The weekend started with literal and figurative dark clouds hanging over Suzuka. The weekend started with rain as the teams returned to the site of Jules Bianchi’s fatal accident in similar weather conditions. The skies cleared over the weekend but it didn’t give way to a particularly exciting weekend. Lewis Hamilton won the race in a dominant effort but all the real interesting happenings in Formula One aren’t happening on-track.
Lewis Hamilton
F1 Italian Grand Prix: Under Pressure
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious and historic Grands Prix on the F1 calendar. While the current state of F1 made the winning manufacturer a foregone conclusion, the post-race drama gave a little intrigue to an otherwise less-than-thrilling Italian Grand Prix.
In the end, it was Lewis Hamilton who crossed the line first and then survived a stewards’ inquiry after the race to win the Italian Grand Prix.
F1 Belgian Grand Prix: The Song Remains the Same
Coming off the annual summer break, Formula One returned from vacation with the Belgian Grand Prix. If you were expecting F1’s annual summer vacation to spark a shake-up in the running order, you were going to be disappointed. At the front, it was all Mercedes with the two works cars dominating the race led home by Lewis Hamilton.
F1 British Grand Prix: Not the Destination but the Journey
As per usual, it was a Mercedes 1-2 in the British Grand Prix. The difference was how we got to that result made the race much more exciting than the standard Mercedes 1-2. Lewis Hamilton won but he sure looked unlikely to pull that off for a good portion of the race.
Meanwhile, for all the action on-track, there was even more action happening off track as the teams start gearing up for the 2016 season.
F1 Monaco GP: To Pit or Not to Pit
For the first 64 laps, Lewis Hamilton dominated the Monaco Grand Prix. Unfortunately for Hamilton, the race was 78 laps, not 64. An ill-advised call to the pits under safety car took Hamilton from the lead to third place on a circuit where passing is next to impossible.
Instead of Hamilton taking home the dominant race victory, it was his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who won his third-straight Monaco Grand Prix. Whether he actually earned this one is a matter of debate.
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Lights, Sparks, Action
While Ferrari is back in contention this season, the battle that fans are focusing on isn’t silver vs. red. The big battle is between Hamilton vs. Rosberg. Having missed out on pole and finish behind Hamilton in each race, the Bahrain Grand Prix could have been the turning point for Nico’s season. Either he could turn it around and prove himself a contender or he would fall out of the hunt before returning to Europe.
While there were some promising moments during the race, Rosberg once again collapsed under the pressure. Even before his big mistake, he was never going to win. The winner was, once again, Lewis Hamilton.
F1 Chinese Grand Prix: The Song Remains the Same
The old adage is two’s company and three’s a crowd. I’m wondering if the podium is getting a little crowded for Mercedes’ liking. Sure, the Mercedes team came through with another 1-2 finish with Lewis Hamilton again winning the race. However, Sebastian Vettel came home third for his third-straight podium with Ferrari.
Normally, that would be the most tidbit of info to titillate the Formula One press but there was so much fun to be had this weekend in Shanghai.
F1 Australian Grand Prix: The First Step to Immortality
After a three-month off-season and a month of testing, it’s all to do again for the stars of Formula One. As is tradition, Formula One returns for another year with the Australian Grand Prix. While a new season often starts with a lot of questions, the only real question that most are asking is Lewis or Nico?
The first step in answering that question came in the first race of the season. Unlike last season, it was Lewis who took first blood and won the first race of the 2015 World Championship. Considering all the drama that happened during the weekend, it was almost as if the battle at the front of the field was just a backdrop to everything happening off-track.
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Double the Points, Double the Fun
Double points, regular points and no points. It doesn’t matter what the points on offer would have been in the final race of the 2014 Formula One World Championship because the result would have been the same. With an ERS failure crippling his car for the final half of the race, reliability was finally on Lewis Hamilton’s side as he scored the win and clinched the World Drivers’ Championship.
F1 Brazilian Grand Prix: And Then There Was One (Race)
In Formula One, all it takes is one mistake to ruin your day. Lewis Hamilton had the superior race pace despite not having as quick qualifying paste as his teammate, Nico Rosberg. However, a spin at the end of his second stint ended any chance he had of getting past Rosberg and instead kept his teammate alive in the hunt for the World Drivers’ Championship.
Of course, that wasn’t all of the news of the weekend. Money was still a hot topic of conversation and it looks like that discussion is only going to get more contentious from here.
The Lowdown 