- Formula 1 - Season 2018 -

[genius83]

Dispelling two of F1's most annoying myths
Formula One in 2018 will be noticeably different for a number of reasons. Not only is Liberty Media committed to the vast rebrand it started at the end of last year, but F1 embarks on a new era with cars featuring the Halo device.

Watch Mercedes' new W09 being fired up for the first time
Mercedes has released a video of its new W09 F1 car being fired up for the first time at its factory in Brackley.

'Grid kids' will replace 'grid girls' in F1 this year
Following last week's announcement that Formula One will no longer use 'grid girls', the sport has launched a new 'grid kids' initiative ahead of the start of the 2018 season.

Renault and BP extend deal
Oil company BP has extended its relationship with the Renault F1 team for another five years as part of a wider deal with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.

[genius83]

Webber: Ricciardo should set focus on beating Verstappen
Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber believes Daniel Ricciardo should focus his attention on beating teammate Max Verstappen at the start of this season rather than worrying about his 2019 contract.

F1 outcast Pascal Wehrlein returns to DTM for 2018
Pascal Wehrlein will return to German touring car series DTM in 2018 after missing out on a Formula One seat.

Double amputee Billy Monger completes first single-seater car test
British teenager Billy Monger has returned to the cockpit of a single-seater race car for the first time since the horrific crash which led to the amputation of both his legs last April.

[salmanbucha]

Awesome . Waiting for season to start . This time I will have no problem watching it in hd

[genius83]

South Africa's Kyalami circuit's return to F1 hampered by current hosting costs
The Kyalami circuit is unlikely to return to the Formula One calendar in the near future due to the high costs of hosting a modern-day grand prix.

F1's Halo device must withstand weight of London bus
The Halo device which is being implemented on Formula One cars in 2018 must be strong enough to withstand the weight of a London double-decker bus, according to Mercedes.

Alonso tests Toyota's Le Mans 'rocket ship'
Fernando Alonso got his first experience of the Toyota he will race at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, comparing the newly-released TS050-Hybrid car to a rocket ship.

[genius83]

Mclaren: F1 needs to convey clear vision for 2021 regulations this season
McLaren boss Zak Brown says Formula One must act decisively if it wants to minimise the political turbulence he expects to be created by the ongoing discussions about the post-2020 regulations.

McLaren urges F1 not to cave in to Ferrari, Mercedes demands
McLaren boss Zak Brown says Formula One management cannot afford to bow to the wishes of existing manufacturers like Ferrari and Mercedes when deciding the next set of regulations.

F1 boss Chase Carey: There will still be pretty girls at races
Formula One boss Chase Carey has assured fans the sport will lose none of its glamour despite the decision to end the use of 'grid girls'.

World Endurance Championship race moved to avoid Fernando Alonso-U.S. GP clash
The World Endurance Championship has changed the date of its Fuji race to avoid a clash with the U.S. Grand Prix which would have prevented Fernando Alonso from competing at Toyota's home event.

[salmanbucha]

At least GP will have grid girls .

[genius83]

McLaren sees potential to exploit performance from Halo
McLaren's chief aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou says the new Halo cockpit protection device opens up opportunities to gain aerodynamic performance as well as having some obvious downsides.

Listen to Ferrari's new engine fire up
Ferrari has fired up its 2018 Formula One car for the first time at its headquarters in Maranello.

Daniel Ricciardo won't act like 'the big dog' in contract year
Daniel Ricciardo says he will not leave Red Bull waiting too long before making a decision on whether to sign a new contract beyond 2018.

McLaren has no concerns over Fernando Alonso's 27-race 2018 schedule
McLaren has no doubts Fernando Alonso can handle his World Endurance Championship commitments this season without letting it detract from his 2018 Formula One campaign.

Red Bull confirms earlier car launch for 2018
Red Bull will reveal its 2018 car on February 19.

[genius83]

Renault launches esports racing team
Renault has joined the world of esports by launching its own racing team.

Fernando Alonso's winter training regime in numbers
McLaren driver Fernando Alonso says he is ready for the start of the 2018 season after posting details of his winter training regime on social media.

Haas aims to close gap to Ferrari to 0.5s
Gene Haas has tasked his Formula One team with closing its gap in performance to Ferrari to just 0.5s per lap this year.

ESPN, Sky Sports join forces for Formula 1 2018 World Championship
An award-winning team of broadcasters will convey the excitement of the FIA Formula One World Championship to American viewers in 2018 as ESPN, Sky Sports and Formula 1 join forces to bring Sky Sports' presentation of the championship to the U.S.

American F1 driver still long-term aim for Haas
Gene Haas has clarified his stance on signing an American driver to his Formula One team.

Daniel Ricciardo confident Red Bull can fight Merc, Ferrari in 2018
Daniel Ricciardo thinks Red Bull should be able to capitalise on the limited changes to Formula One's rule book to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari for victories in 2018.

Toro Rosso fires Honda engine up for first time
Toro Rosso has fired up Honda's engine for the first time ahead of the 2018 campaign.

Haas reveals first shots of F1's Halo era
Haas has released the first images of a 2018 Formula One car with the Halo.

VF18

[genius83]

McLaren: Honda lacks Renault's F1 experience
McLaren says adapting its 2018 car to the demands created by the late switch to Renault from Honda was made easier by the French manufacturer's level of Formula One experience.

Williams releases digital images of new FW41
Williams has released the first images of its 2018 car following a season launch event in London.

FW41

Williams: 'We can't finish P5 or lower this year'
Williams is determined to put an end to its recent decline in performance, with deputy team principal Claire Williams saying her team must improve on last year's championship position.

McLaren fires up new Renault engine for the first time
McLaren's new partnership with Renault is officially underway after the team fired up its French engine for the first time at its factory in Woking.

[genius83]

Why Valtteri Bottas is convinced he can beat Lewis Hamilton in 2018
HELSINKI, Finland -- After spending one season as teammate to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes last year, Valtteri Bottas is convinced he's ready to beat the four-time champion to the title this year.

Robert Kubica feels 'closer than ever' to full-time F1 return
Robert Kubica has not given up on his dream of a full-time return to Formula One and says he is motivated by how close he came to a securing a 2018 race seat with Williams.

Paddy Lowe frustrated by focus on look of Halo device
Williams technical chief Paddy Lowe says the benefits of Halo far outweigh any criticisms about how the cockpit protection device looks on a Formula One car.

Red Bull unveils 2018 car with special edition livery
Red Bull has unveiled its car for the 2018 season, the RB14.

RB14

Williams expecting 'really big step' from Lance Stroll in 2018
Williams believes Lance Stroll can have a "phenomenal" second season in Formula One.

Daniel Ricciardo hits the track with RB14 at Silverstone
Daniel Ricciardo has put Red Bull's RB14 through its paces for the first time at a filming day at Silverstone.

[zia1288]

News cars are looking cool

[genius83]

McLaren shows glimpse of orange 2018 car in teaser
McLaren has continued to hint at a change to its livery for 2018.

Sauber launches Alfa Romeo-backed 2018 car
Sauber has unveiled its car for the 2018 Formula One season, which marks the start of its title sponsorship with Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo.

C37

Daniel Ricciardo crashed Red Bull's 2018 car on first day of running
Red Bull had to cut short the filming day of its newly-released 2018 Formula One car after Daniel Ricciardo crashed at Silverstone.

Renault unveils 2018 F1 car
Renault has unveiled its car for the 2018 Formula One season, the R.S.18.

R.S.18

Renault convinced R.S.18 will produce big step forward
Renault is convinced its 2018 car can move the team closer to its goal of winning another Formula One world championship.

[SLR]

Interesting approaches by all the teams so far. Again, I find the Mercedes W09 the best looking so far. Only the Halo/Chappal/Thong sticks out like a sore thumb. But rest of the car, pretty nuts. And it's size zero at the rear, so tight. Also, smaller sidepods which means all teams are going for less cooling because of the stupid 3 engines per season rule, they'll spend more time conserving instead of pushing. The SF71H looks much different than I thought it would. Longer wheelbase, more like a 2017 Mercedes and a 2017 McLaren-like nose. How they all are going to perform is pure speculation right now, can't wait for testing and the first race of the season.

[genius83]

McLaren signs deal with Brazilian oil company Petrobras
McLaren has signed a technical partnership with Brazilian oil company Petrobras ahead of the 2018 season with the aim of using the company's fuel and oil products from 2019 onwards.

Sauber and Toro Rosso hit the track with new cars
Both Sauber and Toro Rosso have put the first few miles on their 2018 cars during filming days on Wednesday.

Renault sees Red Bull and McLaren as benchmark in 2018
Renault will measure its performance against the success of its customer teams in 2018 as it continues to build towards its target of a full championship challenge in 2020.

Toro Rosso leaks first image of Honda-powered STR13
Toro Rosso has tweeted the first official image of the new Honda-powered STR13 following a filming day at Misano.

STR13

Mercedes' 2018 car breaks cover
SILVERSTONE, U.K -- Mercedes' 2018 car, the W09, has broken cover for the first time.

W09 EQ Power+

Ferrari launches 2018 F1 car
MARANELLO, Italy -- Ferrari has unveiled its 2018 Formula One car -- the SF71-H -- at an event at its headquarters in Maranello.

SF71-H

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff would remove Halo with chainsaw
SILVERSTONE, U.K. -- Mercedes boss Toto Wolff thinks Formula One must address the controversial look of the Halo cockpit device, one he says he would remove with a chainsaw.

Lewis Hamilton: Nowhere I would rather be than Mercedes
SILVERSTONE, U.K. -- Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes knows how committed he is to extending his stay with the team beyond 2018.

Binotto explains thinking behind Ferrari's new car
MARANELLO, Italy -- Ferrari has designed its 2018 Formula One car with the aim of wiping out Mercedes' advantage at high-speed circuits while consolidating its own strengths.

[genius83]

McLaren returns to iconic shade of orange for 2018
McLaren has returned to a 'papaya' orange livery for its 2018 Formula One car, the MCL33.

MCL33

Fernando Alonso 'apprehensive' about McLaren's 2018
McLaren's horrible tenure with Honda has made Fernando Alonso nervous about expecting too much from its 2018 car.

Haas conducts first on-track day with 2018 car
The Haas VF-18 has hit the track for the first time at Spain's Circuit de Catalunya.

[genius83]

Force India launches 2018 car
MONTMELO, Spain -- Force India has officially unveiled its car for the 2018 Formula One season in the pit lane ahead of the first day of winter testing.

VJM11

Bernie Ecclestone advises F1 to go all electric
Bernie Ecclestone has urged Formula One to become an all-electric racing series in order to remain in line with the future of the motor industry.

Fernando Alonso crashes out in opening hour of pre-season test
MONTMELO, Spain -- McLaren has encountered an immediate setback in its pre-season plans after Fernando Alonso crashed out on the opening morning of the first test.

Toro Rosso: Honda has made big gains over winter
MONTMELO, Spain -- Toro Rosso is encouraged by the level of improvement shown by new engine partner Honda over the winter.

Daniel Ricciardo leads opening morning, Fernando Alonso crashes play
MONTMELO, Spain -- Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo topped the opening day of Formula One testing as the 2018 pre-season got underway at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Barcelona PreSeason Testing Times
Day 1
Pos Driver            Car                   Time       Gap    Laps
 1  Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull/Renault      1:20.179s   -      105
 2  Valtteri Bottas   Mercedes              1:20.349s  0.170s   58
 3  Kimi Raikkonen    Ferrari               1:20.506s  0.327s   80
 4  Nico Hulkenberg   Renault               1:20.547s  0.368s   73
 5  Carlos Sainz      Renault               1:22.168s  1.989s   26
 6  Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes              1:22.327s  2.148s   25
 7  Fernando Alonso   McLaren/Renault       1:22.354s  2.175s   51
 8  Brendon Hartley   Toro Rosso/Honda      1:22.371s  2.192s   93
 9  Lance Stroll      Williams/Mercedes     1:22.452s  2.273s   46
10  Romain Grosjean   Haas/Ferrari          1:22.578s  2.399s   55
11  Marcus Ericsson   Sauber/Ferrari        1:23.408s  3.229s   63
12  Nikita Mazepin    Force India/Mercedes  1:25.628s  5.449s   22
13  Sergey Sirotkin   Williams/Mercedes     1:44.148s 23.969s   28

[SLR]

That McLaren looks so barren without a title sponsor. Makes me miss the McLaren-Mercedes days

[genius83]

Fernando Alonso excited by 'huge potential' of McLaren-Renault
MONTMELO, Spain -- Despite his highly-publicised morning crash generating the most headlines, Fernando Alonso's main takeaway from the opening day of testing was the potential of his Renault-powered McLaren.

Nico Hulkenberg impressed by 'crazy' Renault growth
MONTMELO, Spain -- Nico Hulkenberg says Renault's impressive start to 2018 pre-season shows how far the team has come since he joined 12 months ago.

Mercedes and Ferrari 'working as one team', says Red Bull's Christian Horner
MONTMELO, Spain -- Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Mercedes and Ferrari are working together to shape Formula One's landscape in their favour.

Williams confirms Martini sponsorship will not continue beyond 2018
MONTMELO, Spain -- Williams has confirmed Martini will end its sponsorship of the team when its current agreement expires at the end of 2018.

Valtteri Bottas leads Stoffel Vandoorne, Sebastian Vettel on second morning
MONTMELO, Spain -- Valtteri Bottas put Mercedes top on the second morning of testing, though McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel were close behind.

Fernando Alonso: We have an engine this year, not an experiment
MONTMELO, Spain -- In expressing his optimism about McLaren's 2018 season, Fernando Alonso couldn't resist taking one last swipe at the team's former engine partner Honda.

Force India likely to change name before season opener
MONTMELO, Spain -- Force India is likely to change its name before the first race of the 2018 Formula One season.

Formula One to launch live streaming service 'F1 TV'
Formula One has confirmed it will launch its first live streaming service during the 2018 season.

Sebastian Vettel fastest on second day of F1 testing in Barcelona
MONTMELO, Spain -- Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finished the second day of pre-season testing at the top of the timesheets after beating the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas to the fastest time by 0.303s.

Barcelona PreSeason Testing
Day 2
Pos  Driver            Car                  Time       Gap    Laps
 1   Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari              1:19.673s   -      98
 2   Valtteri Bottas   Mercedes             1:19.976s  0.303s  94
 3   Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren/Renault      1:20.325s  0.652s  37
 4   Max Verstappen    Red Bull/Renault     1:20.326s  0.653s  67
 5   Carlos Sainz      Renault              1:21.212s  1.539s  65
 6   Pierre Gasly      Toro Rosso/Honda     1:21.318s  1.645s  82
 7   Robert Kubica     Williams/Mercedes    1:21.495s  1.822s  48
 8   Sergey Sirotkin   Williams/Mercedes    1:21.822s  2.149s  52
 9   Esteban Ocon      Force India/Mercedes 1:21.841s  2.168s  79
10   Charles Leclerc   Sauber/Ferrari       1:22.721s  3.048s  81
11   Kevin Magnussen   Haas/Ferrari         1:22.727s  3.054s  36

Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly ripped race suit on Halo
MONTMELO, Spain -- Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly said he ripped his race overalls while climbing through the Halo and into his car.

Lewis Hamilton 'sacrificed' testing time for Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton said he made the call to "sacrifice" his driving time during Tuesday's test at the Circuit de Catalunya after opting not to take up his scheduled track time in the afternoon.

Haas concerned rest of first test will be a write off
MONTMELO, Spain -- Haas boss Guenther Steiner fears Formula One teams could lose at least one full day of testing this week due to the worsening weather at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona.

Day three of F1 testing delayed by snowy conditions
MONTMELO, Spain -- The third day of pre-season testing has been postponed and could be a write off after the teams were greeted by snow and freezing temperatures on their arrival at the Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday morning.

Robert Kubica: Wrong to compare me to Sergey Sirotkin in testing
MONTMELO, Spain -- Robert Kubica has warned against making comparisons between his and Williams rookie Sergey Siriotkin's times over winter testing.

Valtteri Bottas won't 'waste energy' on mind games with Lewis Hamilton
MONTMELO, Spain -- Valtteri Bottas insists he will not need to revert to mind games to beat Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2018.

Fernando Alonso sets only lap times in snow-affected F1 test
MONTMELO, Spain -- The third day of Formula One testing was limited to just 17 laps among five teams after snow delayed the start of the session and wintry conditions restricted meaningful running for the rest of the day.

[genius83]

Arjun Maini 'doing the right things' to get into F1 - Haas team boss
Barcelona, Spain -- Indian driver Arjun Maini is 'doing the right things' to get into Formula One, says Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner. Maini, who is contracted with Haas as a development driver, was recently signed up by Trident Motorsport for the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship starting on April 6 in Bahrain.

Renault: Strategic penalties may optimise 2018 performance
MONTMELO, Spain -- Renault admits the best way to optimise the performance potential of its engines this year is to accept the inevitability of grid penalties at the tail-end of 2018.

Sebastian Vettel: Mercedes are favourites
MONTMELO, Spain -- Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel believes Mercedes starts the 2018 Formula One season as the favourites for this year's championship.

Lewis Hamilton sets fastest time of first test on final day
MONTMELO, SPAIN -- Lewis Hamilton topped the fourth day of pre-season testing as he finally notched up a decent day of mileage in the new Mercedes W09.

Barcelona PreSeason Testing Timings
Day 4
Pos Driver             Car                  Time       Gap    Laps
 1  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes             1:19.333s   -      69
 2  Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren/Renault      1:19.854s  0.521s 110
 3  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari              1:20.241s  0.908s 120
 4  Kevin Magnussen    Haas/Ferrari         1:20.317s  0.984s  96
 5  Fernando Alonso    McLaren/Renault      1:20.929s  1.596s  51
 6  Carlos Sainz       Renault              1:20.940s  1.607s  60
 7  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes    1:21.142s  1.809s  54
 8  Sergio Perez       Force India/Mercedes 1:21.973s  2.640s  65
 9  Max Verstappen     Red Bull/Renault     1:22.058s  2.725s  35
10  Pierre Gasly       Toro Rosso/Honda     1:22.134s  2.801s 147
11  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault              1:22.507s  3.174s  49
12  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes             1:22.789s  3.456s  60
13  Charles Leclerc    Sauber/Ferrari       1:22.808s  3.475s  59
14  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber/Ferrari       1:23.825s  4.492s  79
15  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes    1:31.979s 12.646s  47

Max Verstappen positive despite Red Bull's F1 testing 'hiccups'
MONTMELO, Spain -- Max Verstappen is not worried by the fact Red Bull ended the first pre-season test of 2018 with a limited and problematic day.

Pierre Gasly encouraged by 'really positive' start with Honda
MONTMELO, Spain -- Pierre Gasly is confident Toro Rosso's new engine partner Honda can keep silencing its critics after a positive opening week to 2018's pre-season.

Lewis Hamilton hoping for level playing field among top teams
MONTMELO, Spain -- Lewis Hamilton may be a four-time world champion, but he is still keen to prove he is the best driver in Formula One on a level playing field.

[genius83]

Lewis Hamilton convinced Max Verstappen is a future champion
MONTMELO, Spain -- Lewis Hamilton thinks Max Verstappen has the potential to win Formula One world championships and says the Red Bull driver is already racing at a higher level than he was at the same age.

Sergio Perez preparing for tougher battle with Esteban Ocon this year
Sergio Perez expects Esteban Ocon to be an even tougher teammate to beat this year after the pair fought an intense, and at times bitter, battle last year.

Toro Rosso: Honda works deal comes with big responsibilities
Toro Rosso technical director James Key says his team has a "heavy responsibility" to help its engine partner Honda make progress this year.

Formula E easier for women than F1, says Carmen Jorda
Former Lotus and Renault development driver Carmen Jorda believes female drivers are more likely to build a successful career in Formula E as it is less challenging than Formula One.

Haas needs quick agreement on post-2021 rules to know its F1 future
Haas boss Guenther Steiner says Liberty Media cannot afford to prioritise one of the key areas of Formula One's future over another in the ongoing discussion about the next set of regulations.

Hamilton: Resurfaced Circuit de Catalunya no longer challenging for drivers
Lewis Hamilton says the resurfaced Circuit de Catalunya has lost its character and has become easier to drive on than at any point in his Formula One career.

Aston Martin launches track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro
Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin have launched the Valkyrie AMR Pro -- a track-only version of the new Adrian Newey-designed hypercar -- at the Geneva motor show in Switzerland.

McLaren reveals new Senna GTR concept
McLaren has unveiled its Senna GTR concept at the Geneva Motor Show.

Vettel fastest in morning session as McLaren hits trouble
MONTMELO, Spain -- Sebastian Vettel topped the opening morning of the second week of Formula One testing while McLaren struggled for mileage due to electrical issues.

Sauber promotes Tatiana Calderon to test driver
Tatiana Calderon has been promoted to Sauber's test driver for the upcoming Formula One season.

Vettel fastest as McLaren's problems continue
MONTMELO, Spain -- Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel topped the opening day of the final pre-season test as McLaren lost more mileage to reliability issues.

Barcelona PreSeason Testing 2
Day 1
Pos Driver             Car                  Time       Gap    Laps
 1  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari              1:20.396s   -      171
 2  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes             1:20.596s  0.200s   86
 3  Max Verstappen     Red Bull/Renault     1:20.649s  0.253s  130
 4  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes             1:20.808s  0.412s   91
 5  Pierre Gasly       Toro Rosso/Honda     1:20.973s  0.577s   54
 6  Kevin Magnussen    Haas/Ferrari         1:21.298s  0.902s   95
 7  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault              1:21.432s  1.036s   48
 8  Carlos Sainz       Renault              1:21.455s  1.059s   91
 9  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes    1:21.588s  1.192s   42
10  Sergio Perez       Force India/Mercedes 1:21.643s  1.247s   93
11  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber/Ferrari       1:21.706s  1.310s  120
12  Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren/Renault      1:21.946s  1.550s   38
13  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes    1:22.937s  2.541s   86

Max Verstappen coy on Red Bull pace despite productive day
MONTMELO, Spain -- Max Verstappen is convinced Red Bull is more competitive now than it was 12 months ago, but he is refusing to judge where it will be in the pecking order come the Australian Grand Prix.

McLaren 'not overly concerned' by reliability issues
MONTMELO, Spain -- McLaren insists its ongoing issues during pre-season testing are not a cause for concern.

Carlos Sainz calls close testing performance gap 'coincidental'
MONTMELO, Spain -- Renault driver Carlos Sainz says he would put money on the gap between both ends of Formula One's field opening up significantly in the remaining three days of testing despite a tight spread on Tuesday.