Masters Season 1 was the inaugural season of FF1M. It began at the American Grand Prix at Phoenix in the Summer of 2007. The Drivers Championship was won by Michael Schumacher driving for AquinoPlus who also won the Constructors Championship.
The season saw Michael Schumacher secure the drivers championship at the penultimate round of the season, beating Kimi Raikkonen and Ayrton Senna. The points amassed by Michael also helped AquinoPlus secure the constructors championship.
Teams and Drivers
| Team | Chassis | Engine | Tyre | No. | Race Drivers | Test Drivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AquinoPlus
|
Williams | Ford | 
|
0 |  Michael Schumacher
|
|
| 2 |  Olivier Panis
| |||||
 M-Sport
|
Benetton | Ferrari |
|
3 |  Damon Hill
|
|
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton
| |||||
| Maestro Motorsport
|
McLaren | Mercedes |
|
5 |  Thierry Boutsen
|
|
| 6 |  Kimi Raikkonen
| |||||
| Exolite
|
Footwork | Ford |
|
7 | Ayrton Senna
|
|
| 8 | Felipe Massa
| |||||
| British Lions
|
Lotus | BMW |
|
9 | Martin Brundle
|
|
| 10 | Johnny Herbert
| |||||
| Jordan
|
Jordan | Ford |
|
11 | David Coulthard
|
|
| 12 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen
| |||||
| FJ's Fast Squad
|
Larrousse | Mugen Honda |
|
14 | Mika Hakkinen
|
|
| 15 |  Juan Pablo Montoya
| |||||
| A Racing
|
Minardi | Honda |
|
16 |  Gerhard Berger
|
|
| 17 |  Riccardo Patrese
| |||||
| Gui Racing
|
Ligier | Ferrari |
|
18 | Nigel Mansell
|
|
| 19 | Jenson Button
| |||||
 Pedersen
|
Ferrari | Ferrari |
|
20 | Eddie Irvine
|
|
| 21 | Rubens Barrichello
| |||||
| Willow Images
|
Sauber | Mugen Honda |
|
22 |  Fernando Alonso
|
|
| 23 | Ralf Schumacher
|
- Ajay Motorsports were originally on the entry list before their place was taken by FJ's Fast Squad. The only difference between the two entries was Jean Alesi being the second driver instead of Juan Pablo Montoya.
Season Calendar
| Round | Grand Prix | Circuit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States Grand Prix
|
Phoenix Street Circuit, Phoenix |
| 2 |  South African Grand Prix
|
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand |
| 3 | Brazilian Grand Prix
|
Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo |
| 4 |  San Marino Grand Prix
|
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola |
| 5 | Spanish Grand Prix
|
Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera |
| 6 |  Monaco Grand Prix
|
Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo |
| 7 |  Canadian Grand Prix
|
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal |
| 8 | French Grand Prix
|
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours |
| 9 | British Grand Prix
|
Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone |
| 10 |  Portuguese Grand Prix
|
Circuito do Estoril, Estoril |
| 11 | German Grand Prix
|
Hockenheimring, Hockenheim |
| 12 |  Hungarian Grand Prix
|
Hungaroring, Mogyorod |
| 13 | Belgian Grand Prix
|
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot |
| 14 | Italian Grand Prix
|
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza |
| 15 |  Japanese Grand Prix
|
Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka |
| 16 |  Australian Grand Prix
|
Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide |
Season Review
Round 1 - United States
The first ever FF1M race saw the likes of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen race against Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell over a sixteen race calendar. The first of those race was held at the Phoenix street circuit and the unforgiving concrete walls claimed multiple victims, including all four aforementioned drivers. Only nine drivers finished the race and coming out on top was A Racing's Gerhard Berger. Completing the podium were FJ's Fast Squad's Mika Hakkinen and British Lions' Johnny Herbert.
Round 2 - South Africa
The Kyalami circuit in South Africa played host to the second race of the season, and many drivers who fell foul of the tight confines of Arizona were much more happy in the Midrand region. Perhaps the happiest of them all was Exolite's Ayrton Senna, who took the win ahead of Berger and AquinoPlus' Michael Schumacher.
Round 3 - Brazil
After winning in South Africa, Senna was hoping repeat his success in front of his adoring Brazilian fans. Sadly for him and the Exolite team, he would be destined not to finish the race. Instead, it was Michael Schumacher who won in front of the ever consistent Berger, with M-Sport's Damon Hill completing the podium. The two others Brazilians, Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa, both finished outside of the points.
Round 4 - San Marino
The European season began at Imola, with all eyes on A Racing's Riccardo Patrese and the three Ferrari-engined teams. Patrese had a good race to take 4th, his best result of the season so far, and the passionate Italian fans would also see their engine finish 2nd thanks to Damon Hill, but it was Michael Schumacher who took his second win in a row. With that, he took the lead in the championship from Gerhard Berger, who failed to finish.
Drivers Championship
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Michael Schumacher | AquinoPlus | 24 |
| 2nd | Gerhard Berger | A Racing | 22 |
| 3rd | Damon Hill | M-Sport | 13 |
Constructors Championship
| Position | Teams | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | A Racing | 28 |
| 2nd | AquinoPlus | 26 |
| 3rd | M-Sport | 13 |
Round 5 - Spain
One of the billed championship favourites, Fernando Alonso, was having a difficult season with only one point from the first four races. However, that changed at Jerez as the Willow Images driver did what Senna wasn't able to do and won in front of his adoring fans. Taking 2nd and strengthening his championship lead was Michael Schumacher, while 3rd was Maestro Motorsport's Kimi Raikkonen, which was his second podium finish in a row.
Round 6 - Monaco
The tight confines of the Monaco street circuit was next, and the race saw a circuit specialist take a dominant win in the form of Ayrton Senna, his second win of the season. Following him home were Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, while Gerhard Berger closed the championship gap to Michael Schumacher to four points.
Round 7 - Canada
The FF1M circus headed back across the Atlantic to another French-speaking country for the Canadian Grand Prix. The race saw a tight battle between three in-form drivers, but it eventually went the way of Michael Schumacher, who took his third win of the season ahead of Ayrton Senna and Kimi Raikkonen. The race also saw Gui Racing's Nigel Mansell score his first points of the season after retiring from the first six races.
Round 8 - France
From Canada to France, and the third race in a row where the natives speak French. There had already been four different winners from the first seven races, and Damon Hill made it five, which stood him in good stead for the next race at Silverstone. Michael Schumacher continued his strong form and finished 2nd, extending his championship lead in the process, while 3rd was Gerhard Berger.
Drivers Championship
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Michael Schumacher | AquinoPlus | 48 |
| 2nd | Gerhard Berger | A Racing | 32 |
| 3rd | Ayrton Senna | Exolite | 28 |
Constructors Championship
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | AquinoPlus | 50 |
| 2nd | A Racing | 40 |
| 3rd | Exolite | 28 |
Round 9 - Great Britain
The eight British drivers were very much looking forward to their home race of the season, but only 25% of them were fortunate enough to even finish the race. Luckily, Nigel Mansell gave his fans something to cheer about as he finished 2nd, but becoming the sixth different winner of the season was Kimi Raikkonen, with Fernando Alonso completing the podium. Elsewhere, Heinz-Harald Frentzen gave Jordan their first points of the season, which left only Pedersen yet to score.
Round 10 - Portugal
Somewhat unusually, the Portuguese Grand Prix was next up at the abrasive Estoril circuit, and having finished every race in the points since South Africa, Michael Schumacher extended his points scoring run by taking his fourth win of the season, with Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna completing the podium.
Round 11 - Germany
The ultra-fast Hockenheimring played host to the eleventh round of the season, and the German crowd were expecting another virtuoso performance from championship leader Michael Schumacher. Sadly, they got the opposite as the AquinoPlus driver failed to finish. Instead, it was Fernando Alonso who won from Kimi Raikkonen and Nigel Mansell, who had finally found his feet after his difficult start to the season. With Rubens Barrichello finishing 6th, all 11 teams had now scored points.
Round 12 - Hungary
Michael Schumacher was looking to bounce back after his home race disappointment, but unfortunately for him, he suffered another retirement. Worse for him was that Kimi Raikkonen took his second win of the season and closed the gap to just 13 points. Completing the podium were two other possible challengers to the championship, Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill. Meanwhile, the battle to not finish last continued with Jordan moving back ahead of Pedersen thanks to David Coulthard's 6th place.
Drivers Championship
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Michael Schumacher | AquinoPlus | 61 |
| 2nd | Kimi Raikkonen | Maestro Motorsport | 48 |
| 3rd | Ayrton Senna | Exolite | 38 |
Constructors Championship
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | AquinoPlus | 63 |
| 2nd | Maestro Motorsport | 51 |
| 3rd | A Racing | 47 |
Round 13 - Belgium
With four races to go, both championship were very much up for grabs, but Michael Schumacher was in the best position with a 13 point lead over his nearest challenger despite retiring in the last two races. He bounced back strongly to finish 2nd, and more than that, Kimi Raikkonen failed to finish. In fact, the Maestro Motorsport driver lost 2nd in the championship as Ayrton Senna took his third win of the season and moved in front of the Finn on countback. Finishing in 3rd was Nigel Mansell, while compatriot Lewis Hamilton scored his first points of the season with a commendable 4th.
Round 14 - Italy
The second Italian race of the season was next up at the super-fast Monza circuit, and it witnessed the season's seventh different winner as Nigel Mansell finally got his just reward. He had been the season's best qualifier with more pole positions than any other driver, and he was able to justify his speed in the race. Completing the top three were Fernando Alonso and Gerhard Berger. With Ayrton Senna failing to finish and Kimi Raikkonen only managing 4th, Schumacher could clinch the drivers championship at the next round. The constructors was a little more open, but the advantage laid with AquinoPlus. Meanwhile, the battle for last took another turn with Rubens Barrichello elevating Pedersen ahead of Jordan.
Drivers Championship
| Position | Drivers | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Michael Schumacher | AquinoPlus | 68 |
| 2nd | Kimi Raikkonen | Maestro Motorsport | 51 |
| 3rd | Ayrton Senna | Exolite | 48 |
Constructors Championship
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | AquinoPlus | 71 |
| 2nd | Maestro Motorsport | 54 |
| 3rd | A Racing | 53 |
Round 15 - Japan
Mathematically, both Kimi Raikkonen and Ayrton Senna could overhaul Michael Schumacher, but realistically, that was an extremely tall order, as both drivers needed to win and for Schumacher to have two catastrophic blunders. In the end at Suzuka, it was academic as Damon Hill beat them both to the chequered flag, which helped Schumacher to win the drivers championship. Raikkonen and Senna were both a bit deflated on the podium alongside a happy Hill. Although the constructors championship wasn't settled, Maestro Motorsport needed a 1-2 finish with AquinoPlus scoring fewer than two points… in order words, Maestro needed a miracle.
Round 16 - Australia
The final race of the season took place at the Adelaide street circuit, and from pole position, Nigel Mansell dominated to take his second win of the season in what had been a very strong end for the Gui Racing driver. This effectively and unsurprisingly decided the constructors championship in favour of AquinoPlus. Completing the podium were Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, while Juan Pablo Montoya avoided finishing his season pointless by taking 6th in what had been an tough campaign with 11 retirements, more than anyone else all season.
Results and Standings
Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers in race.
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Race by Race
| Round | Grand Prix | 1st | 2nd | 3nd | Winning Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Grand Prix
|
Gerhard Berger
|
Mika Hakkinen
|
Johnny Herbert
|
A Racing-Honda
|
| 2 | South African Grand Prix
|
Ayrton Senna
|
Gerhard Berger
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Exolite-Ford
|
| 3 | Brazilian Grand Prix
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Gerhard Berger
|
Damon Hill
|
AquinoPlus-Ford
|
| 4 | San Marino Grand Prix
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Damon Hill
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
AquinoPlus-Ford
|
| 5 | Spanish Grand Prix
|
Fernando Alonso
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
| 6 | Monaco Grand Prix
|
Ayrton Senna
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Fernando Alonso
|
Exolite-Ford
|
| 7 | Canadian Grand Prix
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Ayrton Senna
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
AquinoPlus-Ford
|
| 8 | French Grand Prix
|
Damon Hill
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Gerhard Berger
|
M-Sport-Ferrari
|
| 9 | British Grand Prix
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Nigel Mansell
|
Fernando Alonso
|
Maestro-Mercedes
|
| 10 | Portuguese Grand Prix
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Nigel Mansell
|
Ayrton Senna
|
AquinoPlus-Ford
|
| 11 | German Grand Prix
|
Fernando Alonso
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Nigel Mansell
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
| 12 | Hungarian Grand Prix
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Ayrton Senna
|
Damon Hill
|
Maestro-Mercedes
|
| 13 | Belgian Grand Prix
|
Ayrton Senna
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Nigel Mansell
|
Exolite-Ford
|
| 14 | Italian Grand Prix
|
Nigel Mansell
|
Fernando Alonso
|
Gerhard Berger
|
Gui Racing-Ferrari
|
| 15 | Japanese Grand Prix
|
Damon Hill
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Ayrton Senna
|
M-Sport-Ferrari
|
| 16 | Australian Grand Prix
|
Nigel Mansell
|
Fernando Alonso
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Gui Racing-Ferrari
|
