Track Torque: It’s all systems go for F1 ‘Down Under’
TV times are 8am for qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
The first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix, takes place at Albert Park in Melbourne this Sunday.
With testing sessions shortened by the European freeze and some of the teams playing a poker game, it is quite hard to predict who is going to do what.
Suffice to say however that Ferrari appear to be very quick, Mercedes very confident and that Haas could be the joker in the pack.
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All cars now have a form of front hoop protection known as a halo, most of which are fairly straightforward, while some have aerodynamic appendages attached.
Mercedes have stayed with a long wheelbase car that sits pretty well parallel to the road while most of the others run a negative angle of attack or rake.
This should increase downthrust quite dramatically allowing the wings to be flattened.
They did more testing than anyone else (over a 1 000km) and must be quietly confident with their two top drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Ferrari may have added a little bit of magic to their car in the form of two air tunnels on either side of the lower part of their bodies.
It would seem that this is to create air curtains past either side of the rear diffuser? (My interpretation).
Whatever they have done, the car is working extremely well indeed and both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are very happy chappies. Just hope no one tries to ban them.
Red Bull Racing, with a much-improved Renault engine, should also be very good and in Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen they have two of the most exciting drivers in the pack.
I think Adrian Newey has designed yet another winner.
My form order brings me next to the Haas team with Ferrari engines.
Both Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen are quick and could now show their worth in what testing has shown to be a very good car.
I would have liked to rate McLaren Renault above Haas but the form book dissuades me as they were unreliable in testing but show much promise.
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Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Doorne would love to be the proof of the pudding.
Force India, with powerful Merc engines and good drivers Sergio Perez and Esterban Ocon, are next on my list.
Then comes Williams, also powered by Merc driven by Lance Stroll and new man Sergey Sirotkin.
Renault have great potential and I may be underplaying them. Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz could, like Haas, surprise us.
The Alfa Romeo Sauber team with a Ferrari/Alfa engine driven by Marcus Ericsson and Charles Leclerc will vie with Toro Rosso powered by Honda (going much better than when it was in a McLaren) driven by Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley.
TV times are 8am for qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
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