Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Review 2015: Rosberg clinches season finale

In future years when looking back at the 2015 season, people will remember it as the year when Lewis Hamilton claimed his third Championship title. The Brit has driven outstandingly all season, but the final few races of the year will give him plenty to think about over the winter.

Since winning the Championship in Austin, Nico Rosberg has had the edge over Hamilton. The German finished the season with three successful victories, and six pole positions in a row, showing that on his day he has the beating of the three time champion.

Nico Rosberg ended 2015 on a high

In truth Hamilton never really got close at Yas Marina, with only a brief spell mid-race leaving fans questioning if he might be able to challenge for the win. One thing is for sure, we're set up for an incredible 2016 is Rosberg can maintain this form.

Surprise of the day was probably Kimi Raikkonen finally being able to deliver on his promising qualifying pace. The Fin saw off the challenge of teammate Vettel crossed the line to claim only his third podium of 2015. The result also saw the Fin pipping fellow countryman Bottas for 4th place in the World Championship standings. Should Ferrari deliver on their promise to be more competative next season, they'll need Raikkonen to step up and provide adequate back up to his German teammate.

Bottas was released from his box too early.

Further down the field there were contrasting fortunes for both Force India and Williams. The former can be very pleased with their day's work as both Perez and Hulkenburg brought home a double points finish to consolidate their fifth place in the constructors table. For Williams however, only Massa was able to claim a lowly eight place, their race overshadowed by a botched pit exit involving teammate Bottas.

In his final race for Lotus Romain Grosjean deserved a mention, fighting his way to claim 9th spot having started 18th on the grid. The result also saw the Enstone based outfit beat Torro Rosso to secure the extra prize money for 6th place in the Constructors Championship. How the Frenchman performs as team leader of the new Haas F1 Team next season will be one of talking points of 2016.

For us now the attention switches to 2016. Lets hope the rest of the field can bring a challenge to the silver arrows, then we'll have proper entertainment on our hands.

Brazil GP Review 2015: Rosberg takes controlling win at Interlagos

This championship may already be over, but the battle lines are already being drawn for 2016, with Nico Rosberg striking first.

Whilst this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix was far from a classic, it showed for the second race in a row that the German is still more than capable of challenging Lewis Hamilton for race wins with a controlled performance from the front. He never really looked like losing the lead at any point.

Hamilton did look faster at times during the race but in a time when F1’s regulations are being fiercely debated he was typically open about his struggle to follow his team mate, let alone attempt to pass. 

Fernando Alonso had another race to forget in Brazil

Mercedes strategy during the race was also up for debate, with both drivers basically mirroring each other. With both championships already won, perhaps this was time to think more about the show, even with the risk of the Ferrari’s behind. 

Away from the front, Sebastian Vettel drove a faultless race to claim third, with Kimi Raikkonen following in fourth, always he speculated afterwards what might have been if he been switched to a three stop race. He did however have a comfortable margin to Valteri Bottas, who secured 3^rd spot for Williams in the Constructors Championship in a lonely 5^th. 

Nico Hulkenberg, Danil Kyvat, Romain Grosjean, Max Verstappen and Pastor Maldonado completed the top ten after Felipe Massa was disqualified after his tyre blankets were too hot before the start of the race. 

The fight for the minor points place provided the most action during the race with Verstappen delivering once again with a couple of outstanding overtakes around the outside on the Senna S complex.

Mexico Grand Prix 2015: Incredible Fans Deserve Better as F1 Returns to Historic Venue

Just a week after one of the contenders for 'race of the season' in Austin last weekend, chances are we were always going to be disappointed by what F1 served up on its return to the fabulous Autodromo Hermanes Rodriguez. While Austin could rely on the mixed conditions (to say the least) to spice things up, a combination of Mercedes dominance and fair weather meant the Mexican fans were treated to some less than exciting action on track.

Sergio Perez delighted the home crowd.

If it was possible to give the 'driver of the day' prize to the fans, they clearly deserved it. Their excitement didn't wain over the course of the 71 laps, and they were at least rewarded with a solid performance from home favourite Sergio Perez. The Mexican also ensured he retained the adulation of his loyal supporters with a couple of nice overtakes into the fabulous stadium section of the lap. Of course next year there'll be another Mexican on the grid in Haas' driver Esteban Guitierrez, so we can be sure the atmosphere will again impress next year.

We can't take a look at the race and ignore the winner, Nico Rosberg was dominant throughout, and never really looked under pressure for the newly crowned three time World Champion. There has been a trend this season, namely if Nico Rosberg can get to the first corner first, he usually has no problem in converting this into a victory. If only he could get off the grid well on a consistent basis...

Valteri Bottas again proved his worth with a fighting performance on his way to yet another podium finish. Rumours of a Ferrari drive in 2017 aren't likely to diminish with drives like this one, although he won't have done relations with the Maranello outfit any good by ending Raikkonen's race following their clash mid race.

Bottas claimed the 8th podium of his career

There should also be a fleeting mention for Lotus' driver Romain Grosjean. At no point throughout the race weekend have the Enstone team looked competitive, yet a solid and uneventful race saw the Frenchman claim a solitary point with a 10th place finish.

In reality the Mexican Grand Prix won't go down as a classic, but the passionate fans will ensure it was a race weekend we won't forget in a hurry.

Thankfully we can be sure that Brazil will provide us with more entertain in a couple of weeks time!

US Grand Prix 2015: Weird Weekend Gets The Race It Deserved

When people look back at the 2015 American Grand Prix there's one thing they'll remember, rain. Strange of course, considering that the majority of the race took place on slick tyres without the threat of a downpour.

Without the freak weather, this weekend was always destined to go down in history. With the eyes of the world upon him, and with luck very much on his side, Lewis Hamilton claimed a truly deserved World Championship. The Brit is now his nation's first back-to-back champion, and joins legends of the sport Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Jack Brabham and Ayrton Senna in having taken home three championships. Household names the lot of them, but it remains to be seen whether Hamilton will have the same lasting impact on the sport.

Three time World Champion Lewis Hamilton celebrates in Austin

The US Grand Prix was in fact a perfect reflection of the season as a whole. Starting from pole position Nico Rosberg reached the first corner ahead of Hamilton, but it was the sheer determination and ruthlessness of the champion-in-waiting that saw him leading the race come turn two. Even when Rosberg did find himself leading just a few laps from home, the impending pressure of Hamilton in his rear view mirror was enough to force the German into a mistake.

Will Rosberg ever win a Championship? Probably, but he might have to leave Mercedes and the shadow of Hamilton to do so.

Weekends like this are ones that really set apart the men from the boys, unless your Max Verstappen that is... The eighteen year old showed enough over the course of the Grand Prix to convince even the most skeptical of F1 fans that he'll be fighting for the title in a few years time. Dealing with challenging conditions like an experienced racer, Verstappen has proved more skilled than large swathes of the current crop of drivers. Teammate Sainz impressed too, and for Red Bull the future (in terms of potential drivers at least) is looking bright.

Speaking of the parent team, both Ricciardo and Kyvatt showed glimpses of hope for Christian Horner and friends. For a few laps at least the Australian even looked in control of the race, until a drying track and mistimed overtake got in the way.

On a weekend when a championship was decided, former title winner Alonso was again robbed of a strong points haul. Countless times this season the Honda power unit has let down the McLaren boys. The Woking based outfit can at least take some solace in teammate Button's sixth place finish.

Alexander Rossi in action

In other news Maldonado finally managed to complete an entire race without incident, and on home turf Alexander Rossi matched Manor's best result of the season with an uneventful 12th.

Next time out F1 returns to Mexico City and a historic circuit with a history of great racing. One thing's for sure, it'll have to go a long way to beat the drama of Austin.

Predictions for the 2015 Season...

*Matt*

With the so called Desert Duel already in the rear view mirror, attention turns to the 2015 season, with this year promising to be one of the most dramatic yet highly political seasons the sport has seen this decade.

Even before rolling into Melbourne, we’ve had court cases, financial issues and doubts as to whether a team is withholding information over a drivers health. Only in the world of Formula One.

The 2015 Mercedes looks set to dominate

But as the racing is far more exciting than all that, let’s focus on that shall we? It’s clear that after pre-season testing Mercedes will once again be the team to beat. The times they set in Barcelona that were faster than their rivals who had the supposedly quicker tyres on are sentiment to this. Hamilton vs Rosberg – The Rematch is highly anticipated with perhaps the most pressure on the German who may still be reeling after just missing out on the ultimate prize. Only time will tell.

The race for second place in the constructors championships looks to be the most competitive with Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams & McLaren looking evenly matched. The latter looked finally like they pulled everything together then Fernando had THAT mysterious crash and is not competing this weekend. Kevin Magnusson, your reprieve has arrived!

With Sebastian Vettel looking more like his old self, Daniel Ricciardo showing further signs of a world champion of the future and Jenson Button getting another season to showcase his driving ability, F1 2015 certainly has the star power to deliver amazing racing. As always though expect roadblocks on the way and political games to be played. One things is clear though to me. If the season pans out like it should do the it’ll be Lewis Hamilton who will be celebrating his third world title.

Predicted Drivers Top 3

1.       Lewis Hamilton

2.       Nico Rosberg

3.       Sebastian Vettel/Daniel Ricciardo (Too close to call at the moment)

Predicted Constructors Top 3

1.       Mercedes

2.       Ferrari

3.    Red Bull

*Rob*

Many doubted it would be possible for Mercedes to be as dominant as they proved last season. With a Drivers and Constructors Championship under their belt it seems like the Silver Arrows are back stronger than ever. More than a second quicker than their rivals during pre-season testing, you'd be an idiot to claim the race for the title will be between anyone other than Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

While not Lewis Hamilton's biggest fan, I honestly believe there are a number of factors at play which could see Nico Rosberg come back stronger and faster this year. While Nico is happily married, Lewis' personal life could prove a distraction. Once again single, he also has to deal with attempting to negotiate a new contract during the course of the season. Nico has none of this drama ahead of him.

Will Seb remain this happy come the fist few races?

The battle for the best of the rest is where the real interest begins. Ferrari look far more competitive this season, and Sebastian Vettel has had a relatively smooth beginning to his career with the Italian powerhouse. Will Kimi Raikkonen be motivated to put up much of a fight? Williams once again will be near the front, building on a very successful 2014 campaign.

As for Red Bull, there is much uncertainty surrounding the Milton Keynes based outfit coming into the new season. A relative rookie in Daniil Kvyat still has much to prove, with F1's hottest property Daniel Ricciardo still lacking in experience. The 2015 car is also the first without any input from Adrian Newey, the brain behind all of their past successes.

Finally a round of applause for Lotus. They've picked themselves up after a tricky 2014 and are back with a competitive chassis in the E23. The Enstone based outfit should expect plenty of top ten finishes this time out.

The least said about McLaren Honda the better...

Predicted Drivers Top 3
1. Nico Rosberg
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Sebastian Vettel

Predicted Constructors Top 3
1. Mercedes
2. Ferarri
3. Williams

What is 'The Pitlane'?

Hello! So you're probably wondering who we are? And why we've suddenly appeared on your twitter timeline. If we haven't, you better go follow us @ThePitLane_

We're Rob and Matt, University mates who both share a love for Formula One. While at Uni we started a podcast called Rob & Matt on F1, we know, not overly original. The podcast was a chance for us to give our view on what was happening in the world of F1, and also to give our predictions before each forthcoming race weekend.

Well Rob & Matt on F1 is back, bigger and better than ever, and with a shiny new name - you guessed it... The Pit Lane.

Over the course of the forthcoming season we'll give you plenty of podcasts, previewing each race weekend and of course reacting to the news hitting the headlines in the sport we love.

But while you get ready for our first podcast, find out more about us!

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Name: Rob Lilley

Age: 22

First F1 Memory: Sitting at home on a rainy Saturday afternoon watching the re-run of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix back in 2002. I loved what I saw, and then of course, was astounded by the huge first corner accident which took place at the start of the race the following day. I've never looked back since.

The start of the 2002 Australian Grand Prix

Favourite Driver ever: Robert Kubica, a man I fully believe would have been F1 World Champion

Favourite Driver on current Grid: Romain Grosjean/Valteri Bottas

Favourite Team: Lotus





Name: Matt Maddren

Age: 21

Damon Hill leads home a Jordan 1-2

First F1 Memory: Damon Hill's win at a very wet Belgium in 1998 after Schumacher and Coulthard's collision both on and off the track!

Favourite Driver ever: Eddie Irvine, a proper character and proved he was quick when he just missed out on the 1999 World Championship.

Favourite Driver on the Grid: Daniel Ricciardo, a genuinely nice guy who on his day can be as quick as the likes of Hamilton and Alonso

Favourite Team: Ferrari