Suzuka, Japan Grand Prix

October 5, 2014

From the start of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, rain from Typhoon Phanfone wreaked havoc and spiced things up. The race started behind the safety car and finished early under a red flag. Lewis Hamilton harassed and dueled with teammate Nico Rosberg to take a superb victory in a race that was overshadowed by a 100-mph, head-on crash and a terrible injury to the Marussia-Ferrari driver Jules Bianchi.

During the Japanese GP, Infiniti Red Bull Racing showed once more that their driving ability and race strategy would keep them in the hunt, fighting to the end. Sebastian Vettel grabbed a third place finish with teammate Daniel Ricciardo claiming the fourth spot.

Although Vettel and Ricciardo started from ninth and sixth respectively, their race pace was soon showing. Pit stop strategy and tire choice proved instrumental to the ensuing events. Vettel’s RB10 was the fastest car on the track by lap 32 with his intermediate tires, and Ricciardo found himself at race lead soon after as the Mercedes drivers both stopped for fresh tires. Ricciardo’s final pit stop brought him back out in fifth, but with some more audacious driving from the Australian, he moved up to sit behind Vettel once more.

Scheduled for 53 laps, the red flag came out on lap 44, and even though Vettel pitting the lap after moved Ricciardo into third, the count back to when the red flag was first raised saw Vettel reinstated to the podium, his second in a row.

Sochi, Russia Grand Prix

October 12, 2014

The Sochi International Street Circuit was driven on roads constructed for the 2014 Winter Games, making the Russian Grand Prix F1’s longest and newest venue.

Lewis Hamilton, starting from the pole position, won the first ever Russian Grand Prix race with a dominant performance around the Sochi circuit. Teammate Nico Rosberg gambling in an effort of desperation for his championship hopes almost edged Hamilton out for the rundown into the first corner. As it turned out, Rosberg misjudged his move and overcooked into the turn, which resulted in a spectacular lock up from which he was forced to pit. After maintaining against Rosberg, there were no major bumps for Hamilton and his lead was never again threatened as he ran away with the eventual victory. Although disappointed with his disastrous start, Rosberg was able to recover with some magnificent racing and by lap 20 he was back in a point scoring position. He continued to put drivers under pressure and eventually finished in second place. Williams’ Valtteri Bottas joined the pair on the podium.

Daniel Ricciardo and teammate Sebastian Vettel were separated by less than a second in the early stages of the race. On lap 7, Ricciardo, battling with his teammate, radioed that he was unhappy about Vettel’s pace, complaining he was losing too much time. Ricciardo was only able to finish at Sochi in seventh place although he was able to record the fastest speed through the trap at 204 mph toward the end of the race. Vettel came in eighth just 4.3 seconds behind his teammate.

The one-two podium finish result by Mercedes at Sochi meant they had locked up the 2014 Constructors’ Championship with three races left in the season.

Austin, US Grand Prix

November 2, 2014

For the first time since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, only 18 cars lined up on the grid. At the Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes strengthened his stranglehold on the Drivers’ Championship with his tenth win of the season. He daringly passed Nico Rosberg on lap 24 to snatch the lead from his Mercedes teammate, adding fuel to his world title chances.

Daniel Ricciardo started the US Grand Prix from fifth on the grid after qualifying as the highest non-Mercedes powered runner. He went on to take his eighth podium of the season finishing third for Red Bull after another battling race. With only two races left, the results of the US Grand Prix meant Ricciardo was mathematically ousted from his world championship fight, leaving just the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to battle for the 2014 title.

Sebastian Vettel raced through the pack and finished seventh after a pit lane start penalty due to using the sixth power unit of the season in his RB10. Red Bull had to change the complete power unit on Vettel’s car, thus incurring a penalty pit lane start. Even with the pit lane start, Vettel was still able to record both the fastest Red Bull speed and the fastest overall lap of the race.

Team Principal Christian Horner hailed the results as a good team performance, with both drivers’ efforts being complemented by sterling work performed in the pit and in the garage. Coming away with third and seventh is not much to write home about, but the general consensus was that of a job well done.

Sao Paulo, Brazil Grand Prix

November 9, 2014

Sao Paulo’s Interlagos Circuit is a great, classic venue that has seen more than its share of incredible races, and the race on November 9, 2014 was no exception.

Starting from the pole position, the race was won by Nico Rosberg, who finished just 1.4 seconds ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Driving the race of his life under relentless pressure from Hamilton, Rosberg was able to keep him at bay. During lap 26 with Hamilton breathing down his neck, Rosberg locked up and dove straight into the pits. Hamilton, sensing his chance, gave it all he had, but while doing over 200 mph coming into a turn, he locked his rear tires and half-spun off the track. This rare mistake cost him seven seconds and a chance to take the lead. In the final 20 laps, he came on ferociously making up ground and all the while moving up to never more than one second behind his teammate. However determined, it was not enough. Rosberg’s win helped him close the gap to just 17 points behind Hamilton in his hunt for the championship title. It was Rosberg’s fifth win of the season.

The passionate, cheering crowds at Interlagos were sent into delirium when their speedy local driver Felipe Massa crossed the line in third. Sebastian Vettel took a solid fifth place, but Daniel Ricciardo was forced to quit after 39 laps with a suspension failure.

Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

November 23, 2014

Lewis Hamilton was the first to cross the finish line and became a two-time Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion as he dominated the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton was also the winner of the 2014 DHL Fastest Lap Award having amassed seven fastest laps, the most of any driver over the season.

Hamilton joins the ranks of Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel who all secured the award in previous seasons.

It was a difficult start to the weekend in Abu Dhabi for Team Red Bull as both Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo were excluded from qualifying after stewards decided that the front wings of their RB10s had been designed to flex under aerodynamic load. The ruling meant that even though they qualified fifth and sixth respectively their times were discounted, and they had to start at the back of the grid. Even though they were singled out and handed a pit lane start, both drivers successfully made it into the points. Ricciardo’s incredible season ended on a high as he had another great performance finishing fourth for Infiniti Red Bull. His finish placed him in third position for the Formula 1 2014 Drivers’ Standings. He is the only driver other than Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to win a race in 2014 with three first place finishes.

Sebastian Vettel, who lined up on the grid for the final time as a Team Red Bull Racing driver, was unable to match the pace of Ricciardo during the season and at Abu Dhabi. Starting from pit lane, he was able to secure eighth place in his final race for Red Bull. The number one designated driver finished the year in fifth position for the Formula 1 2014 Drivers’ Standings.

Team Red Bull Racing’s 2014 season efforts secured second place position in the Constructors’ Championship.