In addition to the dominant “silver arrows” of Mercedes, Sebastian Vettel comes in their own Team more competitive. The young Monegasque Charles Leclerc wants to break into the Phalanx of the Top pilots.
The formula 1 season in 2019 could be for Sebastian Vettel at the turning point. It has now been five years since Vettel his fourth and so far last world Cup, has won. However, that was in a different Era of formula 1, in another Team and before the series changed its rules radically, and the modern hybrid switch drives.
In the past season, more Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton dominated again – also because of Vettel beneficiary of their success with a series of errors. Ferrari drew the consequences: The team leader had to go, and also to the drivers, there was a change in staff.
New competitor in your own Team
Mattia Binotto took over the Team as the successor to Maurizio Arrivabene. In addition, the veteran and loyal Vettel was helper Kimi Raikkonen in the second Cockpit, the 21-year-old Charles Leclerc replaced. The native Monegasque, made in his Rookie season with a series of good performances for Clean positive notice to the attention of, could be far more than just a talented young driver that fits behind Vettel in the second link. “He’s smart, and he’s fast,” said Binotto, the Italian newspaper “Corriere della Serra” and announced: “We will have a lot of fun with him.”
And even before the first lights of the season will be switched to Green, hedges Binotto already against betting on the Status of its two drivers. In the season-opening race, both are likely to fight “free”, but the focus will be on Vettel and his fifth title. “Sebastian has more experience, he is with us for many years, he has won the formula 1 world championship,” said Binotto. “So he is our Champion.”
The new head of Scuderia Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto wants to lead the “Red” to the title
Vettel is in his fifth year at the Scuderia. For Michael Schumacher the fifth Ferrari-season brought the breakthrough and the first world championship title in Red. Overall, he has won with Ferrari five titles in a row.
Hamilton is still the favorite?
Despite all the changes at Ferrari and the impressive performance of Italian Teams in the test rides before the season, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are still the ones to beat in the fight for the title. Mercedes has won since the extensive rule changes in the year 2014 and the beginning of the Hybrid Era in formula 1, every driver and constructor championship.
The 34-year-old Hamilton, with four of the last five world Championships, repeated, will do everything to win the sixth driver’s title. The ambitious British, the a place in the annals of formula 1 is already secure, it is determined squint with one eye to the records of Michael Schumacher. 18 wins and two Championships, separating him from Schumacher’s best brands. Hamilton is already started more formula 1 races from Pole Position than any other driver in the history of the king class.
The Lewis-Hamilton-Party? The Brit wants a title in his sixth driver
During the tests in Barcelona, Hamilton has focused mostly on longer intervals with heavy fuel consumption, and instead of leaving Ferrari at the best lap times the first. Only on the last day of testing, the Briton put on a short Tempo, and immediately caused a stir: almost out of the booth, he laid down a lap time, the only smidge of only 0,003 seconds slower than Vettel’s fastest test time – a proof that even a better Ferrari is not guaranteed that you can expect in Australia is an undisputed victory for the Scuderia.
“The rules have fundamentally changed,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff during the Tests. “So we have to start at Zero, we re-prove, in terms of our own expectations and against our competitors. There is absolutely no claim to stand at the top.”
Narrower blades for more Racing?
Wolff pointed out that the serious rule changes, which it gave to the new season in terms of the aerodynamics of the cars, could be a deliberate attempt to minimize the Mercedes is a little slow and the advantage of the silver arrows on the Rest of the field. In fact, the Changes are such that one may expect closer and more varied races. The new dimensions of the Front and rear wings to reduce the performance drawbacks that occur when a driver is driving close behind his front man. With the new dimensions and wing sizes air turbulence can be reduced, and the man behind it has overtaking easier.
Sergio Perez of Racing Point F1, driving for many years in formula 1, was cautiously optimistic after the Tests, even a Mercedes. “In the case of Bottas, it worked,” said Perez then analyzed: “I have the feeling to lose less downforce, but we will only see in Melbourne, as it is in the race, with several cars at the same high speed. I hope, however, that the Show is a good bit better.”
Red Bull: “surprise bag” or more?
Always at the Limit: Max Verstappen funny driver is one of the attack of the Team
For Max Verstappen, the rule would not have been changes to basically not necessary. The Dutchman was with the old regulations rarely overtaking problems. His Red Bull Team and Verstappens talented new French team-mate Pierre Gasly should be involved, therefore, in the course of the season also. Surprisingly, the two drivers have an average age of just 22 years.
As in previous years, the evidence suggests that Red Bull can’t make the square Hirschen of Ferrari and Mercedes over the total duration of the world Cup really competitive. However, the Austrians have a car again, on certain tracks its Strengths can play to: cornering speed, maneuverability, traction, and relatively low stress on the tires.
After switching from Renault to Honda engines, Red Bull seems to be the “wonder bag”. His fastest test times of the Team in Barcelona, drove the third fastest of the available tires. The team has done everything that the true potential of his race cars before the Qualifying session in Melbourne ahead of the Rest of the formula to hide 1.