The good, the bad, and the ugly of the year that was at the pinnacle of motor-racing...
Friday 2 January 2015 09:55, UK
Formula 1 2014 was a season that had it all: highs, lows, controversies and, most memorably of all, a fierce title battle which went right down to the wire. Here are some end-of-year awards...
Race of the year: The Bahrain GP, scene of Lewis v Nico’s finest riveting hour. Runner-up: The Hungarian GP. Amazing what a bit of bad weather, divergent strategies and the fastest car in the field starting from the pitlane can do…
Least accurate statement of the year: “I believe we will win races this year,” Ron Dennis, McLaren chief executive, March 6. Runner-up: “There has been a lot of talk since last summer but from my mouth there never came any interest to leave Ferrari or any words saying l would join another team. I want to win here and finish the job that we started some years ago and we will see what the future holds,” – Fernando Alonso, September 6.
Driver of the year: Lewis Hamilton. As Nico Rosberg graciously admitted, the best driver won. Runner-up: Daniel Ricciardo, the vanguard at Red Bull and the utterly unexpected vanquisher of the four-time world champion.
Disappointment of the year: Kimi Raikkonen v Fernando Alonso. Not since the Millennium Bug has there been such a fuss about so little. Runner-up: Kimi himself, totally unable to master the F14 T, completely out-driven by his fellow former world champion.
Car of the year: You don't need telling, do you? Runner-up: Nothing else got close to the Mercedes W05.
Team of the year: Mercedes, with a record-breaking 11 one-two finishes and dominant speed from start to finish. Runner-up: Williams, back in the hunt and back in the big time.
Surprise of the year: Korea appearing on the 21-race schedule for 2015. Runner-up: Daniel Ricciardo, the only victor at Red Bull and the only winner outside Mercedes.
Image of the year: Sebastian Vettel pushing his broken-down Red Bull back down the pitlane during the final Bahrain test, an ominous portent of the grim struggle that was to follow for the German throughout 2014. Runner-up: A disconsolate Lewis Hamilton walking away from his on-fire Mercedes at the start of qualifying in Hungary when it appeared his title chances were also about to also go up in smoke.
Most improved driver of the year: Valtteri Bottas – from anonymous novice to bona fide front-runner. Runner-up: Daniel Ricciardo. We knew he was good, but nobody foresaw his crushing defeat of Sebastian Vettel.
Least promising debut of the year: The McLaren-Honda, which completed just five laps over two days on its first official run in the post-season Abu Dhabi test. Runner-up: The RB10, dubbed as being 'Red Bull are beaten' after managing a mere 21 laps in the first test of the winter at Jerez.
Worst moment of the year: Suzuka and Jules. Runner-up: Michael and the refusal of it all to go back to how it was.
Radio response of the year: "Tough luck" - Sebastian Vettel's retort after the Red Bull team asked him to let through team-mate Daniel Ricciardo during the Chinese GP. Runner-up: "I'm not slowing down for Nico" - Lewis Hamilton refuses to yield pace and position during the Hungarian GP.
Saga of the year: McLaren’s 2015 driver line-up. ‘Interminable’ was being polite. Runner-up: The new sound of F1. Although it’s gone quiet of late. The saga, that is, not the already-muted sound.
Overtaking move of the year: Lewis Hamilton on Nico Rosberg at the Circuit of Americas, one of a clutch of turning points in the Englishman’s favour. Runner-up: Daniel Ricciardo on Lewis Hamilton for second place in the Hungarian GP at Turn Three, a rare taste for Lewis of his own medicine and a move which subsequently gained in credibility by Rosberg’s failure to make his own identical attempt on Hamilton stick.
Inevitability of the year: Pastor Maldonado crashing. Runner-up: Mercedes winning.
Track duel of the year: Lewis Hamilton v Nico Rosberg in Bahrain, the best wheel-to-wheel fight for victory in many a year. Runner-up: Sebastian Vettel v Fernando Alonso at Silverstone, just a shame about the high-pitched squealing over the radio.
Memorable moment of the year: Rosberg's tagging the side of Hamilton’s Mercedes at Spa, the moment when the gloves came off – and, although few realised it at the time, the dawn of Hamilton’s title charge. Runner-up: The febrile sense of bedlam in the paddock ahead of qualifying at Suzuka when Red Bull surprised everyone, including Ferrari, by announcing Sebastian Vettel would be leaving the team to wear red instead.
Quote of the year: "We are not friends," Lewis Hamilton, May 26. Runner-up: "To be honest, Nico has never been in Germany, so he’s not really German," Lewis Hamilton, July 7.
Press conference of the year: For the reaction of Jenson’s eyebrows alone, the drivers’ presser on the Thursday in Abu Dhabi. Runner-up: The Friday slow-burner in Hungary which culminated in an indignant Christian Horner turning fire on the press pack.
Comeback of the year: Nico Rosberg’s charge from the back of the field to second place in the Russian GP, arguably his drive of the season. Runner-up: Albeit with the hefty influence of the Safety Car’s deployment, a pitlane-starting Lewis Hamilton finishing ahead of pole-sitter Rosberg in Hungary.
Innovation of the year: The groundbreaking packaging of the Mercedes engine – the secret of their dominant 2014 success. Runner-up: Helicopter-cam with Martin Brundle.
Worst idea of the year: By double the margin of all other contenders, double points of course. Runner-up: Making the drivers stand at the front of the grid for the host race’s national anthem.
Worst decision of the year: Pastor Maldonado paying a huge amount of money to leave Williams (2014 points tally: 320) for Lotus (2014 points tally: 10). Runner-up: Ferrari appointing Marco Mattiacci as their new team principal.
Turnaround of the year: The number of people who claimed they always knew that Lewis Hamilton’s move to Mercedes was a good idea. Runner-up: Hamilton’s fightback to the title summit after falling 29 points behind Rosberg in Belgium.
Surprise driver line-up announcement of the year: Felipe Nasr joining Sauber – did anyone see that one coming? Runner-up: Esteban Gutierrez joining Ferrari as the Scuderia’s new third driver.
Over-hype of the year: Kimi Raikkonen v Fernando Alonso. What was supposed to be the duel of 2014 instead turned out to be a walkover. Runner-up: Fuel conservation, which scarcely featured as a factor all season long.
Worst driving of the year: Pastor Maldonado driving right instead of left during practice for the Chinese GP. Runner-up: Nothing else comes close.
Lesser spotted paddock protagonist of the year: Pirelli's Paul Hembery. Runner-up: FIA president Jean Todt.
Fleeting presence of the year: Caterham's administrator-turned-team-principal Finbarr O’Connell. Runner-up: Marco Mattiacci.
