What's in store for Ferrari in 2019?

Ferrari entered the 2018 Formula 1 Season off the back of a successful, but ultimately fruitless 2017. Back to back wins for the team and Sebastian Vettel at the start of the year was a good start, and by mid-season many were tipping Ferrari to take both the drivers and constructors titles. But It was also around that point that things started to unravel for the Scuderia, and ultimately the drivers championship has now gone to Lewis Hamilton but the constructors is, as of writing (pre Brazilian Grand Prix) still alive. So, what next for Ferrari?

Mid-season saw Ferrari emerge as probably the best package on the grid. A dominant victory in Canada saw a strong 2-3 from the team in Austria as both Mercedes cars retired, and a hammer blow was then struck at Silverstone. Literally. Kimi Raikkonen spun Hamilton around at the start of the race, and Vettel then went on to dominate proceedings, apart from a sprint battle with Valtteri Bottas near races end. And eight point lead for Vettel and around a 20 point lead for Ferrari, made things look very good indeed for the team.

But then, things unraveled. A costly mistake in Germany while leading saw Vettel crash out, and Hamilton win from 14th on the grid, with a Mercedes 1-2. Wet qualifying in Hungary allowed Mercedes to lock out the front row, at a track Ferrari looked to have a decisive edge, which became a win for Hamilton. Ferrari bounced back at Spa with a dominant Vettel win, but then it went wrong again at Monza.


Raikkonen took pole for the team ahead of Vettel, and at races start the German couldn't get past his teammate. This left him under attack from Hamilton at the second chicane, who not only got past Vettel but saw his rival spin to the rear of the field as well. Vettel finished 4th, Hamilton won. Ferrari then simply lacked pace in the next few races, not winning again until the USA, but with Raikkonen, not Vettel. By then, costly errors in Suzuka and Austin saw Vettel's title hopes all but over.


This has very much left both Vettel and the team licking their wounds, but they still have a very competitive car, despite going in the wrong direction development wise earlier in the year. What happens for next year is crucial. Understanding what went wrong is the main thing, and the team is also preparing for a shake up in its driver line up. Charles Leclerc is replacing the Sauber bound Raikkonen, in a move that is both intriguing and exciting at the same time. 

The move perhaps shows Ferrari are looking for both more consistency in its race finishes, and one eye already on the future. It's fair to say Raikkonen has not been as fast as Vettel since the pair became teammates in 2015, although the Finn has had a stellar 2018. Nor is Vettel getting any younger, and he may walk away from the sport come the end of 2020, whether he has won a title at Ferrari or not. Leclerc, together with Antonio Giovanazzi, is the future of the Scuderia, and with a quite frankly brilliant rookie season under his belt, he looks set to do well in 2019.


On the subject of Vettel, with the mistakes he has made Ferrari may well be looking to Leclerc to give the German a harder time, which may raise Vettel's game and help eliminate the mistakes he has made. If both drivers are pushing each other to their very best, they may well be in an even stronger position than they have been this year with the Vettel and Raikkonen partnership.

Ferrari must eliminate the mistakes that have blighted their 2018 campaign, one which they have been much more of a challenger to Mercedes yet are still set to come up short. Vettel must also iron out the costly errors that have ruined his chances of taking the title this year, and put in more brilliant performances that we saw from him in Silverstone and Bahrain, where on incredibly worn tyres, he held off Bottas for a remarkable win.

What's in store for the team then in 2019 is hard to tell. As long as Ferrari realise what went wrong in this years development race, they should be in a good position to challenge Mercedes once again. Leclerc may in for a year of learning, but it wouldn't be too surprising to see him take the fight to his teammate after a bit of bedding in, and perhaps challenge for the championship himself. 

Ferrari still have some things they need to address. Should they do so, 2019 may finally be the year it all comes good. With it being over ten years since the team last took any form of title, they know it is make or break time to fight and beat Mercedes. 

IndyCar's rookie sensation and emerging star

Four races into the IndyCar season, and it looks like we all going to enjoy an ultra competitive season full of the usual twists and turns that we have come to expect from the pinnacle of American open-wheel racing. Perhaps more so this year with the new universal aerokit. But through the first three races, we have seen two drivers standout from a field full of young stars and wise old heads, that look to be the years two main title contenders; Robert Wickens and Alexander Rossi.

Wicken's has entered the series this year on the back of several years in the DTM category with Mercedes. During his six seasons there he took 6 wins, 15 podiums and 5 pole positions before the announcement that Mercedes would leave DTM after 2018 gave him the perfect oppurtunity to buddy up with friend James Hinchcliffe and form the 'Canadian Superteam' at Schmidt Peterson Motorsport. And what we have seen from the IndyCar rookie is nothing short of remarkable. He stunned us all with pole position in St Petersburg and should have walked away with the win after leading the majority of the race. He had held off Alexander Rossi for a long period, but a late race restart with two laps to go saw a lunge from Rossi go a bit wrong, which spun Wickens out and relegated Rossi to third, with Sebastien Bourdais and Graham Rahal passing them.

Wickens didn't deserve that end to his race, and both he and Rossi himself knew that. It was just an unfortunate end to a move that Rossi had to pull, it was for the race lead with two to go after all. No one forgot about it at Phoenix, but Wickens first oval race there did help to fade the memory somewhat. He qualified a superb sixth and again found himself leading the race with just a few laps to go. 

This time, a late race restart saw a feisty Josef Newgarden on fresh tyres battle it out with the Canadian for the win. Wickens held on superbly and looked like he might pull off a remarkable oval debut win. Newgarden eventually swept past him but Wickens still came home second and took his first podium of the year. Ironically, Rossi was also on the podium in third and the pair even joked about St Pete in the press conference following the race. Clearly, there was no leftover tension.

Long Beach was a subdued afair for Wickens, he qualified tenth and was moving through the field nicely before gearbox issues scuppered his chances of a good result, eventually being caught up in a late race tangle between Bourdais and Jordan King. The rain hit Barber Motorsports Park race saw a much better result for Wickens though, as teammate Hinchcliffe took third with his best friend one spot behind in fourth. Wickens incredible run continued, he had adjusted back to open wheel racing perfectly and you'd think he was a series veteran and not a rookie in the championship. He is of course a vastly experienced race driver, but he has been nothing short of remarkable in his IndyCar career to date and surely will win a race if not more than one this year and potentially be a championship contender come Sonoma. His current series stats currently sit at one podium, and one pole. It could so easily have said one pole, two wins...

Wickens may have grabbed a lot of the headlines, but it is perhaps ironic that the man involved with him in the St Pete tangle, Alexander Rossi, is the other standout of this season. His results from the first three races are thus. Third, third, first, twelth. Of course the last result being at Barber, where he just lacked a bit of pace and then gambled on the late race rain on Monday not getting too heavy. Hey, you have to have at least one bad result a year. What makes Rossi's run this year so remarkable though is that, he could have won all three races.

The tangle with Wickens of course spoilt St Pete, but it wasn't all his own doing. Wickens move across on Rossi very late in the corner, putting Rossi onto the marbles which caused the slide into Robert in the first place. Let's not also forget that this podium finish came from 12th on the grid. He qualified in the top four at Phoenix, was running third at the start and looking like he had the pace on Simon Pagenaud and Bourdais ahead of him before a mess up coming in for his first pitstop dropped him back and earned him a drive through penalty. He then carved his way through the entire field from  being a lap down, passing cars as if they were standing still to get back onto the lead lap and finish third, the late race restart that saw Newgarden win perhaps slightly stopping his progress. His pace was such that some calculated had he not had the pit error and drive through, he could have lapped the entire field.

Rossi finally managed to put it all into place a Long Beach, dominating practice, qualifying and the race to take the pole and win and leapfrog himself into the lead of the championship. The winner of the 2016 Indy 500 and Watkins Glen 2017 had now announced himself as a championship contender. Pundits including Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy were amazed at his Long Beach performance, some said they had not seen a driver dominate a weekend like that for a long time. It certainly was impressive and those performances in the first three races you could argue make him the star of the year so far, and not Wickens. Barber was just a blip on the radar, in a race where he probably should have finished in the top six, instead he was 12th and lost the championship lead to Newgarden, but being only 13 points behind means he can quite easily retake that lead during May.

No one could have predicted just what a start to the IndyCar season we'd have and how Rossi and Wickens could have starred. Both have shown what talent they have, Rossi really coming of age and flexing his muscles, and Wickens being one of the finds of the century. We don't know how the rest of their seasons will pan out. But from what we've seen so far, they look set to become even more spectacular. 

Why Ricciardo is a championship contender

Daniel Ricciardo's victory in Shanghai was more than just an incredible spectacle. It announced his 2018 world championship bid, and showed that Red Bull really do have the pace to win races and potentially the tile in 2018. It was also the perfect way to bounce back from a gutting race in Bahrain, in which we never saw what Ricciardo could have been capable of. And if his rivals didn't take him as a threat seriously this year, they will now. And they should.

Pre-season testing had us all worried that Mercedes may waltz into the distance with this years titles, but it has been anything but that so far this year. Ferrari have won two of the first three races and potentially have the best package. Meanwhile Red Bull showed in Australia there was pace in the car, but thanks to being stuck behind the Haas cars and then the double retirement in Bahrain, we never really knew how fast the RB14 was. Until Shanghai that is. Thanks to superb strategy and phenomenal pace, Ricciardo was able to fight his way from sixth to win the race and take his first win of the year and show us what he and his car will be capable of.


The car alone is one reason why Ricciardo is a serious threat this year. Hampered slightly by its Renault power-unit it may be, but the Adrian Newey designed chassis is once again a top quality machine, allowing the drivers to do exactly what they want to do, when they want to do it through the corners and across a lap. Compared to where the team were in 2017, Red Bull are in much better shape chassis wise and Shanghai saw them exploit its strengths beautifully despite the power sensitive nature of the track. 2017 showed us how good Red Bull's rate of development is. They turned a so so car into a genuine race winner. They already have that race winning car right now. So what can they develop it into throughout 2018? A championship winner? They could well do so!

But it's Ricciardo's daring skill and overtaking genius that will really make him a true championship contender for the first time in F1. China showed us what a class act he is behind a wheel. His move on Lewis Hamilton at the end of the back straight, braking from so far back without a lock up or running wide was sublime. His lunge down the inside of Valtteri Bottas, with all the aggression of a honey badger was a move that you very rarely see from anyone other than the Australian. It was simply magical. 

You only have to compare it to his teammate Max Verstappen's ham-fisted attempts to get pass Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, the latter move spinning them both around and relegating Vettel to an eighth place finish. Verstappen is a fantastic racer and overtaker, but perhaps lacks the thinking that Ricciardo seems to put into his moves. Rarely do his moves not work out, at all. Ever since 2014, when he first joined Red Bull, Ricciardo's talent and class have been calling out for a title winning car. He may now finally have that machinery beneath him. 

If Daniel Ricciardo wasn't to win a world title in F1, it would be a crying shame. Right now he is at the peak of his performance and more than ready to become a world champion. With the right car, skill and daring that he has this year he may finally have his shot. And he isn't letting speculation on his future get to hi either. So Hamilton and Vettel, you'd better watch out. Because there's a new championship contender in town. His name is Daniel Ricciardo, and he takes no prisoners.

The great aero debate: Who's got it right?

The start of this years motor racing action has brought spectacular racing, drama and excitement. But it has also brought up a very important question. Which series has gone down the right route with its aerodynamics? I am of course talking about Formula 1 vs IndyCar, both of which have launched new cars these past two years and have gone down very different routes to provide what they hope is great racing. And what we have seen so far has been incredibly interesting...

At the start of 2017, F1's new high downforce monsters hit the track for the first time and instantly became the fastest race cars on the planet. Lap records tumbled, speeds increased and the visual spectacle of a car on a flying lap became something else entirely. These had really become the ultimate Grand Prix car. Over in America, IndyCar was gearing up to change its own chassis. The Dallara DW12 was set to lose its present, aerokit and high downforce configuration, for a lower downforce spec universal aerokit in 2018, but with a huge 60% of its downforce coming from underneath the car. Quite a change of direction for the series. And a bold step to take.

At the end of 2017, F1 had seen its overtaking figures slashed by half of what there was in 2016. The initial fears from late 2016, that the cars would diminish the racing spectacle thanks to the increased turbulent dirty air they'd produce was brought true. Some races were thrillers, like the Spanish and Azerbaijan Grand Prix. But too many races saw little wheel to wheel action in a season eventually won by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, the Germans taking their fourth consecutive constructors title. IndyCar meanwhile saw a spectacular season close with a grandstand finish that saw Josef Newgarden beat out rivals such as Scott Dixon and Simon Pagenaud to that year's title. For IndyCar, things were looking up. For F1, everyone hoped that things would look up.

Flash forward to the present and both series have had their opening two rounds. F1 had a fairly quiet race in Melbourne before a tense strategic thriller in Bahrain. IndyCar had an incredible season opener in St Petersburg, with a solid showing next time out in Phoenix. The first two races with the new IndyCar had shown that the series had been absolutely right in cutting down massive aerodynamic parts and focusing and improving the racing. The cars had lost none of their speed, in fact Jordan King broke the St Pete lap record in qualifying. But with most of the downforce coming from underneath the car, the racing had improved immensely at a tricky street circuit as St Petersburg. Over 300 overtakes took place in that race alone. F1 could barely manage 15 in Melbourne. So of course, the debates begun...

IndyCar has clearly got it right for its own series when it comes to aerodynamics. The reduction in dirty air has allowed cars to follow each other much more closely than in F1. So that's settled then. IndyCar has won, right? Well it's not that easy. Because IndyCar features a spec car. Everybody has the same chassis and aero. The only difference is the engine. Some teams run Honda power, some teams run Chevrolet power. It's all down to recourses and how you set up the car, and of course the drivers. F1 of course sees everyone build their own chassis, design their own aero so every car is unique and of course four engine suppliers. Honda, Renault, Ferrari and Mercedes. Most definitely not a spec racing series. So how does F1 get a slice of IndyCar's action? How does it become so competitive that more than three teams can win races and the cars can follow closely?

Taking the 'ground effect' approach that IndyCar has taken would be a good start. Its clearly working. But we have to factor in the spec series nature of IndyCar. It allows for greater competition and more variety in winners, as no one team can steal a march on car design. This is something that is not in F1's nature or DNA, and no one would allow it to become so. The series has always been about designing the best car to beat your opponents. But is that providing the best racing in the world? 

Right now, not its not. A middle ground must be found, but taking inspiration from IndyCar. Don't become a spec series if that's not what your series is about. But change how downforce is produced and what aero each car has. Minimise that top aero and allow that downforce to come from underneath the car. Exactly what IndyCar has done. Allow each team to build their own car. Yes, it may still reward the Mercedes and Red Bull's of this world. But it would make it a damn sight easier for smaller teams to win races, as there would be a lot less gains to be found. And it would cut costs too. If everyone has the majority of its downforce coming from underneath the car and it is all a fairly equal percentage across the field, then what gains can you find?

The aero debate is one that will probably rage on for a while. But what is clear is that some ways work better than others and produce spectacular racing. And right now it seems, IndyCar is ahead of the game. With regulation changes being mooted, it's now F1's turn to show us what it can do.

Why McLaren must win in 2018

McLaren made a bold decision to ditch Honda in 2017 in favour of Renault power, in the hope it would jump them up the competitive order. With that Renault engine having won three races last year with Red Bull and McLaren claiming they have the best chassis on the grid, there is no longer anywhere to hide for the Woking team.

This year has been billed as the start of a new era for McLaren. Gone is Honda, in has come Renault. The team is looking to the future, whilst recognising the past with a stunning Papaya orange and blue livery. Fernando Alonso has spoken of his desire to fight amongst the frontrunners once again and Stoffel Vandoorne surely must be looking towards a first podium in 2018. McLaren has not claimed a podium since Australia 2014 and not won since Brazil 2012. A drivers title has not come their way since 2008, and a constructors championship hasn’t been won since 1998.

Ever since the Honda ere begun, the team has claimed to have the best chassis in the field, and very GPS data has suggested it is at least among the top three on the grid. But we have never seen the true potential of the MP4-30, MP4-31 or the MCL32 as they have all been held back by the powerunit. Since the switch to Renault power, the team has a new dynamic and a new feel. You can sense that the racehorse that has been locked up these last few years is finally going to get its chance to run again. A sleeping giant could be about to stir. And it has too.

Renault may not have produced a world beating powerunit since the start of the V6 turbo hybrid era, and indeed it went through 2015 without a single victory, but it has still won races. Red Bull won three times in 2017. The first came from Daniel Ricciardo in the madness of Baku, a lucky but hard earned win as the Australian came from 10th on the grid. The second was from Max Verstappen in Malaysia, overtaking Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes into turn one and dominating the race. Mexico saw Verstappen again take victory, beating Vettel into the lead at the start and again dominating proceedings. The engine had improved and so had the RB13 chassis. A chassis McLaren felt wasn’t as strong as their own MCL32.

And they must prove it this year. They now have a race winning engine in the back of the car, and an engine that seems to have made solid gains over the winter both in terms of performance and reliability. The team can no longer blame the powerunit. Not realistically. Of course, the Renault may still not be quite on the level of the Mercedes, but it’s good enough for consistent podium challenges from Red Bull and the odd win, and perhaps even a title push from the Milton Keynes team this year. If the MCL33 really is better than the Red Bull and as good as the Mercedes or Ferrari, McLaren must do so. Failure to do that will result in them wishing they had never uttered the words “we have the best chassis on the grid”. Many may see a few podiums is enough. But I don’t think so. I honestly believe McLaren need to win races this season. They don’t need to be title contenders instantly, but they must win. They must be qualifying no lower than 6th and to really prove they’re as good as they claim to be, they have to be knocking on the door of P2 on the grid.

If they do not do this, and lose Alonso and potentially even Vandoorne, they only need to look a few garages up the grid to see what may happen. Williams have not won a title of any kind since 1997 and last won in 2012. They made a big step forward in 2014 and ’15, but the team has never truly recaptured the glory days of the 1990’s and ‘80’s, even factoring in the BMW era. If McLaren don’t want to suffer the same fate, then they must prove this year that it was only Honda holding them back. McLaren must win in 2018. And nothing less will suffice.

Forget the aesthetics, safety is paramount in F1

When it was announced that the Halo would be coming to Formula 1 in 2018, it received a mixed response. Many argued that it was vital that F1 pursued the quest for safer cars. A large number though argued that aesthetics are the most important part of the car and that “it wouldn’t be F1 if the Halo is on these cars”. But when it all boils down to it, surely safety outweighs any argument over aesthetics?

I’ll be honest, I do feel that a Formula 1 car should stand out from the crowd and look like the ultimate open wheel racer. The new regulations for 2017 certainly did just that and we had a field of incredible looking machines. So sticking on an 8 kilo or so lump of carbon fibre above the driver does take away from the visual appeal of the car. Looks don’t improve the racing, but if the cars look good whilst doing the business then the fans will be very happy indeed.

But it would be wrong to suggest that “it isn’t Formula 1” with the Halo on the cars. Formula 1 is defined as an open wheel formula of racing, as opposed to open cockpit. Whilst that is indeed the ethos of an open wheel car, it isn’t exactly a mandatory requirement that be open cockpit. And, let’s be honest, the cockpits are still quite open aren’t they? No, it is still very much F1 and will always be F1.

So yes, aesthetics are important. But not as important as the lives of those driving the cars. Now, huge accidents are rare in the sport these days and a lot of those accidents do see drivers walk away. But it would be naïve to expect that to continue and say “we don’t need the halo”. A couple of accidents over the last few years could have been prevented with the device. Henry Surtees died in a race at Brand Hatch back in 2009 after a wheel hit him in the head. Justin Wilson died at Pocono’s IndyCar race in 2015 after debris from the crashed car of Sage Karam hit him on the head. Both these accidents could have saved the lives of the drivers, with 4 time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel agrees.


"There would be at least two drivers in the last four years there I remember that would still be around - Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson - if we had this type of system.

"I think it can be very ugly but nothing justifies not having these two guys around."

Here is one of the best drivers on the grid, agreeing that yes it isn’t pretty, but nothing should come in the way of safety. It isn’t pretty, no, but why should it be? And what more of an endorsement do you need than that of Sebastian Vettel? Safety will always outweigh aesthetics, and we have to get this into our heads.

IndyCar gears up for 2018 with Sebring tests

Teams from the Verizon IndyCar series have been gearing up for the coming season with tests at the Sebring circuit in Florida, as the grid gets to grips with the new universal aerokit that the series has introduced for 2018. Testing for the teams has been going on for the past month or so with Penske being one of the key players after initially taking part in the manufacturer tests on behalf of Chevrolet. Now Andretti, Ganassi and Dale Coyne Racing have got their first chunk of testing under their belts.  A.J. Foyt Racing, SPM and Ed Carpenter Racing have also got their first miles with the new car.

The tests have been a chance for fans to see some of the teams liveries on the new look machines for the very first time, and they do look absolutely stunning, particularly the #28 DHL car of Ryan Hunter-Reay and the #27 NAPA car of Alexander Rossi. The shimmering blue on the Ganassi of Ed Jones also stood out. On track, the cars were a joy to watch as the drivers wrestled with their new steeds. This new aerokit has really made them 'driver cars' again and there has been high praise up and down the grid on the new cars and how the management at IndyCar has got this spot on. Mario Andretti has commented on the car, saying  "This thing is beautiful as it is. It's just going back to what the pure open-wheel, single-seater should be." 

Ed Jones, #10 Ganassi

2017 champion Josef Newgarden also said “The new car is bolder, it's more daring and really, we believe it has improved aerodynamics that are going to help the racing product tremendously, so I'm looking forward to that probably the most. We believe it's going to be faster, we believe it's going to be safer, it's going to provide better racing like we've talked about."

Tony Kanaan, #14 A.J. Foyt Racing

 The promise of better racing has excited fans and teams alike, after 2017 saw one of the most competitive years, if not the most competitive year, that the series has ever seen. It has been enough to entice Carlin and Harding Racing to run full time from this year, with Juncos and Michael Shank Racing running part time programs with the scope for full time operations from 2019 onwards. More testing takes place this week again at Sebring, which will see Takuma Sato make his highly anticipated test debut for the RLL team alongside Graham Rahal, with further testing throughout the next month before the first race of the year in St.Petersburg, Flordia.

F1 2017 - A titanic season of what could have been

The 2017 Formula 1 season saw wider, faster and bigger cars take to the stage as the sport saw its first multiple team title fight since 2013, as Ferrari threatened to end the Mercedes dominance of the last three years. It saw two of the greatest drivers of their generation, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, battling out for their fourth and fifth titles respectively. Mercedes v Ferrari, Hamilton v Vettel in the fastest Grand Prix cars we have ever seen. It had everything...on paper. What transpired was a season which promised so much, but failed to deliver on its potential.

The pre-season testing form showed by Ferrari proved to be very much real as opposed to 2016 where it flattered to deceive, and Vettel duly won the first race of the year as Mercedes baulked under the pressure of having another team vying for the top spot. The W08 was incredible in qualifying, as every Mercedes has been, but the SF70H early on looked to be the more poised and consistent race car. A shorter wheelbase and an incredibly efficient chassis meant it was far more predictable than the Mercedes and had a wider operating window than the silver arrows. Coupled with Mercedes having to embed new boy Valtteri Bottas in the team, and Ferrari looked to hold a tiny advantage in the first few races.

Vettel lost out to Hamilton in China but struck back in Bahrain, and then lead the first Ferrari 1-2 in qualifying Russia and heading a 2-3 finish for the team, as Bottas jumped into title contention with an emphatic first career win, holding off Vettel in the dying stages of the race. As these two powerhouse teams fought for supremacy, Red Bull could only dream of doing similar. Expected to be the closest challenger to Mercedes pre-season, poor correlation with the car and factory and a still under powered Renault power unit saw them hoping for a fourth place finish at best, although a brilliant podium by Max Verstappen in China was an early highlight. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Vettel continued to fight it out at the front.

A wheel-to-wheel win in Spain for Hamilton lead to a nightmare weekend in Monaco, qualifying 13th after being caught out by yellow flags in Q2 ended with a seventh place finish in the race as he saw his rival lead a Ferrari 1-2 and open up a very healthy championship lead. But Hamilton fought back again in Montreal as Vettel finished fourth, a result of first corner contact with Verstappen, before the chaos of Baku saw Daniel Ricciardo take an unbelievable win and Williams Lance Stroll took an equally amazing podium finish.

 Bottas took another win from Vettel in Austria as Hamilton finished fourth, the Briton striking back emphatically at Silverstone as both Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen suffered left front punctures. Vettel finished seventh, and the championship lead was down to one point. But he came back strong in Hungary, leading home Raikkonen and Bottas as Hamilton finished fourth. The battle was its hottest point, and it looked set to go all the way to Abu Dhabi.

As the season had gone on, many were asking whether the new rules had actually helped the racing. There was no doubting the speed of the new cars, nor was there any doubt as to the spectacle they put on trackside. But what mattered was the racing, and the number of overtakes had indeed taken hit. This was thanks to the huge increase in aerodynamics on the new 2017 beasts, the dirty air effect being much worse than in 2016. Some races were spectacular, Spain and Baku being the obvious highlights, but many still were not sold on the rule changes and as we look to 2018, they are still not sold. It may sound negative, but they are right to have their concerns...

As Formula 1 returned to action at Spa following the summer break, everyone was eagerly anticipating the continuing duel between Hamilton and Vettel and a flat out race at Spa between the pair of them only added to the hype. Sadly though, things were about to fizzle out for Vettel. Third in Monza was a disappointing result for Ferrari, but Vettel bounced back with a brilliant pole position lap in Singapore as Hamilton languished in fifth place. The Mercedes driver prayed for a miracle...and he got it. In the first ever wet night race, an error of judgement from Vettel caused chaos at turn one as he, Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso all crashed out of the race. A perhaps certain 25 points for Vettel was gone, as Hamilton opened up a 28 point championship lead in a race he probably shouldn't have won. An issue in qualifying in Malaysia, and another retirement in Japan were the final nails in the championship coffin, as Hamilton went over 60 points clear at the top of the table.

Even a resurgent Max Verstappen winning in Malaysia over Hamilton wasn't enough for Vettel. Verstappen won again in dominant style in Mexico, following contact between Vettel and Hamilton at the start of the race. Vettel may have finished in fourth, but it wasn't enough. Hamilton finished ninth and it was plenty to clinch his fourth world title and end Ferrari and Vettel's dreams. With three rounds to spare, the championship was over. 

Vettel took some redemption in Brazil though, with Hamilton crashing out in Q1 the German beat poleman Bottas at the start to control the race and take his fifth win of the season. Bottas, himself recovering from a poor second half of the year, then took pole and the win in the final race of the year after one of the best drives of his whole career to end 2017 on a high, the year perhaps going out with a bit of a whimper with one of the less entertaining races of the year. 

After such an incredible first half of the year it was a real shame for the championship battle to end so early. It had been such an enthralling and engrossing story line. Two of the best drivers of their generation were going head to head, in the two biggest teams and with controversy and drama every step of the way. But mechanical failures and an accident saw the year fizzle out in the final stages, ending one of the most intense title battles for years. We were all left to wonder what might have been. Vettel could have gone into the final round with a healthy championship lead, and even a distant third in Abu Dhabi could have been enough to secure his fifth title. Alas, it wasn't to be.


Of course there were plenty of fights through the midfield. The almost bitter rivalry between Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez at Force India was equally as exciting as the team once again finished 4th in the championship. Renault made huge progress to finish 6th in the standings and the exciting pairing of Nico Hulkenburg and Carlos Sainz could really deliver for them come the new season. And of course Max Verstappen went from strength to strength as the Red Bull improved, which will give Ricciardo something to think about this season.

But 2017 will be remembered for the titanic battle between two giants of the sport, before it then suddenly all came to a, literally, crashing halt. The season of red vs silver promised so much throughout the majority of it, but in the end we were left to rue what might have been. Here's hoping 2018 delivers on the promise that 2017 showed.