Rosberg takes win after spectacular Alonso crash

As is traditional the Australian Grand Prix opened the Formula 1 season at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. After a Mercedes 1-2 in qualifying with Lewis Hamilton on formidable form with a brilliant pole position it was surely back to the normal routine as he commenced his bid for a fourth world title...

Of course so much has gone on to get to that point. The last four months has seen the teams working feverishly to get their cars ready, especially as the Australian race was brought forward by two weeks meaning a lot of the teams planning had to be shuffled. 

Testing showed Mercedes were strong but the hope was Ferrari had taken another step forward over the winter to really challenge, after qualifying this hope was rather dampened as they lined up nearly a second back from the silver cars.

A lot has changed in Formula 1 and a lot has stayed the same since the end of the 2015 season. Some of the more notable additions to this year was the new qualifying format, which I won't go into because it was so rubbish it's already looking like it'll be scrapped for the second round in Bahrain in two weeks time with the old system being brought back in. 

When will these people realise there isn't anything wrong with the format, it's the way the money is distributed and perhaps the way the rules are formed. Although if we could have consistent rules stability everyone would close up in the end. Today we saw that at the top and in the pack it's all looking rather promising, more on which later, for now lets continue to bitch about the stupidity.

So qualifying was one of the major changes that was magicked out of the air and so it proved the second point of things staying the same which is Formula 1 is ruled by chaotic decision making and ill-thought out ideas. Never mind, at least the team bosses got together on Sunday morning to get rid of such a pointless change in the first place.

A couple of other changes look like they are good additions with the addition of an extra compound of tyres available for each driver. Drivers are free to choose how many sets of each compound they want, two of which must be used in the race. It creates extra strategic options as seen in today's race.

The further restriction of radio transmissions mean the drivers are certainly more alone than they have been for years and are no longer the play things of the engineers sitting on the pit wall. This was relaxed slightly an hour before the race to allow strategy calls to be made between the teams and drivers. 

So let's go back to 'rather promising' aspects of the days events and the racing, because this is what we got today, a good race. Nico Rosberg picked up where he left off to take his first win of the year and his fourth consecutive victory when you include his winning of the last three races of 2015. Lewis Hamilton came through the pack to finish second after a faltering start where the Mercedes cars touched slightly and he dropped back to seventh.

So it seems on first look this was further demonstration that the old order of Mercedes way out in front was maintained from the previous couple of seasons. But this wasn't so, in qualifying Ferrari hadn't gone for a second run in Q3 whereas Mercedes cars had improved on their times. Ferrari's race pace was arguably as strong as the German giants, certainly their starts were light years ahead.

Engine notes raised, lights out, Vettel launched between the silver cars, Hamilton was sluggish away while Rosberg hung on claiming the inside line, but a bit of squeezing from Vettel let the Ferrari through and clear he went. Rosberg hung on so long, he almost clattered into Hamilton, he did shove him wide though allowing the second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen through, the brilliantly qualified Toro Rosso's of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, and Felipe Massa in the Williams got ahead as well.

Even fans of Mercedes must have been praying for such a start, now we had a race on our hands. So the Ferrari's led in 1-2 formation on a track which is difficult to pass on. Rosberg closed up a bit but never really challenged while behind Lewis began his comeback passing Massa but getting stuck behind the Toro Rosso drivers.

Then came lap 17, battling in the midfield Fernando Alonso proved just how safe Formula 1 cars are these days. He came up behind Esteban Gutierrez in the new Haas car as they approached turn three, feinted to the right then to the left, but it seemed Alonso misjudged the speed differential or Gutierrez braked a little earlier than expected, but whatever happened (the stewards deemed it a racing incident) Alonso smashed into the back of the Haas, his McLaren speared into the wall and towards the gravel trap which pitched it into a barrel roll. 

The television coverage picked up Gutierrez's car first and as it zoomed out we caught site of Alonso scrambling out of an upside down and completely mangled McLaren. It was a miraculous escape for the double world champion. 

The safety car was initially deployed but a red flag soon flew and the race was stopped. This means any damage can be fixed in the pit lane and tyres can be changed. it's effectively a free pit stop. This helped determine the result. Before the stoppage, Kimi had lost a place to Rosberg during the first round of stops. Both Ferrari's were on super-soft tyres, the quickest of the compounds but not very durable.

Rosberg was on soft tyres, but during the stoppage switched to mediums, which were likely to get him to the end of the race. Hamilton had already elected to switch to mediums to help him get ahead of the Toro Rosso's and not have to stop again. The Ferrari team decided to stay on super-softs meaning they would definitely have to stop again. It was a decision that turned a likely Ferrari win into a Mercedes victory.

When the race got going again, Vettel pumped in a few quick laps extending his lead over Rosberg, but the Mercedes soon was on his pace and then started to catch him. When Vettel pulled into the pits with 22 laps left to go it was game over for the win, it was now his mission to hunt down Hamilton. By this time Kimi was already retired, flames coming from the air box.

The Toro Rosso's got out of the way of Hamilton as they also needed to stop, leaving Lewis to try and catch Rosberg, but Nico was wise to it and maintained a 10 second gap. Vettel closed the gap to Lewis, but locked up with a couple of laps to go losing him a chance of second.

So Rosberg crossed the line to win, Lewis was happy to come back for second while Vettel seemed happy enough with the knowledge that his car looks like it will help him to challenge for the title. 

Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth after an inspired drive, and my Star of the race. Red Bull have produced a great chassis, and although still down on power the Renault engine in the back has been improved. He started eighth but dropped a place at the start. However before the red flag he had worked his way up to sixth with a few late braking passing moves before moving up to fourth as those around him pitted. Not having pitted he got a free pit stop, but kept a good pace to keep up with the leaders. It was a strong drive, he'll be in the mix this year at many more races along with his team mate Daniil Kvyat who didn't even make the start following a problem as the grid formed up.

Felipe Massa took a lonely fifth, while Romain Grosjean in the Haas also hadn't pitted by the time of the stoppage and found himself in ninth when the race restarted. With retirements and others pitting he worked his way up to sixth, but although slightly fortuitous it showed how much genuine pace is in this new car and team as he held off challenges from behind. A brilliant start to this new teams life in the top rung of motor sport. 

Force India was another team which could have had a better team, Sergio Perez losing out to finish only 13th although Nico Hulkenberg got them some points with seventh holding off the recovering Williams of Valtteri Bottas, the Williams driving recovering from 16th on the grid after a gearbox penalty.

The Toro Rosso's ended up with Sainz ahead of Verstappen due to the Spaniard pitting first. This caused the teenager to get quite creative with his language on the team radio, they're both going to be great entertainment this year and if not for the red flag would have finished much higher up than ninth and tenth.

Amongst the other runners Jolyon Palmer made his debut for the reformed Renault team and impressed straight away by out qualifying his highly rated returnee team mate Kevin Magnussen who had a year on the sidelines in 2015. Palmer showed off some great defensive work against Bottas, both he and Magnussen will provide good drama.

Sauber were pretty awful, Manor are still at the back albeit closer and with Pascal Wehrlein they have a star on their hands. McLaren were having a much better start than last year and are at least able to race although after Alonso's crash, Jenson Button's strategy calls weren't the best.

So in summing up, until Formula 1 is out of the hands of a private equity firm it will continue to lurch from stupid decision to stupid decision and not treat the teams or circuits fairly, actually the product is pretty good and is not what needs changing.

Haas are a genuinely nice surprise, McLaren look like they have a platform to at least make progress and the lower midfield are well capable of mixing it with the higher end midfield runners. Williams, Force India and Toro Rosso are going to be locked into a great fight, Renault will have a difficult season but will spring a few surprises.

I truly believe once Red Bull get an engine upgrade in Montreal from Renault (if it's good) they will become contenders for victory, as it is I think they'll mix it up on occasion. 

At the very front, after Lewis' late season form in 2015 allowed Rosberg the luxury of a few easier weekends he was as strong as ever in Australia and was only undone by a poor start. Rosberg looked to have reverted to type during practice and qualifying but it was a strong race performance and a nice aggressive start. At Ferrari Kimi looks to be on the pace while Vettel should have taken the win, but he has a car to do battle with and that might well be enough. It's all set up nicely and I think we can be quietly confident this season is going to be a bit of a cracker.

all photographs taken from auto-motor-und-sport.de & autosport.com

Hamilton cruises to win in Australia

Star of the race

There were three rookie drivers lining up on the grid in Melbourne. Of those three it was the youthful Toro Rosso pair of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz that were given most of the attention, not many spared a thought for Felipe Nasr of the Sauber team. After the turmoil that engulfed Sauber it was even doubtful whether Nasr or team mate Marcus Ericsson would race after Giedo van der Garde was found by the courts to have a valid contract to race for the team.

That story still has some way to go, but Ericsson and Nasr eventually lined up to take the start. Nasr was particularly impressive, qualifying eleventh which became tenth after Williams' Valtteri Bottas was ruled unfit to drive due to a soft tissue tear in his lower back. 

He made a good start and was alongside the Ferrari's and Sainz when turn one shenanigans meant he touched Pastor Maldonado, sending the Lotus into the wall. A brief safety car period followed before he launched himself ahead of Sainz into fifth. Kimi Raikkonen took that fifth place through pit stops but after the Ferrari driver retired Nasr  reclaimed that spot and comfortably held off the attentions of Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull to secure a top five finish on what was a confident debut putting to bed suggestions he was a mere pay driver.

The winner

Untouchable. Oh yes, you might say it looked like a race, there was an exchange of fastest laps between the two Mercedes drivers, but a real actual race where the lead looked in jeopardy? No, no, don't be silly.

Lewis Hamilton had the edge on Nico Rosberg from Saturday practice onwards. Rosberg looked strong on Friday as Lewis struggled with set up but from then on it was the Briton in control. A dominant qualifying display followed, a great start neatly capitalised on that, a fantastic restart after that opening safety car period that made Rosberg looked like he was asleep built on that control still further. Fastest lap capped his weekend and he won in dominant fashion despite never being more than a few seconds in front of Rosberg.

It was a champions drive that showed exactly why most people are tipping him to be even more dominant than last year. It's probably too early to say, but already the impression is there that as Hamilton picks up where he left off in 2014, Rosberg will need to strike back in Malaysia if this isn't to become a Hamilton victory parade.  

The battles

Let's be honest here, this race was by no means a thriller. If you were up at stupid o'clock in the morning to watch the race live, then chances are it would have started to make those heavy eyelids close tight round your eyes and help you drift off into a more exciting race of your own making.

However, there were still a few battles to keep one entertained. Jenson Button in the recalcitrant McLaren-Honda managed to make some classy defensive moves to hold off Sergio Perez's Force India for several laps. He also got quite rude by forcing the Mexican into a spin, before eventually the battle was lost and Perez went through.

Sebastian Vettel tracking Felipe Massa kept the early stages alive, before the new Ferrari drive got past in the pit stops. The real eye catching battle was Nasr holding off Ricciardo, Kimi and Sainz in the early stages of the race. Kimi particularly was putting the pressure on the Red Bull driver, making fleeting attempts at getting by before having to back off.

Ericsson was pretty feisty in the other Sauber too and did a good job on a two stop strategy and was energetic on his newer tyres at the end of the race to jump Sainz for eighth.

Things of note

Only 15 cars took the start. The Manor cars had software problems which couldn't be rectified so they didn't even turn a wheel. Bottas was ruled out over his back after qualifying sixth. Kevin Magnussen had an engine failure on his way to the grid while the Red Bull of Daniil Kvyat had gearbox issues which prevented his participation too.

Within two laps both Lotus cars were out, Maldonado because of an accident, Grosjean because of power unit issues. So 13 cars were left to entertain the Australian crowed. All the issues were something that was expected last year when these regulations were new, not after a years experience. Very odd, and not the greatest advert for Formula 1.

Button's moustache caught the attention. I'm not sure it beats his designer stubble, but it was one of the more noteworthy things of McLaren's weekend apart from the fact that they actually got a car to the finish.

McLaren and Honda have not had a good start to their renewed partnership but despite being last and the only car to finish which didn't score a point, it at least pointed to some progress. Yes the engine was turned down, and yes the other Magnussen had that engine failure but crumbs of comfort and all.

Red Bull are not where they want to be. Mostly it appears this is down to Renault. One car didn't start and Ricciardo couldn't use his star quality for more than sixth. Team boss Christian Horner is already calling for moves to equalise the disparity between Mercedes and the rest. I think the best thing he can do is ask Renault for a better power unit. They're working with ex-Ilmor and Mercedes engine genius Mario Illien so progress should come soon, but probably not soon enough.

Ferrari were a nice surprise having made significant improvements over the winter. Vettel and Kimi showed decent pace, and only a botched pit stop for the Finn and subsequent retirement meant they didn't have two cars in the top five. Vettel looked particularly delighted to get a podium on his Scuderia debut. They look like they're going to be locked into a tight battle with Williams though, both have very similar qualifying and race pace.

Both Toro Rosso drivers looked like they'd been in Formula 1 for years. Barely a mistake between them all weekend showed that the Red Bull junior program is as good as ever. Sainz was a particular surprise, out qualifying and out racing his fabled team mate Verstappen. To be fair to Max he was unlucky not to make Q3 and retired due to power unit troubles otherwise he'd have joined Sainz in scoring points on his debut. This pair are going to be fascinating to watch over the season.

Despite their good start and first points since 2013, Sauber could still be in quite the mess over their driver issues. They don't have a lot of money and to have to pay van der Garde off is not going to be easy. At least they have a quick car.

To end on a positive note, despite just two and a bit days of testing Force India scored a double points finish with Hulkenberg and Perez finishing seventh and tenth. A lot more to come from this team.

The title chase

Well one thing is for certain, it's between Hamilton and Rosberg. This story is either going to become very one sided or very close. It's up to Rosberg to make it very close to avoid being pushed into the Mark Webber when he was alongside Vettel. Still many questions to be answered and better racing to come as Formula 1 next heads to Malaysia.

Result

1. Hamilton - Mercedes

2. Rosberg - Mercedes

3. Vettel - Ferrari

4. Massa - Williams

5. Nasr - Sauber

6. Ricciardo - Red Bull

7. Hulkenberg - Force India

8. Ericsson - Sauber

9. Sainz - Toro Rosso

10. Perez - Force India

11. Button - McLaren

R. Raikkonen - Ferrari - Loose Wheel

R. Verstappen - Toro Rosso - Power Unit

R. Grosjean - Lotus - Power Unit

R. Maldonado - Lotus - Accident

DNS. Kvyat - Red Bull - Gearbox

DNS. Magnussen - McLaren - Power Unit

Withdrew. Bottas - Williams

DNQ. Stevens - Manor

DNQ. Mehri - Manor

all photos from autosport.com

The Australian Grand Prix Forecast

Round 1 - Australia, Melbourne, Albert Park

Laps - 58

Pirelli compounds - Soft and Medium.

DRS Zones  - Two, on the start finish straight and between turns two and three.

Weather - Cloudy with temperatures hitting 23C on race day.

TV - Live on Skysports F1 (UK 5am lights out) and highlights on the BBC.

Pick a winner - Nico Rosberg to get his title challenge off to the perfect start for Mercedes.

Hot topics:

Sauber driver issues are likely to be discussed in the paddock this weekend. Giedo van der Garde was test driver for the Swiss team and claimed he had a valid contract for a 2015 race seat which has found to be correct by the Australian courts despite Sauber appealing. It's all rather messy and reflects badly on the team. Although there are various reasons behind it, in short Sauber needed more money from their drivers so hired Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson instead of honouring van der Garde's contract. I'd still expect Nasr and Ericsson to race although that would risk Sauber being in contempt of court. It of course will eventually bring the discussion round to why the team reneged on a deal anyway, and of course that is money.

Fernando Alonso's accident and subsequent concussion is still a story full of intrigue and conspiracy. The likelihood is he got caught out, crashed, bumped his head, had a concussion and then doctors ruled him out. But apparently it's far more fun to think of more outlandish theories. Although it doesn't help that there has been contrasting information.

I think the grid are going to be stunned by just how far in front Mercedes are. This race is going to be all about Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. It wasn't all fun and games this time last year, but it would certainly have been more relaxed as now they know where they stand with each other when it comes to the title fight. One has to strike first.

Manor's (formerly Marussia) resurrection is truly remarkable. Backed by OVO energy boss Stephen Fitzpatrick with ex-Sainsbury's CEO Justin King as interim chairman, Manor have been brought back to life. Team President Graeme Lowdon has worked tirelessly over the winter to get the team to Melbourne. Yes they'll struggle with an updated 2014 car, but work on a 2015 car is ongoing.

Predicting the headlines:

17 year old Max Verstappen for sensational debut.

McLaren to finish and score points.

Mercedes to dominate, Rosberg to shock Hamilton with overtake.

Williams, Ferrari fight for the podium but Ricciardo snatches it at the last.

Grosjean to comfortably score points in Lotus renaissance.

Vettel and Kimi rejuvenated for Ferrari.

Under the radar:

Power units are meant to be louder than last year according to those who attended testing. Of course this positive bit of news will be hushed as the powers that be have no intention of promoting their sport in a positive light.

Cost cutting will be a major talking point but one which might well be shoved aside as everyone's just relieved and amazed they've somehow managed to get 20 cars on the grid, when at some points over the winter it might have barely reached 16. Lots of deals including prize money advances have been done for some teams to get them to Australia. This year is going to be a struggle for many as the sport tries to find a way to overcomplicate matters further instead of just splitting the £1.8 billion income fairly.

The title chase:

It's already looking like it'll be an all Mercedes battle again. It could go one of two ways, Lewis Hamilton, full of confidence dominates the year or Rosberg has reset and come back stronger and takes the fight to the last race once again. I'm not going to rule out everyone else just yet either. It's the second year of fairly stable regulations, a lot of teams have huge room for development, while Mercedes could already be peaking. Of course that might just be hopeless optimism. We'll learn more when the lights go out on Sunday.

all photos taken from autosport.com

Let battle commence

The engines are about to roar (slightly louder) into life as the teams prepare in Melbourne for the opening round of the 2015 Formula 1 world championship. Testing, as always, has given us a vague picture of what to expect, but there has been enough to colour in some of the outlines we've been presented with.

I'd love to be sitting here about to write that this could be the most unpredictable season in years but I can tell no lies. Mercedes, like last year, are sitting at the top of the pile with if anything an increased margin of superiority despite the drivers saying the set up isn't great. Lewis Hamilton has remarked he'd like more competition from outside his own team but for now at least it's looking more likely that we're going to be seeing Lewis up against his team mate Nico Rosberg once again.

That's no bad thing, despite the sports apparent inability to promote the good things about Formula 1 such as the new power unit technology which saw the cars given faster motors using a third less fuel, or the fantastic wheel to wheel on track action we saw, last year was an epic contest between the two Mercedes team mates.

I think we can expect more of the same. Rosberg will come back stronger from his defeat. He'll have to if wants to stand a chance. He needs to lay down an early marker, particularly in wheel to wheel combat to show he's not going to be a walk over. Rosberg is a deep thinker, and he'll have analysed everything from last year to return to battle a more complete driver. Despite some circumstances which went against Lewis, Rosberg has already shown he is a match in qualifying, but the races are where the points are delivered.

If Rosberg has stepped up a level this year, then will it be enough to be champion? I'd hazard a guess and say no. Lewis is too strong a driver, too great a racer and perhaps the ultimate over taker. He will have the confidence of being champion, of having taken 11 wins in 2014 to Rosberg's mere five. Lewis will be supremely confident and he seemed to have sorted his mental fragility, particularly in the run in to the final race when he took six wins from the final seven races.

However, he has once again broken up with his on-off girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. If his mood is not positive then he can break, and Rosberg could infiltrate the positivity from 2014 and erode it with a few early victories. When the reliability problems struck Lewis in the early going last year, there were times when he seemed to be questioning if the team were treating each of their drivers fairly. That way, darkness leads. But I believe Lewis will carry on where he left off in 2014, and despite a stronger challenge from Rosberg, he'll claim a third title to match his hero Ayrton Senna. But, there's plenty to say otherwise.

Behind Mercedes comes a tight pack of Williams, Ferrari and Red Bull. Williams have the all important Mercedes power unit which has been improved. They also have Valtteri Bottas who is a likely future champion and is working methodically towards a first Grand Prix victory. Felipe Massa already has 11 of those from his time at Ferrari and on his day could well earn another one. Either one could grab a win should Mercedes falter.

Ferrari have made changes. A lot of changes. Their new chassis seems good, and the power unit has been improved greatly. The most obvious staff change is the hiring of Sebastian Vettel in place of Fernando Alonso. Kimi Raikkonen remains despite an atrocious 2014 campaign where he was soundly thrashed by Alonso. However, the new Ferrari has left Kimi smiling (which is odd), the car is much more suited to him and he should bounce back with a decent campaign. 

I think eyebrows were raised when Vettel was hired for the Scuderia despite it being known Ferrari had coveted Red Bull's prodigal son for some time. Here was a team letting go of Alonso and hiring Vettel, a driver who was in the process of being fairly beaten by Daniel Ricciardo. But all was not as it seemed for Vettel in 2014. He'd just come off the back of four consecutive seasons as world champion and was faced with a car that was not doing what he wanted it to do.

No one else had maximised the exhaust blown diffusers as well as Vettel that had been banned for 2014. It left him slightly at a loss as the back end of the car would no longer stick the way he wanted it to. The Renault power unit left a title challenge unachievable and Ricciardo had given him a hurry up that he couldn't respond to as he adapted to regulations he didn't like for a title he wouldn't win. It's little wonder his motivation waned a little.

In winter testing you could see the smile was back, he's excited by the new challenge of emulating his hero Michael Schumacher to take Ferrari back to the top. He'll be challenged by Kimi this year, but I can't see Vettel not winning this battle. He may even sneak a win given the right circumstances, but this is a rejuvenated driver, and over the coming years I expect Ferrari to get stronger, as there's not many who work as hard as Vettel to achieve success.

Red Bull are probably not feeling optimistic. Renault haven't made the strides they wanted them to, but yet another decent chassis and the promise of improvements for their power unit should see them comfortably battling for best of the rest, particularly as the season develops. They've hired Daniil Kvyat as Vettel's replacement. He's only had a year in F1 but he'll make a good impression but I don't expect him to outshine the star of 2014 Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo was brilliant last season, taking apart his four time champion team mate to the extent that even before Vettel announced his departure it already appeared to be Daniel's team. I think we can expect more of the same and despite looking like they might be slightly adrift of Williams and Ferrari at the moment it would come as no surprise to see Ricciardo being the one to force a win if Mercedes have problems, or even if they don't. I just hope the wait for Renault improvements doesn't hold him back too much but I think he'll be fighting for podiums all year long.

Toro Rosso have looked fairly rapid in testing. They have the youngest driver line up on the grid with Max Verstappen at 17 and Carlos Sainz Jnr at 20 combining to make an age which is just two years older than Jenson Button.

Verstappen is the prodigy and throughout testing he's looked calm and assured. I expect some good results from him and some outstanding performances. Sainz has looked a little wilder, but I think both will have their day in the sun with Verstappen the one who will be keeping Kvyat on his toes.

Lotus look a lot better this season. The chassis is improved and the switch to Mercedes power should give them an immediate pace injection. Romain Grosjean will deliver them the points while Pastor Maldonado should be able to deliver debris and a few starring results.

Sauber looked too quick in testing, but it did reinforce the belief that Ferrari have made significant improvements to their power unit. Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson have brought significant funds to the team but both are race winners in GP2 and are capable of delivering results. The Swiss team shouldn't suffer another pointless campaign as they did last season.

Force India didn't bring their new car out until there were just two and a half days of testing left. To their credit it ran reliably pretty much throughout clocking some significant mileage. They might be lingering towards the rear of the field at first but I think they'll soon get it all sorted out and be racing for points. Sergio Perez will likely spring a couple of surprise results as is his way, while Nico Hulkenberg will once again produce a decent season worthy of a top team taking a punt on him.

However, he's signed up for a Le Mans driver with Porsche this year and I can see him joining those ranks permanently at some point. I fear a career in a top car may well have slipped past him.

Marussia, or Manor, are back on the grid. They've adjusted their 2014 car to 2015 spec with a full 2015 car due out later in the season. It's a great story to have them back on the grid bringing the total number of cars up to an acceptable 20. With no testing and running a year old engine it'll be remarkable if they actually qualify for the race, but it's great to have them back anyway. Formula 1 needs these teams. So far they have signed Will Stevens who did a decent job for Caterham in a one off race at the last race in Abu Dhabi. Roberto Mehri will fill the other seat for now.

And then we have McLaren Honda. I'm not talking about them last because I think they'll be bringing up the rear of the grid in Australia, although it is a possibility, but because there's no real place to put them. They've shown terrible reliability, the Honda isn't running smoothly, and they only just beat the total mileage of Force India despite having nine and a half days more running. Or more accurately sitting around in the garage as mechanics tried to fix the numerous issues.

Red Bull were in a terrible state this time last year and went on to take three wins. The thing is the Honda hasn't run anywhere near full power, their car has been given a Red Bull make over thanks to the acquisition of Peter Prodromou from the fizzy drinks team. They have Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button as drivers. There is a lot going for this team. I believe once they're up and running properly they're either going to be terrible or potential Mercedes challengers. Significantly, despite the woes the team are said to be still quietly confident. Or maybe it's just blind optimism.

Of course it's not just on the technical front that there have been set backs. In the second test Alonso crashed leaving him with a concussion which has ruled him out of the opening race. Kevin Magnussen will step up hoping to show the team exactly why they should have kept him instead of Button.

The whole Alonso affair is steeped with conspiracy theories. It does seem odd about some of the information or lack of information that has come out about the accident, but I hope we'll see Alonso ready to go for the second round in Malaysia. Alonso is desperate to win another title and this is certainly not how he would have wanted to start his second stint at McLaren especially as Ferrari seem to have built a decent car again.

So Mercedes are out at the front, but with fairly stable regulations there's only so much more they can develop. I think the other teams will be coming for them towards the end of the season, but by then it'll be too late and we'll be celebrating a Mercedes driver as world champion. The question is which one?

all photos taken from autosport.com

Alonso to miss season opener in Australia

Fernando Alonso will miss the season opener in Australia on 15th March due to worries about second impact syndrome. A statement from McLaren reported by autosport.com says 'Fernando's doctors have recommended to him that, following the concussion he sustained in a testing accident on February 22nd, for the time being he should seek to limit as far as is possible any environmental risk factors that could potentially result in his sustaining another concussion so soon after his previous one'.

Alonso has been allowed to return to training in preparation for the Malaysian Grand Prix two weeks later on the 29th March. It's a strange situation as there has been conflicting information about the accident in winter testing after which Alonso spent three days in hospital.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis suggested Alonso hadn't got a concussion, but that is now known to be wrong. The doctors say physically he is fine and the Spaniard believes he is ready to race, however with concussion it is good to be safe.

Kevin Magnussen will replace Alonso, driving at the race where he made such an impact last season. It'll be a great opportunity for him to show up Jenson Button too, the man who was chosen ahead of him to partner Alonso this season.

Nico Rosberg unbeatable in Oz opener

We've been waiting since November to see this new generation of cars. Four months since Brazil, the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne brought Formula 1 into a new era, one where you can hear the tyres squeal over the engine noise, where fuel management is key and fuel flow rates should be monitored at all times to prevent disqualification.

The Brake-by-wire system which feeds the Kinetic energy recovery is cause for concern for a lot of teams too which resulted in Kamui Kobayashi’s Caterham slamming into the back of a rather annoyed Felipe Massa who was making his debut for Williams and thought he had a shot at a podium.

There was a safety car brought out for the other Williams of Valtteri Bottas, which continued despite clouting the wall but did leave some debris on the racing line. A threat of rain hung around but didn’t materialise but through all this came the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg to claim the first victory of 2014.

He started third but launched himself into a lead he was never to lose. Without the safety  car intervention he would probably have doubled the 26.7second lead he held over Kevin Magnussen’s McLaren.

A perfect start was matched by a relentless pace which probably could have been faster if he wanted to. However, with the troubles his team mate Lewis Hamilton suffered over the weekend, it was probably best he did just what was required rather than push the limits.

All the teams suffered some sort of reliability problems over the weekend and Mercedes was no exception despite being the pace setters. Hamilton suffered a sensor problem which shut the car down in first practice then his engine suffered a problem they noticed on the warm up laps before the race. It dropped him down to five cylinders and it was immediately obvious from when the lights went out that he was in trouble, he lasted only two laps before retiring having started from pole position.

At the moment it looks like Mercedes are way out in front so Lewis’ retirement means he’s already dropped 25 points to his most likely challenger in the championship, but this won’t bother Nico who took the fourth win of his career and set himself up nicely for the year ahead.

Red Bull had looked like they’d worked a minor miracle. Both cars looked quick in practice but a problem for Sebastian Vettel with the engine software meant he was losing power from Saturday onwards. He could only qualify 13^th as a result and didn’t make more than three laps of the race to say he sounded frustrated was an understatement.

Daniel Ricciardo made his debut for the champion team this weekend and was just sensational. He was quick all weekend and almost grabbed pole position. He held second throughout the race holding off Magnussen’s McLaren for most of it to take a well deserved first podium.

Unfortunately this result has been stripped from the record books. Ricciardo was disqualified for his car consistently exceeding the maximum fuel flow rate of 100kg/h. The FIA warned the team during the race that this was happening but apparently this was ignored. Red Bull claim the fault lies with the sensor which monitors fuel flow and had already been replaced and then refitted during the weekend because of unreliable results.

It all seems a bit murky, but Red Bull has already announced their intention to appeal the decision. But perhaps more importantly for the rest of the year is the fact that despite all their winter testing struggles Red Bull have a fast car and one with which they have barely scratched the surface of in terms of performance. 

To bring a car home when they hadn’t even attempted a race distance should be satisfying in itself, to bring it home at a reasonable pace and on the podium means Mercedes shouldn’t count on this title battle being just between their own drivers. These Bull’s are getting ready to run and run fast.

Completing the podium after Ricciardo’s disqualification were the two McLaren’s. Kevin Magnussen was a true star this weekend. He out-qualified his far more experienced team mate Jenson Button and then managed to finish ahead too. Magnussen started fourth but was soon up to third and kept the pressure on Ricciardo throughout the Grand Prix. Button used his pit stops to jump the likes of Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso to claim fourth which became third.

It was impressive racing from the Woking squad, who get a double podium after not taking any in 2013. Their pace wasn’t too shabby either and they should be definite podium contenders in these opening rounds. If they can keep their development up who knows where this season will lead.

What we do know is that Magnussen is already a star of the sport. His calmness in the race was impressive and the way he went for Lewis on the opening lap was fantastic, even if the Merc was hobbled. I expect many more podiums from him this season, while Button certainly has his hands full.

Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen were disappointed with Ferrari’s double points finish, winding up fourth and seventh respectively. Alonso is already saying Ferrari should not be happy with where they are. They didn’t have the pace and he spent a lot of it trapped behind Hulkenberg, only passing him by staying out two extra laps at the second pit stops.

Kimi meanwhile spent a lot of time battling with the Toro Rosso’s and tyre graining. It wasn’t the best race for Kimi and he’ll want to step up his pace against Alonso quickly as the Spaniard looked a great deal quicker throughout the weekend.

Bottas rescued Williams’ race despite hitting the wall. If he hadn’t he may well have sneaked a podium such was his pace. He had started 15^th after getting a five place grid drop due to a gearbox change, but soon charged up the order. He was the most entertaining driver of the day, catching people at seconds per lap and then immediately making an incisive move.

It was such a disappointment he hit the wall as he caught up with Alonso ahead. Still, it showed Williams have made progress after not impressing in qualifying as much as might have been expected. On this showing a few Williams podiums can’t be far off.

Hulkenberg took sixth after battling with Alonso, while his Force India team mate Sergio Perez took 10^th after suffering a puncture on the opening lap. Toro Rosso also impressed by managing to hold on to their wet qualifying top 10s in the dry when in practice they had not looked good. Jean-Eric Vergne claimed eighth while new boy Daniil Kvyat was outstanding on his way to ninth to replace Sebastian Vettel as the youngest ever points scorer.

Behind the points scorers, Sauber failed to deliver much pace while Kobayashi’s brake problem denied Caterham a chance to shine, although he had got into Q2. Marussia had start line problems but got both cars home even if Jules Bianchi was eight laps down. It should be noted that Max Chilton actually out-qualifed Bianchi, which I thought was quite impressive.

Lotus was the most underprepared team coming into this race and it showed. They suffered problem after problem, with Romain Grosjean starting from the pit lane for which he got a drive through penalty for leaving the garage too early. Pastor Maldonado barely did a lap and started last. So surprisingly they got both cars past the halfway mark and showed a decent amount of speed too. Once they can eliminate their problems, of which there are many, they’ll soon move up the grid.

Round up

So what has this race told us? Mercedes are superfast but not without their problems. Williams missed an opportunity this weekend, McLaren have a new superstar on their hands, Ferrari and Alonso are going to go their separate ways if the team don’t improve quickly and Red Bull performed miracles this weekend so it was such a shame they weren’t rewarded.

I'd also like to say the engine noise is perfectly acceptable, the rolling deep thunder combines well with the whine of the turbo and electrical power. It's something we'll all get used to, although maybe it would be nice if it was slightly louder.

There were many questions before this weekend, there are still many questions but at least we’ve got a few more ideas as we head to Malaysia. Australia was a good race, but it’ll get even better when the teams get on top of their cars and they can all go on maximum attack.

Result:

1. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes

2. Kevin Magnussen - McLaren

3. Jenson Button - McLaren

4. Fernando Alonso - Ferrari

5. Valtteri Bottas - Williams

6. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India

7. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

8. Jean-Eric Vergne - Toro Rosso

9. Daniil Kvyat - Toro Rosso

10. Sergio Perez - Force India

11. Adrian Sutil - Sauber

12. Esteban Gutierrez - Sauber

13. Max Chilton - Marussia

R. Jules Bianchi - Marussia - Unclassified

R. Romain Grosjean - Lotus - ERS failure

R. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus - ERS failure

R. Marcus Ericsson - Caterham - Oil Pressure

R. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - loss of power

R. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes - Engine

R. Felipe Massa - Williams - Accident

R. Kamui Kobayashi - Caterham - Accident/Brakes

DSQ. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull

all photo's taken from autosport.com

Australian Forecast

Melbourne, Australia is where we really get to see just what Formula 1 has become this year? Quieter engines, dodgy nose jobs, fuel efficiency. It’s not the kind of words you want to hear when talking about the loudest, sleekest and fastest sport in the world.

But this is what we’ve got and a lot of what's been said about the new rules is just over reaction. The engines have a low rumbling thunder quality to them and with 22 cars on track will sound awesome. There’s also the whistling and gasping of the turbo which sounds like it’s an old Group B rally car sometimes.

We’ll get used to the look of the cars, and the speed will be ramped up in no time and to be fair who cares as long as the racing is good. With a shake-up of the competitive order expected, this is going to be awesome.

Nobody really knows what’s going to be going on. I think the only thing we can say with certainty is that Mercedes will probably be on top, but will Lewis Hamilton keep his edge over Nico Rosberg or will this new racing play to Rosberg’s strengths? Where will Vettel and Red Bull be on the grid, and can they even dream of finishing? Will Magnussen be the next superstar? Will Ferrari implode with two world champions shaping up to do battle? Is Massa about to return Williams to the top? Can Hulkenberg show the top teams how good he is by sneaking an opening weekend win? And most importantly can Marussia or Caterham score?

All that and so much more to look forward to at this race and 18 others, it really is going to be quite the thrilling year of racing.

But thinking of the rest of the year is too far in the future. Let’s look at who could win this opening round. First of all Pirelli have brought the soft and medium compounds. All of Pirelli’s tyres are a bit more conservative to deal with the extra torque the new power units have, but they should still provide at least a two stop event.

The weather looks like it is getting progressively worse over the weekend. Friday is nice and dry for the opening practice sessions, Saturday is cloudy while Sunday looks like rain. I’m sure that’s the last thing any team wants although perversely it might help a few teams finish, cooler temperatures and a lower average speed might assist this new fragile machinery (Red Bull might well be doing a rain dance as we speak).

There are two DRS zones, one on the start finish straight the other between turns two and three. They aren’t long straights so passing will still be tough.

Nothing about this opening race is a foregone conclusion, reliability problems have affected all the teams but it had looked like Mercedes would walk it. But rain brings an extra element as always and so could see Mercedes fail to utilise their early season advantage.

For instance Ferrari might hope for rain to ease their fuel worries, with Kimi a winner here twice before including his first win for Ferrari in 2007, his first race for the team. What price for him to show Alonso up immediately?

Jenson Button has won three times in Australia and McLaren are a lot more competitive than last year. All the other world champions on the grid have won here before too and all are good in the wet. Wet weather is a bit of an equaliser so if it does rain it’s going to be absolutely amazing.

Otherwise if it’s a dry race, there is no form to speak of with these cars apart from testing. I expect Mercedes to head the field with Lewis shading Rosberg, I hope Williams can maintain their testing form too; they look like the closest challengers, Felipe Massa I think will get a podium with Valtteri Bottas not far behind.

Force India, McLaren and Ferrari will complete the top 10 in Q3. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a miracle from Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo thrilling his home crowd by getting some points finishes.

Testing has given us a lot of expectations about how things will go, but testing never really shows the true picture, Mercedes might not have it their own way, every teams expectations are all up in the air right now, which is what makes this opening round so exciting.

There’s so many questions to be answered and we’re not far away from knowing a little bit more about how the story of 2014 will work out. Whatever happens, this year is going to be one of the most exhilarating and changeable we’ve seen for some time although one team already has a slight edge the rest won't want it to keep for long. 

all photo's taken from autosport.com