MOTORHUB MAGAZINE
Vettel after his win in Malaysia
The air show in Abu Dhabi before the final race
patched things up with Renault once
more.
McLaren had one of the toughest seasons
of their illustrious history as Honda’s new
powertrain struggled horribly with its ERS
Though there were no victories this year, systems. Despite frequent claims from
on the bright side the RB11 emerged as
Honda chief Yasuhisa Arai that the latest
one of the best chassis in the field after
version of the engine would now match
modifications in Hungary - where Kvyat
Renault, then Ferrari, it was often 20 km/h
led Ricciardo home in a 2-3 behind Vettel down on the straights, had poor deploy- made it more predictable. After a hesiment and lacked reliability. Both Fernando
tant start Kvyat had a great post-Monaco Alonso and Jenson Button accrued more
season which included that first podium
penalties than a season of Premier League
at Hungaroring and saw him finish one
football, and they amassed a measly 11
place and three points ahead of the man
and 16 points apiece.
who had upstaged Vettel the previous year.
Tyre conservation remained crucial, and
Force India were one of the great success Pirelli generally had a reasonably successstories of the year, going a place better
ful season in terms of compound choice
than they had during an impressive 2014 and achieving the planned balance of grip
and taking fifth overall as they continued versus built-in degradation from circuit to
to punch well above their weight. Despite circuit.
a start to the season that was compromised as they awaited new aerodynamic
Tragedy once again touched the sport in
developments following the switch from
July when Jules Bianchi succumbed to
their UK wind tunnel to Toyota’s facility
the injuries he sustained during the 2014
in Germany, they scored their best-ever
Japanese Grand Prix. His passing, togethconstructors’ championship result to show er with the death of former Minardi and
that the day of the successful independent Jaguar star Justin Wilson through head
is not yet over. Sergio Perez was a parinjuries sustained in an IndyCar race
ticular star in the second half of the year, in August, prompted further discussion
scoring the team’s only podium finish of
about safety and closed cockpits.
the year in Russia.
But if those were the undoubted lows,
Lotus and Toro Rosso batted for sixth
there were plenty of highs too. The highplace all season. The former were handi- light of the season, the race in Texas apart,
capped by financial problems throughout was F1 racing’s triumphant return to
the year, but the Mercedes-engined E23
Mexico. The race was a massive success,
was a good car and their greatest day
boosted by the presence of Sergio Perez
of the season came courtesy of Haasand his run of strong performances which
bound Romain Grosjean who scored a
sparked national pride and provided
much-needed podium with third place
unerring evidence, if it were needed, of
at Spa. The team’s future does however
Formula One racing’s enduring internalook rosy with Renault’s takeover all but
tional appeal.
complete.
Jules Lucien André Bianchi (3 August 1989 – 17
July 2015) was a French motor racing driver who
drove for Marussia F1. On 5 October