Formula One 2016 Season Review: Rosberg wins a thriller

Nico Rosberg captured the 2016 Formula One Drivers' Championship last Sunday in a thrilling Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In a season dominated by the rivalry between Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg came out on top, despite Hamilton finishing first in the final race.

Hamilton, knowing that he required Rosberg to finish below the podium places, slowed down at times, hoping to bring other drivers into the contest. In the end, Sebastian Vettel was unable to catch up and Rosberg secured second place and his first-ever World Drivers’ Championship.

Mercedes instructed Hamilton to pick up the pace in the final laps as Vettel threatened to ruin the team’s chances of finishing in first and second. Hamilton, deciding to improve his chances of winning the title, disobeyed the orders and tried to allow Vettel to push Rosberg out of the top three. It remains to be seen whether Mercedes will take disciplinary action.

Ultimately, it was a sensational climax to a thrilling Formula One season, with the Mercedes drivers neck-and-neck all the way. Rosberg can point to some crucial wins in the season, including a key victory at the Malaysia GP, where an engine failure ended Hamilton’s race and Rosberg went on to secure first place. Hamilton also struggled at the start of the campaign, waiting until race six for his first win, whereas Rosberg won his first four.

As for Hamilton, he can feel extremely hard-done-by after working to cut down his teammate’s lead ahead of the final contest. In the end, Rosberg’s strong start was enough to prevent the Englishman from completing his comeback.

Mercedes dominate the World Constructor’s Championship

Due to the fantastic form of Hamilton and Rosberg, Mercedes ran away with the World Constructor’s Championship, picking up 765 points and improving their total from last year by 62.

Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer came in second place thanks to Max Verstappen’s breakout season and Daniel Ricciardo's third-place finish, pushing last year’s silver medalists, Ferrari, into third place.

Now, the constructors will look forward to next season to see if they can take advantage of the plentiful regulation changes. Amongst other changes the cars are set to be faster, wider and noisier! Mercedes will also need to mend their relationship with Lewis Hamilton after a controversial end to the year.

What were the other stories of the season?

Besides the battle for first place, Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo had a strong year, achieving the highest points total of his career (256) and finishing in third place overall for the second time.

Sebastian Vettel on the other hand, had a disappointing year, as inconsistent driving and several retirements hindered his chances of competing for the title. 19-year-old Max Verstappen was one of the stories of the season, finishing in fourth place overall with Red Bull and enjoying his first-ever victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.

It was an underwhelming final season for Jenson Button, who could only reach 15th place on the leaderboard, but the former world champion can hold his head high after an impressive 17-year career.

Williams’ Felipe Massa is another driver who took part in his last race Sunday, ending the season in 11th place overall after 15 years in Formula One.

Overall, it was a controversial end to an exciting year and it will all start again on March 27th at the Australian Grand Prix.

Join us for a thrilling season ahead in 2017.