2014 F1 Season Awards
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.
