The 2015 season saw an element of stability after the regulation overhaul of the previous year. Several teams retained their driver lineups but there was a big move for Fernando Alonso to McLaren, and Sebastian Vettel to Ferrari, so plenty of attention was on how their years would pan out. A bumper 21-race calendar saw the return of Korea and Mexico, whilst Abu Dhabi was all set to play host to a season finale with double points – until that idea was scrapped.

Season overview

Whilst all eyes were on the new team pairings at McLaren and Ferrari, the focus could never be far from Mercedes. The team entered a second season of domination, with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton vying for wins and taking podium places wherever possible – in fact, Mercedes secured 16 victories during the year. Lewis Hamilton managed to secure the championship with Nico Rosberg swarming to a successful three-race hat trick of wins at the end of the year.

Williams were hoping to keep up their strong performance from 2014 but it was not to be, as the team struggled for performance and only shone on the odd occasion during their journey to third place in the standings. Ferrari were a solid second, playing best-of-the-rest to Mercedes, having the benefit of Vettel on board. Red Bull, though, were struggling with a tempestuous relationship with their engine supplier, and a new driver line-up.

Also, we waved goodbye to Caterham at the end of 2014, but Manor had a last minute reprieve and were able to participate in the full season. They were unable to pick up any points and ended up tenth in the championship standings, but did secure two twelfth place finishes as a highlight.

F1 returned with some style to Mexico, with a successful return for the race. The prospect of double points at the final race of the year was met with mixed reviews almost immediately it was mentioned, but the FIA saw fit to dispense with the idea before it came to pass. It was an unnecessary move, either way, as the championship had been sewn up long before the Abu Dhabi race rolled around.