2015 Formula One Season

The 2015 Formula One Season was the 66th season of the FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship, and the 58th season of the Constructors' Championship. Lewis Hamilton successfully defended his World Drivers' Championship, taking his third title at the 2015 United States Grand Prix and defeating his team mate Nico Rosberg by 59 points by the end of the season. defended the constructors championship, securing the title at the Russia ahead of and .
== Season Review ==
=== Introduction ===
The Formula One season would include five different world champions to enter a race ahead of the new season.FORMULA 1. (2015, March 13). FORMULA 1® IN NUMBERS.[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEm8xLyNP9Y Aside from reigning champion, Lewis Hamilton there was also Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso. The season would take place over five race continents and 20 countries with over 200 "television territories" to cover the races.
==Teams and Drivers==
===Entry List===
*Entry list, with drivers, released on 22 December 2014.
*Updated entry list, released on 10 March 2015.
Note: Teams ordered by 2014 constructor standings.
Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists	Individual race entry lists
AUS 	MYS 	CHN 	BHR 	ESP 	MON 	CAN 	AUT 	GBR 	HUN
BEL 	ITA 	SIN 	JPN 	RUS 	USA 	MEX 	BRA 	ABU 	
===Dates Drivers Confirmed===
Crossed out drivers saw their contracts ended early, see notes below for details.
Driver 	Date Confirmed 	Team
Fernando Alonso 	19 May 2011 	
Lewis Hamilton 	28 September 2012	
Sebastian Vettel 	11 June 2013 	
Daniel Ricciardo 	2 September 2013 	
Kimi Räikkönen	11 September 2013	
Felipe Massa 	11 November 2013 	
Nico Hülkenberg 	3 December 2013 	
Nico Rosberg 	23 May 2014 	
Pastor Maldonado 	19 July 2014 	
Daniil Kvyat 	18 August 2014 	
Max Verstappen 	18 August 2014 	
Valtteri Bottas 	7 September 2014 	
Daniil Kvyat 	4 October 2014 	
Nico Hülkenberg 	20 October 2014 	
Marcus Ericsson 	1 November 2014 	
Felipe Nasr 	5 November 2014 	
Sergio Pérez 	8 November 2014 	
Romain Grosjean 	19 November 2014 	
Sebastian Vettel 	20 November 2014 	
Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	28 November 2014 	
Fernando Alonso 	11 December 2014 	
Jenson Button 	11 December 2014 	
Will Stevens 	25 February 2015 	
Roberto Merhi 	9 March 2015 	
Alexander Rossi 	16 September 2015	
Notes:
*Fernando Alonso left on 20 November , still considered to have contract with two years remaining to join .
*Sebastian Vettel left on 4 October 2014, still considered to have contract with a year remaining to join .
*Daniil Kvyat replaced Vettel at .
===Car launch dates===
Team	Car 	Date 	Where
 	VJM08 	January 21February 26	Mexico City (livery only)Official chassis unveiling
 	FW37 	January 21 	Online/magazine
 	E23 Hybrid 	January 26 	Online
 	MP4-30 	January 29May 7 	OnlineSpain (revised livery)
 	F1 W06 Hybrid	January 29February 1 	Silverstone (revealed)Official launch
 	SF15-T 	January 30 	Online
 	C34 	January 30 	Online
 	STR10 	January 31 	Jerez
 	RB11 	February 1March 13 	Jerez (chassis)Online (livery)
 	MR03B 	March 14 	Australia
===Changes from the 2014 season===
====Team changes====
* switched to engines, replacing their engines due to not having a successful 2014 season.
*Marussia are expected to either revert back to the original team name of or change their name to something completely different. A planned auction on 21 January 2015 was postponed on 19 January to allow talks regarding a rescue package to be furthered. On 4 February, it was confirmed by administrators that Marussia would go out of administration on 19 February 2015 when there was new investment that was secured to save the team, along with an agreement on a CVA with creditors. It was later reported in the same month that the team's entry fee for the season had been paid, giving more hopes for the team to compete in 2015. The team later confirmed that they will take part in the .
* used engines instead of engines after 23 years.
*It was announced on 5 February 2015 that 's assets were set to be sold by their administrators starting on 11 March 2015, only four days before the Australian Grand Prix, and the FIA's updated entry list on 27 February 2015 excluded the team.
====Driver changes====
*Sebastian Vettel left Red Bull at the end of 2014 after 15 years with the team and the junior development program to join Ferrari after Alonso left. Red Bull promoted Daniil Kvyat to the vacated seat.
*Despite being contracted to the team until , Fernando Alonso left Ferrari and will return to McLaren after 7 years, and will be partnered with Jenson Button while Kevin Magnussen was promoted to test driver duties. However, Magnussen took over Alonso's seat in the when doctors told Alonso to miss out as a precaution after he had a crash in the first Barcelona test which did not actually give him any injuries.
*Marcus Ericsson left Caterham, after it went into administration, to join Sauber for 2015, and will be partnered with Williams test driver and GP2 driver Felipe Nasr. These deals left Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutiérrez without a drive. Gutierrez later joined Ferrari as a test driver, while Sutil joined Williams as a test and reserve driver. Giedo van der Garde won legal challenges towards Sauber in Swiss and Australian courts. The latter made an order to the team to let him race in the Australian Grand Prix. However, he later dismissed the ruling so to aim at getting a new permanent solution for another part of the season.
*Toro Rosso's lineup is completely different this year with two new drivers. They are Max Verstappen, who finished third in the 2014 FIA European Formula 3 series and is set to become the youngest driver to join the grid at 17 years old, and will be alongside the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion Carlos Sainz, Jr., son of two-time rally champion Carlos Sainz. As a result, Jean-Éric Vergne was left without a drive and went to compete in Formula E, and later joined Gutiérrez as a Ferrari test driver.
*Kamui Kobayashi left the sport to compete in Japan's Super Formula series.
*Will Stevens was given a seat to drive for Manor in his first full F1 season. Manor later confirmed Roberto Merhi as their second driver for the Australian Grand Prix.
*Max Chilton left Formula One to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
*Jules Bianchi went into a critical but stable condition after his brain was injured from an accident in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
===Mid-season Changes===
====Team changes====
====Driver changes====
;Before the 
:
*Due to his accident in testing, Fernando Alonso was replaced by Kevin Magnussen for the first race of the season.
;For the 
:
*A recovered Alonso replaced Magnussen.
;For the Singapore, Japanese, United States, Mexican and Brazilian Grands Prix
:
*Alexander Rossi will take Roberto Merhi's seat for , while Merhi will race in Russia and Abu Dhabi.
==Season calendar==
The 2015 season would take place across five continents and 20 different individual countries hosting a race. 
===Schedule===
*World Motor Sport Council meeting, Beijing, September 2014
*World Motor Council meeting, Doha, December 2014
*World Motor Council meeting, Geneva, March 2015
===Changes from last season===
====Races not on 2014 calendar====
*The Mexican Grand Prix returned to the calendar after a 23-year absence, taking place towards the end of the season. To make the circuit suitable for the sport's return, it was substantially reconfigured.
====Races removed from calendar====
*The German Grand Prix was intended to be switched back to the Nürburgring after the 2014 race at the Hockenheimring as per the agreement between the two circuits. However, the Nürburgring was not included on the provisional calendar. In January 2015, it was announced by Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone that the race will continue to be held at Hockenheim, but it was quickly reported by circuit officials that there is no contract for 2015 yet Later, Ecclestone stated of doubting that the Grand Prix would take place. It was eventually confirmed not to take place at the Hockheimring due to its owners not being able to get prepared, With the Nürburgring also unable to host it, the German Grand Prix was removed from the calendar on 20 March 2015.
====Other changes====
*The Korean Grand Prix was scheduled to return, in the week preceding the Spanish Grand Prix, without a confirmed circuit. However, it was later dropped again on 6 January 2015.
*The Grand Prix of America, which was originally scheduled for , then 2014, and then 2015, was not on the calendar.
*The Indian Grand Prix did not return as planned.
==Broadcasting==
Over 200 TV territories would cover the 2015 Formula One season throughout the year.
==Regulation changes==
===Technical Regulations===
*Unlike 2014, drivers could only use up to four power units instead of five. During the season, the FIA allowed new power unit manufacturers to use a fifth power unit, taking Honda as an example.
*Engine development rules that were introduced in 2014 were changed, as the manufacturers would be able to perform half of the development from 2014. It will be halved a second time in .
*After "ugly" nose designs were objected in 2014, it was announced that the noses for 2015 would be lower, preventing a low cross section, although they were required to be tapered to the point of a fixed linear rate, which would see more gradual shapes by outlawing the dramatic finger shapes that were used in 2014. Additionally, the more exotic designs were banned, including the "twin-tusk" design used on the Lotus E22, meaning that the nose design was required to be symmetrical and consistent with the car's centreline.
*The cars' minimum weight was brought up to 702 kilograms (1,548 lb).
*FRIC (Front-and-Rear Interconnected) suspension systems' ban had been formalised after being implement during 2014. It was stated by the regulations that the front and rear suspension would need to be designed in a way that any performances' changes had to result directly from any change of the load that had been applied to them individually.
*The survival cell's anti-intrusion panels were extended up to the cockpit's rims and along the side of the driver's head.
*Due to Marussia and Caterham having financial struggles in 2014, the use of cars from 2014 was approved by the FIA, providing that teams had been showing cause and getting separate dispensations to take part with their old cars. However, a request made by Manor to use the MR03 was rejected on February 5, 2015, although there was no disposition granted because that all other teams have to do unanimous agreements, and there was no achievement. Williams also had votes for Manor to use their 2014 car. On 20 February, Maurizio Arrivabene announced that Ferrari would supply Manor with their 2014 engine after a recent meeting of the F1 Strategy Group gave a negative vote to use the 2014 chassis.
===Sporting Regulations===
*The partial ban on pit-to-car communication that was introduced in the previous year's was extended, including a blanket ban which has sharing data that was technical between the team and driver, like settings on fuel consumption that were specific.
*Double points were excluded from the final event of the season.
*After a report's recommendations for Jules Bianchi's crash in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, the Australian, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian Grands Prix started an hour earlier than in 2014, so to not start within four hours of sunset.
*After Jules Bianchi's accident in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, the virtual safety car (VSC) was introduced. Drivers needed to slow down to the speed shown on their steering wheel's display. It could be started if double waved yellow flags were required on parts of a circuit where an accident had occurred. However, the procedure's circumstances were not as such to the real safety car's warrant deployment.
*Rather than waiting for lapped cars to catch up to the end of the pack before the safety car came into the pits, the safety car would come back to the pits at the end of the next lap after the leader was passed by the last lapped car.
*Instead of lining up on the grid when a race is suspended, the cars would proceed slowly to the pit lane. The first driver who arrived in the pit lane would continue to the exit, which would be closed, with the rest of the drivers lining up behind.
*Any drivers whose team personnel or equipment was still on the grid after the fifteen-second signal would have to start from the pit lane. If this was not obeyed, a ten second stop-and-go penalty would be given.
*Penalties were no longer caused by the replacement of a whole power unit, instead for the power unit's separate components. If a driver could not take a full grid place penalty, the remainder of the penalty would be counted as a time penalty during the race depending on the number of grid spaces still included in the penalty.
**After the British Grand Prix, the rule had been changed to exclude time penalties served during races, with the maximum penalty for changing engines being to start at the back of the grid.
*A new ten-second penalty was added to the five-second penalty, served in the same manner of in the middle of a scheduled pit stop.
*Drivers who were released from their pit stops in an unsafe manner would receive a ten second stop-and-go penalty. If drivers were believed by the stewards to know of this and tried to drive their car regardless, they would receive further penalties.
*The qualifying procedure was made more clear so to match the starting grids' different sizes. Seven drivers were eliminated after each of the first two qualifying sessions if there were twenty-four cars. Six drivers fell into the knockout zones of Q1 and Q2 if there were twenty-two cars, and so on if there were less.
*Helmet designs in-season were banned so that fans could easily recognise the drivers.
*If a driver did not compete for two seasons in a row, they would lose the rights of their racing number.
*The Mercedes-Benz SLS safety car was taken over by a Mercedes-AMG GT.
==Season Review==
===Pre-season===
Former Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde challenged with Ericsson and Nasr's deals in the Victorian Supreme Court a week before the Australian Grand Prix, saying that Sauber broke a promise to have him drive for them after he signed a contract in July 2014. On the Wednesday preceding the race, Van der Garde won the case, although he dismissed it on Saturday so to get the goal of finding a different permanent solution later in the season.
Alonso was hospitalised after having a crash in the first Barcelona test, and had elected to miss the Australian Grand Prix on doctors' advice, with Magnussen taking his place.
===Round 1: Australian Grand Prix===
Marussia attended, but were unable to take part in the Australian Grand Prix.
==Season Results==
===Testing===
Test 	Track 	Date 	Fastest Driver 	Team 	Time
Jerez 	Circuito de Jerez 	Feb 1 – Feb 4 	Kimi Raikkonen 	 	1:20.841
Barcelona 1	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	Feb 19 – Feb 22	Romain Grosjean	 	1:24.067
Barcelona 2	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	Feb 26 – Mar 1 	Nico Rosberg 	Mercedes	1:22.792
Barcelona 3	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	May 10 – May 11	Nico Rosberg 	Mercedes	1:24.374
Spielberg 	Red Bull Ring 	Jun 21 – Jun 22	Nico Rosberg 	Mercedes	1:09.113
Abu Dhabi 	Yas Marina Circuit 	Dec 1 	Pascal Wehrlein	Mercedes		1:40.605
===Race results===
==Driver Standings==
Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings	Driver Placings
Pos 	Driver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts
1st 	Hamilton 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	381
2nd 	Rosberg 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	322
3rd 	Vettel 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	278
4th 	Räikkönen 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	150
5th 	Bottas 	 	 	 	 	 	14th 	 	 	 	13th 	 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	13th 	136
6th 	Massa 	 	 	 	 	 	15th 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	17th 	 	 	 	 	 	121
7th 	Kvyat 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	 	 	13th 	 	 	 	 	 	95
8th 	Ricciardo 	 	 	 	 	 	 	13th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	15th 	15th 	 	 	11th 	 	92
9th 	Pérez 	 	13th 	11th 	 	13th 	 	11th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	12th 	 	78
10th 	Hülkenberg 	 	14th 	 	13th 	15th 	11th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	58
11th 	Grosjean 	 	11th 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	13th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	51
12th 	Verstappen 	 	 	17th 	 	11th 	 	15th 	 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16th 	49
13th 	Nasr 	 	12th 	 	12th 	12th 	 	16th 	11th 	 	11th 	11th 	13th 	 	20th 	 	 	 	13th 	15th 	27
14th 	Maldonado 	 	 	 	15th 	 	 	 	 	 	14th 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	11th 	 	 	27
15th 	Sainz 	 	 	13th 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	 	11th 	 	 	 	 	13th 	 	11th 	18
16th 	Button 	11th 	 	14th 	 	16th 	 	 	 	 	 	14th 	14th 	 	16th 	 	 	14th 	14th 	12th 	16
17th 	Alonso 	 	 	12th 	11th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	13th 	18th 	 	11th 	11th 	11th 	 	15th 	17th 	11
18th 	Ericsson 	 	 	 	14th 	14th 	13th 	14th 	13th 	11th 	 	 	 	11th 	14th 	 	 	12th 	16th 	14th 	9
19th 	Merhi 	 	15th 	16th 	17th 	18th 	16th 	 	14th 	12th 	15th 	15th 	16th 	 	 	13th 	 	 	 	19th 	0
20th 	Rossi 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	14th 	18th 	 	12th 	15th 	18th 	 	0
21st 	Stevens 	 	 	15th 	16th 	17th 	17th 	17th 	 	13th 	16th 	16th 	15th 	15th 	19th 	14th 	 	16th 	17th 	18th 	0
NC 	Magnussen 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
===Head to Head: Team-mate comparisons===
|}
===Pole Position Trophy===
The driver who scores the most pole positions over the course of the season will win the pole position trophy:
Rank	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Poles	Events
1 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	11 	AUS · MAS · CHN · BHR · MON · CAN · AUT · GBR · HUN · BEL · ITA
2 	6 	Nico Rosberg 	 	7 	ESP · JPN · RUS · USA · MEX · BRA · ABU
3 	5 	Sebastian Vettel	 	1 	SIN
===Super Licence penalty points===
For more information, see Penalty points.
Rank	No.	Driver 	Team	Points	Issues
1 	33 	Max Verstappen 	 	8 	MON (2), HUN (3), ABU (1 & 2)
2 	13 	Pastor Maldonado	 	6 	MAS (3), HUN (2), BRA (1)
3 	8 	Romain Grosjean 	 	4 	CAN (2), HUN (2)
3 	9 	Marcus Ericsson 	 	4 	AUT (2), ITA (2)
3 	27 	Nico Hülkenberg 	 	4 	MAS (2), SIN (2)
6 	5 	Sebastian Vettel	 	3 	CAN (3)
6 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	3 	RUS (3)
8 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	2 	MAS (2)
8 	12 	Felipe Nasr 	 	2 	BRA (2)
8 	14 	Fernando Alonso 	 	2 	ABU (2)
8 	22 	Jenson Button 	 	2 	CHN (2)
8 	26 	Daniil Kvyat 	 	2 	HUN (2)
8 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	2 	HUN (2)
8 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	2 	BRA (2)
8 	98 	Roberto Merhi 	 	2 	CHN (2)
==Constructor Standings==
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
!rowspan=2 style="background-color:gold"|1st
|rowspan=2|
|Hamilton||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
!rowspan=2|703
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
|Rosberg||||||||||||||||||||||||17th||||||||||||||
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
!rowspan=2 style="background-color:silver"|2nd
|rowspan=2|
|Vettel||||||||||||||||||||||12th||||||||||||||||
!rowspan=2|428
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
|Räikkönen||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
!rowspan=2 style="background-color:#996633; color:white"|3rd
|rowspan=2|
|Massa||||||||||||15th||||||||12th||||||||17th||||||||||
!rowspan=2|257
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
|Bottas||||||||||||14th||||||||13th||||||||||12th||||||||13th 
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
!rowspan=2|4th
|rowspan=2|
|Ricciardo||||||||||||||13th||||||||||||||15th||15th||||||11th||
!rowspan=2|187
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
|Kvyat||||||||||||||||12th||||||||||||13th||||||||||
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
!rowspan=2|5th
|rowspan=2|
|Hülkenberg||||14th||||13th||15th||11th||||||||||||||||||||||||||
!rowspan=2|136
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
|Pérez||||13th||11th||||13th||||11th||||||||||||||12th||||||||12th||
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
!rowspan=2|6th
|rowspan=2|
|Grosjean||||11th||||||||12th||||||||||||||13th||||||||||||
!rowspan=2|78
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
|Maldonado||||||||15th||||||||||||14th||||||12th||||||||11th||||
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
!rowspan=2|7th
|rowspan=2|
|Verstappen||||||17th||||11th||||15th||||||||||12th||||||||||||||16th
!rowspan=2|67
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
|Sainz||||||13th||||||||12th||||||||||11th||||||||||13th||||11th
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
!rowspan=2|8th
|rowspan=2|
|Ericsson||||||||14th||14th||13th||14th||13th||11th||||||||11th||14th||||||12th||16th||14th
!rowspan=2|36
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
|Nasr||||12th||||12th||12th||||16th||11th||||11th||11th||13th||||20th||||||||13th||15th
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
!rowspan=3|9th
|rowspan=3|
|Alonso||||||12th||11th||||||||||||||13th||18th||||11th||11th||11th||||15th||17th
!rowspan=3|27
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
|Magnussen||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|-style="background-color:Bisque"
|Button||11th||||14th||||16th||||||||||||14th||14th||||16th||||||14th||14th||12th
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
!rowspan=3|10th
|rowspan=3|
|Stevens||||||15th||16th||17th||17th||17th||||13th||16th||16th||15th||15th||19th||14th||||16th||17th||18th
!rowspan=3|0
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
|Merhi||||15th||16th||17th||18th||16th||||14th||12th||15th||15th||16th||||||13th||||||||19th
|-style="background-color:Gainsboro"
|Rossi||||||||||||||||||||||||||14th||18th||||12th||15th||18th||
|}
== See also==
==Notes==
Category:Formula One Seasons‎
Category:2015 Formula One Season
Category:Pages not using results table template