Story highlights
F1 season ends in Abu Dhabi this weekend
Lewis Hamilton has retained world title
Max Verstappen, 17, is F1's youngest driver
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes may have motored to the Formula One world titles for the second year running but there were other awards to be won in the ultra-competitive world of motorsport.
Greatest race, best after-party, the next big thing? CNN’s The Circuit caught up with some of F1’s top drivers to ask for their star turns as the checkered flag falls on the 2015 season.
F1 race winners Daniel Ricciardo and Felipe Massa were among those voting in The Circuit’s unofficial awards and you can pick your winners by commenting on CNN Sport’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
The Drivers’ Driver Award – Lewis Hamilton
Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo: “Lewis Hamilton just perfected everything he did last year and made it better in 2015. Sebastian Vettel has also settled in well at Ferrari and Max Verstappen has done well at Toro Rosso. There’s a few to name.”
Lotus driver Romain Grosjean: “Lewis pushed hard and clinched the title before the end of the season. He was strong when he needed to be and he deserved the world championship.”
Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg: “Lewis has had the best car but he’s also been outstanding this year, very consistent and he hasn’t made many mistakes. He deserves the title. It’s also been a successful year for Ferrari, they’ve managed to close the gap to Mercedes and Vettel’s move from Red Bull to Ferrari looks, in hindsight, like a very wise one.”
Williams driver Felipe Massa: “Lewis had a really fantastic season but Sebastian did a very good job, so maybe (I can choose) both of them?!”
Best Race – Hungarian Grand Prix
Ricciardo: “Budapest was the turning point in the season where we (Red Bull Racing) started to get momentum. I was able to really attack and we showed real tenacity during the race. It was a good race and I left there (with third place) and feeling I did all I could.”
Williams reserve driver Susie Wolff: “I loved the Hungarian Grand Prix! There was so much happening and up until the last lap there were lots of exciting overtaking moves on the long straight coming into the first corner.”
Lotus 2016 race driver Jolyon Palmer: “My favorite race was Budapest. Watching all the races in the garage as a reserve driver means you can take in the good races and the bad ones as well, and Hungary was one that had me on the edge of my seat all the time. The race at the front was fantastic, Vettel won and it was nice to stop the Mercedes.”
Hulkenberg: “My favorite event of the year was Monaco. It’s a great weekend, great scenery, you have the glamor and the other factors but the track is spectacular for the driver and it’s always a mega-thrill to drive around Monaco.”
Best Rookie Driver – Max Verstappen
Ricciardo: “A lot of the young guys proved their worth in 2015. Max was great for Toro Rosso but his teammate Carlos Sainz has shone too. My Red Bull Racing teammate Dany (Kyvat) has done well in his second year in F1 too.”
Hulkenberg: “The best newcomer and most exciting was probably Max, his aggressive overtaking has been quite entertaining and cool to watch.”
Grosjean: “The best rookie of the year is a tough one. Verstappen has been doing a good job but Sainz has as well, especially in qualifying, and not much separates them.”
Massa: “Felipe Nasr is the best rookie this season for Sauber. My friend from my country (Brazil) did a good job.”
Wolff: “I’ve followed Max through karting and know him pretty well. He’s managed to navigate himself very well in the environment of F1 as such a young man. He’s kept his feet on the ground and put in some great performances on track. A lot of F1 is about being in the right team at the right time. We’ll see a lot of Max in the future – he has the potential to be a world champion.”
Best Party – Austin, Texas
Grosjean: “I like to go out in Austin. The bars are good fun. I went out with all my guys after the race this year and I had a little bit of a headache in the morning.”
Ricciardo: “Austin is definitely up there. It’s just great because even if F1 wasn’t there, the city is still buzzing. A lot of places we go to, Sunday night is only busy because F1 is in town. In Austin you could find something different every night, although as a driver we don’t go out every night!”
Massa: “I didn’t party so much this year but I enjoy Australia, Canada, Abu Dhabi, and at home in Brazil is always really great.”
Palmer: “There’s been too many to mention! I absolutely loved Mexico this year. It was nice to go to a new track and the atmosphere in the circuit was like nothing else.”
Wolff: “My husband (Mercedes motorsport director Toto Wolff) and I don’t party that much. We celebrate in a fairly subdued way on a Sunday evening but Mexico was incredible so I would recommend a visit to Mexico next year.”
My Best Moment of 2015…
Massa: “Williams finished third in the team championship for the second year running, which was amazing. It was a really positive season for us, I had podiums in Austria and Italy, and hopefully we can prepare better for 2016.”
Ricciardo: “My podiums in Budapest and Singapore! This season I started on a big high (from three wins in 2014) but this year was a lot more mellow. I don’t want another year like this. I grew a lot this year but I hope next year’s more successful.”
Grosjean: “The highlight for me was being on the podium with third in Spa. It was a difficult weekend to score a podium, I was clearly not expecting it from the first race of the season, that was a good moment.”
Wolff: “Without a doubt it was at the British Grand Prix, driving in the first practice session. When I’d driven there before my engine blew on the second lap and I didn’t get a proper run. So to be at my home grand prix, in an F1 car and in one of F1’s most successful teams was a very special moment.”
Palmer: “I had wanted to be a race driver this season but it is everybody’s dream to drive in F1 so I’ve been very lucky anyway. To drive at Silverstone in practice was a pretty good run. I really can’t wait for next year, it’s been such a long time coming and to finally be confirmed as a race driver was so exciting, I’m ready for next year already.”
Join the debate and pick your winners by commenting on CNN Sport’s Facebook and Twitter pages.