Summer Break, Team by Team Analysis

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The ideal way to spend your summer break is to be on the beach, with friends and drink cocktails. But if you are a motorsport fan you will not be satisfied until your read an article about Formula 1.

Now you can relax, put your sunglasses on and enjoy the fresh summer mood article.

It’s the best time of the season to analyse how good each time and driver was during the first half of the season.

Mercedes

Another great season for Mercedes so far, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collected 415 combined and they are the first two drivers in the championship standings. Mercedes won 11 of the 12 races, Max Verstappen with Red Bull Racing was the only driver who managed to beat Mercedes and win the Spanish Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton

Points: 217

Position: 1st

Best Result: 1st (6 wins)

Lewis Hamilton had a bad start this seasons, in Australia, he finished second behind his team-mate Nico Rosberg and in Bahrain Hamilton finished third. Everyone had high expectations from the three times world champion, but the Brit needed some time to return to his top form.

After the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton, realised that if he wants to win this season’s title he must beat his team-mate. Lewis won his first Grand Prix of the season in Monaco, it was the begging of his dominance. After Spain, Hamilton won six of the seven races and now he is on the top of the drivers’ standings.

Nico Rosberg

Points: 198

Position: 2nd

Best Result: 1st (5 wins)

Nico Rosberg started the season with the ideal way. The German won the first four races and showed that this year he will stop Hamilton’s dominance and win the title. After the collision he had with his team-mate in Spain, Nico’s performance wasn’t as good as it was before Spain. Rosberg managed to win only one of the seven races. Nico couldn’t follow his team-mate form and dropped to the second position, 19 points behind Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull Racing

Red Bull decided to swap Daniil Kvyat with the young Max Verstappen during the season, a move which proved to be right for the team. Max Verstappen’s abilities gave more points to the team and improve their position in the constructors’ standings. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen scored 256 points so far.

Daniel Ricciardo

Points: 133

Position: 3rd

Best Result: 2nd

A very positive season for Daniel Ricciardo so far, the Australian finished on the podium the last two races, and he almost won in Monaco. Daniel finished twice in the second place, the first time was in Monaco and the second time was in Germany. He is the only driver who managed to get the pole from Mercedes and he achieved that in Monaco.

Max Verstappen

Points: 115

Position: 6th

Best Result: 1st

No words can describe Max Verstappen’s season. The Dutch won in his debut with Red Bull in Spain and he became the youngest driver who wins a race in Formula 1. After Spain, Max has scored more points than any other driver (except Lewis Hamilton). In every race, he shows how skilful driver he is and why he deserves a seat in Formula 1.

Scuderia Ferrari

Ferrari started the season with high expectations, in the first races, Ferrari was close to Mercedes and they always had a driver on the podium. In Canada, Sebastian Vettel finished second, almost five seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, but after that race, Ferrari’s performance dropped dramatically. The Italians couldn’t follow Mercedes’s pace and they lost the second position from Red Bull.

Ferrari collected 242 points so far.

Sebastian Vettel

Points: 120

Position: 5th

Best Result: 2nd

The four-time world champion finished five times on the podium, three of the five times Sebastian finished second. Vettel hasn’t finished on the podium in the last four races. The German struggles to beat his team-mate have dropped to the fifth position. Hopefully, Vettel will be better after the summer break and he will manage to challenge Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull.

Kimi Raikkonen

Points: 122

Position: 4th

Best Result: 2nd

Kimi Raikkonen forced Ferrari, with his results, to renew his contract for another season, and secured a seat in Formula 1 for 2017. The Finn has a good season and despite Ferrari’s issues, he managed to score 122 points and be ahead of his team-mate. Kimi is enjoying every moment in Formula 1. Raikkonen finished four times on the podium, his best result was the second place in Bahrain and the second place in Spain. A few days ago, Kimi Raikkonen married Minttu Virtanen in Italy (F1 Gossip).

Williams

It was clear before the season premiere that this season will be tough for Williams. Despite the parts on the FW38 Williams still, struggles to find the required speed in order to finish in the top 4. Valtteri Bottas managed to finish on the podium once and that was in Canada. Not the best season for Williams so far, Bottas and Felipe Massa collected 96 points combined.

Valtteri Bottas

Points: 58

Position: 7th

Best Result: 3rd

Bottas is trying to keep Williams in the game, has scored more points than his team-mate and managed to finish on the podium in Montreal. It is clear that Bottas can’t challenge Max Verstappen for the sixth position, as the gap between them is 57 points.

Felipe Massa

Points: 38

Position: 9th

Best Result: 5th

Felipe Massa started impressively the season, he finished in the points in the first six races, but that was not enough to secure him enough points in order to be close to his team-mate. The Brazilian cannot find the speed he used to have as a Formula 1 and shows that it will be difficult for him to have a seat in the sport the next season.

Sahara Force India

Force India has a positive season so far, despite the first disappointing results, scored eight points in the first four races, they managed to improve their performance and scored 73 extra points. Team’s aim is to catch and pass Williams in the constructors’ standings.

Sergio Perez

Points: 48

Position: 8th

Best Result: 3rd

Checo has finished twice on the podium (3rd place) so far, the first time was in Monaco and the second one was in Baku. The Mexican scored 48 points and he is only ten behind Valtteri Bottas.

Nico Hulkenberg

Points: 33

Position: 10th

Best Result: 6th

Hulkenberg is not as good as his team-mate, he has scored fewer points, but still, his role is important for the team and his last results show that he is becoming better. The summer break might affect him positively and might help him to score points in Spa and Monza.

This is the first part of the summer break analysis, more to follow the next days. Enjoy the summer.