The 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 71st season of Formula One motor racing. It featured the 68th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which is recognised by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Teams and drivers competed in twenty Grands Prix—starting in Australia on 26 March and ending in Abu Dhabi on 26 November—for the World Drivers' and World Constructors' championships.
The reigning Drivers' Champion Nico Rosberg was originally due to drive for Mercedes in 2017. He announced his retirement from the sport in December 2016 after winning his first drivers' World Championship, so the 2017 season was the first since 1994 in which the reigning champion did not compete.[1] Mercedes started the season as the defending Constructors' Champion, having secured their third consecutive title at the 2016 Japanese Grand Prix.[2]
2017 was the first genuine inter-team title battle for five years. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes had to contend with a resurgent Ferrari team with lead driver Sebastian Vettel heading the championship for the first 12 rounds and challenging deep into the twenty race season.[3][4][5] At the conclusion of the championship, Hamilton won his fourth World Drivers' Championship title. Hamilton finished 46 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel in second with 317 points and Valtteri Bottas in third with 305 points.[6][7] In the World Constructors' Championship, Mercedes won their fourth consecutive title at the 2017 United States Grand Prix and finished with 668 points. Ferrari finished second with 522 points and Red Bull Racing were third with 368 points.[8]
The following teams and drivers took part in the 2017 Formula One World Championship. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Pirelli.
Six drivers drove as free practice drivers over the course of the season.
Constructor | Practice drivers | ||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Driver name | Rounds | |
Force India-Mercedes | 34 35 |
Alfonso Celis, Jr. George Russell |
9, 11, 18 19–20 |
Haas-Ferrari | 50 | Antonio Giovinazzi | 10–11, 14–15, 18–20 |
Renault | 46 | Sergey Sirotkin | 4–5, 9, 15 |
Sauber-Ferrari | 37 | Charles Leclerc | 15, 17–19 |
Toro Rosso-Renault | 38 | Sean Gelael | 14–15, 17–18 |
Source:[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58] |
The following twenty Grands Prix took place in 2017:
The start of the season was tight between the title contenders, with various analysts describing the Ferrari SF70H as initially the more consistent car in race trim.[117][118][119] Sebastian Vettel led the championship for the first 12 rounds (more than half the season) but never by more than 25 points. Vettel's loss of self‑control when he chose to barge Hamilton in Baku was the most incendiary incident between the pair, in a season in which there was a friendly mutual respect.[120] However, Ferrari's challenge faltered towards the end of the season, with setbacks in Singapore and Malaysia (on tracks at which they were favoured to win), costing them vital points in both championships.[121] Lewis Hamilton took the title at the Mexican Grand Prix with 2 races still to go. Hamilton was looking to regain the World Championship and his fourth overall while Vettel was looking to capture his first since 2013.[122]
Points were awarded to the top ten classified finishers in every race, using the following structure:[124]
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
In order for full points to be awarded, the race winner must completed at least 75% of the scheduled race distance. Half points were awarded if the race winner completes less than 75% of the race distance provided that at least two laps are completed.[N 6] In the event of a tie at the conclusion of the championship, a count-back system was used as a tie-breaker, with a driver's best result used to decide the standings.[N 7]
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