Formula 1 returns this weekend in Melbourne as the Australian Grand Prix gets underway at Albert Park, however a win for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel seems off the cards in the season opener.
Mercedes-powered teams dominated pre-season testing, providing an edge in both power and reliability so expect teams using Mercedes units to litter the top half of the field on race day- a notion even Vettel agrees with.
“For this race probably Mercedes based on winter testing,’’ Vettel told reporters when asked who he thought would claim the Australian Grand Prix before warning of a Red Bull return in the coming weeks.
While Vettel and Aussie teammate Daniel Ricciardo will dominate headlines early on this weekend, keep an eye out for a couple of other frontrunners.
“The biggest surprise packet from pre-season testing was without a doubt, Williams-Mercedes with their pace and reliability,’’ said F1 expert Anthony Denholm from Melbourne.
“This is the team that many expect to be frontrunners along with Mercedes AMG Petronas, at least until Red Bull and Renault can get their program back on track.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if either Valtteri Bottas or Felipe Massa can regularly fight for podiums in the early part of the season, and maybe even steal a win or two along the way.’’
Red Bull’s struggles during pre-season testing were well documented. The team’s Renault Power Unit failed to reliably handle cooling issues and Saturday’s conditions (overcast with an expected maximum of 28 degrees) could cause problems, however a much cooler Sunday race day could enable one of their drivers to steal some points.
Vettel Say Red Bull Will Be Forced To Fight At Australian Grand Prix
“Should it rain on Sunday, be it intermittently or entirely during the race, this may further serve to assist Red Bull as the cars are typically not run at full power during wet conditions. Nevertheless, it will be a challenge for them to fight for points in Melbourne.’’
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG Petronas) is our pick to take out the 58 lap, 5.303 km race with Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG Petronas) and Valtteri Bottas (Williams Mercedes) bringing up second and third.
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Photo: Peter Fox/Getty Images
