F1 2018 – What we know so far
A new Formula One season is just around the corner. With the Australian Grand Prix just a few days away, no one can predict how the 2018 season will turn out. Following all the new car launches and the Barcelona pre-season tests, we have gained insight on how the new season may play out. Although, at first glance, it may seem like Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari will once again be the main title contenders, many other factors point to a very interesting championship.
Barcelona Testing
The Barcelona winter tests were very strange this year. What made them particularly strange was the weather, especially on day three of tests. Here is a brief summary of the four last days of testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
The first timed lap was performed by Kimi Raikkonen at the tune of 1:58:273. During this session, Fernando Alonso’s car lost one of its wheels. Following many quick laps from Ricciardo and Bottas, the session ended with Ricciardo recording a 1:20:179 lap on medium tires.
Day two was marked by very cold temperatures. Also, Vettel made his first appearance on track. Sauber’s Charles Leclerc had the misfortune of spinning at turn four and got stuck in the gravel. Sebastian Vettel was the most present on track with 98 laps. At the end of the session, Vettel led the pack with a 1:19:673 lap on soft tires.
Day three is when the weather got really bad. Overnight, the Catalunya Circuit was covered in snow. Alonso was the first driver to brave the conditions and go out for one lap. He was soon followed by Ricciardo, Ericsson, Hartley, and Kubica. Near the end of the session, Alonso went back out for a timed lap and posted a insignificant 2:18:545 lap.
The final day of testing was also pretty ordinary. The most action to come out of this day was when Charles Leclerc crashed into a barrier at turn 11. Also, many teams performed timed laps using the pink hyper-soft tires. At the end of the day, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen posted the fastest lap at 1:17:221 with Fernando Alonso not so far off at 1:17:784
What to Expect
As I said earlier, this year’s testing sessions were quite interesting for many reasons. Bad weather, as well as the very limited presence of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel makes it hard for anyone to draw concrete conclusions about the 2018 season.
One of the main revelations to come out of Barcelona was McLaren. Following a few tough seasons using the problematic Honda engines, McLaren is now using Renault as its motor supplier. It was great to see Alonso in a car that can finally compete! Sauber and their new partnership with Alfa Romeo are off to a difficult start. Although the livery is simply gorgeous, Rookie driver, Charles Leclerc had a hard time in Barcelona.
Even with their limited presence, it would seems as though Hamilton and Vettel will once again be going head to head this season. As I said earlier, I am also looking forwards to see how McLaren does this year and I believe Australia will be a great indication of what is to come. With this years addition of the pink hyper-soft tires, I think that we will also see many new interesting race strategies.
It’s easy to say that Mercedes-AMG is going to win once again this season but the truth is that Ferrari came very close last season. Red Bull has also been a worthy adversary in the past and will probably also be up there this season. What would make 2018 amazing is if McLaren came back with a vengeance and managed to challenge some of the top teams and score a few podiums.
Stay tuned for more Formula One coverage on RNW and be sure to tune in to the Australian GP this weekend!
Images: Sky Sports, TAT Images, Crash Images
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