hockenheim, Germany: The 2014 Formula One season so far ahead of the German Grand Prix on Sunday:
Australian Grand Prix - March 16
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg led from start to finish as rivals dropped out with mechanical problems in a race that saw Red Bull`s Daniel Ricciardo controversially disqualified from second place over new fuel rules. Pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton and world champion Sebastian Vettel both retired early, leaving Rosberg victorious by a wide margin. McLaren`s Danish debutant Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button in a McLaren took the remaining podium places.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 25 points, 2. Kevin Magnussen 18, 3. Jenson Button 15
Malaysian Grand Prix - March 30
Hamilton led the first Mercedes one-two in 59 years. He streaked away from pole position and was never pressured as he finished ahead of team-mate Rosberg with Vettel third for Red Bull. It was the first time both Mercedes drivers have led the field since 1955, when the German marque departed the sport before returning in 2010 and now confirming themselves as the team to beat in F1`s new era. The win was Hamilton`s first since Hungary last July.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 43, 2. Lewis Hamilton 25, 3. Fernando Alonso 24
Bahrain Grand Prix - April 6
Hamilton and Rosberg repeated their one-two in Malaysia after a thrilling wheel-to-wheel duel as Hamilton equalled the legendary Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio`s record of 24 grand prix victories. Sergio Perez gave Force India just their second ever podium finish in third. Ricciardo, 13th on the grid, continued his impressive start for Red Bull with fourth, followed by Hulkenberg in the second Force India and Vettel in the second Red Bull completing the top six.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 61, 2. Lewis Hamilton 50, 3. Nico Hulkenberg 28
Chinese Grand Prix - April 20
Hamilton sealed his first hat-trick of Formula One wins and led Mercedes to their third straight one-two finish. The former world champion finished 18 seconds ahead of Rosberg, with Fernando Alonso third. Ricciardo outran his team-mate Vettel for fourth spot, with the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg coming home in sixth. But there was a bizarre finish when Hamilton was inadvertently shown the chequered flag early, meaning that the race was later declared over after 54 laps instead of the 56 completed.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 79, 2. Lewis Hamilton 75, 3. Fernando Alonso 41
Spanish Grand Prix - May 11
Hamilton took over the leadership of the drivers championship when he made it four wins in a row by grabbing a heart-stopping victory. He finished just 0.6 seconds ahead of Rosberg to move on to 100 points for the season. Ricciardo came home third for Red Bull ahead of Vettel, who had started from 15th on the grid. The win was Hamilton`s first in Spain and the 26th of his career. Finn Valtteri Bottas finished fifth for the resurgent Williams team.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton 100, 2. Nico Rosberg 97, 3. Fernando Alonso 49
Monaco Grand Prix - May 25
Rosberg started on pole and claimed a faultless victory for Mercedes to regain the lead in the world championship. The 28-year-old came home 9.2 seconds clear of Hamilton, who coped with loss of vision in one eye as he held off Ricciardo`s Red Bull in the closing laps to take second. Alonso finished fourth for Ferrari ahead of Hulkenberg of Force India and Button, who finished sixth for McLaren.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 122, 2. Lewis Hamilton 118, 3. Fernando Alonso 61
Canadian Grand Prix - June 8
Ricciardo ended Mercedes`s dominant run as he won the first Grand Prix of his career in Montreal. The 24-year-old Australian took advantage of power problems that forced Rosberg into second place and saw Hamilton retire. The race on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was also marred by a high-speed collision between Perez and Felipe Massa of Williams, although neither was seriously hurt. Vettel finished third ahead of Button.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 140, 2. Lewis Hamilton 118, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 79
Austrian Grand Prix - June 22
It was back to business as usual at the Grand Prix circuit returned to Austria for the first time in 11 years. Another Mercedes double with Rosberg dominant and Hamilton having to settle for second place, leaving him 29 points behind the German in the overall standings. Bottas made it onto his first ever podium in what turned out to be a disastrous home race for Red Bull. For Mercedes, it was a seventh win in eight races.
Standings: 1 Nico Rosberg 165, 2. Lewis Hamilton 136, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 83
British Grand Prix - July 6
Hamilton delighted a 120,000 crowd at Silverstone with victory as Rosberg suffered his first non-finish of the season, due to gearbox problems, to reduce the German`s lead in the title race to just four points.
The 2008 champion Hamilton came home 30 seconds clear of Bottas, who started from 14th on the grid.
It was Hamilton`s second home win at the British Grand Prix, his fifth of the season and the 27th of his career drawing him level with fellow-Briton three-time champion Jackie Stewart in the record books. Ricciardo finished third ahead.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 165, 2. Lewis Hamilton 161, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 98.
AFP
First Published: Thursday, July 17, 2014, 11:24
