Welcome to the F1 season guide. Championship results, calendar and race coverage for the Formula 1 World Championship.
The 69th season of the F1 championship has a whopping 21 races on the calendar, and features the return of France and Germany, the disappearance of Malaysia, and the reshuffling of several events including Russia. With a long, long season ready to deliver what will hopefully be another fantastic championship fight, the 2018 season has plenty going for it.
The 2017 season aimed to shake up the established order of things with some new aerodynamic-focused regulations. Wider cars and fatter Pirelli tyres were introduced to create more downforce and thus faster cars, and teams were looking to capitalise on the changes to close the gap to Mercedes. The season started with a close battle between Ferrari and Mercedes, but gradually the Silver Arrows dominance began to show once more.
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.
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.
The 2014 F1 season saw a massive shake up in both driver line-ups and regulations so that both teams and onlookers were unsure exactly what was in store. Only two teams retained both drivers from the previous year, whilst engineers and mechanics also switched places. It was the engine overhaul that really made the difference, however, with Mercedes quickly proving they had the new power units sussed and leaving the rest of the field playing catch up.
The 2013 season saw a stability in the regulations that we hadn't seen for a long while. Driver changes were to provide the initial intrigue, with Lewis Hamilton's much-anticipated move to Mercedes. The calendar missed the European GP at Valencia, whilst the successful US race in Austin returned for its second outing. Red Bull were searching for a fourth consecutive championship, but McLaren and Ferrari were both fired up to try and stop them.
The 2012 F1 season was an unpredictable one, with the Pirelli tyres mixing things up. Each circuit that passed by saw a different team with the advantage, and the seven different winners at the start of the year meant the championship could have gone in any direction. Red Bull gradually found their edge, and secured themselves, and Sebastian Vettel, a third consecutive title. However, it was a hard-fought battle that went right down to the wire, and it was an unforgettable season.
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