After last November's final in Abu Dhabi , the carousel of Formula 1 races is finally back! The past season brought the battle of Mercedes drivers for the championship title, the remarkable rise of Williams, the significant decline of Ferrari, which did not win a single race, and Red Bull, the serious accident of Jules Bianchi in Japan, the first points for newly formed teams and their subsequent demise or massive support for Michael Schumacher. According to the pre-season tests, this season could be much more balanced, in addition, the legendary McLaren-Honda combination will return to the World Championship.
Pre-season tests
However, the return of the Japanese engine supplier is not without initial difficulties. If it weren't for Force India's problems in setting up a completely new single-seater at the start, it would have been the British team that would have completed the fewest laps (380) in Jerez and Barcelona . The main cause was a problem with the Honda power units, whose service life is still not at the top level. Controversy also surrounds the British stable regarding Fernando Alonso's accident . During the first tests in Barcelona, he crashed into a wall at a speed of around 215 km/h, suffered a concussion, was unconscious for a while and spent four days in the hospital. Immediately after the accident, according to speculation, he was supposed to claim that it was 1995, that he was driving go-karts and that he would become a Formula 1 pilot in the future. However, the pilot himself downplays this situation somewhat. McLaren's official position is that the accident was caused by a strong crosswind, and Alonso will not take part in the first race in Australia on medical advice, where he will be replaced by reserve pilot Kevin Magnussen. Primarily due to the Spanish rider's non-participation in Melbourne and his alleged memory loss, wild speculation about electrocution from a malfunctioning ERS system is starting to spread through the paddock. This did not leave the unnamed representatives of the unnamed teams in peace, and they had to tell the German tabloids their doubts about the start to the Australian WC. Ron Dennis, as the head of McLaren, categorically denied being hit by the current, and Alonso himself recently added a photo on Twitter from Malaysia, where he is preparing for the second race of the season, in which he should start.
What else did two tests in Barcelona and one in Jerez reveal? Above all, the improved form of Ferrari, who completed 1182 laps in twelve days and according to imaginary calculations should be the second or third fastest team behind Mercedes . Although he did not collect as many partial victories as, for example, Lotus or Ferrari , 1340 laps (the most of the entire starting field) indicate something about racing simulations. Together with Ferrari, the role of the second or third fastest team should be fulfilled by Williams , who have completed 1069 laps. The Red Bull and Toro Rosso single-seaters should move in about the middle of the starting field, with 943 and 1206 laps respectively. McLaren's position and its (un)reliability have already been discussed, the sad truth is that according to calculations, the trio Sauber, Lotus and Force India are currently ahead of the British team. Sauber was the second most diligent in the tests this year, driving 1,245 laps, while Lotus and Force India, on the other hand, had trouble getting their car to the start of individual tests. In the end, Lotus took part in all three meetings and drove 918 laps, Force India brought the new single-seater until the last tests in Barcelona and managed only 365 laps with it (another 304 laps were driven by pilots on last year's model). According to pre-season forecasts, the Manor Marussia team, following last year's Marussia team, is doing the worst of the entire field. He and Caterham did not enter the last three races (Caterham drove at least in Abu Dhabi thanks to a public fundraiser), but he wants to start again this year, and certainly also because of the premiums for ninth place last year. However, the team did not drive a single kilometer in the tests, it does not seem that it should fulfill any significant role. All the more so when only the improved single-seater from last year is to arrive in Australia and the brand new car is only to be introduced during the season.
Racing
In the preliminary calendar for this season there were even 21 races (the last one was Korea), however, as the teams agreed, the maximum number is twenty and this was followed with one question mark. This is the German Grand Prix , which you can still find on the calendar, but it was moved from the originally planned Nürburgring to the Hockenheimring due to financial problems, and it too has obvious problems with payments. That is also why you will find question marks with him. Mexico is making a new return , where it will be raced on a significantly modified original circuit in the capital, Mexico City.
| VC Australia | VC Malaysia | VC of China |
| Circuit: Albert Park | Circuit: Sepang | Circuit: Shanghai IC |
| Date of event: 13.3 – 15.3.2015 | Date of event: 27.3 – 29.3.2015 | Date of event: 10.4 – 12.4.2015 |
| Race start (CET): 6:00 a.m | Start of the race (CET): 9:00 | Start of the race (CET): 8:00 |
| Circuit length: 5.303 km | Circuit length: 5.543 km | Circuit length: 5.451 km |
| Record: 1:24.125 (M. Schumacher) | Record: 1:34.223 (JPMontoya) | Record: 1:32.238 (M. Schumacher) |
| Bahrain WC | VC of Spain | VC Monaco |
| Circuit: Bahrain IC | Circuit: Circuit de Catalunya | Circuit: Circuit de Monaco |
| Date of event: 17.4 – 19.4.2015 | Date of event: 8.5 – 10.5.2015 | Date of event: 21.5 – 24.5.2015 |
| Start of the race (CET): 17:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 |
| Circuit length: 5.412 km | Circuit length: 4.655 km | Circuit length: 3,340 km |
| Record: 1:31.447 (P. De la Rosa) | Record: 1:21.670 (K. Raikkonen) | Record: 1:14.439 (M. Schumacher) |
| VC of Canada | VC of Austria | VC of Great Britain |
| Circuit: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve | Circuit: Red Bull Ring | Circuit: Silverstone |
| Date of event: 5.6 – 7.6.2015 | Date of event: 16.6 – 21.6.2015 | Date of event: 3.7 – 5.7.2015 |
| Race start (CET): 20:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 |
| Circuit length: 4.361 km | Circuit length: 4.326 km | Circuit length: 5.891 km |
| Record: 1:13.622 (R. Barrichello) | Record: 1:08.337 (M. Schumacher) | Record: 1:33.401 (M. Webber) |
| WC of Germany (???) | VC of Hungary | WC of Belgium |
| Circuit: Hockenheimring | Circuit: Hungaroring | Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps |
| Date of event: 17.7 – 19.7.2015 | Date of event: 24.7 – 26.7.2015 | Date of event: 21.8 – 23.8.2015 |
| Race start (CET): 14:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 |
| Circuit length: 4.574 km | Circuit length: 4.381 km | Circuit length: 7,004 km |
| Record: 1:13.780 (K. Raikkonen) | Record: 1:19.071 (M. Schumacher) | Record: 1:47.263 (S. Vettel) |
| VC Italy | VC of Singapore | VC of Japan |
| Circuit: Monza | Circuit: Marina Bay | Circuit: Suzuka |
| Date of event: 4.9 – 6.9.2015 | Date of event: 18.9 – 20.9.2015 | Date of event: 25.9 – 27.9.2015 |
| Race start (CET): 14:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 | Start of the race (CET): 7:00 |
| Circuit length: 5.793 km | Circuit length: 5.065 km | Circuit length: 5.807 km |
| Record: 1:21.046 (R. Barrichello) | Record: 1:48.574 (S. Vettel) | Record: 1:31.540 (K. Raikkonen) |
| WC of Russia | VC USA | VC of Mexico |
| Circuit: Sochi Autodrom | Circuit: Circuit of The Americas | Circuit: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez |
| Date of event: 9/10 – 11/10/2015 | Date of event: 23.10 – 25.10.2015 | Event date: 30/10 – 1/11/2015 |
| Race start (CET): 12:00 | Race start (CET): 20:00 | Race start (CET): 20:00 |
| Circuit length: 5.848 km | Circuit length: 5.513 km | Circuit length: 4.421 km |
| Record: 1:40.896 (V. Bottas) | Record: 1:39.347 (S. Vettel) | Record: 1:16.788 (N. Mansell) |
| VC Brazil | VC Abu Dhabi | |
| Circuit: Interlagos | Circuit: Yas Marina | |
| Date of event: 13.11 – 15.11.2015 | Date of event: 27.11 – 29.11.2015 | |
| Start of the race (CET): 17:00 | Race start (CET): 14:00 | |
| Circuit length: 4.309 km | Circuit length: 5.554 km | |
| Record: 1:11.473 (JP Montoya) | Record: 1:40.279 (S. Vettel) |
Changes in the rules
No matter how revolutionary last season was with hybrid supercharged six-cylinder engines in the guts of single-seaters and unsightly noses, this year the International Automobile Federation has prepared "only partial technical changes." Above all, formula noses will no longer resemble men's natural ones, they will be lower and cross-sections and other atypical shapes such as Lotus, for example, surprised last year. A big advantage for both Ferrari and Renault is the permission to modify some parts of the power unit during the season. Each component is rated by the FIA with tokens, each manufacturer (Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault) gets 32 tokens and can use them to modify the engine until they are used up. Until now, the engine must be homologated by the end of February and then frozen, this year the FIA only prescribes homologation without specifying a date. Of course, Mercedes doesn't like this very much, whose teams (primarily Mercedes itself) gained a decisive competitive advantage through the engine. However, he can't do much about it at the moment. We intentionally omitted Honda from the above list. She had to homologate her engine as a new supplier by the end of February, just like the others last season. The FRIC system is officially banned in the rules, so the front and rear wheels can only react to load changes caused by the load on the wheels themselves. The already criticized rule about the limited number of engines has been tightened for this year – for twenty races, each driver will have to have four complete power units. The time in the wind tunnel was limited from 80 to 65 hours per week , while the air can only blow for 25 hours, at the same time the teams also have to choose only one permanent wind tunnel. In response to Jules Bianchi's accident, Zylon panels have been extended upwards on both sides of the monocoque to better protect the rider's head. A seemingly insignificant change is an increase in the minimum weight without fuel from 701 to 702 kg.
The sports rules have also received changes, above all, we will no longer see the distribution of double points, as was the case at the Yas Marina circuit last year. A complete novelty is the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) , which sets the time for the drivers to pass the given section marked by double yellow flags. Pilots should learn about its activation about 10 seconds in advance, and the reference and elapsed time will then be displayed on the steering wheel. The safety car, but this time the real one, is subject to the modified rule about overtaking single-seaters driving backwards by a lap. Newly, when restarting, the riders do not have to wait for the riders to complete the entire starting field, after enabling overtaking. In the event of a dangerous release of the pilot from the pit lane, a penalty of 10 seconds of stop & go will automatically follow, not a passage through the pits. Penalties for replacing individual components of the drive unit have also been adjusted – the driver will no longer carry the penalty to other races, but if he does not use it all at the start of the race, an additional penalty will follow after the start depending on the remaining size in the form of a time penalty or a 10-second stop & go penalty . The penalty for replacing the entire power unit replaced the sum of penalties for replacing individual components. When the race is stopped by a red flag, the drivers will line up in the pit lane, not on the starting grid. Another restriction is attached to it – if the team members are around the single-seater even when "15 seconds until the start of the warm-up lap" sounds, the pilot must then start from the pit lane. The format of the qualification does not change , the first part is 18 minutes and with 20 competitors the five slowest are eliminated (with 18 pilots four are eliminated), the second part is 15 minutes and the five slowest are again eliminated and the third part is 12 minutes and the ranking will be decided in it in first to tenth place. The 107 percent rule still applies. Just like last year, Pirelli supplies tires in the specifications supersoft, soft, medium, hard, for transitional conditions and for rain. During the season, two tests will be held in Austria and in Barcelona , during Friday night the team members will be able to work on the car for a new seven hours.
Teams and riders
As already stated in the introduction of the text, the legendary connection of the British McLaren and the Japanese Honda returns to the series of grand prizes. We will see when and if it will be possible to overcome the initial labor pains and how the situation around Fernando Alonso will develop. He, as you know, left Ferrari, where he was replaced by Sebastian Vettel . The German pilot wanted a change after four titles with Red Bull and that is why he transferred to the Maranello horse. We will no longer see Caterham in the calendar due to financial reasons, on the contrary, we will most likely see Marussia under the name Manor Marussia F1 Team already at the start of the Australian Grand Prix. So far, however, only with modified last year's single-seater and in the old colors. In addition, a question mark hangs over qualifying for the race. He has to deal with a curious situation at Sauber, where Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr are supposed to drive according to the contracts, but Giedo Van der Garde also claims the seat due to his older contract (which was terminated after last season). Even the court upheld this, and even the appeal of the Swiss stable did not change anything. Who knows who will end up driving in Australia. Other interesting faces include Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. with the Toro Rosso team, who are the sons of well-known motorsport figures Jose Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, or Daniil Kvyat, who is not a rookie, but will leave for Red Bull in his second season (he started at Toro Rosso last year).
| Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | Infiniti Red Bull Racing | ||
| First race: 2010 | First race: 2005 | ||
| Single seater: F1 W06 Hybrid | Single seater: RB11 | ||
| Power unit: Mercedes-Benz PU106B Hybrid | Power unit: Renault Energy F1-2015 | ||
| Reserve rider: Pascal Wehrlein | Reserve rider: Sébastien Buemi, António Félix da Costa | ||
| Headquarters: Brackley (UK) | Headquarters: Milton Keynes (UK) | ||
| Team Principal: Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe | Team Director: Christian Horner | ||
| Number of WC titles: 1 | Number of WC titles: 4 | ||
| Last year's position: first | Last year's position: second | ||
| Nico Rosberg | Lewis Hamilton | Daniel Ricciardo | Daniil Kvyat |
| Nationality: German | Nationality: British | Nationality: Australian | Nationality: Russian |
| Born: 27/06/1985 | Born: 7/1/1985 | Born: 1/7/1989 | Born: 26/04/1994 |
| Number: 6 | Number: 44 | Number: 3 | Number: 26 |
| Last year: second | Last year: first | Last year: third | Last year: fifteenth |
| Debut: Bahrain 2006 | Debut: Australia 2007 | Debut: Australia 2009 | Debut: Australia 2014 |
| Starts/Wins: 166/8 | Starts/Wins: 148/33 | Starts/Wins: 68/3 | Starts/Wins: 19/0 |
| Points: 887.5 | Points: 1486 | Points: 268 | Points: 8 |
| Titles: 0x | Titles: 2x | Titles: 0x | Titles: 0x |
| Williams Martini Racing | Scuderia Ferrari | ||
| First race: 1978 | First race: 1950 | ||
| Single seater: FW37 | Single-seater: SF 15-T | ||
| Power unit: Mercedes-Benz PU106B Hybrid | Power unit: Ferrari 059/4 | ||
| Reserve rider: Alex Lynn, Susie Wolff |
Reserve driver: Jean-Eric Vergne, Esteban Gutiérrez, |
||
| Headquarters: Grove (UK) | Headquarters: Maranello (IT) | ||
| Team Manager: Frank Williams | Team Director: Maurizio Arrivabene | ||
| Number of WC titles: 9 | Number of WC titles: 16 | ||
| Last year's position: third | Last year's position: fourth | ||
| Felipe Massa | Valtteri Bottas | Sebastian Vettel | Kimi Raikkonen |
| Nationality: Brazilian | Nationality: Finnish | Nationality: German | Nationality: Finnish |
| Born: 25/04/1981 | Born: 28/08/1989 | Born: 3/7/1987 | Born: 17/10/1979 |
| Number: 19 | Number: 77 | Number: 5 | Number: 7 |
| Last year: seventh | Last year: fourth | Last year: fifth | Last year: twelfth |
| Debut: Australia 2002 | Debut: Australia 2013 | Debut: USA 2007 | Debut: Australia 2001 |
| Starts/Wins: 212/11 | Starts/Wins: 38/0 | Starts/Wins: 139/39 | Starts/Wins: 213/20 |
| Points: 950 | Points: 190 | Points: 1618 | Points: 1024 |
| Titles: 0x | Titles: 0x | Titles: 4x | Titles: 1x |
| McLaren Honda | Sahara Force India F1 Team | ||
| First race: 1966 | First race: 2008 | ||
| Single seat: MP4-30 | Single seat: VJM08 | ||
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