2011

The 2011 season opened with the Australian Grand Prix on 27 March 2011 and closed with the Brazilian Grand Prix on 27 November 2011 — 19 rounds in all. There was no Bahrain Grand Prix that year, but India hosted its first Grand Prix, won by Sebastian Vettel on 30 October 2011. As a year earlier, only three teams won races: Red Bull won 12, McLaren six and Ferrari one.

Vettel won 11 races, started from pole 15 times and finished on the podium 17 times out of 19. Red Bull took 18 of the 19 poles — the only other one went to Lewis Hamilton in Korea.

Vettel won five of the first six races — in Australia, Malaysia, Turkey, Spain and Monaco; the exception was the Chinese Grand Prix, won by Hamilton. His rivals picked up the odd win: Jenson Button won in Canada from seventh on the grid, in a race that lasted more than four hours because of a long stoppage for rain. Fernando Alonso gave Ferrari their only win of the season at the British Grand Prix, Hamilton won in Germany and Button in Hungary.

After the summer break Vettel won three races in a row — in Belgium, Italy and Singapore — and arrived at the Japanese Grand Prix with 309 points to the 185 of second-placed Button. Five races remained, and a single point would be enough for Vettel to clinch the title early.

At the Japanese Grand Prix on 9 October 2011 Vettel started from pole and finished third, behind the winner, Button, and Alonso. That was enough: with four races still to go, Vettel became a two-time world champion. At 24 years and 98 days, he was the youngest double champion in history.

Red Bull wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship a week later, on 16 October 2011, at the Korean Grand Prix, where Vettel won yet again. At the end of the season Vettel had 392 points and runner-up Button 270. Mark Webber, on 258 points, beat Alonso to third place by one point; his only win of the season came at the final race, in Brazil.

Pirelli replaced Bridgestone as the sole tyre supplier. DRS arrived — a rear wing with an adjustable flap that could be opened in designated zones during the race — and the teams went back to using KERS energy recovery. Double diffusers were banned. The 107 per cent rule returned: in Australia both HRTs failed to qualify within the limit and were not allowed to start.

McLaren were second in the Constructors’ Championship with 497 points, Ferrari third with 375 and Mercedes fourth. Renault started the season with two podiums — Vitaly Petrov was third in Australia and Nick Heidfeld third in Malaysia; from the Belgian Grand Prix, Bruno Senna took Heidfeld’s seat. Williams scored just five points all season and finished ninth.

Petrov’s third place at the Australian Grand Prix on 27 March 2011 was the first Formula 1 podium for a Russian driver. Sergio Pérez made his debut with Sauber, Pastor Maldonado with Williams and Paul di Resta with Force India, and from the British Grand Prix on 10 July 2011 Daniel Ricciardo raced for HRT.

It was the last Formula 1 season for Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli, Nick Heidfeld and Vitantonio Liuzzi. Toro Rosso let Sébastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari go — neither raced in the championship again — and gave their seats for 2012 to Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne.