The pace of development did not let up during the second season of Formula 1's higher-downforce regulations, and there was a very intense battle at the front - with Mercedes and Ferrari going tit for tat in terms of car performance for much of the season.
In the end, Mercedes pulled away and won both world championships, and this reflects the fact that it wasn't just about car development but also about team development. It wasn't just about making the car quicker, it was about the key decisions they made, how they understood the tyres and how to optimise the car.
To better understand the ups and downs of the battle throughout the field, I take the fastest single lap set by each car on a race weekend expressed as a percentage of the outright fastest.