The 2015 Formula One season has begun, and it looks like it might be a great season. Hamilton took the win, continuing on from where he left off in 2014. Mercedes look like they will again be the ones to beat, with Ferrari and Williams fighting for the best of the rest. Sauber has shown immense progress from last year, while McLaren have fallen to the bottom of the pack. So, what was good, what was bad and what was down right ugly on the first race weekend of 2015.
The Good
Ferrari and Sauber car improvements – Both Ferrari and Sauber have shown huge improvements in the first race of the season. Ferrari only had one podium last year, a third from Alonso in China, and finished behind a resurgent 2014 Williams in the constructors. In Melbourne Ferrari were running with both cars in the points, with Vettel taking third, his first podium since 2013. Sauber were even more a surprise. Failing to score a single point in 2014 Sauber has already scored 14 points with a 5th for Nasr and 8th for Ericsson.
Mercedes dominance continues – While for many the dominance of one team is a negative, as a Hamilton and Mercedes fan it is a perfect result. While I want another season of Mercedes victories, it would be good for another team to push them to the limit.
The Bad
Small finishing field – Before the race weekend 20 cars were meant to compete. After qualifying this went down to 18 cars after Manor were unable to qualify due to software issues. It was then revealed that Bottas would be unable to race due to a back injury sustained in qualifying, bringing us to 17 drivers. On the way to the grid we lost Magnussen and Kvyat. Magnussen had an engine failure, while Kyvat suffered a gear issue. This meant the race started with only 15 drivers. We lost two more drivers in the first lap, with both Lotus drivers finding themselves back in the garage. Maldonado was hit from behind and ending up in the wall, while Grosjean had an engine issue forcing his retirement. The race settled down, and it was in the last half we lost the final two drivers. Verstappen had his debut cut short after his engine died. Raikkonen had pit stop issues, and his second pit stop left him with a loose tire and an investigation into an unsafe release. In the end we only had 11 finishers.
Top teams falling behind – McLaren and Red Bull found themselves under performing, and being behind their 2014 pace. McLaren were the biggest losers. Qualifying in 17th and 18th, Magnussen was unable to even start the race, while Button ended up being the only non points finisher. Red Bull fared better than McLaren, but still struggled. Kyvat didn’t make it to the grid, thanks to gear issues. Ricciardo managed 6th, but struggled with drivibility. Renault have a lot of work ahead of them. Both McLaren and Red Bull are former champions, and are way out of their comfort zones.
The Ugly
Sauber’s legal troubles – The start of the season was almost overshadowed by the legal issues at Sauber. The problem seems to be that Sauber have too many drivers, and not enough cars. In 2014 Van Der Garde was contracted to the team as a test driver, with a clause with a race seat for 2015. Sauber then signed Ericsson and Nasr, leaving Van Der Garde in the lurch. In the build up to the season Sauber were taken to court by Van Der Garde, who ultimately won. However, Sauber were not playing ball and after threats of contempt of court, a very awkward press conference for Kaltenborn and the threat of jail, Van Der Garde and Sauber settled. It did not get him the race seat, and the issue is not yet settled. The saga continues on to Malaysia.