Remarkably the start of the 2018 F1 season is now just a few days away. Winter testing really was ‘winter testing’ this year this year with rain and snow falling on Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya which was used for eight days of mileage accumulation at the end of February and start of March.
For the third consecutive year the Ferrari has appeared to be the fastest car, indeed both Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, set the fastest times during the tests.
But top teams rarely show their full hand in pre-season testing and while Ferrari’s pace was genuine at the start of 2017 – and they were the team to beat – others were hiding behind a smokescreen in 2016. ‘Sand bagging’ may be a too stronger term, but it is doubtful we have seen the very best of any team to date.
Ultimately most F1 experts seem to be of the opinion that the Mercedes is the car to beat on the evidence they have compiled and the Red Bulls could be marginally faster than Italy’s finest in what looks a three-team battle for the podium steps during 2018.
We will know a lot more on Friday morning when the first practice session of the season gets underway at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit. While the new look cars, equipped with a flip-flop style safety ‘halo’ may take some by surprise, the names at the head of the timesheets will probably not.
Well, yes...
But @LewisHamilton reckons @danielricciardo has an extra reason to be happy ahead of this weekend's #AusGP 🇦🇺
It’s been a Mercedes that has gone fastest in the season opening practice session in Melbourne for the past three seasons and Lewis Hamilton has put the German car on pole position for each and every one of the past four years. Furthermore the Brit has claimed pole position by some margin too, in excess of 0.30sec every time.
So there may be more excitement in the middle and rear of the pack. McLaren raised a few eyebrows when gong third fastest of all test times, that achievement must have pleased the team following countless breakdowns.
Of course, 2018 sees them run with a Renault engine following an appalling three seasons with Honda. Toro Rosso, with a driver line-up of Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley, will try their hand with the Honda power plant this year.
Elsewhere it would appear cheque-book power rules the roost at Williams with billionaire’s son Lance Stroll being joined by Russian rookie Sergey Sirotkin. The 22-year-old is bringing a reported $15 million to the team in ‘sponsorship’.
F1 2018 schedule
March 25 Australian GP, Melbourne
April 8 Bahrain GP, Sakhir
April 15 Chinese GP, Shanghai
April 29 Azerbaijan GP, Baku
May 13 Spanish GP, Barcelona
May 27 Monaco GP, Monaco
June 10 Canadian GP, Montreal
June 24 French GP, Le Castellet
July 1 Austrian GP, Spielberg
July 8 British GP, Silverstone
July 22 German GP, Hockenheim
July 29 Hungarian GP, Budapest
August 26 Belgian GP, Spa-Francorchamps
September 2 Italian GP, Monza
September 16 Singapore GP, Marina Bay
September 30 Russian GP, Sochi
October 7 Japanese GP, Suzuka
October 21 United States GP, Austin
October 28 Mexican GP, Mexico City
November 11 Brazilian GP, Sao Paulo
November 25 Abu Dhabi GP, Yas Marina
