GPUpdate.net concludes its end-of-year review with Mercedes, which won both titles for a fourth straight year, as Lewis Hamilton hit new heights to reclaim the crown, while Valtteri Bottas collected victories.
Mercedes: 9.5/10
Championship: 1st
WCC points: 668
Best race: 1st (9 x HAM, 3 x BOT)
Best qualifying: 1st (11 x HAM, 4 x BOT)
Fastest laps: 9 (7 x HAM, 2 x BOT)
Qualifying duel: HAM 13 – 7 BOT
Mercedes entered 2017 with the thought that the loss of Paddy Lowe and Nico Rosberg, allied to revised regulations designed to trip it up, would end its dominant spell. Its fears were proved correct, but it ultimately wrapped up both championships with races to spare, taking 12 wins, as it operated in a much stronger manner than in its 2014-16 supremacy phase. Mercedes’ long-wheelbase W08, dubbed a ‘diva’, worked in a narrower window than its red rival, with its predicament accentuated on high-downforce venues with softer tyres – none more so than Monaco, which triggered a 10-day 24/7 approach at its factory. From there onwards it emerged stronger, displayed outstanding reliability (Valtteri Bottas’ Spain retirement was its sole failure to finish) and performed as one unit, facilitated by a harmonious atmosphere after Rosberg’s departure removed the rancour which had festered between its drivers. Post-2016 analysis reap rewards with a new-and-improved Hamilton at times stunning Mercedes, while smooth assimilation of Bottas belied the scale of the hole which he filled. Mercedes in the past had the outright best car, this year they were the outright best team.
Lewis Hamilton: 9.5/10
Championship: 1st
WDC points: 363
Best R result: 1st (9x)
Best Q result: 1st (11x)
Hamilton entered 2017 as title favourite and duly delivered the crown – though did so at a level he had never previously reached. In the past, a couple of early wobbles (Russia, Monaco) may have derailed his bid, but he kept fully focused and pounced where he could. When the Mercedes was on song, Hamilton was frequently devastating, as the operation got better at beginning the weekend on the right footing. Qualifying remained his strong point, laying the foundation for the race, none more so than in Britain and Italy, as he put in scarcely-believable pole laps. When Vettel, and Ferrari, faltered, Hamilton picked up the pieces, maximising the opportunities that had been presented. Elsewhere, Hamilton out-raced his opponent, remaining calm when he needed to, epitomised perfectly with brilliant racecraft at the restart in Belgium. Hamilton frequently spoke of the need to be pushed internally but the departure of Nico Rosberg contributed to the Briton extracting more from his own potential – there were no distractions or intra-team flash points that influenced some seasons. Hamilton was again guilty of switching off once he claimed the title, as in 2015, but considering the effort he put in to capture the crown, it was a forgivable offence. Peerless.
High point: Utterly emphatic weekend-long home performance
Low point: Missing Q3 in Monaco
Valtteri Bottas: 8.5/10
Championship: 3rd
WDC points: 305
Best R result: 1st (3x)
Best Q result: 1st (4x)
It is difficult to fully emphasise the challenge Bottas faced at the start of 2017 – switching teams, learning new procedures, and going up against an experienced and refreshed Hamilton. However, Bottas fully embraced the change and fared strongly during the opening half of the campaign. Bottas edged Hamilton when the W08 was at its weakest – his Monaco qualifying lap was exceptional – and resisted Vettel for deserved wins in Russia and Austria. However, when the W08 was on song, Hamilton reached a level that Bottas could not. His subdued one-lap performances mid-season undermined his race prospects, coinciding with Mercedes recognising that it had to be more supportive towards Hamilton’s title bid. Bottas trailed Hamilton by just 19 points after Hungary, but the gap grew to 87 after Austin – starkly demonstrating just how Bottas’ challenge derailed. In the instinctive heat-of-the-moment battles Bottas was sometimes found lacking (Belgium restart, Malaysia, Brazil start), and there remains the question mark as to whether he can become a great, or ‘merely’ very good. That he rallied late on was encouraging, but his early 2018 form will be critical if he is to avoid being regarded as a number two.
High point: Ending win drought in Russia
Low point: Off the pace in Malaysia as form crumbled
Statistics
Average qualifying gap: 0.284s (in Hamilton’s favour)
Biggest qualifying gap: 2.279s to Hamilton in Italy
Smallest qualifying gap: 0.023s to Bottas in Bahrain
Average qualifying result: Bottas 3, Hamilton 3.4
Retirements:
Bottas 1
Hamilton 0
Race head-to-head: Hamilton 11 – 8 Bottas
Source :http://feeds.gpupdate.net
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