- Formula 1 - Season 2018 -

[genius83]

Mercedes found 0.25s from slimming sidepod design
MONTMELO, Spain -- Mercedes technical director James Allison says his team has found 0.25s in lap time from the work around its new car's sidepods alone.

Daniel Ricciardo breaks track record in morning session
MONTMELO, Spain -- Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo set a new Circuit de Catalunya track record to lead the mid-way point of the sixth day of Formula One's pre-season tests.

Daniel Ricciardo quickest as McLaren problems persist
MONTMELO, Spain -- Daniel Ricciardo set a new Circuit de Catalunya lap record on the sixth day of pre-season testing, which also saw McLaren suffer another setback.

Barcelona PreSeason Testing 2
Day 2
Pos Driver             Car                  Time      Laps
 1  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull/Renault     1:18.047   165
 2  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes             1:18.400    90
 3  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes             1:18.560    85
 4  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari              1:19.541    66
 5  Brendon Hartley    Toro Rosso/Honda     1:19.823   119
 6  Fernando Alonso    McLaren/Renault      1:19.856    57
 7  Carlos Sainz       Renault              1:20.042    88
 8  Romain Grosjean    Haas/Ferrari         1:20.237    78
 9  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari              1:20.242    49
10  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes    1:20.349    63
11  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault              1:20.758   102
12  Sebastian Ocon     Force India/Mercedes 1:20.805   130
13  Charles Leclerc    Sauber/Ferrari       1:20.918   160
14  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes    1:22.350    80

McLaren on reliability woes: 'We are on top of this'
MONTMELO, Spain -- Another day, another reliability problem; but McLaren insists it does not have a fundamental design issue with its new car.

Jean Todt not worried by Ferrari Formula One quit threat
FIA president Jean Todt insists he is not worried by Ferrari's threat to quit Formula One.

Esteban Ocon believes Force India is close to Red Bull
MONTMELO, Spain -- Despite the team's quiet start to the winter Esteban Ocon reckons Force India is on a similar footing to Red Bull at this stage of pre-season testing.

Alonso: McLaren is ready for Australian GP now
MONTMELO, Spain -- Despite a series of reliability issues during pre-season testing, Fernando Alonso insists his McLaren could go racing tomorrow if it needed to.

Daniel Ricciardo confident of stronger Red Bull challenge in Melbourne
MONTMELO, Spain -- After setting a new Circuit de Catalunya track record on Wednesday Daniel Ricciardo predicted Red Bull will be hot on the heels of Mercedes and Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix.

Ex-Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis gets FIA role
The FIA has appointed former Ferrari chief designer Nikolas Tombazis as its new head of single-seater technical matters.

Daniel Ricciardo jokes of mega payday for bold punters
Fresh from topping the timesheets during pre-season testing in Barcelona, Daniel Ricciardo joked there's money to be made by betting on him for world championship glory.

[genius83]

Carmen Jorda issues statement over controversial comments
Carmen Jorda has issued a statement to clear up her controversial comments suggesting women have a "physical barrier" preventing them from making it in Formula One.

Vettel smashes lap record as Ferrari hints at true pace on penultimate morning
MONTMELO, Spain -- Ferrari signalled its intent on the penultimate morning of pre-season testing by setting a new Circuit de Catalunya track record, nearly 0.9s clear of the previous record set by Daniel Ricciardo on Wednesday.

Barcelona PreSeason Testing 2
Day 3
Pos Driver             Car                  Time       Gap    Laps
 1  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari              1:17.182s   -      188
 2  Kevin Magnussen    Haas/Ferrari         1:18.360s  1.178s  153
 3  Pierre Gasly       Toro Rosso/Honda     1:18.363s  1.181s  169
 4  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault              1:18.675s  1.493s   79
 5  Carlos Sainz       Renault              1:18.725s  1.543s   69
 6  Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren/Renault      1:18.855s  1.673s  151
 7  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber/Ferrari       1:19.244s  2.062s  148
 8  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes             1:19.296s  2.114s   84
 9  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes             1:19.532s  2.350s   97
10  Robert Kubica      Williams/Mercedes    1:19.629s  2.447s   73
11  Sergio Perez       Force India/Mercedes 1:19.634s  2.452s  159
12  Max Verstappen     Red Bull/Renault     1:19.842s  2.660s  187
13  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes    1:20.262s  3.080s   67

Ferrari sets impressive pace on penultimate day of testing
MONTEMELO, Spain - Although there are no winners in pre-season testing, Ferrari signaled its intent ahead of the new Formula One season by shattering the track record at the Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday.

Sebastian Vettel warns against jumping to early conclusions about Ferrari pace
MONTMELO, Spain -- Sebastian Vettel is refusing to draw conclusions from the eye-opening lap times he set on the penultimate day of Formula One's winter tests.

Stoffel Vandoorne has 'very positive' feeling about McLaren's car
MONTMELO, Spain -- McLaren started a recovery from its difficult start to the second winter test with a day Stoffel Vandoorne described as "very positive" on Thursday.

Lewis Hamilton: Too early to call new Mercedes W09 a diva
MONTMELO, Spain -- Lewis Hamilton has felt none of the negative traits of last year's Mercedes W08 in this year's car, but says he's still getting to know the W09.

Max Verstappen: 0.3s Merc deficit acceptable for Red Bull
MONTMELO, Spain -- Max Verstappen says closing the qualifying gap to Mercedes is key to Red Bull's chances of beating the world champions to race wins in 2018.

Kimi Raikkonen fastest on final morning of F1 testing as McLaren reliability trouble continues
MONTMELO, Spain -- Ferrari remained at the top of the timesheets during the final morning of pre-season testing as McLaren faced another reliability issue with Fernando Alonso at the wheel.

Robert Kubica sacrificed final test for Lance Stroll
MONTMELO, Spain -- Robert Kubica says he willingly gave up his final pre-season test appearance to Williams race driver Lane Stroll in order to strengthen the team's Australian Grand Prix chances.

Ferrari tops final test but Mercedes' pace impresses most
MONTMELO, Spain -- Ferrari ended pre-season testing at the top of the timesheets after Kimi Raikkonen finished 0.563s clear of Fernando Alonso's McLaren on the final day at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Barcelona PreSeason Testing 2
Day 4
Pos Driver             Car                  Time       Laps
 1  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari              1:17.221s   155
 2  Fernando Alonso    McLaren/Renault      1:17.981s    85
 3  Carlos Sainz       Renault              1:18.092s    37
 4  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull/Renault     1:18.327s    82
 5  Romain Grosjean    Haas/Ferrari         1:18.412s   168
 6  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes             1:18.825s    91
 7  Brendon Hartley    Toro Rosso/Honda     1:18.949s   156
 8  Sebastian Ocon     Force India/Mercedes 1:18.967s   160
 9  Charles Leclerc    Sauber/Ferrari       1:19.118s    64
10  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes    1:19.189s   105
11  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes             1:19.464s    97
12  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes    1:20.163s    18

Kimi Raikkonen: We could have gone faster in F1 testing
MONTEMELO, Spain -- Kimi Raikkonen is confident the Ferrari could have set a faster lap time during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya if it wanted to.

Daniel Ricciardo: Final days of testing paint unclear picture
MONTMELO, Spain -- Ferrari's impressive finish to Formula One's pre-season has made Daniel Ricciardo contemplate Red Bull's true place in the pecking order, but he is still sure both teams are in the same "ballpark" as Mercedes.

Late Fernando Alonso lap boosts McLaren after troubled week
MONTMELO, Spain -- Despite a challenging two weeks of pre-season littered with reliability gremlins, Fernando Alonso and McLaren head to the Australian Grand Prix in a defiant mood.

Williams: Understanding new car could be a long process
Williams might have to wait until the latter parts of the 2018 Formula One season to fully optimise the potential of its car, according to technical chief Paddy Lowe.

Bottas vows to change mindset after beating himself up over Hamilton defeats in 2017
Valtteri Bottas admits he was beating himself up last season after losing out to Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Renault explains why it would back F1 budget cap
Renault would back the implementation of a Formula One budget cap and says it has been "sensibly" building its team until a decision is made on the issue.

Brendon Hartley: Endurance racing would help Daniil Kvyat's F1 return hopes
Toro Rosso's Brendon Hartley thinks Red Bull outcast Daniil Kvyat could learn a lot from his own journey back to the Formula One grid.

Fernando Alonso considered quitting F1 after Indy 500 debut
Fernando Alonso contemplated a 2018 without Formula One in the months after contesting last year's Indy 500.

Sebastian Vettel hints at deceptive Mercedes, Red Bull winter pace
Sebastian Vettel has suggested the long-run pace demonstrated by Mercedes and Red Bull during winter testing does not give an accurate picture of the pecking order ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

[genius83]

FIA president Jean Todt was baffled by driver criticisms of Halo
FIA president Jean Todt admits he was surprised so many Formula One drivers spoke out against the Halo device, as the biggest push for cockpit protection came from them.

Ferrari hires FIA safety director Laurent Mekies
Ferrari has bolstered the technical operation of its Formula One team by hiring the FIA safety director Laurent Mekies.

[genius83]

FIA president Jean Todt keen to remove Ferrari's veto
FIA president Jean Todt is against extending Ferrari's veto over Formula One's regulations when it expires at the end of 2020.

FIA explains plans to clamp down on oil burning in F1
The FIA is confident new regulations this year will be successful in catching teams that attempt to burn oil in the engine's combustion chamber to gain a power advantage.

McLaren 'very unhappy' at Ferrari's signing of FIA chief Laurent Mekies
McLaren has accused Ferrari of breaking a gentleman's agreement with the signing of the FIA's safety director Laurent Mekies.

Daniel Ricciardo: Red Bull in the best shape since I joined
Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull feels more prepared to have a strong Formula One season than at any point since he joined.

[genius83]

McLaren to carry flip-flop sponsorship on Halo
McLaren has made light of the most frequent comparison made about Formula One's new Halo device by confirming its will be sponsored by a flip-flop manufacturer for the Australian Grand Prix.

Romain Grosjean hopes to join Fernando Alonso at 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours
Haas driver Romain Grosjean is hoping to join Fernando Alonso in a debut appearance at the Le Mans 24 Hours later this year.

Mercedes ready to fight Ferrari, Red Bull for 2018 F1 title
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is expecting the 2018 Formula One season to be a tense three-way battle between his team, Ferrari and Red Bull.

Nico Rosberg on how Lewis Hamilton's F1 rivals can beat him in 2018
Nico Rosberg is one of the few who can speak with authority on how to beat Lewis Hamilton to a Formula One title and he has offered his advice to every driver hoping to do so in 2018.

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Season Opener Australian GP:

Australian GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   06:00 To 07:30
Practice Session 2   10:00 To 11:30

Saturday
Practice Session 3   07:00 To 08:00
Qualifying Session   11:00 To 12:00

Sunday
Race                 10:10 To 12:10

[genius83]

Mercedes urges F1 to take Ferrari quit threat seriously
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Formula One risks playing with fire if it does not take Ferrari's threat to quit the sport seriously.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo looking to send message to rivals in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Daniel Ricciardo is hoping to upset Formula One's established order with a strong result at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

Hamilton not convinced Mercedes has the quickest car
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The majority of the Formula One paddock is convinced Mercedes are the favourites for victory ahead of this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but Lewis Hamilton is not so sure.

[genius83]

Sergio Perez: 'We are not as bad as we look'
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Three days out from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez insists Force India is "not as bad as we look" despite an underwhelming winter testing in Barcelona.

Lewis Hamilton responds to Nico Rosberg's 'inconsistency' jibe
Lewis Hamilton says former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was just trying to make headlines when he suggested inconsistency was his biggest weakness.

Lewis Hamilton warns Ricciardo not to 'rock the boat' at Red Bull
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lewis Hamilton has issued a stern warning to Daniel Ricciardo, insisting the Australian must avoid "rocking the boat" at Red Bull as he prepares to finalise his racing plans beyond 2018.

Esteban Ocon: I have to beat Sergio Perez this year
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Esteban Ocon says he must beat Force India teammate Sergio Perez this year in order to advance his career after 2018.

F1 facing 'most important' six months of its history, says Martin Brundle
Driver-turned pundit Martin Brundle believes Formula One is currently at a pivotal moment in its history.

Fernando Alonso: McLaren should be at the front by mid-season
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Fernando Alonso knows McLaren won't be in the running for victory at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, but says it "should" be fighting Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull by mid-season.

Sebastian Vettel: Mercedes the favourites... for now
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Ferrari may not have set the benchmark during winter testing but it hasn't stopped Sebastian Vettel from labeling his car "great" ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen: Melbourne straights could be 'painful' for Red Bull
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Max Verstappen is refusing to make predictions ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend, but is concerned Melbourne's straights may prove to be Red Bull's weakness.

Romain Grosjean: 0.5s gap to Ferrari is possible
Romain Grosjean reckons Gene Haas' target of his team being within half a second of Ferrari is achievable.

Lewis Hamilton calls for greater diversity in Formula One, says 'nothing has changed'
Lewis Hamilton has again accused Formula One of lacking diversity ahead of the opening race of the new season.

[genius83]

Lewis Hamilton dominant in opening Australian Grand Prix practice
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lewis Hamilton ensured Mercedes picked up where it left off in 2017 by topping the timesheets in the opening practice session of the Australian Grand Prix.

Australian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos Driver             Car                   Time       Gap    Laps
 1  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:24.026s   -      27
 2  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:24.577s  0.551s  29
 3  Max Verstappen     Red Bull/Renault      1:24.771s  0.745s  26
 4  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari               1:24.875s  0.849s  23
 5  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari               1:24.995s  0.969s  22
 6  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull/Renault      1:25.063s  1.037s  25
 7  Romain Grosjean    Haas/Ferrari          1:25.730s  1.704s  24
 8  Fernando Alonso    McLaren/Renault       1:25.896s  1.870s  16
 9  Carlos Sainz       Renault               1:25.922s  1.896s  23
10  Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren/Renault       1:26.482s  2.456s  15
11  Pierre Gasly       Toro Rosso/Honda      1:26.494s  2.468s  25
12  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes     1:26.536s  2.510s  25
13  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault               1:26.583s  2.557s  25
14  Esteban Ocon       Force India/Mercedes  1:26.605s  2.579s  30
15  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes     1:26.636s  2.610s  30
16  Sergio Perez       Force India/Mercedes  1:26.767s  2.741s  26
17  Kevin Magnussen    Haas/Ferrari          1:27.035s  3.009s  13
18  Brendon Hartley    Toro Rosso/Honda      1:27.745s  3.719s  16
19  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber/Ferrari        1:27.964s  3.938s  28
20  Charles Leclerc    Sauber/Ferrari        1:28.853s  4.827s  28

Hamilton edges Verstappen as Red Bull closes gap in second practice
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lewis Hamilton maintained his place at the top of the timesheets after practice two in Australia to ensure the opening day of the 2018 season belonged to Mercedes, but some impressive Red Bull pace has the world champions locked in a tight battle.

Australian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos Driver             Car                   Time       Gap    Laps
 1  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:23.931s   -      35
 2  Max Verstappen     Red Bull/Renault      1:24.058s  0.127s  34
 3  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:24.159s  0.228s  34
 4  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari               1:24.214s  0.283s  39
 5  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari               1:24.451s  0.520s  38
 6  Romain Grosjean    Haas/Ferrari          1:24.648s  0.717s  34
 7  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull/Renault      1:24.721s  0.790s  28
 8  Fernando Alonso    McLaren/Renault       1:25.200s  1.269s  28
 9  Kevin Magnussen    Haas/Ferrari          1:25.246s  1.315s  30
10  Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren/Renault       1:25.285s  1.354s  34
11  Carlos Sainz       Renault               1:25.390s  1.459s  35
12  Sergio Perez       Force India/Mercedes  1:25.413s  1.482s  30
13  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault               1:25.463s  1.532s  35
14  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes     1:25.543s  1.612s  32
15  Esteban Ocon       Force India/Mercedes  1:25.888s  1.957s  33
16  Brendon Hartley    Toro Rosso/Honda      1:25.925s  1.994s  41
17  Pierre Gasly       Toro Rosso/Honda      1:25.945s  2.014s  39
18  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes     1:25.974s  2.043s  37
19  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber/Ferrari        1:26.814s  2.883s  31
20  Charles Leclerc    Sauber/Ferrari        1:26.815s  2.884s  35

Red Bull and Ferrari row over Laurent Mekies signing
MELBOURNE, Australia -- The new Formula One season is less than 48 hours old, but two of its biggest teams have already engaged in a war of words in the paddock.

Sebastian Vettel confident Ferrari has 'quite a lot' of pace in hand
Sebastian Vettel is confident Ferrari did not show anything close to its true performance in the opening practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen relishing prospect of rain in Melbourne
Despite showing impressive pace in the dry in Friday practice at Albert Park, Max Verstappen says he would welcome rain in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo encouraged by long-run pace in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia -- An untimely red flag may have forced him to abort his best flying lap but Daniel Ricciardo insists he was never going to jump to the top of the timesheets during FP2 in Australia.

Vettel names his 2018 Ferrari F1 car 'Loria'
Sebastian Vettel's tradition of naming his Formula One cars has continued with the christening of 'Loria', his 2018 Ferrari.

Daniel Ricciardo receives grid penalty at home race
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Daniel Ricciardo will start his home race with a three-place grid penalty after he was caught speeding under red flags during second practice for the Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton amazed by 'insane' speeds in Melbourne
Lewis Hamilton has described the speed he is able to tackle Albert Park's high-speed corners as "crazy" and "insane".

Toto Wolff: More diversity in paddock would do us good
Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has backed his star driver's demand for greater diversity in Formula One.

Romain Grosjean excited by Haas pace in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia -- An impressive winter testing suggested Haas could be the new leader of the midfield pack and Friday in Melbourne went some distance in proving that theory.

FIA launches 'F1 Future Stars' initiative
The FIA has announced the launch of its 'F1 Future Stars' initiative, which will see the introduction of child mascots at each grand prix weekend.

[genius83]

Sebastian Vettel quickest in wet-dry final Australian GP practice
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Sebastian Vettel topped the final practice session for the Australian Grand Prix as one of just three drivers to complete a flying lap on slick tyres in drying conditions.

Australian GP
Practice Session 3
Pos Driver             Car                   Time       Gap     Laps
 1  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari               1:26.067s   -       15
 2  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari               1:28.499s   2.432s  13
 3  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber/Ferrari        1:28.890s   2.823s  14
 4  Max Verstappen     Red Bull/Renault      1:31.680s   5.613s   8
 5  Carlos Sainz       Renault               1:33.172s   7.105s  11
 6  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull/Renault      1:34.043s   7.976s  14
 7  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes              1:34.174s   8.107s  14
 8  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:34.225s   8.158s   7
 9  Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren/Renault       1:34.233s   8.166s  15
10  Fernando Alonso    McLaren/Renault       1:34.298s   8.231s  13
11  Pierre Gasly       Toro Rosso/Honda      1:34.990s   8.923s  16
12  Brendon Hartley    Toro Rosso/Honda      1:35.438s   9.371s  16
13  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes     1:35.589s   9.522s  16
14  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes     1:35.828s   9.761s   8
15  Romain Grosjean    Haas/Ferrari          1:36.171s  10.104s   6
16  Charles Leclerc    Sauber/Ferrari        1:36.448s  10.381s  12
17  Kevin Magnussen    Haas/Ferrari          1:36.807s  10.740s   7
18  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault               1:38.482s  12.415s   8
19  Esteban Ocon       Force India/Mercedes   -          -        1
20  Sergio Perez       Force India/Mercedes   -          -	  1

Daniel Ricciardo blasts stewards over Australian GP grid penalty
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Daniel Ricciardo has lashed out at the Australian Grand Prix stewards after receiving a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow during a red flag period in FP2.

F1 confirms Netflix documentary on 2018 season
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Formula One has confirmed it is working with Netflix to produce an original docu-series around the 2018 season.

Stunning Lewis Hamilton lap beats Ferrari drivers to pole
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lewis Hamilton turned in a thrilling late lap to take the pole position at the Australian Grand Prix by 0.66s from the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

Australian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos Driver             Car                   Time       Gap
 1  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:21.164s   -
 2  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari               1:21.828s  0.664s
 3  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari               1:21.838s  0.674s
 4  Max Verstappen     Red Bull/Renault      1:21.879s  0.715s
 5  Kevin Magnussen    Haas/Ferrari          1:23.187s  2.023s
 6  Romain Grosjean    Haas/Ferrari          1:23.339s  2.175s
 7  Nico Hulkenberg    Renault               1:23.532s  2.368s
 8  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull/Renault      1:22.152s  0.988s
 9  Carlos Sainz       Renault               1:23.577s  2.413s
10  Fernando Alonso    McLaren/Renault       1:23.692s  2.528s
11  Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren/Renault       1:23.853s   -
12  Sergio Perez       Force India/Mercedes  1:24.005s   -
13  Lance Stroll       Williams/Mercedes     1:24.230s   -
14  Esteban Ocon       Force India/Mercedes  1:24.786s   -
15  Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes                -         -
16  Brendon Hartley    Toro Rosso/Honda      1:24.532s   -
17  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber/Ferrari        1:24.556s   -
18  Charles Leclerc    Sauber/Ferrari        1:24.636s   -
19  Sergey Sirotkin    Williams/Mercedes     1:24.922s   -
20  Pierre Gasly       Toro Rosso/Honda      1:25.295s   -

Lewis Hamilton jokes pole lap was to 'wipe smile off' Sebastian Vettel's face
The competitive edge between Formula One's two four-time world champions, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, was clear to see after the former claimed pole for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen concerned with Ferrari's gap to Mercedes
MELBOURNE, Australia -- He may be starting the Australian Grand Prix from the front row of the grid but Kimi Raikkonen is far from satisfied with Ferrari's early season qualifying pace.

Max Verstappen: Ferrari beatable without Q3 error
Max Verstappen says he only has himself to blame for failing to beat the Ferraris to a spot on the front row of the grid.

Daniel Ricciardo: Lewis Hamilton's pole lap like a pie in the face
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Daniel Ricciardo says Lewis Hamilton's pole position lap at the Australian Grand Prix was like Mercedes showing the finger to the rest of the paddock and throwing a pie in everyone's face.

Toto Wolff worried Valtteri Bottas' qualifying shunt could shatter his confidence
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Valtteri Bottas' shunt during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix has left Mercedes boss Toto Wolff concerned from a psychological point of view.

Fernando Alonso expects 'big points' for McLaren despite Q2 elimination
Despite his elimination from Q2 in Melbourne Fernando Alonso is expecting McLaren to push for a top-six finish at the Australian Grand Prix.

Toto Wolff calls Lewis Hamilton's Melbourne pole lap 'an outlier'
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has labelled Lewis Hamilton's pole position lap at the Australian Grand Prix as an "outlier", saying the gap his driver held over the rest of the field was down to finding the car's sweet spot.

Bernie Ecclestone to face further bribery and corruption charges
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and Bambino Holdings Limited could be forced to pay significant damages to Bluewaters Communications Limited should the London High Court find in favour of the claimant during a trial scheduled to begin on 1 October 2019.

Kevin Magnussen 'would love' to beat former teams McLaren and Renault
Kevin Magnussen hopes Haas can maintain its current level of competitiveness after winning the midfield battle in qualifying in Melbourne.

[SLR]

That was an interesting race. Ferrari won due to VSC, can't complain because Mercedes did the same at Spain last year. But holy balls, that W09 is a proper beast. Even with the Mercedes on 7 lap older tyres and dirty air, the Ferrari just couldn't pull away. The car looked fairly stable as compared to last year. It's almost like Mercedes and Ferrari swapped cars. Also watched the qualifying laps side-by-side yesterday, the W09 was faster through the corners. The chassis balance is sublime on that car. And Mercedes haven't even fully unleashed the sandbags yet. This is the same car from Spain, no new parts. Crazy.
Ferrari seems to be struggling with teething issues on their new longer wheelbase. Apparently, they had to sacrifice front-end grip for rear-end stability which explains the behaviour of the car.
Haas royally screwed up today but I'm happy for McLaren. Hoping the upcoming updates will improve the car even more.

[genius83]

Sebastian Vettel stuns Lewis Hamilton to win in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Sebastian Vettel won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix against the odds after taking advantage of a Virtual Safety Car to beat Lewis Hamilton to victory.

Australian GP
Race Results
Pos Driver              Car                   Laps  Gap
 1  Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                58   1:29:33.283s
 2  Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes               58         5.036s
 3  Kimi Raikkonen      Ferrari                58         6.309s
 4  Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull/Renault       58         7.069s
 5  Fernando Alonso     McLaren/Renault        58        27.886s
 6  Max Verstappen      Red Bull/Renault       58        28.945s
 7  Nico Hulkenberg     Renault                58        32.671s
 8  Valtteri Bottas     Mercedes               58        34.339s
 9  Stoffel Vandoorne   McLaren/Renault        58        34.921s
10  Carlos Sainz        Renault                58        45.722s
11  Sergio Perez        Force India/Mercedes   58        46.817s
12  Esteban Ocon        Force India/Mercedes   58      1:00.278s
13  Charles Leclerc     Sauber/Ferrari         58      1:15.759s
14  Lance Stroll        Williams/Mercedes      58      1:18.288s
15  Brendon Hartley     Toro Rosso/Honda       57   1 Lap
 -  Romain Grosjean     Haas/Ferrari           24   Wheel nut
 -  Kevin Magnussen     Haas/Ferrari           22   Wheel nut
 -  Pierre Gasly        Toro Rosso/Honda       13   Power Unit
 -  Marcus Ericsson     Sauber/Ferrari          5   Hydraulics
 -  Sergey Sirotkin     Williams/Mercedes       4   Brakes

Here is the Championships Standings after Season Opening Australian GP:

Championships Standings
Drivers Standings
Pos Driver             Points
 1  Sebastian Vettel     25
 2  Lewis Hamilton       18
 3  Kimi Raikkonen       15
 4  Daniel Ricciardo     12
 5  Fernando Alonso      10
 6  Max Verstappen        8
 7  Nico Hulkenberg       6
 8  Valtteri Bottas       4
 9  Stoffel Vandoorne     2
10  Carlos Sainz          1
11  Sergio Perez          0
12  Esteban Ocon          0
13  Charles Leclerc       0
14  Lance Stroll          0
15  Brendon Hartley       0
Constructors Standings
Pos Constructor	        Points
 1  Ferrari               40
 2  Mercedes              22
 3  Red Bull/Renault      20
 4  McLaren/Renault       12
 5  Renault                7
 6  Force India/Mercedes   0
 7  Sauber/Ferrari         0
 8  Williams/Mercedes      0
 9  Toro Rosso/Honda       0

Carlos Sainz almost vomited during Australian Grand Prix
As well as battling his rivals on track, Carlos Sainz spent the final portion of the Australian Grand Prix fighting against a queasy stomach.

'Heartbreaking' Haas retirements down to human error
Haas' hopes of scoring its best-ever Formula One result at the Australian Grand Prix were ended by two separate human errors, according to team boss Guenther Steiner.

Kimi Raikkonen surprised Ferrari kept him in dark over Sebastian Vettel's strategy
Kimi Raikkonen said he did not feel aggrieved to see teammate Sebastian Vettel win the Australian Grand Prix, although he was surprised Ferrari did not keep him informed about the German's strategy during the race.

Mercedes admits its software cost Hamilton his shot at victory
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Mercedes admits it got its maths wrong at the Australian Grand Prix, costing Lewis Hamilton a possible victory at the opening round of the season.

Sebastian Vettel: Ferrari have taken a step backwards despite Australia victory
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Despite winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari are not as quick as they were 12 months ago when they last made the trip to Melbourne.

Sergey Sirotkin's F1 debut ended by loose sandwich bag
However long his motor racing career lasts, Sergey Sirotkin is unlikely to ever suffer the same issue which prompted him to retire from his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton: I wish strategy was more in my hands
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated by the intricacies of modern Formula One racing after Mercedes' strategy software cost him a likely victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

[mumbojumbo]

Yes I agree Mercedes is the bench mark at the moment but I don't think Ferrari is that far off. I think Vettel was just trying to manage a gap as its a circuit where overtaking is very difficult. I don't think he was trying to pull outright in order to get away. I would love to see Alonso and Mclaren do better this year. They should be able to mix it up with the front runners if they keep their development rate up. RB is also in contention and I think they will win some races this year as well. Don't see them wining the championship just yet. I think Riccairdo should sign for Ferrari already...! Haas should be gutted and probably will do a lot of pitstop practice before the race in Bahrain. Overall, I think Australia is never truly an accurate reflection of car performance rather its a race venue most teams used to gauge the reliability of their package since its the first true race distance running of the car. Funny thing is Lewis Hamilton said on saturday after dominating qauly that he wanted to whip the smile off Vettel's face...well there you go Lewis..some karma for you

[asharab.butt]

Salam brothers in looking to get into f1 as it's been a long time. Just wanted to ask where you guys watch it and whether there is a set day and time for races like football where there is a championship league match on Tuesday and Wednesday?

[zia1288]

Wsalam. I watch them on online streaming due to non availability of channels on cable. There is scheduled calendar (see the opening post). Race weekends starts from Friday and goes till Sunday. Main events are qualifying on Saturday and race on Sunday.

[asharab.butt]

Thanks a lot brother.

[genius83]

@mumbojumbo and @SLR
I am not sure what we have seen yesterday is how we should expect the season to follow up. But one thing is sure about this season and that is there will be less battles for the lead and more trying to maximize the points tally by all the title contenders. Reason for such strategy will be because of less engines availability and more races to compete. So all the top teams will run conservatively to complete the season without unnecessary penalties which could hurt their chances.

@SLR
I don't think Mercedes is the outright fast package as you are trying to imply, it certainly is the best package but not the fastest as Bottas was struggling against ForceIndia in the early part of the race. Also Mercedes like every other F1 car is struggling in the aero wake of another car when closely following so they need a bit more power to overtake or they will destroy their tyres following other cars.

@asharab.butt
Welcome to F1.

[genius83]

Red Bull 'very close' to Ferrari on race pace
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen agree their race pace is almost on par with Australian Grand Prix winners Ferrari despite failing to reach the podium at the season-opening race.

Fernando Alonso eyes Red Bull after fifth in Melbourne
Fernando Alonso says his fifth-place finish at the season-opener at Albert Park is just the start for the McLaren-Renault partnership.

Sebastian Vettel credits Lewis Hamilton, not Mercedes engine, for pole lap
Sebastian Vettel doesn't believe Mercedes' much talked about "party mode" is the main reason Lewis Hamilton was on pole position in Melbourne by nearly 0.7s.

Guenther Steiner: Strong Melbourne pace keeps spirits up
Haas boss Guenther Steiner says the fact that Haas appears to be Formula One's fourth fastest team will keep spirits up in the team after both drivers failed to finish the season-opener in Melbourne due to a series of pit-stop errors.

Toro Rosso remains optimistic despite issues in Melbourne
Pierre Gasly says the Honda-related engine issue suffered in the season-opener in Melbourne is no cause for concern.

[genius83]

F1 must take 'structured approach' to overtaking problem, says Ross Brawn
The entire Formula One community must work together to improve overtaking, according to the sport's technical chief Ross Brawn.

Christian Horner floats idea to neutralise qualifying engine modes after Mercedes dominance
After Lewis Hamilton took pole position by more than 0.6s at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has suggested a rule tweak to peg back the world champion.

Kimi Raikkonen: Halo acted as useful sun visor in Australia
After months of debate over the pros and cons of the Halo, the new safety device provided drivers with an unexpected benefit during the Australian Grand Prix.

Haas retains Santino Ferrucci as development driver
American Santino Ferrucci will continue in his role as a Haas development driver this season.

[genius83]

Mercedes gives further details of software glitch that cost Lewis Hamilton victory in Australia
he Mercedes Formula One team has offered further details of the miscalculation that cost Lewis Hamilton victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

Haas defends 2018 design as rivals voice suspicions
Amid accusations the new Haas F1 car bears striking similarities to last year's Ferrari, team principal Guenther Steiner has defended his team's 2018 design.

Sebastian Vettel still lacking confidence in new Ferrari SF71H
Sebastian Vettel believes his new Ferrari has "huge potential" but admits it is not yet giving him the confidence he needs to drive it on the limit.

Mexican driver Alexandra Mohnhaupt sports a formula for success
MEXICO CITY – Alexandra Mohnhaupt fell in love with auto racing after she circled a lap behind the wheel of a go-kart at 9 years old.

[genius83]

Haas retains development driver Arjun Maini
Indian driver Arjun Maini has been retained by Haas in a developmental role for 2018.

Force India encouraged by 'huge' development potential
Force India is confident it can find big performance steps at upcoming races despite its slow start to the season at the Australian Grand Prix.

Haas optimistic strong form will continue in Bahrain
Haas boss Guenther Steiner is sure his team can prevent a repeat of the pit-stop mistakes which ruined its Australian Grand Prix and push for a good haul of points in Bahrain.

Christian Horner: F1 should issue 2021 rules ultimatum
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has encouraged Formula One to present its teams with a take-it-or-leave-it set of regulations for 2021.