The new Formula 1 season is right around the corner, so we’ve put together a list of things to keep an eye out for at the opening round in Melbourne, Australia, which kicks off the 2015 season this weekend.
Mercedes Domination
There’s no point denying it, this year looks set to mirror last season with the Anglo-German outfit pulling away from the pack. They managed 16 victories last season – the vast majority of them by Britain’s Lewis Hamilton – and whilst much has changed, this is one thing we’re sure of remaining the same.
Pre-season testing is always difficult to judge, so Australia will give us the first indication of just how far ahead Mercedes really are.
Hamilton vs Rosberg: Round Two
With Mercedes likely to dominate once again, it looks as though a straight fight between team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg is on the cards. The rivalry reached boiling point several times last year and that’s not going to change, with their boss, Toto Wolff, admitting things are only going to heat up again.
You could compare their rivalry to a heads-up, high stakes poker match. Both are just as competitive and hungry for success and both are keen to keep their cards close to their chest so as to not give anything away to their opponent.
The Chasing Pack
Nobody quite knows who’s where, but it’s safe to assume that Williams and Red Bull are quite closely matched, but they could be joined by F1’s oldest team, Ferrari. The Italian outfit looks to have made massive strides forward over the winter, in part thanks to a major restructure of its management and technical departments as well as the signing of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.
Along with the Hamilton/Rosberg battle, this is likely to be where much of the action will take place. With three steps on the podium, Mercedes can’t fill them all, so it’ll be up to these three to fight over that third and final step.
McLaren And Honda’s Revival
The famous duo are back together. They might have tasted success two decades ago, but that’s no guarantee they’ll manage the same or a similar feat this year.
Testing problems have been a plenty. They’re without their star driver for the opening race due to a test crash. They’ve managed just a handful of laps and they’re yet to complete a race simulation. So all signs point to a disappointing weekend for McLaren.
Nobody is expecting much, so if they can get two cars to the finish, they’ll surely be content, though not entirely satisfied. Fernando Alonso will be looking on with great hope of a miracle for his return at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Sauber’s Third Wheel
Sauber have found themselves in quite a pickle. The Swiss team has three drivers and just two seats following a court ruling that Giedo van der Garde is entitled to one of them. Therefore either Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr look set to miss out.
Sauber have appealed the ruling, but failed in their attempt. It’ll be interesting to see who they drop, if anyone, and what action the third wheel will take after.
Manor’s Comeback
The story (almost) worthy of a film. Manor’s fight back from the brink of extinction against all odds looks to be complete with their freight, a revised car and two rookies having been shipped to Melbourne for the first race, despite just a month ago being in administration.
The big question is not what the car looks like, but whether it will break the 107 per cent regulations, allowing it to take part in Sunday’s race.
