5 talking points ahead of the Australian Grand Prix

22 March 2017 01:23

The new Formula One season is finally upon us with Melbourne's Albert Park primed and ready to stage the Australian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg's stunning retirement means the campaign will start without its reigning champion for the first time since 1994, while his former rival Lewis Hamilton is the favourite to reclaim the title. But what - if any - say will Sebastian Vettel's resurgent Ferrari team have?

Here, we disect all the key talking points ahead of the first round of the new campaign.

HAMILTON FULLY FOCUSED

What a difference 12 months makes. Hamilton arrived in Melbourne under a cloud last year after he was investigated by police in New Zealand for recording a selfie on his mobile phone while riding a motorbike. His entrance this year could not have been less chaotic. Hamilton arrived on a run-of-the-mill Qantas flight from London on Monday night before patiently waiting for his suitcases at the baggage belt and then signing a handful of autographs on his exit from the airport. After missing out to Rosberg last season, Hamilton is desperate to avoid defeat again - and his no-frills, low-key build-up to the season opener (something which cannot always be said for the Briton) only goes to show he is 100 per cent focused on getting the job done.

WHO CAN STOP HAMILTON?

So, who will stand in Hamilton's way from becoming the first British driver to win a quartet of titles. His new Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas is polite, engaging and a team player - but does he have what it takes to beat Hamilton over the course of a season? Probably not. Ferrari were strong in pre-season testing and Hamilton believes the Italian team arrive in Melbourne with the strongest package of the lot. While Red Bull appear to be behind both of them. Let us hope that Ferrari really do have the pace to match Mercedes. Hamilton versus Vettel really could be a rivalry for the ages.

ALONSO BRACED FOR TOUGH START

One driver who will not be competing for the championship is Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard's McLaren team are in crisis after a dreadful pre-season campaign blighted by an uncompetitive and unreliable Honda engine. Alonso, who is out of contract with McLaren at the end of the year, is braced for a tough start to the new season. "After a difficult two weeks of testing we're prepared to face a difficult weekend in Melbourne," he said. "We'll do our best with what we have." This is the opposite to a ringing endorsement of McLaren's prospects.

CHANGES TO THE CARS WILL TAKE EFFECT

Following a raft of changes to Formula One's technical rulebook, the cars are wider, lower and much faster this year. It is expected that lap times will tumble by up to five seconds and they will also be a greater physical demand for the drivers, too. But whether they will actually spice up the racing remains to be seen. Some drivers - Hamilton chiefly among them - believe that the extra downforce on the cars will make it harder to follow and lead to fewer overtakes, while the more durable Pirelli tyres means the races could be less strategical, with more one-stop grands prix.

LIFE AFTER ECCLESTONE'S REIGN

And finally, a thought for Bernie Ecclestone, who will watch the opening race not in charge of the sport for the first time in four decades. Ecclestone, 86, had his faults but he made Formula One the global show it is today, and while American giants Liberty Media - led by Chase Carey and Ross Brawn - have talked a good game, it should be remembered that they have mighty shoes to fill. Ecclestone, and his mischievous ways, will be sorely missed in the paddock this year.

Source: PA