PICS OF THE YEAR

APRIL 9

The advantage of an early stop for Vettel was wiped out by a safety car, which allowed poleman Hamilton to stretch away in front. Vettel was bottled up behind the sister Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen as he tried to battle up through the pack. He eventually sliced ahead of Kimi and the two Red Bulls of Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo to regain second spot. Verstappen maintained his pace and bagged third from 16th on the grid. Bottas spun under the early safety car. 1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 2 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 3 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

APRIL 16

Ferrari once again went aggressive with an early stop for supersofts, but Vettel struggled to unseat Bottas. However, soon afterwards, a safety car mixed things up and forced the other leading runners to stop. Hamilton was censured for impeding Daniel Ricciardo on the pit entry, and he was obliged to take the pain at his next stop. Lewis finished but over six seconds behind the winning Ferrari, with Bottas tailing in third. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

APRIL 30

Bottas made a superb start to jump ahead of Vettel at Turn 2, but the Ferrari stayed close and went longer in the opening stint as Vettel tried to get the ‘overcut’ and enjoy clean air. He returned to the track behind the Merc but had fresher rubber, and crawled all over Bottas in the closing stages but without success. Raikkonen was third while a distinctly off-colour Hamilton trailed home in fourth spot, and he was mystified as to the lack of pace from his Mercedes-benz. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

MAY 14

Vettel beat polesitter Hamilton to Turn 1 as Raikkonen and Verstappen tripped over each other behind. The leading pair split strategies over the opening part of the race, and it looked as if Ferrari had done enough. However, a safety car – called when Stoffel Vandoorne’s Mclaren clouted Felipe Massa’s Williams – ruined the plan for the Italians. Hamilton jumped Vettel and held on to the flag. Ricciardo was third and the only other driver on the lead lap. He took the place when the engine on Bottas’s Merc lunched itself. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)