Formula One

20th February 201820th February 2018

Welcome Back Old Friend – Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Launch The C37

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. If there is one team that has had to dig deep to keep their F1 dream alive, it is the Sauber team. That belief and dream came to beautiful fruition with the launch of their C37 2018 F1 challenger… alongside an old friend; Alfa Romeo.

Sauber have had a tumultuous few years which have been well documented, however the new ownership combined with the re-entry of Alfa into F1 created an air of optimism which took center-stage today with the unveiling of the Halo-ed C37.

The Quadrifoglio features proudly on the side of the dark candy apple and white car, which is being rated as one of the most striking liveries of the 2018 cars revealed thus far. Following suit with the other teams, the halo has been co-ordinated to look less conspicuous on the car and hopefully not be as distracting as the prototype seen in 2017.

The C37 will have 2018 Ferrari power, a move that is welcomed by both drivers. Marcus Ericsson begins another season with the Swiss based outfit and will drive alongside the talented and highly rated Charles Leclerc.

While more specific technical details are yet to be revealed, team Principal, Fred Vasseur has gone on record to say that the team is taking a new technical direction in 2018, featured a new aerodynamic concept that has been months in the making. Fans will recall that the team all but stopped work on the C36 in order to focus on the C37 and will officially roll out at the Circuit de Catalunya tests later this month.

The winglets on the car are delicate, which seems to be the trend with the cars revealed to date and significant changes to the side-pod areas. Sauber have struggled on aerodynamic intensive tracks and hope the changes will bring about an improvement.

The team are looking forward to improving on their performance and “catching up” with the field utilising the combination of experience and youth with their drivers and the sweeping changes at Hinwil, that has now lead to a close working relationship with the Ferrari team.

Sauber have been the great F1 dream, a single dream made good. 2018 may just bring about the next chapter in their extraordinary story.

All images are copyright Sauber F1 Media Pool

20th February 201821st February 2018

Hay Bails To Steel Barriers.

In 1955 The Grand Prix held at Le Mans marked a water shed moment in motor sport. In particular the Mercedes team featuring Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss. Pierre Levegh’s also in the Silver arrows as a factory driver crashed early in the race killing approximately 80 spectators. And injuring over 100 more.

This incident is known as motor sports darkish day. Motor racing and formula1 would never be the same again. In the immediate aftermath of the race The Grand Prix in Germany, Switzerland and Spain were all cancelled. Motor racing has to this day never returned to Switzerland.

After the last race in Monza Italy. Mercedes announced it’s withdrawal from motor racing. They would not return for almost 40 years.

Today’s tracks are a much safer environment to race in. Gone are the hay bales, replaced by Steal barriers and tyre walls that loop the tracks. Catch fences in the spectator zones protect the crowds from most incidents.

These are all in my opinion much needed safety measures. But not all improvement to race tracks are necessary. In my view modern circuits like Bahrain have used huge tarmac run off areas. These may be great for cutting down speed but does it punish a driver enough for an error?

Do we want a driver to come off and then straight back into the action with not even a time loss disadvantage? Or do we want to see them struggle back onto the track? That was the case with gravel traps, bigger errors lead to beaching and non finishing.

I know what I’d rather.

Grass is another option. But I’m disregarding this as high speed cars and wet grass are not a good mix.

We all know that gravel traps do work. Yes they have in the past flipped cars over. But that is a rare occurrence, and the modern formula 1 cars are more than capable of withstanding that, aren’t they? The drivers monocoque (French for single cell) and higher sides and the addition of Halo should be more than capable of keeping drivers safe.

We can never sit back on excuse the pun on our Laurels as regards driver and spectator safety. New ideas and innovations come along. Abrasive Tarmac surfaces could be the answer. But once again it raises the question does it punish the driver enough?

Luckily there have been very few incidents regarding spectators at the top levels of Motorsport Dario Franchitti’s career ending accident – at the Indy Grand Prix of Houston comes to mind. The catch fence did it’s job to a greater extent. 13 people in the crowd where injured by flying debris. But no one was killed

In the future maybe something better than fencing will come along. Maybe it something that won’t impair the view quite as much.

As they say at all the circuits as a disclaimer. Motorsport is dangerousness and you may get injured. Or I have even seen signs stating risk of death!

One last thing. A big thank you to all the marshals, from all us fans. Without you all, we wouldn’t have such safe racing.

Simon Tassie

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@F1taxi

19th February 201820th February 2018

Erstes Topteam 2018: Red Bull zeigt RB14

Nach Haas und Williams präsentierte heute Red Bull als erstes Topteam, den neuen Einsatzwagen für die Saison 2018. Da Red Bull für ausgefallene Ideen bekannt ist, war es nicht verwunderlich dass alle Augen heute morgen vor einem ersten Shake Down in Silverstone auf den RB14 gerichtet waren.

Das erste was in das Auge fiel und ein großen Unterschied zum Vorjahreswagen darstellte, war die Lackierung: Ein mattes, futuristisches Design im schwarz/blauen Pixellook. Es ist eine radikale Änderung – doch bevor man zu sehr in Euphorie verfällt, sollte man beachten, dass das nur eine Lackierung für die Testfahrten in Barcelona ist. Der altbekannte Red Bull Stil aus Blau, Gelb und Rot wird wohl bereits nach den Testfahrten zurückkehren.

Es ist nicht das erste Mal, dass Red Bull mit einem solch’ ausgefallenen Design bei den Testfahrten auftritt – bereits 2015 sorgte das Team mit dem Cameolook für Aufsehen. Ob es am Ende wirklich was bringt, dass die Details vor der Konkurrenz verhüllt bleiben, wird man abwarten müssen.

Vom Auto selbst, ist die größte Änderung natürlich das Halo, welches gut an die Lackierung angepasst wurde und somit kaum sichtbar ist. Ansonsten wäre da noch die Vorderradaufhängung. Diese wurde an jene von Mercedes und Ferrari angepasst, während das Loch in der Nase vom Vorjahreswagen geblieben ist. Aerodynamisch gesehen hat der RB mit dem Auto welches im Vorjahr präsentiert wurde, wenig zutun. Die Handschrift von Adrian Newey ist wieder erkennbar. Wirkte der Vorjahreswagen für Red Bull Verhältnisse fast schon nackt, sind nun wieder deutlich mehr Flügel zusehen. Damals startete Red Bull holprig.

2017 stellte sich bekanntlich als Enttäuschung heraus. Sollte eine Aerodynamische Regelrevolution den Bullen eigentlich in die Karten spielen, verpasste man am Saisonstart den Anschluss. Erst mit einem großen Aerodynamikupdate zum Spanien GP, schaffte es die Truppe aus Milton Keynes die Lücke zu Ferrari und Mercedes zu schließen. Doch dort war es bereits zu spät.

Ein weiterer Hauptgrund für die Performance 2017 war die schlechte Zuverlässigkeit – etwas wo sowohl Red Bull als auch McLaren von Renault für 2018 Besserung erwarten. Umso höher ist die Erwartung 2018, zumindest intern. Nach außen stapelt man nach dem Lehrjahr 2017 nun tief – Helmut Marko lies bei “Auto, Motor und Sport” verlauten, dass er nicht glaube dass RB 2018 bereits um die WM fahren wird. Ob das auch in Wirklichkeit so ist, darf bezweifelt werden.

Doch in einem hat er Recht: Auf Fahrerseite ist das Team bereits WM tauglich aufgestellt. Daniel Ricciardo wird erneut an der Seite von Max Verstappen fahren. Der Vetrag des Australiers läuft am Ende der Saison aus, während Red Bull erst vergangenes Jahr den Holländer bis 2020 an sich bund. Der Vorteil dieser Fahrerpaarung ist zweifelsfrei der, dass beide vollkommene Alphatiere sind, während die Konkurrenz von Mercedes und Ferrari neben ihren Starfahrern mit Bottas und Räikkonen jeweils eine Art Nummer 2-Fahrer beschäftigen.

Interessant wird in dieser Saison auch die Motorenfrage: Renault gab laut Medienberichten bereits im Herbst 2017 der Chefetage von RB bekannt, dass man sie nicht 2019 beliefern werde – Mit dieser Frage in Hinterkopf haben die Bullen bis zum Sommer diesen Jahres Zeit, sich einen neuen Partner zu beschaffen – umso mehr hofft man auf einen Aufschwung von Honda mit Toro Rosso.

All diese Faktoren dürften eine Rolle spielen, wie das Jahr für RB laufen wird. Wenn sie gegen Mercedes und Ferrari kämpfen, werden beide Fahrer glücklich sein.

Wird Red Bull es mit einer deutlich besseren und organisierteren Vorbereitung als im Vorjahr schaffen, von Anfang an an der Spitze mitzumischen, oder werden sie ein weiteres Jahr nur das Heck von Ferrari und Mercedes bewundern können? Die Zeit wird es zeigen.

19th February 2018

Red Bull’s 2018 challenger launched

Today, Red Bull followed Haas and Williams in launching their 2018 F1 car, the RB14. They are the highest profile team to launch yet so it was all eyes on the Milton Keynes-based team when the covers came off the RB14 this morning, prior to a shake-down run at Silverstone.

The RB14’s first major difference is the livery: a matte, futuristic looking design that has pixilated regions. It’s a radical step compared to Red Bull liveries past. But before we all get too excited, the race livery will be revealed at Barcelona for testing—that is more likely to be the blue, yellow and red mix that has been typical of Red Bull in the past few years.

It’s not the first time they’ve come up with a drastically different test livery compared to the race livery and, knowing Red Bull, it probably won’t be the last.

Car-wise, the biggest change is obviously the halo which has been painted the same matte blue as the chassis and blends in well with the rest of the car. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world but, on first glance, it’s much less noticeable than before.

Elsewhere, the front suspension has been raised slightly to match Mercedes and Ferrari while the ‘Pingu’-dubbed hole in the nose has stayed. Aero-wise the RB14 isn’t anywhere near as bare as its predecessor was at its launch—that should stand Red Bull in better stead for the season ahead.

2017 was not as successful as anyone had hoped for Red Bull, when an aerodynamics-based rule change should’ve played in their favour, especially with Adrian Newey on board. When they launched the RB13 with the headline “unlucky for some” they hoped that it would be unlucky for Mercedes and Ferrari, not for their drivers. The car was almost bare at the launch and then at pre-season testing with the ‘B-spec’ car arriving for the Spanish GP to no avail.

Their main problem wasn’t speed, it was reliability—something that both Red Bull and McLaren alike hope that Renault have gotten on top of for 2018. If the expectation was high for 2017, it’s even higher for 2018 with both drivers starting to look restless.

Daniel Ricciardo will again be partnered by Max Verstappen, and while the latter’s contract stretches to 2020, Ricciardo is up for renewal. Mercedes and Ferrari would both happily have the Australian alongside their respective star drivers but both offer effective ‘number 2’ drives. Staying at Red Bull may turn out to be a preferable option for Ricciardo, but if he does go Carlos Sainz is in prime position to replace him.

All of this hinges on what kind of 2018 Red Bull have. If they’re fighting Mercedes and Ferrari, both drivers will be happy—if not, they’ve got a problem on their hands.

With an extra five days of preparation, will Red Bull be able to return to winning ways or will they face another year in the doldrums? Only time will tell…

15th February 201815th February 2018

Williams launch the FW41 for 2018 Formula One season

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Williams Mercedes FW41 ?

Full story here ? https://t.co/3H6FpGDBZg #FW41 #WeAreRacing #F1 #WilliamsLaunch pic.twitter.com/yMvJ6rYlX4

— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) February 15, 2018

Tis the season for Formula One car launches, and while Haas were first past the post, Williams are the second team to break cover with their 2018 challenger, the FW41. The Grove based outfit were beaten by the American team, who revealed their VF18 racer yesterday.

The 2018 car has a much more aggressive look, as per the new regulations for this season. The livery is virtually unchanged with some suave looking tweaks to the driver number display, but the iconic Martini stripes with a white chassis remain. The halo, which comes into force this season, has been integrated well into the design, with a solid white finish.

The dark setting in the images could be so that designers can’t steal any of Williams’ ideas while the black on the livery adds a nice switch up from iterations past.

With Paddy Lowe coming in from Mercedes last year, this is the first car he’s helped develop, so time will tell whether his tactical nous has transferred over.

After an average 2017, which saw Williams finish fifth in the constructor’s standings, losing out to Force India for that coveted fourth spot, the team will be keen to press on and reclaim that place in 2018.

There was a high point last season though, with Lance Stroll taking a superb third place in the madcap Baku GP. He could have finished second if it wasn’t for a resurgent Valtteri Bottas in the Mercedes pipping him to the line.

The 2018 drivers for Williams, from centre left, Lance Stroll, Sergey Sirotkin and Robert Kubica (Image Credit: WIlliams F1/LAT Images).

Stroll remains with the team, with Felipe Massa retiring for good this time. Russian Sergey Sirotkin comes in to partner the young Canadian. Sirotkin has impressed as a Renault test driver and throughout his time in GP2, and means Williams have one of the youngest and most exciting driver lineups on the grid.

There were talks of popular Pole Robert Kubica returning to the sport with Williams, but they have instead hired him as their reserve driver. This is still no mean feat considering the severity of his accident in 2011 which saw him effectively retire from Formula One.

The car is ready, but are Williams?

The Williams FW41. (Image Credit: Williams F1/LAT Iamges)

15th February 201821st February 2018

Haas VF-18 First Look

While the F1 community has been keenly watching their social media feeds for their favorite teams’ 2018 car reveal dates and marking off the days until Williams Martini Racing’s announced reveal on 15 February, Haas F1 Team stole a march on everyone. In a delightful Valentine’s Day gift to fans, Haas revealed renderings of their 2018 challenger in a video tweeted at 10:01 AM Eastern time, along with accompanying press releases and web site updates. One of the only hints of this upcoming reveal was found in an article published on 12 February in Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

Fans, analysts, and the media wasted no time poring over the images.

Although minimized in the initial renderings by being set against a dark background, the Halo fits well with the chassis. The airbox has been modified to accommodate the altered airflow, and there is a small, jagged screen just behind the front pillar of the Halo to influence airflow through the cockpit. Congratulations to Haas’s engineers, aerodynamicists, and designers for rising to meet the many challenges the Halo introduced and producing a good-looking solution.

The nose and front wing are more evolutionary than revolutionary in comparison to those on the VF-17, though clearly developed further. The nose vane shows continued development, and the sidepod vanes have become even more flamboyant along with the bargeboard.

Haas is already taking advantage of technical loopholes, and has included a small wing at the back of the restrained shark fin, above the exhaust. We will likely see similar aerodynamic features from the other teams.

Haas’s partnership with Ferrari shows through in the sidepod inlet design, though Haas’ designers have developed them in a different manner. The partnership with Ferrari open some interesting doors; Craig Scarborough points out that as Haas is using Ferrari suspension uprights, Ferrari won’t be going with a high top wishbone. It may be possible to extrapolate some of the other features on Ferrari’s 2018 car in a similar fashion, and it should be interesting to see what ideas the F1 community puts forth leading up to Ferrari’s 22 February reveal.

Haas F1 Team’s VF-18 is a good-looking machine. While it remains to be seen whether it will deliver on Gene Haas’s goal of being within a half-second of Ferrari, we can’t wait to find out.

All images courtesy of Haas F1 Team.

14th February 201814th February 2018

Haas F1 Team Reveals its 2018 Car, the Haas VF-18

Haas VF-18 First Out the Gate

Haas F1 Team Unveils Racecar for 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 14, 2018) – Haas F1 Team’s 2018 challenger in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the VF-18, made its official debut today via the organization’s social media platforms and website.

The VF-18 is an evolution of the team’s second car, the VF-17, which carried Haas F1 Team to an eighth-place finish in the 2017 constructors standings. Forty-seven points were scored by the VF-17 during Haas F1 Team’s sophomore season, 18 points more than the total earned in the organization’s debut season in 2016.

Incorporating “VF” into the name of the car is a nod to the history of Haas Automation, the team’s title sponsor. The first CNC machine manufactured by Haas Automation was the VF-1 in 1988. The “V” stands for vertical, which is an industry standard designation for a vertical mill. Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, added “F1” to the name to unofficially designate it as the company’s “Very First One”.

As chairman of Haas F1 Team, the “F1” moniker of that first machine has taken on added significance as Haas utilizes Formula One to build Haas Automation into a premium, global brand.

“People see what we can do in Formula One and people believe Haas Automation can build world-class machine tools,” said Haas, whose entry in 2016 became the first American Formula One team since 1986. “Being a Formula One participant brings a level of credibility that you just won’t get through traditional advertising.”

Haas has built Haas Automation into the largest machine tool manufacturer in North America by focusing on the details amid constant refinement. He has applied those same attributes to Haas F1 Team.

“We eliminated a lot of the variables where we knew we were weak,” Haas said. “We’ve focused on what it’s going to take to get our car to be consistent and close that gap to the top teams.”

Beyond refinement, the VF-18 carries the significant addition of the halo and a drastic reduction in the sharkfin.

“The biggest part of the car’s evolution was the addition of the halo,” said Guenther Steiner, team principal, Haas F1 Team. “It took quite a bit of study by the aerodynamicists, but the designers had to work hard to modify the chassis so the halo could survive the mandated loads. The total minimum weight of the car increased because of the halo, and there’s a higher center of gravity simply because of the halo’s position. But, everyone is in the same boat.

“The regulations stayed pretty stable between 2017 and 2018, so the VF-18 is an evolution of our car from last year. It’s less about reinvention and more about refinement. You see elements we had from last year on the car this year.

“Our 2017 car was actually pretty good, but we didn’t always get the best out of it, and that’s what we aimed to change in 2018. We got the car as light as possible to carry more ballast. We were able to do a better job of putting the weight where we wanted it.”

The corporate colors of Haas Automation were carried over to the VF-18. Gray makes up the majority of the livery, augmented with tones of red and black that incorporates the look of Haas Automation’s complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. Approximately 1,300 employees encompass Haas Automation, with the Oxnard, California-based company exporting its machines to more than 60 countries. The VF-18 showcases Haas Automation’s commitment to technology and innovation to a passionate, global audience.

“The livery is a little bit of a return to what we had on our first car, the VF-16,” Steiner added. “Its look is clean and precise, just like the machine tools made by Haas Automation.”

The VF-18 tests at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya Feb. 26-March 1 and again March 6-9 before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix March 25 in Melbourne.

-HaasF1Team-

Haas F1 Team debuted in the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2016, becoming the first American Formula One team since 1986. Founded by industrialist Gene Haas, Haas F1 Team is based in the United States on the same Kannapolis, North Carolina, campus as his championship-winning NASCAR team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Haas is the founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America, and he is chairman of Haas F1 Team.

Haas Automation, Inc., is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. Founded by Gene Haas in 1983, Haas Automation manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are built in the company’s 102,000 square-meter (1.1 million square-foot) manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets that provides the industry’s best sales, service and support while offering unparalleled cost-to-performance value. For more information, please visit us on the Web at www.HaasCNC.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HaasAutomationInc, on Twitter @Haas_Automation and on Instagram @Haas_Automation.

13th February 2018

Pirelli’s Rainbow – Karun Chandhok’s Guide To F1 Tyres In 2018 | Mobil 1 The Grid

Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Karun Chandhok provides an insight into the enduring importance of tyres in F1, and why this year’s Pirelli range is a step in the right direction for the sport.

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6th February 2018

F1 Season Preview: The Contenders

2017 saw the long-awaited dogfight between Hamilton and Vettel but it petered out towards the end, missing that tense showdown that everyone wanted. 2018 promises to be even better. Hamilton and Vettel will be going at it again but they could be joined by Alonso, Verstappen, Ricciardo and maybe even Bottas—some of the best drivers on the grid going all out for glory, what’s not to love?

Here we’ll take a look at the potential contenders and their hopes for 2018.

Lewis Hamilton

The reigning champion has lofty ambitions for 2018 with the Brit claiming that he’ll be “stronger than ever” and “unbeatable”. It’ll be hard for him to live up to the latter but nevertheless, he is an exceptional driver in what is still the car the beat.

A fifth world title could be looming for Hamilton which would put him ahead of Vettel, equal with Juan Manuel Fangio and behind only the great Michael Schumacher. But he won’t, by any means, have it all his own way—Mercedes dominance has been dwindling and with the Renault power units almost level with Mercedes and Ferrari, there are more drivers than ever to race him to the title.

Sebastian Vettel

2017 was, undoubtedly, a disappointment for both Vettel and Ferrari, to be leading the title for the whole first half of the season and then not win it was a huge blow for them. As such, Vettel is looking for redemption in the shape for his fifth world title—he wants to beat Hamilton to five, show that he can win titles outside Red Bull and take Ferrari back to the top.

It won’t be easy. He needs to prevent the ‘red mist’ from descending on him like it did in Baku and Singapore. But more than that, he needs Ferrari to up their game and be there for all the races, without any of the petty failures that cost him so dear in 2017. The determination on Vettel’s side will be stronger than ever, that fifth title is his sole objective for 2018.

Fernando Alonso

After three miserable years with McLaren-Honda, 2018 could be the year that Alonso is a championship contender once more. The two-time champion has been left disappointed with woeful reliability and an almost comical lack of power but now, McLaren-Honda is no more with the team instead being powered by Renault.

Over the years, the Spaniard has become renowned for being at wrong team at the wrong time but in 2018, he might actually be in a good place—a third world title for Alonso is no longer a laughable prospect.

Max Verstappen

Verstappen is one of the brightest young talents on the grid, showing his class in every race that he didn’t break down in during 2017—and even in the ones that he did. If Red Bull can start the season strong and Renault can provide a reliable power unit, few would doubt Verstappen’s ability to take a title over the likes of Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso.

The Dutchman is not one to be underestimated for 2018 and he could just give the old guard a run for their money.

Daniel Ricciardo

After spending the majority of both 2016 and 2017 in Verstappen’s shadow, Ricciardo will be desperate to show his worth and put up a proper title challenge. Few doubt Ricciardo’s talent but most think that he’ll be eclipsed by Verstappen in a straight, season-long fight.

One of the worst kept secrets of the paddock is that Ricciardo is looking around for 2019. If Red Bull don’t provide him a championship winning car for 2018, he’ll likely jump ship to either Mercedes or Ferrari so this really is Red Bull’s last chance to keep Ricciardo.

Valtteri Bottas

This season is crucial for Bottas. If he doesn’t deliver he’ll be out of a Mercedes drive. Being in the Mercedes, arguably the best car on the grid, means a sustained title challenge is expected of Bottas—whether he has the ability to deliver that or not remains to be seen.

In 2017, Bottas seemed to do best at low-grip tracks like Austria but that won’t be good enough with the added competition in 2018. He needs to deliver at all tracks to convince the F1 paddock of his worth. He can’t be counted out for a title challenge but he’s not one to put money on.

This is how the drivers stand according to SkyBet:

Lewis Hamilton – 6/5

Sebastian Vettel – 10/3

Max Verstappen – 4/1

Daniel Ricciardo – 15/2

Fernando Alonso – 11/1

Valtteri Bottas – 14/1

Kimi Raikkonen – 33/1

Carlos Sainz – 50/1

Nico Hulkenberg – 50/1

Stoffel Vandoorne – 80/1

Esteban Ocon – 150/1

Sergio Perez – 200/1

Lance Stroll – 250/1

Romain Grosjean – 250/1

Kevin Magnussen – 400/1

Brendon Hartley – 500/1

Pierre Gasly – 500/1

6th February 2018

F1 Season Preview: 5 things to watch

With the start of the F1 season nearly upon us, here are 5 things to watch out for in 2018.

McLaren-Renault

After a dismal three-year marriage, McLaren-Honda finally divorced at the end of 2017 with McLaren going to Renault and Honda going to Toro Rosso.

Throughout the troubled times, McLaren claimed, time and time again, that they have one of the best chassis on the grid. So, with the Renault engine of the rise, McLaren’s word will be put to the test—can they challenge for podiums, wins or even the championship or will Alonso be left disappointed once more?

Alfa Romeo Sauber

Following the fallout over the short-lived Sauber-Honda deal, the Swiss team strengthened their partnership with Ferrari by becoming their effective ‘B-team’.

This means that, along with up-to-date engines, Sauber will be responsible for looking after some of Ferrari’s junior drivers. For 2018, they’ll have reigning F2 champion Charles Leclerc as a full-time driver and 2016 GP2-runner up Antonio Giovinazzi as their third driver. Mercedes have already said that the alliance could be “dangerous for them” with the Germans hinting that they may follow suit in the coming years.

The ‘Halo’

Controversial as it is, we will see the halo raced for the first time in 2018. The FIA had to do something for this season as they had said a ‘frontal head protection device’ would be in place by 2018.

Some would say that it’s been rushed through the development process. Nevertheless, the FIA have allowed the teams some leeway with winglets and such like on the halo and the structure of it will be blended into the colour scheme of the car, so that it doesn’t stand out quite as much.

Softer tyres

Pirelli have admitted that they were too cautious with their tyre compounds in 2017, leading to widespread one-stop races and minimal degradation.

While they’re not going back to the days of super high-degradation tyres, the 2018 tyres will be softer. Along with the introduction of the Hyper-Soft, each compound will be a step softer; the Super-Soft will be like the old Ultra-Soft, the Soft will be like the old Super-Soft and so on. This should increase the variation in strategies, hopefully leading to more exciting and unpredictable racing.

The midfield

2017 involved an intense mid-field fight between Renault, Toro Rosso and Haas with the teams finishing within 10 points of each other.

A shake up is on the cards for 2018, however. The newly-powered McLaren and the works Renault team are both expected to rise above the rest of the midfield for fourth and fifth places in the championship which will make the midfield battle for sixth down to tenth. Force India should be as strong as ever and could give McLaren and Renault a run for their money while less is expected of Williams, given the standard of their drivers. The new Toro Rosso-Honda partnership has the potential to be very good, as does Alfa-Romeo Sauber, while Haas remains to be an unknown.