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Formula 1 season 2016

Formula 1 season guide

Formula 1 season 2016
Credit: Renault Sport
Points allocation
PositionPoints
1st25
2nd18
3rd15
4th12
5th10
6th8
7th6
8th4
9th2
10th1

Two years of Mercedes domination were set to continue into 2016, but thankfully, at long last, the fight between the two top drivers continued throughout the full season and was incredibly even to the end. Lewis Hamilton had superior speed but suffered from bad luck and poor race starts, whilst Nico Rosberg kept the pressure on and worked endlessly hard to eventually take his first Formula One world championship.

Season overview

2016 also saw the debut of new team Haas, with Romain Grosjean moving from Lotus to join the new US outfit. They impressed early on, but the pace soon dropped off and the team found themselves struggling to keep up. Renault’s return as a works outfit was moderately successful, but they only finished in the points a handful of times and ended up behind the new Haas team in the standings.

Out front, Red Bull improved their pace to finish a solid second in the championship, whilst Ferrari found themselves floundering as the season went on. Red Bull were the only team other than Mercedes to win a race, with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen securing one win each. Verstappen ended up the star of the season, overshadowing each race with his overtaking antics and sometimes questionable aggression. However, he was voted driver of the day by fans at almost every opportunity proving that a bit of spice is exactly what the sport is crying out for.

With 21 races to complete, it was a long, long season featuring a new race in Azerbaijan. The Baku circuit played host to the return of the European Grand Prix, with a twisting track that proved a challenge for the drivers. Meanwhile, Pirelli increased the variety of strategies available to teams by introducing a new compound, the ultrasoft tyre denoted by a purple stripe on the sidewalls.

Season calendar

EventCountryDate
Australian Grand PrixAustralia20 Mar
Bahrain Grand PrixBahrain03 Apr
Chinese Grand PrixChina17 Apr
Russian Grand PrixRussia01 May
Spanish Grand PrixSpain15 May
Monaco Grand PrixMonaco29 May
Canadian Grand PrixCanada12 Jun
European Grand PrixAzerbaijan19 Jun
Austrian Grand PrixAustria03 Jul
British Grand PrixUnited Kingdom10 Jul
Hungarian Grand PrixHungary24 Jul
German Grand PrixGermany31 Jul
Belgian Grand PrixBelgium28 Aug
Italian Grand PrixItaly04 Sep
Singapore Grand PrixSingapore18 Sep
Malaysian Grand PrixMalaysia02 Oct
Japanese Grand PrixJapan09 Oct
United States Grand PrixUnited States23 Oct
Mexican Grand PrixMexico30 Oct
Brazilian Grand PrixBrazil13 Nov
Abu Dhabi Grand PrixAbu Dhabi27 Nov

Driver standings

PositionDriverTeamPoints
10Nico RosbergMercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team385
20Lewis HamiltonMercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team380
30Daniel RicciardoRed Bull Racing256
40Sebastian VettelScuderia Ferrari212
50Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing204
60Kimi RäikkönenScuderia Ferrari186
70Sergio PérezSahara Force India F1 Team101
80Valtteri BottasWilliams Martini Racing85
90Nico HülkenbergSahara Force India F1 Team72
100Fernando AlonsoMcLaren Honda54
110Felipe MassaWilliams Martini Racing53
120Carlos Sainz JrScuderia Toro Rosso46
130Romain GrosjeanHaas F1 Team29
140Daniil KvyatScuderia Toro Rosso25
150Jenson ButtonMcLaren Honda21
160Kevin MagnussenRenault Sport F1 Team7
170Felipe NasrSauber F1 Team2
180Jolyon PalmerRenault Sport F1 Team1
190Pascal WehrleinManor Racing MRT1
200Stoffel VandoorneMcLaren Honda1
210Esteban GutiérrezHaas F1 Team0
220Marcus EricssonSauber F1 Team0
230Esteban OconManor Racing MRT0
240Rio HaryantoManor Racing MRT0
F1 driver championship3850AUSBHRCHNRUSESPMONCANEURAUTGBRHUNGERBELITASINMALJPNUSAMEXBRAABUNico RosbergLewis HamiltonDaniel RicciardoSebastian VettelMax VerstappenKimi RäikkönenSergio PérezValtteri BottasNico HülkenbergFernando AlonsoFelipe MassaCarlos Sainz JrRomain GrosjeanDaniil KvyatJenson ButtonKevin MagnussenFelipe NasrJolyon PalmerPascal WehrleinStoffel VandoorneSelect name to toggle individual visibility or toggle all

Constructor standings

PositionTeamPoints
10Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team765
20Red Bull Racing468
30Scuderia Ferrari398
40Sahara Force India F1 Team173
50Williams Martini Racing138
60McLaren Honda76
70Scuderia Toro Rosso63
80Haas F1 Team29
90Renault Sport F1 Team8
100Sauber F1 Team2
110Manor Racing MRT1
F1 constructor championship7650AUSBHRCHNRUSESPMONCANEURAUTGBRHUNGERBELITASINMALJPNUSAMEXBRAABUMercedes AMG Petro …Red Bull RacingScuderia FerrariSahara Force India …Williams Martini R …McLaren HondaScuderia Toro RossoHaas F1 TeamRenault Sport F1 T …Sauber F1 TeamManor Racing MRTSelect name to toggle individual visibility or toggle all

Fastest laps

EventDriverTime
Australian Grand PrixDaniel Ricciardo1:28.997
Bahrain Grand PrixNico Rosberg1:34.482
Chinese Grand PrixNico Hülkenberg1:39.824
Russian Grand PrixNico Rosberg1:39.094
Spanish Grand PrixDaniil Kvyat1:26.948
Monaco Grand PrixLewis Hamilton1:17.939
Canadian Grand PrixNico Rosberg1:15.599
European Grand PrixNico Rosberg1:46.485
Austrian Grand PrixLewis Hamilton1:08.411
British Grand PrixNico Rosberg1:35.548
Hungarian Grand PrixKimi Räikkönen1:23.086
German Grand PrixDaniel Ricciardo1:18.442
Belgian Grand PrixLewis Hamilton1:51.583
Italian Grand PrixFernando Alonso1:25.340
Singapore Grand PrixDaniel Ricciardo1:47.187
Malaysian Grand PrixNico Rosberg1:36.424
Japanese Grand PrixSebastian Vettel1:35.118
United States Grand PrixSebastian Vettel1:39.877
Mexican Grand PrixDaniel Ricciardo1:21.134
Brazilian Grand PrixMax Verstappen1:25.305
Abu Dhabi Grand PrixSebastian Vettel1:43.729

F1 test schedule

CircuitCountryDate
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain22 Feb
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain23 Feb
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain24 Feb
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain25 Feb
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain01 Mar
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain02 Mar
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain03 Mar
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaSpain04 Mar

F1 team launches

TeamLocationDate
Renault Sport F1 TeamParis, France03 Feb
Red Bull RacingLondon, England17 Feb
Scuderia FerrariOnline19 Feb
Williams Martini RacingOnline19 Feb
Haas F1 TeamOnline21 Feb
McLaren HondaOnline21 Feb
Manor Racing MRTBarcelona, Spain22 Feb
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 TeamBarcelona, Spain22 Feb
Sahara Force India F1 TeamBarcelona, Spain22 Feb
Sauber F1 TeamBarcelona, Spain29 Feb
Scuderia Toro RossoBarcelona, Spain01 Mar