The 2018 Formula 1 season is about to begin. Heading to Melbourne, these are the storylines that F1 fans should follow as the season unfolds.
The 2018 Formula 1 season is about to begin. Soon teams and drivers will descend on the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in the hopes of taking the first step toward F1 greatness. The offseason has been fairly quiet compared to years past, although that is not to say nothing happened. Here are the major storylines heading into the Australian Grand Prix that you should follow.
Driver movement
A couple of premier seats are potentially up for grabs at Mercedes and Ferrari in 2019, and while it’s too early to start speculating who will end up where, it’s good to at least know the players. Will Valtteri Bottas perform well enough to warrant a long-term Mercedes deal or will one of the Mercedes juniors take his place?
Is Daniel Ricciardo a legitimate contender for Bottas’ seat? If Ricciardo moves on, will Red Bull Racing recall and promote Carlos Sainz Jr. or will Renault refuse to honor the loan and keep the 23-year-old Spaniard? Is Kimi Raikkonen finished after 2018, and if so, is Charles Leclerc (currently at Sauber) his heir apparent?
Renault and Honda power
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After three years of a failed second marriage, McLaren and Honda have finally moved on from each other. McLaren will be running Renault power, while Honda have moved to Toro Rosso. In testing, the results haven’t been ideal for the Woking-based outfit, but at least they are still running and hopes are high.
Fernando Alonso reunites with the engine partner that powered his two F1 championships, and barring a major drop in reliability or driver form, the 36-year-old should be able to push from the front starting in Melbourne.
Honda, meanwhile, are hoping that they’ve finally solved the reliability and power shortage that plagued the McLaren-Honda. If the Japanese engine constructor can perform well with Toro Rosso, there’s a chance it will land with Red Bull as well.
Halo introduction
The much-maligned safety device will see its first official race in Melbourne. Fans will see the Halo at race speed and in traffic for the first time. Testing provided a glimpse into how the cars look and react with the Halo on, and while there are calls by some drivers to remove it due to a lack of visibility, practicality, and aesthetics, the Halo doesn’t appear to be on F1’s chopping block just yet.
New drivers
Over the offseason, Sauber and Williams replaced a driver each — one due to lack of pace and the other due to retirement. Leclerc, a Ferrari junior, joined Sauber after Pascal Wehrlein was released, and with Felipe Massa’s retirement, Williams elevated Sergey Sirotkin to replace the Brazilian. With equal, same-year engines in the Sauber, it’ll be interesting how the reigning Formula 2 champion gets on. For Williams, they’ll hope that selecting Sirotkin over Robert Kubica will pay off.
Three engines for the whole season
Among the new sporting regulations, the reduction of available power units for the season by one will test teams’ and drivers’ abilities to manage engine wear and avoid costly grid penalties due to oversupply. While the FIA have clarified grid penalty rules for the new year, some in the paddock are concerned that three engines are not enough and will cause teams and drivers to replace units and incur penalties early, potentially influencing the drivers championship.
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Regardless of the on-track action Down Under, these storylines should be on teams’, drivers’, and fans’ minds come lights out and throughout the season.