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Formula 1: Who’s hot and who’s not heading into Bahrain

By Matthew Elich

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 25: The Ferrari team push Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari onto the grid before the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 25, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 25: The Ferrari team push Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari onto the grid before the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 25, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images) /
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After an exhilarating first round to the 2018 Formula 1 season in Australia, who is strutting their stuff and who is in the dust going into Bahrain?

Who is hot and who is not after the first Formula 1 race of the 2018 season in Australia as the series heads to Bahrain next week?

Who’s Hot

Sebastian Vettel: The four-time world champion had a great display in testing with his SF71H, setting the fastest time overall with a lap at 1:17.182. After winning the season opener for Scuderia Ferrari, Vettel is already ahead of his rivals in points and that gives him a great boost for the second race.

Lewis Hamilton: Even though Hamilton didn’t win in Australia, he is still the reigning champion with one the most dominant cars in Formula 1 history. Those qualities along with the pursuit of perfection will always make him strong competition. He is also looking to secure his fifth world championship.

Kimi Raikkonen: The Finn has been near the front of the pack recently after having some great winter practice sessions and a great race performance and podium finish in the Australian Grand Prix. Raikkonen seems rejuvenated and hungry to win and will be another force to watch out for in Bahrain.

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Fernando Alonso: With a new engine in the back of his McLaren, Alonso was able to secure fifth place in Australia, and he was able to take home some valuable points for himself and the team. He is one of the fastest drivers on the track, and as long as there aren’t issues like those that took place in testing, he should be consistently placing in the top 10.

Nico Hulkenberg: Driving the factory Renault, Hulkenberg and the team have steadily increased their positions since the return of the manufacturer to the sport in 2016. Even though they are down on power, Hulkenberg and Renault are slowly making advances. After requesting a 2019-2020 engine freeze that has gained support from other teams, Renault may get their way, which could help further the progress for Hulkenberg.

Who’s Not

Valtteri Bottas: Mercedes only renewed Bottas’s contract for this season, putting a lot of pressure on the young driver to show what he is capable of. Placing eighth in the first race of the season is not the path to glory, and Bottas really needs to be up with his teammate Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari drivers to secure his ride for future seasons.

Max Verstappen: As one of the youngest drivers on the grid, Verstappen has all the potential in the world. Even Lewis Hamilton thinks the youngster will be a Formula 1 world champion some day. But after spinning out in Melbourne and making some comments on the race afterward, Verstappen has shown some of the aggression that you would expect from a 20-year-old. His youth and some of the straight line power issues that the Renault engine has may keep him off the podium.

Sergey Sirotkin: One race in, one retirement for Sirotkin, which is not a great way to start off a Formula 1 career. But to his credit, it was not entirely his fault. A sandwich bag found its way into the brake cooling duct, forcing the rookie’s retirement. He made the list due to bad luck.

Romain Grosjean: The Haas driver was forced to retire after pit stop problems caused the Frenchman to stop on track in Australia. With heated claims regarding the copying of the Ferrari, Grosjean and the team have several issues leading into the next race.

Next: Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time

Complete results from the opening race in Australia can be found here. The Formula 1 teams next head to Bahrain for a night race in the desert. The evening in Sakhir will be the second race of 21 races on the 2018 Formula 1 schedule. The weekend runs from Friday, April 6th to Sunday, April 8th with free practice one staring at 14:00 local time on Friday.

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