The F1 Racing Awards of 2019

Was this to be the year Ferrari finally got its act together? Pre-season testing indicated it could be, but as the season wore on Ferrari developed a habit of losing race-winning positions.

Then Valtteri Bottas appeared to be Lewis Hamilton's closest threat, but he couldn't equal Hamilton's relentless consistency. So, six titles for Hamilton and Mercedes. But who impressed you the most?

You've voted in your thousands for the stars of the show of 2019 and here are the results...

Start of the year

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - The Japanese Grand Prix

Ferrari thought it had this race in the bag. But, like so many times this year, it quickly lost its advantage. After a streak of nine races, Sebastian Vettel had finally outqualified his team-mate Charles Leclerc and the pair locked out the front row of the grid at Suzuka.

Then, just before the five red lights blinked out, poleman Vettel crept forward, and then stopped. That hesitation distracted his rivals - but not Valtteri Bottas. Starting third on the grid, Bottas reacted brilliantly to the lights disappearing and leapfrogged both Ferraris before Turn 1.

It was a significant moment, not only for the race, but also for Bottas's season. The Finn converted his electric start into victory and was able to keep the championship challenge alive going into the North American double-header. The result also sealed Mercedes' sixth consecutive constructors' title.

The FIA investigated the start, but Vettel wasn't penalized for his indiscretion because the governing body allows a tolerance of movement on the grid for clutch adjustments
or for putting the car into gear.

Bottas later revealed it was the best start of his life: he reacted to the lights in 0.04s.
It was almost as quick as his legendary 2017 Austrian GP getaway, when he effectively anticipated the lights disappearing as he accelerated off the line.

"The race start helped a lot, it was the key for getting into the lead on that kind of track [where it's difficult to overtake]," said Bottas. "My reaction time was rather quick, four-hundredths of a second, so maybe my best so far."

When asked whether that amazing reaction time was superhuman, Bottas replied with a modest smirk: "Yes."

"Sebastian made that false start which helped me a little bit to sense the lights going off.

"It was my best reaction so far, really spot on, and still fully legal which was the main thing. It was needed to get that race win as we all know how difficult it is to overtake in Japan and that allowed me to control the race.

"It was key for that victory and without that perfect start, it would have been very difficult to win it."
Valtteri Bottas

How you voted
Valtteri Bottas (Japan) 7.9%
Max Verstappen (Austria) 7.6%
Max Verstappen (USA) 5.2%
Lewis Hamilton (USA) 4.1%
Kimi Räikkönen (USA) 3.4%

Improved team of the year

McLaren

Right from the first race in Australia, McLaren was beginning to show an upturn in form. 
In Bahrain the team had two cars in Q3 for the first time since 2017. By the time the championship had reached the south of France in the summer, two McLarens started in the
top six for the first time in five years.

That achievement was significant because it represented a further advance in the car's pace from when it appeared at a similar configuration track to Paul Ricard - Barcelona in May.

During the eight-week period between those races new team principal Andreas Seidl, previously head of Porsche's World Endurance Championship programme, arrived and began
to draw up plans for the future.

While the MCL34 was the team's first decently competitive car in several seasons,
it still wasn't a race-winner. Once his feet were under the desk Seidl made changes within the organisation to eliminate poor practices and set in motion his strategy to help McLaren complete its journey back to the front of the field.

Along with the arrival of new technical director James Key, Seidl's first engineering goal was to secure approval from the board to redevelop the windtunnel at the team's Woking headquarters. The second was to bid farewell to Renault and rekindle a relationship with Mercedes, in a deal to have the Stuttgart manufacturer return as power unit supplier from 2021 onwards.

While the team had an eye on the future, it continued to make advances during the season. In Brazil Carlos Sainz scored his first F1 podium (and McLaren's first since 2014) after starting from the back of the grid following an engine problem. Fourth in the constructors' title race is the team's best result for seven years.

"It's very flattering to receive this and all credit to the men and women at McLaren, at the factory and the racing team. It's certainly been a much better year than last year.

"Our results show we've earned this award and the goal now is to win the car of the year award."

Zak Brown, chief executive, McLaren

How you voted
McLaren 71.8%
Red Bull 17.5%
Ferrari 6.3%
Mercedes 1.6%
Toro Rosso 0.8%

Car of the year

Mercedes W10

Successive iterations of title-winners have emerged from the combined efforts of Brackley and Brixworth. And this year's Mercedes W10 was no exception, despite a regulation change that required a major rethink of the car's aerodynamic performance.

While pre-season testing had proved inconclusive, the W10 performed well in the early rounds. Ferrari had better top speed but, while many rushed to attribute this to Maranello's power unit, the SF90 followed a low-drag concept which ultimately meant it couldn't compete with Mercedes on circuits that demanded greater downforce.

The W10 was the more complete package, but one significant weakness was exposed in mid-season. The hot temperatures and high altitude in Austria affected cooling and it was feared several hot summer races could have dented the W10's title challenge. Here, and tracks where Ferrari could use its top speed to its advantage, such Spa and Monza, the Mercedes was often second best.

Another pattern that emerged during the season was Ferrari's qualifying pace, which was often negated on race day as the two silver cars were better at managing tyre temperatures and preserving the life of their Pirellis.

The threat to Mercedes would arguably have been stronger if Ferrari had been more organised, in its strategy, in managing its drivers, and in the reliability stakes. As in previous seasons, Hamilton and Bottas took Mercedes to the constructors' championship thanks to the 
W10's consistency in working at a variety of tracks and conditions - and through a relentless series of successful upgrades.

"We're already lucky enough to be able to compete in this great championship each year.

"To do it and win the title is a fantastic honour, but it's lovely that people do recognise we put together a car that is worthy of this sort of award. We are very grateful for it and it adds to the sense of having done a good job when we receive a thing like this.

"As for the 28.6% per cent that didn't vote for us - they need to look more closely at the results!"

James Allison, technical director, Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport (pictured with Loic Serra and Dominik Riefstahl)

How you voted
Mercedes 71.4%
Ferrari 12.5%
Red Bull 12.2%
McLaren 3.3%
Alfa Romeo 0.3%

Pitcrew of the year

Red Bull

Did you know one of the closest battles of the year has been between Williams and Red Bull?

The race hasn't been on the track, but rather in the pitlane where the margins are often down 
to hundredths of a second. During 2019, Red Bull and Williams both completed the fastest pitstop in nine races. But the Milton Keynes outfit had two of fastest pitstops of the season - including a new record set in Brazil.

While a pitstop is a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, it is perhaps the most visual way of identifying Formula 1 as a team sport, and reflects the hard work and precision that goes into changing four wheels and tyres in less than two seconds.

The work starts back at the factory, where mechanics will regularly test on rigs to hone their performance.

Teams have realised they need to condition the mechanics working on pitstops as they would a professional athlete, as Williams team manager Dave Redding explains: "The onus in on the individual to make sure he is in the right shape and we help them with a guide for nutrition, hydration and exercise. If they're not working on the car then we encourage them to go to the gym."

Red Bull's two quickest stops of the year came in critical races, both of which Max Verstappen went on to win. The first was a 1.88-second stop in the chaos (and wet conditions) that prevailed in the German Grand Prix, and the second - a new record - was a 1.82-second stop in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

When he emerged from this stop, Verstappen was baulked by Robert Kubica's Williams - as the cameras finally captured this titanic battle between the two teams.

"Delighted to accept this on behalf of the team. It's been an extraordinary couple of years in terms of pitstop performance.

"The team we have now is the most dedicated bunch of professional guys I've ever worked with. The vibe is fantastic and they've delivered, I think it's three world records this year.

"To have something voted for by the readers of the magazine is great."

Jonathan Wheatley, sporting director, Red Bull Racing

How you voted
Red Bull 60.6%
Williams 18.5%
Mercedes 14.8%
McLaren 2.6%
Ferrari 2.2%

Rookie of the year

Lando Norris, McLaren

Formula 1 has a bright future thanks to the three rookies who graduated from Formula 2 for the 2019 season. The two British drivers, Lando Norris and George Russell, and the London-born Thai Alex Albon, have all deserved their place at the sharp end of the sport. If their momentum continues they should enjoy lengthy careers.

All three could have had a shot at winning this award. Albon came into Formula 1 with the least experience, but showed his worth when he scored a point in China after a massive practice shunt the day before.

By mid-season he was starting to regularly outqualify his more experienced team-mate Daniil Kvyat. He was subsequently rewarded with promotion from Toro Rosso to the Red Bull senior team at the expense of Pierre Gasly from the Belgian Grand Prix onwards.

Since Williams has been firmly rooted to the back of the grid, the 2019 Formula 2 champion Russell has in effect only had one opponent this year - his team-mate Robert Kubica. And it's fair to say over the course of the season, Russell has blitzed the one-time grand prix winner in both qualifying and races.

It was perhaps Norris at McLaren who hit form the earliest - making Q3 in his first
race. Norris started as high as fifth in Austria and regularly outqualified team-mate Carlos Sainz (who had run Verstappen close when they team-mate together at Toro Rosso). However, Sainz's experience often shone through on race day.

What probably just edges this award in Norris's favour is his age. He made his debut in Melbourne at 19 (four years younger than Albon and two year the junior of Russell) and he's driven assuredly and with confidence throughout the year.

"I'm very happy, thank you very much. I'm grateful and clearly the readers of F1 Racing are awesome if I got 55% of the vote.

"That means a lot and it's been a very enjoyable year. It's the only season I can win rookie of the year, so I'm glad I've done it.

"Something like this is a great confidence booster."

Lando Norris

How you voted
Lando Norris 54.9%
Alex Albon 38.5%
George Russell 6.6%

Team boss of the year

Toto Wolff, Mercedes

Post-season, as Mercedes is applauded for its achievement of securing six consecutive championship doubles, there's a standout image from the year of the man who sits at 
the top of the successful organisation.

On the pitwall at the German Grand Prix, Toto Wolff is wearing a vintage brown Fedora hat, black braces and slacks. He's surrounded by the most senior members of his race team.

It's a reminder that while one man at the top of the organisation gets the accolade, he relies on a whole team of people - including over a thousand staff back at Brackley and Brixworth - to put two-race winning cars on the track. 
In the photograph, Wolff is enjoying a joke with his closest allies: strategist James Vowles, trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin and team manager Ron Meadows. Like Toto, they are all in 1950s period costume.

The German Grand Prix was meant to be a celebration. Mercedes had rescued the race from cancellation to celebrate its 200th grand prix and 125 years of motorsport, and the whole team was bedecked in period costume.

There was a party atmosphere until the nightmare of the race began. From a position of authority, both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas made mistakes in the rain, the latter crashing out at Turn 1. Hubris had got the better of the team.

But after the race, Wolff showed the humility in defeat that has characterised his tenure at the top of Mercedes and has endeared him to his employees. He described the race - which was attended by the board of Mercedes and filmed by Netflix for season two of the television company's ongoing F1 documentary - as "Armageddon", adding, "sometimes you've got to take a slap on the nose and just learn. These are the days that make us better."

"Thank you very much, I'm very proud to be voted by the readers of the most prestigious F1 magazine to be team principal of the year.

"I don't say that lightly, it's really an honour. Team principal of the year is something to be proud of."

Toto Wolff

How you voted
Toto Wolff (Mercedes) 46.7%
Christian Horner (Red Bull) 23.5%
Andreas Seidl (McLaren) 17.9%
Mattia Binotto (Ferrari) 5.2%
Guenther Steiner (Haas) 3.8%

Qualifier of the year

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

When Charles Leclerc scored his first pole position, in Bahrain, it caught everyone's attention. Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel was supposed to be the lead Ferrari driver - so how was it that this youngster, in only his second full season in F1, was quicker?

Bahrain aside, in the first part of the year Leclerc's approach on Saturdays was haphazard and the 21-year-old slipped up on more than one occasion - but admitted to his mistakes.

During his rookie year at Sauber, Leclerc had to fight at every turn to claw his way into Q2 and Q3, but that aggressive, risky approach was neither necessary nor desirable at the wheel 
of a top-level car.

After recognising where he was going wrong, Leclerc swiftly changed his approach to qualifying, working instead to build momentum as the hour wore on. It worked.

From the French Grand Prix onwards, Leclerc outqualified Vettel for nine races in a row and was getting stronger every time. From Spa to Sochi he scored four consecutive pole positions - becoming the first Ferrari driver to do so since Michael Schumacher achieved that feat in 2000.

There's no doubt that through his impressive qualifying pace and his success in races, young Leclerc is becoming the natural number one driver at Ferrari - and that's not sitting well with Vettel. At the start of the Russian GP, Vettel ignored a team order to yield to Leclerc. Then in Brazil, a ballsy overtake from Leclerc led to retaliation from Vettel - and the pair made contact, forcing them both into retirement.

Leclerc's meteoric rise has given Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto a lot to think about with regards to how he deals with his drivers going into 2020...

"Firstly, thank you for the award. It has been a great year on my side, especially in qualifying as I did not expect to achieve seven poles.

"So it's a good surprise and thanks to my team and also the readers of F1 Racing magazine for this accolade."

Charles Leclerc

How you voted
Charles Leclerc 46.8%
Lewis Hamilton 21.8%
Max Verstappen 15.8%
Valtteri Bottas 8.8%
Carlos Sainz 2.5%

Drive of the year

Max Verstappen, Red Bull - Austrian Grand Prix

Whenever the idea of reversed grids is mooted it's always given short shrift by drivers and fans alike. But fast cars out of position always tend to lead to thrilling races.

And this is exactly what happened when front-row starter Max Verstappen's anti-stall kicked in at the start of the Austrian GP and he lost five places on the opening lap. Cheered on by his passionate orange-clad supporters, Verstappen drove a brilliant race to hunt down the Ferraris in the closing laps and claim victory.

Ten laps from the flag, Verstappen was 4.2-seconds behind Charles Leclerc on tyres that were nine laps fresher. After Leclerc rebuffed an attempt to pass on lap 68 of 71, Max made the move stick at the Turn 3 hairpin on the following lap. As he passed the Ferrari he maintained trajectory towards the racing line and Leclerc had to take to the run-off to avoid a collision.

"It's hard racing, otherwise we have to stay at home," said Verstappen. "If those things aren't allowed, what's the point of being in Formula 1?"

As the drivers came to the podium the stewards deliberated. And continued to do so for hours, long after the jubilant Dutch fans had melted away. Finally they decided the result stood, which meant a first podium for a Honda engine since Jenson Button triumphed at the 2006 Hungarian GP.

After Vettel was stripped of his Montreal win, the FIA decided they should be more lenient with drivers and from mid-season re-introduced the black-and-white driving standards warning flag to reduce outright penalties and to encourage racing.

It worked. At the next race at Silverstone, Verstappen and Leclerc gave us a terrific wheel-to-wheel duel in one of the scraps of the season.

"In that race everything went our way, the car and engine were working really well and I could overtake on a track where normally it's not easy to.

"Everything fell together, it was Honda's first V6 win, on Red Bull's home track and with all the Dutch fans around. You could not have written the story better. It was a great Sunday."

Max Verstappen

How you voted
Max Verstappen (Austria) 26.0%
Max Verstappen (Germany) 8.6%
Charles Leclerc (Italy) 6.5%
Lewis Hamilton (Mexico) 5.6%
Lewis Hamilton (Hungary) 4.8%

Driver of the year

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

In January, before a wheel had turned in anger, Mercedes technical director James Allison said something rather telling about Lewis Hamilton: "At the beginning of the year I think he is 'feeling out' our strengths, the opposition's strengths and our respective weaknesses, but he 
hasn't really got his enemy in his crosshairs.

"Then as the first few races unfold and the pressure of the championship ramps up he gets stronger and stronger."

As Formula 1 descended on Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and the fifth round of the world championship, the drivers' points table looked like this: first, Valtteri Bottas, 87 points; and then Hamilton, on 86 points. The leader's combative new approach prompted paddock wags to dub him 'Bottas 2.0' and he looked to be Hamilton's biggest threat.

But then Lewis stepped it up a gear, just as Allison had predicted. Hamilton won in Spain, and then Monaco, Canada and France - four consecutive victories. Two more followed before the summer break, and he burst his team-mate's bubble.

While Ferrari made a late-season flourish with Charles Leclerc winning in Spa and Monza and Sebastian Vettel taking his first win in over a year at Singapore, Hamilton kept out of trouble and kept racking up the points.

Mexico was arguably his strongest drive of the year - nursing his tyres while maintaining a brilliant pace - to set up clinching the title in the US GP. In the aftermath of his achievement, Hamilton talked about the championship (his fifth with Mercedes and sixth overall, now just one short of Michael Schumacher's all-time record) in the context of his career.

"I am working on a masterpiece," he said, "and I haven't quite finished it yet. It takes a
long time to master a craft and while I feel like I am mastering it, there is still more pieces of the puzzle to add."

Hamilton's year has lacked the standout moments of glory which characterised 2018, 
but it has been more consistent, more relentless. Once again he outfoxed Vettel in wheel-to-wheel combat, forcing the German to spin in Bahrain as he overtook him. And he pressured the Ferrari man into a mistake in the closing stages of the Canadian Grand Prix too.

He isn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with Max Verstappen, as he proved with his hunt and pass for the lead in Hungary and on the opening lap of the Mexican GP - although he did concede he gives Max more room than other drivers.

His engineers at Mercedes have likened Hamilton's improvement to an upgrade in a mobile phone, as trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin revealed in an interview with the BBC: "When you get a new operating system for your phone, at first it's not that different, but there are a few bug fixes and a few improvements and stuff, and you don't notice it until you go back three or four versions and you think: 'Wow, that's changed a lot.' And I think that's the case with good drivers and certainly the case with Lewis."

Shovlin says that Hamilton works tirelessly to avoid making the same mistake twice. It's a quest for continual improvement that shows no sign of relenting.

"Every year he comes back as a more complete driver," added Shovlin. "There are areas he starts trying to exploit to find more performance and there is more that he is capable of."

"A big thank you to everyone who voted for me and who continue to support me.

"It's overwhelming and encouraging and inspiring to see the support that I've had over the years. Each year it feels it grows in increments and that lifts me up in the difficult times.

"So I want people to know how much I appreciate them. This sport would be nothing without the fans. They really add that spark to make the sport what it is. Look at Silverstone this year and actually a lot of races had big turnouts - they create the atmosphere that makes it the exciting spectacle to watch.

"Big shout out to everyone and I hope I can continue to contribute to the sport. Formula 1 gives you so much, but it equally takes as much with regards to the energy and time you have to devote, the sacrifice you have to give to deliver each weekend.

"It's a lot for everyone within each team. Seeing fans at airports, hotels, events that I go to and then seeing the flags in the grandstands, knowing that they're with you - plus the messages I get on social media, I can't put a value on how great that is."

Lewis Hamilton

How you voted
Lewis Hamilton 41.9%
Max Verstappen 36.3%
Charles Leclerc 10.1%
Carlos Sainz 4.6%
Valtteri Bottas 1.7%