From mid-season swaps, a fierce teammate rivalry, insane crashes, and a shocking retirement, F1 in 2016 was certainly a memorable year. With a new era soon to emerge, it is interesting to look back at what unfolded in F1 a decade ago.
photo from https://commons.wikimedia.org/
Ten years ago, the Formula One grid had many familiar faces and names, most of which are still heavily involved in motorsport in 2026. Lewis Hamilton entered the 2016 season as the reigning World Champion, securing his 3rd title the year previous. A teenage Max Verstappen established himself as a race-winner, following his maiden win on his debut with RedBull Racing. Many names have come and gone since the 2016 season. Many drivers who have left Formula One have moved on to other leagues, and others have swapped the adrenaline rush of motorsport to a more relaxed life of retirement, such as Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, and Nico Rosberg.
The 2016 season was action-packed and thrilling year. Right from the start of the year in Australia, one of the most famous crashes in recent F1 history took place. Within the first quarter of the race, Fernando Alonso crashed into the back of Gutierrez and was subsequently lifted into the air at 190mph. He rolled his car several times before landing upside-down against the barriers. Completely fine from the crash, the season had started in a shocking way.
Many more heavy crashes occurred, including Kevin Magnussen’s crash in Belgium, who lost his control at the top of Eau Rouge. This left him with a small cut to his ankle and sent to the hospital as a precautionary check. Thankfully, the Renault driver was not significantly injured.
However, it was not just crashes that made the 2016 season interesting. There were many mid-season swaps for teams, leaving fresh faces entering the grid, and several drivers leaving the racing scene. Following Alonso’s crash in Australia, the Spaniard was ruled out of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Consequently, his seat was temporarily filled by the McLaren reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne, becoming his F1 debut.
Later in the season, Danil Kvyat was replaced shortly after his home Grand Prix in Russia, following a collision with Sebastian Vettel. His RedBull seat was taken by the 17-year-old Max Verstappen, promoting him from the sister team Toro Rosso.
photo from ©2016 MacKrys
For the Malaysian Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon was announced the replacement of Rio Haryanto at Manor for the remainder of the season. This is as the Indonesian driver failed to ‘meet his contractual obligations,’ and the rookie driver’s contract was terminated.
The 21-race long calendar saw some of the most famous and recognisable tracks in motorsport: Monaco, Silverstone, and Spa Francochamps. However, it also saw some of the deeply loved circuits that are no longer used in F1, much to many fans’ disappointment. The European Grand Prix was an exciting and much looked forward to part of the season. Starting in the 1980s and ending in 2012, the return of the European Grand Prix as a one-off was a special and rare moment in motorsport. In 2016, this was held in the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan.
Moreover, fan favourite tracks such as Hockenheim and Malaysia were still on the calendar. It was In Malaysia that Lewis Hamilton suffered a DNF due to an engine failure whilst in the lead of the race. This proved to be a significant moment in the outcome of the Driver’s Championship battle.
One of the most memorable moments of the 2016 season is the fierce rivalry between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. The childhood friends returned as teammates at Mercedes, for their 3rd season. The teammates had thrilling battles in 2015, and this season would only add fuel to the fire. Growing up racing one another and being best of friends, their relationship swiftly became strained as the two both fought ferociously for the Driver’s Championship title. This came to head at the Spanish Grand Prix, when the pair made contact, as Hamilton went for a decisive move at the start of the race. Rosberg forced Hamilton onto the grass, causing the Brit’s car to spin back onto the track, taking both Mercedes drivers out of the race.
These dramatic teammate battles continued throughout the season, putting more tension between the former best friends. After a long and difficult battle, it all came down to Abu Dhabi. Rosberg entered the race with a 12-point lead over Hamilton. The final moment of their bitter rivalry came as Hamilton deliberately slowed down, costing Rosberg vital time. Despite this, the German secured 2nd place, thus taking his first and only World Driver’s Championship.
The friendship between them never seemed to fully recover. There has been little interaction from Hamilton and Rosberg, yet both express their regret in the way they handled the tension throughout this season.
Only a few days following his title win, Rosberg dropped a bomb that changed the trajectory of Mercedes and of Formula One. At the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Vienna, Rosberg announced he would be retiring from motorsport. Very few people expected this, as he was at the height of his career. The strain the 2016 season had on Rosberg contributed towards his decision to leave Formula One. He became the first Formula One driver to retire as the reigning Champion since Alain Prost in 1993.
photo from Sky Sports
Despite ten years passing, Formula One’s thrilling and adrenaline-provoking energy has not changed. The 2016 season provided some of the most memorable and shocking moments occurred and is a season that left its mark on the racing community.
Formula Focus 
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