Formula One Returns After the Summer Break

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SteemSports Presenter: @rickie

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SteemSports Editor/Writer: @writingamigo

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With the second half of the formula, one season set to commence on August 25th, 2017; fans of the fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping sport of Formula 1 are eagerly anticipating the resumption and return of their favorite drivers from the respective F-1 teams. The second half of the F-1 season would evidently be packed with nail-biting races and team maneuvering, on the asphalt pavements of the auto racing sport.

Drivers have been on a four-week break following the Hungarian Grand Prix. And with nine races left in the current season, so much is expected of the top teams and drivers, especially defending champions of the constructors’ championship, Team Mercedes, who have somewhat struggled all season.

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton is currently 14 points behind Ferrari's Sebastien Vettel, and would be hoping for a better half of the season if he is to win the drivers’ championship he last won two years ago. Team Mercedes would also be hoping that the partnership of both Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas would function seamlessly to enable them to retain the constructors' championship they won under former F1 driver, Nico Rosberg.

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Races Completed

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AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX | Melbourne | March 24th – 26th 2017
Standings
1st – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
2nd – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3rd – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

CHINESE GRAND PRIX | Shanghai | April 7th - 9th 2017
Standings
1st – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2nd – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
3rd – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX | Sakhir | April 14th – 16th 2017
Standings
1st – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
2nd – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3rd – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX | Sochi | April 28th – 30th 2017
Standings
1st – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2nd – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
3rd – Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

SPANISH GRAND PRIX | Barcelona | May 12th – 14th 2017
Standings
1st – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2nd – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
3rd – Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

MONACO GRAND PRIX | Monte Carlo | May 25th – 28th 2017
Standings
1st – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
2nd – Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
3rd – Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

CANADIAN GRAND PRIX | Montreal | June 9th – 11th 2017
Standings
1st – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2nd – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3rd – Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX | Baku | June 23rd – 25th 2017
Standings
1st – Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
2nd – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3rd – Lance Stroll (Williams)

AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX | Spielberg | July 7th – 9th July 2017
Standings
1st – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2nd – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
3rd – Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

BRITISH GRAND PRIX | Silverstone | July 14th – 16th July 2017
Standings
1st – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2nd – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3rd – Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX | Budapest | July 28th – 30th 2017
Standings
1st – Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari)
2nd – Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
3rd – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

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Standings	(As at last race - Hungarian GP)	Points	Points behind leader	Wins
1	Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)	202	‒	4
2	Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)	188	14	4
3	Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)	169	33	2
4	Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)	117	85	1
5	Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)	116	86	0

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Schedule for the reminding of the season

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RACE	VENUE/TRACK	DATE
1) BELGIAN GRAND PRIX	SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS	August 25th - 27th, 2017
2) ITALIAN GRAND PRIX	MONZA	September 1st - 3rd, 2017
3) SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX	MARINA BAY	September 15th - 17th, 2017
4) MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX	SEPANG	September 29th - October 1st, 2017
5) JAPANESE GRAND PRIX	SUZUKA	October 6th - 8th, 2017
6) UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX	AUSTIN	October 20th - 22nd, 2017
7) MEXICAN GRAND PRIX	MEXICO CITY	October 27th - 29th, 2017
8) BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX	SAO PAULO	November 10th - 12th, 2017
9) ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX	YAS MARINA	November 24th - 26th, 2017

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What happened in these races last season?

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2016 RECAP OF THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

1st – Nico Rosberg
2nd – Daniel Ricciardo
3rd –Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton recovered from the back row nicely to finish 3rd. While Kevin Magnussen suffered an injury to his left leg in a crash and was taken to a hospital. Rosberg led from pole to finish superbly. Ricciardo held off Hamilton’s late challenge to finish 2nd.

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2016 - RECAP OF THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX

1st – Nico Rosberg
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
3rd – Sebastien Vettel

Hamilton began in pole, but lost out to eventual winner Rosberg, due to a poor start. After the race, Hamilton admitted that the poor start was his fault. Ferrari’s Sebastien Vettel could only finish 3rd.

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2016 RECAP OF THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

1st – Nico Rosberg
2nd – Daniel Ricciardo
3rd –Lewis Hamilton

Rosberg retook the lead on the standings after the race, by holding off a late dramatic move by Daniel Ricciardo who ended up second. Rosberg at that stage, led team-mate Hamilton with 8 points after Hamilton took 3rd.

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2016 RECAP OF THE MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX

1st – Daniel Ricciardo
2nd – Max Verstappen
3rd – Nico Rosberg

Hamilton suffered an engine failure which dealt a massive blow to his title hopes. Team-mate Rosberg could only finish 3rd to extend his lead in the championship to 23 points. Red-bull team-mates Ricciardo and Verstappen finished 1st and 2nd, after a superb performance.

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2016 RECAP OF THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

1st – Nico Rosberg
2nd – Max Verstappen
3rd –Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton finished 3rd as his title hopes suffered back-to-back blows in a week, after Mercedes teammate, Rosberg won to ensure that Mercedes won the constructor championship at that stage of the season.

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2016 RECAP OF THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX

1st – Lewis Hamilton
2nd – Daniel Ricciardo
3rd – Nico Rosberg

Hamilton cut down the points deficit to Rosberg after winning the race. Rosberg managed to finish 2nd after recovering against Ricciardo strongly, having lost the position earlier in the race.

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2016 RECAP OF THE MEXICAN GRAND PRIX

1st – Lewis Hamilton
2nd – Nico Rosberg
3rd – Daniel Ricciardo

Hamilton overcame a scare at the start to win the race and revive his title hopes. Team-mate Rosberg finished 2nd to maintain a decent 19 points gap between him and Hamilton, with 2 races left. Redbull's Ricciardo could only manage the 3rd position.

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2016 RECAP OF THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

1st – Lewis Hamilton
2nd – Nico Rosberg
3rd – Max Verstappen

Hamilton’s surge to usurp Mercedes team-mate, Rosberg at the top of the point’s standings continued in this race, seeing him finish 1st. Rosberg however, pushed for 2nd position after quite a dramatic race. Red-bull’s Max Verstappen completes the 3rd podium placing.

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2016 RECAP OF THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

1st – Lewis Hamilton
2nd – Nico Rosberg
3rd – Sebastien Vettel

Hamilton needed team-mate Rosberg to finish below 3rd position, for himself to claim the driver’s title. He controversially won the race while driving slowly, hoping to drag other drivers into the race to rattle team-mate, Rosberg. Rosberg however, held on superbly and held off Ferrari's Sebastien Vettel to finished 2nd and claim his first driver’s title.

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The Formula One season returns. Which team do you think would win the constructors' championship, and which driver do you think would win the drivers' title? Drop a comment.