2015 Current Driver Line-up: Part 1

There are a few changes to the 2015 driver line up. Some were expected, some were not. It's a new year and a new driver line up. Team mates were a big part of 2014 and I for one hope it will be included in 2015 too.

Mercedes: Hamilton and Rosberg

Their relationship was tested a lot in 2014. However, at the end of the final race of the year, their feud seemed to be over. It was clear from the start these two were a good partnership and one of them was going to be champion. It's no surprise Mercedes have kept both of the drivers. Will Mercedes keep their gap? And if they do, how will the relationship between them be this season?

Red Bull: Ricciardo and Kvyat

After Vettels departure it meant Ricciardo was left to be number 1 at the team which he feels he is ready for. He impressed during his first year with Red Bull, even winning a few races. Obviously we cannot forget is amazing overtakes. He will be partnered by Kvyat who has only had 1 year experience in F1. He must have done something right for Red Bull to promote him above Vergne and other drivers.  However, he was consistent in 2014 so it will be interesting to see how he settles in and does this season.

McLaren: Alonso and Button

This was the last line up to be announced. Alonso had been rumoured to re-join the team for a couple of months. The only remaining question was, would they keep on Button or the young Magnussen? In the end they chose Button. This will be a strong partnership as they both have a lot of experience. I cannot wait to see how these two work together. They will have to work with the new Honda engine. With reliability possibly being an issue. We can't be sure how McLaren will do, but with these two drivers, they will hopefully achieve a lot this year.

Williams: Massa and Bottas

These 2 have a strong partnership. Both talented drivers, just one with more experience than the other. Not that you could tell. They seem to work well together. They have helped turn the Williams team around. So no surprise that the Williams team will want to keep them for as long as they can. 

Ferrari: Raikkonen and Vettel

Vettel leaving Red Bull was a shock but with the rumours of Alonso leaving Ferrari, it was only a short space of time before it was announced that Vettel would be joining Ferrari. I'm sure Vettel and Raikkonen will enjoy being team mates as they are good friends off track. Ferrari had a tough year in which Raikkonen expected to struggle. Vettel wanted a change and Ferrari are hopeful for next year so only time will tell. 

Since there are so many teams, I have decided to do the driver line up in two parts. The next one will be up soon. I am very dedicated to my blog and making it the best I can. 

-shortysian

What do you really know about the drivers and their weight?

 

There are so many reasons why people love F1, whether it’s the cars, the technology, the history of F1, there is always something.

For me personally it is all really interesting. However one stands out to me more than everything else. That is the drivers and what they go through. As viewers we just see the drivers get in the car and drive it around a circuit. We don’t see all the preparation and training they do. The drivers have to change their whole life to be able to do what they do.

Over the past year their training and diet has become a bigger thing than it ever has before. They have to be the lightest they can be as the weight of the car has increased. It was one of the many rule changes of 2014. Personally, I like all the rule changes. It keeps F1 entertaining and hopefully getting more people watching. However, there was a big impact on the drivers. The drivers have never looked slimmer. The taller drivers are the ones who were hit the hardest by the rule changes as they are naturally heavier than smaller drivers. What I would really like to know is how often drivers go to the gym and what kind of exercises they do. I know some drivers focus on the muscles in their neck. I never realised until a few months back how much stress the neck is put under. The neck has to cope with the weight of the helmet and constantly moving throughout the race.

I would also love to know what food drivers eat and what they avoid. I assume they would eat food containing Carbohydrates as that will give them lots of energy for training and when they’re in the car. We all read articles about people losing weight by going to the gym and eating the most healthy food they can find; but can drivers really do that? I would love to know what they eat on a day to day basis and if it changes on a race weekend. Maybe that’s F1’s the best kept secret.

I feel it is important for us to be aware of the drivers weight. They are put under pressure to be as light as they can. You can only imagine how tough it must be for them. However, at the end of the day they are doing it to get the best result they can in the races. I really admire the drivers. It shows they are fully committed and prepared to do whatever they can to be the best they possibly can. If that means avoiding chocolate and spending lots of time in the gym then so be it. I think it demonstrates to us that when we really care about something, we will do whatever we can to give ourselves the best chance.

 

-ShortySian

 

 

what now?

So the 2014 season is over. It was full of amazing moments, and terrible ones. All sorts of surprises. No one knew what to expect due to all the rule changes. This season can be called a lot of things but boring is NOT one of them.

 

My question now everything is quiet, what do we do now? I for one have no clue how I will cope without a race every couple of weeks! I am constantly checking the Formula 1 website, BBC and Sky Sports F1 for any news. At this time of year its just nice for it to be a bit quiet; I think it gives us a chance to take in how quickly the year has gone and what happened during the season. Also, we can learn more about the cars now and how things will change for next season.

Its sad to know the next race is 3 months away. However, I am sure it wont be a boring wait with the tests coming up in February. It will be interesting to see what the drivers and teams share on social media about their preparations for the test and the first race in Australia next year.

There is still more news to look forward to and I for one will keep up with the news and learn as much as I can for next year.

-ShortySian


Abu Dhabi race review: 2014

I could not wait for this race. It had been highly anticipated. The driver championship title came down to this. It did not disappoint.

 

Congratulations to Hamilton who did end up winning the race and the drivers championship. Both Hamilton and Rosberg deserved to win. It was a bit annoying that reliability mainly decided who won. After Rosberg's car problems could not be solved, he still carried on all the way to the end. Even when the team wanted to retire the car he kept going. That was my favourite part. He was going to finish the race. When Rosberg went to congratulate Hamilton, that was a moment I think surprised everyone. It was very good to see after everything that happened this year, they were still there to congratulate each other. You could see when Hamilton was on the podium how much it meant to him. Amazing drive from both of them this year. Cant wait for next season.

 

Williams did their usual thing and kept being Mercedes and getting on the podium, this time with both cars. I wonder if they might be able to close the gap to Mercedes. Ricciardo quietly came home 4th. Where as his team mate who was driving his last race for Red Bull could only manage 8th. Might not have been the way Vettel wanted to end it but I'm sure he is looking forward to the new challenge in Ferrari.

 

McLarens Kevin Magnussen had contact on the first lap and an issue with tyres which caused him to drop out of points positions. On the other hand Button managed to come home 5th in what he called a 'tough race.' Button said he lacked pace to keep up with the guys ahead. Lets wait and see how good the Honda engine is next year. But, who will be driving the two McLarens?

Sad day for Toro Rosso. Kvyat had to retire due to an engine relates issue. Although Vergne brought the car home, he didn't get any points. Also, it was his last race with the team. I'm sure it was not the day the team had planned. But neither driver will be the team next year with Kvyat going to Red Bull and Vergne leaving. A team who did have a good day was Force India. They managed to get both cars home 6th and 7th respectively. They are competitive and have a strong driver line up remaining unchanged for next year.

It was good to see Caterham back on the grid. Unfortunately Marussia were unable to return which was a shame. It probably wasn't the way Caterham wanted to return either. Kobayashi was forced to retire due to him feeling vibrations. However, it must have been a pleasing day for Will Stevens to compete and finish in his first F1 race. I wonder, if Caterham are on the grid next year, will Stevens join them?

Ferrari had a tricky season but ended it with both cars just in the points. Alonso had his last race with the team and beat his partner to the finish line. Raikkonen lost a few places at the start and was unable to make them up due to the lack of pace. I'm sure both will be looking forward to next year.

It was a sad race for Sauber all round. Both cars not managing higher than 15th and both the drivers leaving. Had not been a good season for them at all. Hopefully things are better for the team next year and for their new line up of Ericsson and Nasr. Lotus didn't have a great race either. The way Maldonado walked away from his car on line. He had to stop mid-race as his engine caught fire. Not the way he wanted to end the season. Grosjean came home 13th. They're both staying with Lotus for next season so we can see how they improve.

Overall, the last race was full of drama. And sadness with many partnerships coming to an end. There is even still some mystery as to who will be at McLaren and whether Marussia and Caterham will be back next season and if they are, who will be driving for them? I cannot wait. The winter cannot go fast enough!