Motorsport review 2017: from Formula 1 to BTCC

We look back on the last 12 months in the world of motorsport, including F1, the WEC, Formula E, and lots more

Although several familiar names took the titles in the world’s major motorsport championships in 2017, this continuity masked some big changes elsewhere.

Most notable has been the rapid growth of Formula E, with BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar, Renault, Nissan and DS all now involved or set to join the ranks very soon.

 • What is Formula E?

Other areas of motorsport have suffered, with Toyota now the only brand in the World Endurance Championship’s top LMP1 class and changes to both the World Touring Car Championship and German DTM series being contemplated in order to assure their future.

Here, we round up all the action on track and stage from a packed 12 months of racing and rallying competition around the world.

Scroll down to read about the highlights of a packed 2017 motorsport calendar...

Hamilton romps home to a fourth F1 world title

In the early part of the season, it looked like Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton would be pushed hard all the way in his quest for a fourth world title by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Seven races in, after the Canadian Grand Prix, the Brit and the German were level on three victories each, with only Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas (who won the Russian Grand Prix) managing to break their stranglehold at that point.

Vettel’s angry swerve at Hamilton in the following race in Azerbaijan showed how much pressure the Ferrari man was under and fans were relishing a vintage battle for the title. But a streak of three wins for Hamilton after the summer break (in Belgium, Italy and Singapore) combined with a dip in reliability for Ferrari in Malaysia and Japan meant Hamilton was able to wrap things up early at the Mexican Grand Prix in October.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were the only non-Mercedes or Ferrari drivers to win during the season. Expect either driver – or both – to be Hamilton’s main opposition in 2018.

Sato wins Indy 500 as Alonso steals headlines

Ex-Jordan and BAR F1 driver Takuma Sato made history in May, becoming the first Japanese entrant to win the Indianapolis 500, the centrepiece of the US IndyCar Series single-seater championship.

But the other major story of the race was Fernando Alonso’s decision to skip the Monaco Grand Prix for a one-off Indy appearance in a McLaren-backed car.

The outing initially provided welcome relief from ongoing Honda engine woes for both parties, and Alonso declared his intent by leading for 27 laps, but ironically his chances were ended by engine failure.

Sato took his Andretti Autosport car past Helio Castroneves late in the race to take a popular victory, while his fellow ex-Formula One driver, Briton Max Chilton, finished just off the podium.