability to manage initially the strong Bridgestone’s and then the ultra delicate Pirelli tyres with aplomb.
With such consistency and maturity, it is no surprise that of all the sixteen races that Hamilton finished, he was never once off the podium. There were even a pair of 3rd place finishes when starting toward the back in Germany and Hungarian following a car problems.
Additional mechanical failures Melbourne and Montreal took the Briton out of both races while Rosberg scored big, doing much to put Hamilton under pressure.
Without doubt, the nadir of Hamilton’s season came at Spa-Francorchamps, when a contentious clash between he and Rosberg at the entry into Les Combes on lap two punctured the former’s left rear tyre.
It was a clumsy error on Rosberg’s part; although those with agendas still contend it was a deliberate action, but Hamilton’s desire to push hard back to the pits as a quickly as possible only served to add damage to his Mercedes.
From there, the season was dominated by Hamilton. Six wins in the final seven races – including a string of five victories from Monza to Austin – put the title well beyond Rosberg, although the latter’s mechanical issues in the Abu Dhabi finale made it a foregone conclusion regardless.
There are those who may point to W05 as being the dominant reason for Hamilton’s 2nd title, but that would be churlish.
Hamilton will turn 30-years-old next year and as he hits his stride, this success could potentially lay the foundations for a period of dominance similar to that experienced by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher in recent years.
Gasly’s star shun at Arden. © Photo Gregory Lenormand / DPPI / Renault Sport Media
From the moment Red Bull junior driver Pierre Gasly secured a podium at the Formula Renault 3.5 season opener at Monza, there was a instant feeling that the drinks manufacturer had bagged another future star.
Yet for Gasly, while 2014 would prove to be a positive year in one sense, in another it was disappointing. Or maybe frustrating is a better description.
During a late season charge, the French teenager claimed the runner-up spot at the Jerez finale ahead of Spanish rival Roberto Merhi – helped when Merhi was taken out – however he may rue having not won a race throughout the campaign.
There was often a sense that Gasly was there or thereabouts, but for every 2nd place finish (there were six of them), the Arden International racer was pipped by eventual champion Carlos Sainz Jr, Merhi or Oliver Rowland.
Add two 3rd places into the mix and you have a season record that is nothing to sniff at, but it was becoming clearer as the season drew to a close that the lack of a race win was playing on his mind. “We lost too many points early in the season to be as much of a threat to Carlos for the championship,” said the 18-year-old. Gasly added: “The points [scored] in the second half showed what we could do and I am sure everything I learnt this season will be a big help for my career.”
Despite the lack of a victory, Gasly still viewed the eventual season outcome as a positive one. “It has been a great season, a lot of work from everyone. It certainly wasn’t easy but the guys gave me a great car all year and enabled me to really show what I could do. It was fantastic support and I learnt so much this season. I was racing against people with a lot more experience and we made it a great year, consistently good results, often on the podium.”
Meanwhile, Gasly also joined the troubled Caterham Racing Team in the GP2 Series for the final three rounds, but circumstances played against the French teen. It is believed that Gasly will switch to the GP2 Series full-time in 2015 as Red Bull look like making a return proper to the Formula One weekend feeder.
Alonso endured a tough 2014 with Ferrari. © Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team.
Given the nature of the Ferrari F14T machine, it is a wonder that Fernando Alonso managed two podiums on his way to 6th in the Formula One World Championship.
In what was on paper a barren year by his standards, the Spaniard consistently wrestled dragged top performances scoring a pair of top-four’s early on; however it was at the third round in Bahrain that the true qualities – or lack thereof – of the F14T became clear.
Under Middle Eastern lights, Alonso just about secured a finish inside the top ten, but it was clear for all to see that the double-world champion was never going to be in a position to repeat the heroics, as delivered from 2010-13.
Despite this, the 33-year-old persevered to secure a brilliant podium finish in China and followed that up with six more points finish, before taking his second and final podium just prior to the summer break in Hungary.
The Italian squad only fell further backward once the season reconvened at the tail end of August. There was one 4th place in Singapore, but beyond that Alonso was left to battle for a mixture of 6th’s and 7th’s, while others around them improved. One final 9th place classification in Abu Dhabi brought the half-decade Ferrari dream to an ignominious end.
Admittedly, there were times when one wondered if Alonso was truly delivering his finest. Several years of persistent disappointments at Ferrari would sap many a competitive soul, but even if there were occasional “lapses”, the 33-year-old still maintained a higher rate performance than many of his peers.
One sensed through the year Alonso’s growing frustration, as the frailties of the F14T became more apparent and as the year developed, it became clear that the relationship had fractured permanently.
Come the end of Abu Dhabi, the Spaniard were circumspect in his analysis. “Today, my time with Ferrari comes to an end, as does a very tricky season, in which, even if we were unable to do much against the technical dominance of our rivals.
“After five years it’s not easy to say farewell to a team with which I have grown so much over the past five years, both as a driver and as a person. I thank all the Ferraristi for their support. I will miss the team, the fans and Italy.”
Of course, one should never say never. Next year, the Spaniard returns to Woking and to McLaren from whom he endured a very public divorce in 2007. This time he returns at the behest of McLaren’s new engine partner, Honda, and with a rejuvenated Jenson Button as his teammate.
© Leigh O’Gorman
With his outwardly laconic nature, one might be forgiven for thinking Tom Blomqvist approach ill-suited to the higher reaches of motorsport.
Yet when properly supported, the English-born ‘Son of Stig’ is no slouch behind the wheel. Taking the runner-up spot in the FIA European F3 Championship behind Esteban Ocon and ahead of Max Verstappen was no mean feat.
Blomqvist is quick – of that, there is little doubt – but with stints in the McLaren and Red Bull junior programmes now lagging deep in his history, delivering on the future was always going to be a tough ask.
A move to Carlin with the (huge) support of Far East fast food merchants Jagonya Ayam helped a lot and after two occasionally tricky years in European F3 behind him, 2014 needed to count.
Winning the opener at Silverstone helped and Blomqvist added several more victories before the race was out. And he was leading on the opening lap at Macau until a clash with Ocon resulted in a massive shunt took them – and many others – out in spectacular fashion.
Blomqvist recently tested DTM machinery with BMW and while the German tourer series may not be immediately on the horizon, the 21-year-old has earned his shot at professional motorsport.
GP2 will end in Abu Dhabi next November. © Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service.
There were precious few surprises to be found in the GP2 Series calendar for 2015 – and to be fair, none were expected.
As per usual, the series will play support to Formula One, but that has always been the case and it cites it as one of its major selling points.
And while that is perfectly fine in itself for much of the season, it also presents its own set of problems.
In following Formula One so rigidly, there are a few unfortunately gaps in the calendar, starting with the four-week break between Monaco and Austria, which is in place as F1 visits Canada.
Later, after the summer holiday break between the Hungarian and Belgian rounds, the series and its competitors are faced with another two lengthy gaps as Formula One leaves Europe for the Far East, Americas and then back to the Middle East.
On the face of it, that might not mean much, but at the business end to a championship, five and six week gaps between the final three rounds present a break of momentum that can easily derail a campaign.
This was not as big an issue this year, as both the GP2 and GP3 series’ were as good as wrapped up come Monza, but one must not underestimate how such a break could potentially crack a run of results.
There are solutions, but few are realistic. Preventing these gaps by ending the season after Monza would drastically shorten the calendar and weaken the series in the eyes of competitors. Unfortunately the loss of some European rounds in recent years makes it almost impossible to keep the championship within the boundaries of continent, while adding the likes of Singapore back onto the schedule would merely increase the costs of competing beyond reason.
Standalone events are also out of the question, as the costs of running a single event and presenting it as a live television broadcast to FOM standards is simply prohibitive. That would merely be a last gasp measure and the series is nowhere near contemplating that.
Alas, what exists now is probably the best solution available.
GP2 testing begins in Abu Dhabi in March, with the season concluding there too. © Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service.
The GP2 Series announced its 2015 season calendar during the week, with the Formula One support class revealing a mostly consistent schedule.
As with this year, the championship will be made up of eleven rounds, beginning in Bahrain in April and following Formula One through the European season, before drawing to a close at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next November.
The only question mark at this point lies with the eventual venue of the German Grand Prix, as ongoing financial and ownership issues at the Nürburgring continue to plague with the classic arena.
Unfortunately due to nature of the Formula One calendar, sizeable gaps remain between the Italian and Russian events (five weeks) and the Russian and Abu Dhabi finale (six weeks).
There are to be two pre-season tests – firstly at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi from March 9th-11th, followed then by three days at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain in early April.
Also, the GP2 Series formally announced the teams that will be competing in 2015; however the only change to this year is the already announced departure of Caterham Racing who have been replaced by Status Grand Prix.
2015 GP2 Series calendar Testing March 9-11: Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi April 1-3: Sakhir, Bahrain Race Events April 17-19: Sakhir, Bahrain May 8-10: Barcelona, Spain May 21-23: Monte Carlo, Monaco June 19-21: Red Bull Ring, Austria July 3-5: Silverstone, UK July 17-19: (tbc venue), Germany July 24-26: Budapest, Hungary August 21-23: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium September 4-6: Monza, Italy October 9-11: Sochi, Russia November 27-29: Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
This week the FFSA pulled the covers off of the 2015 French Formula 4 Championship.
Supported by the country’s Auto Sport Academy, the series will take in seven rounds, primarily as support to the FFSA GT Tour, but will also have one round supporting the European F3 Championship and another playing opening in the World Series by Renault package.
The series for the Auto Sport Academy trainees begins in April at ultra-twisty Lédenon circuit near Montpellier. Then over the opening weekend in May, the series moves to Le Mans Bugatti and then on to Pau two weeks later in support of European F3.
There will be one round in June, when French F4 supports the World Series by Renault at the Hungaroring, just outside Budapest. The weekend marks one of two rounds where the championships departs French soil, with the other journey coming at Navarra in Spain at the end of September.
Between the Hungary and Spain trips, the series moves to Magny Cours in late-August and will complete its run at Paul Ricard in Southern France over the final weekend in October.
As with other Formula 4 categories, French F4 comprises of three races over the course of a weekend, two qualifying sessions and one free practice session.
2015 French F4 Championship calendar April 17-19: Lédenon May 1-3: Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans May 15-17: Pau June 12-14: Hungaroring, Hungary August 28-30: Magny Cours September 25-27: Navarra, Spain October 23-25: Paul Ricard
© ACI Sport Italia
The Italian Formula 4 category has announced its calendar for the coming 2015 season.
Following on from a successful launch at the beginning of this season, the Automobile Club Italia and promoters WSK, Italian F4 maintains a seven-round run-through comprising of three races per weekend.
Beginning in early May, the series visits Vallelunga and then Monza, before making its debut at the Autodromo di Franciacorta in Brescia in June. Mugello awaits the championship in July, but then a two-month break follows with the series recommencing at Adria and then Imola in September. The season concludes at Misano over the first weekend in October.
In addition to a new calendar, the prize fund for the season has been increased to €100,000 – an increase of €50,000 over the 2014 fund. It has also been revealed that the series will broadcast races live on television in Italy and will also make events accessible through live streaming through ACI Sport Italia and the Italian F4 Championship websites.
The provisional entry list also notes an increased car count, with up to 25 cars ready to enter next year. It is believed there will be at least two-to-four entries from Antonelli Motorsport, Motorsport Diegi, Euronova Racing, F & M, Israel F.4 by Torino Racing Team, Jenzer Motorsport, Malta Formula Racing and Prema Powerteam.
2015 Italian F4 Championship May 1-3: Vallelunga May 29-31: Monza June 12-14: Franciacorta July 10-12: Mugello September 4-6: Adria September 18-20: Imola October 2-4: Misano
© ACI Sport Italia.
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