A Secret Weapon For Formula 1 in 2019: The stories that could define the new season



Every single Formula 1 season has themes : storylines that define the year.



A few of these come as a delight. Who could have predicted that 2018's championship would turn on so several errors from Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari, for example?



Others are more expected. Every team heading into this calendar year has a series of questions suspending over them that will form aspect of the narrative of the period, reflective of their immediate history, associated with expectations and necessities - and typically the same goes for their drivers.



Since the clock ticks down to typically the launches of the new cars in addition to the start of pre-season testing throughout mid-February, let's look at the situation within which every F1 team will be heading into 2019.



Mercedes



F1 Malfunction: 'Hamilton just has the best vehicle, doesn't he? '

Drivers: For Lewis Hamilton, nothing else will do this kind of year but a sixth world name. The question for Hamilton is: precisely how does he find it in themself to top last season? Undoubtedly his or her greatest yet.



A virtually flawless 2018, including a number of thrilling, educational drives, will not be easy to be able to top. But Hamilton headed into the particular winter saying he was going to be able to work on trying to do accurately that, and he says he will be "ready to fight" again.



For the team-mate Valtteri Bottas, this could furthermore be a defining season.



The Finn ended last year winless, even if perhaps he was unlucky not to consider at least two victories, and this individual has only a one-year deal intended for 2019. With Esteban Ocon in the particular wings as reserve driver, and crew boss Toto Wolff pledging to discover the Frenchman a drive for 2020, the pressure is on Bottas to be able to perform.



Team: Mercedes won a 5th consecutive drivers' and constructors' championship increase last year and this year are usually aiming to break the all-time report set by Ferrari in the Jordan Schumacher era.



But last year they will were able to achieve their accomplishment only because of Ferrari's implosion instructions Vettel could have won the subject had he had as flawless a new season as Hamilton.



Ferrari have built steady progress in recent years. Within 2017, they were faster for substantially of the first half of the particular year, only to be steamrollered as soon as Mercedes kicked on after the summer time break. In 2018, Ferrari stepped upwards again - faster than Mercedes even more often than it was the various other way around.



If that trend proceeds, Mercedes could have their work minimize out. So the pressure is in the world champions to make a new significant step forward with their latest car this year.



Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari

Vettel won five adolescents prix last season but failed in order to top the podium in the ultimate eight races

Drivers: Big changes this particular year, with the arrival of Charles Leclerc to replace Kimi Raikkonen and even a new team boss following typically the ousting of Maurizio Arrivabene.



But within many ways the spotlight is upon the man who is supposed to be able to lead the team on track : Vettel.



It sounds odd to declare it of a four-time world champ with 52 wins, but the Spanish is arguably fighting for his status. He crumbled in the fight using Hamilton last year. And in Leclerc he faces the threat of some sort of talented rising star, much as he or she did with Daniel Ricciardo at Purple Bull in 2014, when Vettel dropped in no uncertain terms.



If Vettel is beaten by Leclerc on a new regular basis this year and, accepting Ferrari have a competitive car, once again falls short of the title, precisely what will that mean for his potential, with only a year left about his Ferrari contract after this time?



Leclerc has different pressure, of their first season in a top crew, and the most famous one involving all to boot.



Expectations are large, so good did he look throughout his debut year last season. This individual says he expects to win contests and challenge for the title if perhaps the car is good enough. Whether or not he lives up to those dreams or not, the internal dynamics in Ferrari will be fascinating.



Team: Ferrari arguably produced the best car final year and lost the title simply because of errors, largely by Vettel, but also from the team.



Along with former technical director Mattia Binotto inside Arrivabene's place, the first question can be whether Binotto can maintain the team's forward technical progress while being within overall charge.



Beyond that, can he or she provide a more stable environment and even wiser race-team operational management, both associated with which were beyond Arrivabene?



If he or she can, Ferrari could be formidable without a doubt - but how will they handle the relationship between the drivers?



Crimson Bull

Max Verstappen of Red Fluff

Austria and Mexico were races to be able to celebrate for Verstappen. Brazil's 'push-gate' nevertheless, was not

Drivers: With Daniel Ricciardo gone, Max Verstappen effectively formally can take on the role of team boss he had carved for himself simply by the force of his consistently excellent performances last year - once they stopped crashing in the first half a dozen races.



But that does not always mean the Dutchman will have this all his own way.



Frenchman Caillou Gasly is Verstappen's new team-mate, together with he looked very handy indeed together with some of his starring performances inside his debut season at Toro Rossiccio, most notably his brilliant fourth spot in Bahrain.



Verstappen and Ricciardo smeared along pretty well for most associated with their three years together, despite a new handful of on-track incidents.



Gasly can be a friendly but forceful character plus while Ricciardo was already established since a winner by the time Verstappen joined him at the team, Gasly is out to carve a popularity.



It is not hard to look at tension developing between the Red Half truths drivers if they are evenly combined. And Red Bull have not often handled such situations well - bear in mind Vettel and Mark Webber?



Team: Almost all eyes on the Honda engine this particular year. Red Bull have great desires of their new partnership, believing that will help them close the move to Mercedes and Ferrari. But actually they don't believe it is genuine to expect Honda to improve sufficiently in 2019 to close the move to the best engines.



Can these people make enough progress to enable Purple Bull's chassis to do the sleep and make it a three-way combat at the front?



And if development is less than expected, will Purple Bull, fresh from a fractious partnership with Renault caused by their steady public criticisms, be able to continue to keep their mouths in check?



Renault

Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg

Who is going to claim top spot at Renault throughout 2019 - Hulkenberg or new child Ricciardo?

Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo joins the particular factory Renault team amid a excitement following his surprise decision to depart Red Bull.



Renault hope that typically the recruitment of the Australian seven-time successful can help them move to an additional level as they seek to near on the big three.



But initially of all Ricciardo has to create himself as team leader, which is going to not necessarily be an easy process with Nico Hulkenberg as his team-mate.



The German is highly rated by simply Fernando Alonso, among others, and will be unlikely to be a pushover. Not necessarily least because Ricciardo's arrival offers Hulkenberg a golden opportunity to prove he or she deserves to be classed among typically the elite, a ranking that has fled from him so far in a job that remarkably does not even involve a podium finish.



Team: When Renault returned as a constructor in 2016, their target was to be earning races within five years. 무사고 안전놀이터 Last time of year, though, progress slowed, and they may be under pressure to close about the top teams in 2019.



This specific means improving both car - which in turn was at least a second down the similarly powered Red Bull previous year - and engine, where Renault were in danger of falling to be able to fourth out of four in the particular pecking order by the end associated with last season.



Insiders say progress provides been made on the engine, although that Renault's realistic hope is to be able to halve the gap between their power-unit and those of Mercedes and Ferrari.



That would be something - although it's still not enough for some sort of team whose pretensions of being subject contenders by 2021 are in risk of collapsing.



Haas

Romain Grosjean

The particular sight of Grosjean's Haas being winched onto a recovery truck is with any luck , a thing of the past

Motorists: A third season together for Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, both associated with whom have challenges ahead.



Grosjean arrived very close to his career intending down the toilet after a sequence of errors in the first one half of last year, only to saving himself with some starring performances after on. Can the Franco-Swiss ever locate a way to access his ideal stuff - which is of a new very high quality - on a new more consistent basis?



Magnussen was total the more convincing and consistent, although although he produced some very good performances last year, the impression is certainly that when Grosjean gets it many hooked up, the Dane can't fairly live with him.



Team: Last season was the best yet for this specific small team that continues to result in resentment from rivals through the distance of their relationship with Ferrari.



Haas say other teams could follow fit, in buying everything but aerodynamic floors and chassis from a bigger crew, but the likes of Williams and even McLaren say that's missing the level; F1 is not meant to get like that. That debate is certainly not going away any time soon.



Having the caveats that situation creates, Haas have done an impressive job hence far in F1. But they may have done better in 2018 together with they know it.



Their fundamental target for 2019 is to maintain all their competitive position - often best involving the rest on pace last time - and cut out the dissimilarity and mistakes to deliver their probable more often.



McLaren

Lando Norris involving McLaren

Lando Norris has already possessed a taste of life in typically the McLaren after taking part in several practice sessions in 2018

Drivers: Two-time world champion Alonso has gone. And even without him… what? The shadow involving the brilliant Spaniard will hang major over McLaren in 2018, as they will start what they hope will get the first season of a start again programme that will return them to be able to competitiveness by midway through the subsequent decade.



Alonso has been replaced simply by Carlos Sainz. He is a motorist of considerable pace and potential nevertheless who has had a tendency in order to be a bit up and straight down so far in his career. Plus alongside him is British rookie Lando Norris, whose clearly abundant talent offers created great expectations.



The battle among the two of them is remarkably anticipated but a lot depends in the car.



Team: McLaren might contain spent 2013-17 in denial about precisely how far they had fallen, but when it became clear last year, they will have certainly not hesitated in carrying out something about it.



Three senior characters are out, four new ones include been appointed - although new technological director James Key and new F1 managing director Andreas Seidl do not necessarily yet have start dates.



At typically the start of a rebuilding process, typically the key this year is to demonstrate evidence they have improved. Last calendar year, they had the second-worst car to get much of the season and simply Alonso's genius saved their blushes and even secured a higher-than-deserved championship position.



Men and women both inside and outside McLaren can be looking for signs of development from the lowest ebb in their particular once-illustrious history.



Racing Point

Lance Move Instagram

Stroll wrote on Instagram: "This is the beginning of an extremely exciting journey in my Formula one career. I am excited to grasp this new opportunity"

Drivers: Lance Stroll's switch from Williams to the ex - Force India team, which is nowadays owned by his father, the Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, sets up a person of the most interesting dynamics involving the new season.



Stroll Sr is usually very ambitious for his son, in addition to ran into friction at Williams upon occasions as a result. One instance being when he demanded a latest front wing was taken off Sergey Sirotkin's car in Hungary last year or so and given to Lance when Go walking had damaged his. The team turned down, which led to a sizeable disagreement.



Now Stroll owns a team, he or she can do what he likes when any such similar situation arises.



Walk Jr was outpaced by Felipe Complesso in his debut season at Williams, and was out-qualified more often compared to not by rookie Sirotkin last calendar year. How will he compare with Sergio Perez, an established and formidable drivers, whose quality is known?



If Perez is consistently quicker, how will Wander Sr react? And if there will be any attempt to favour the family members connection, what will be the reply from Perez - a determined personality not afraid to speak his thoughts?



These are fascinating questions heading in the team's first full season throughout its new guise.



Team: Had this not been for their mid-season details reset after financial collapse, Force Indian would have finished fourth for typically the third consecutive season last year.



Today under new ownership and better financed than for some time - probably ever - the team have aspirations of moving up the grid.



Absolutely not going to happen overnight, although it will be worth watching just what happens now the grid's best pound-for-pound team is finally married to good resources.



Having said that, rich seeing that Stroll is, his bank balance will be no match for those of typically the massive global corporations his team would likely have to beat to move forwards. So the challenge could be retaining expectations grounded in reality.



Alfa Romeo Racing

Kimi Raikkonen poses for Sauber before his first race in F1 at the Australian Grand Prix inside 2001

In 2001, a young person named Kimi Raikkonen prepared for their first Formula 1 race for Sauber in Australia. If Kimi could create this pose in Melbourne in Strut...

Drivers: All change, with veteran Kimi Raikkonen, 40 this year, rejoining the particular team where his F1 career started out, although they have just changed his or her name from Sauber to Alfa Romeo Racing.



Alfa Romeo were Sauber's name sponsor in 2018.



Partnered by Italian language Ferrari protege Antonio Giovinazzi, Raikkonen could do the usual - consistent, trusted performances without setting the world upon fire.



The pressure is all in Giovinazzi, who looked set for a new stellar career when he chased Gasly all the way to the Formulation 2 title in 2016, despite staying in his rookie year, but who also developed a reputation for crashing within a handful of appearances for Sauber in 2017.



Team: Sauber made gigantic strides in 2018, starting the period as the slowest team, ending this competing for best of the snooze.



The team benefited from decent solutions for the first time in many years, but it's also true that just about all of the impressive performances came by Leclerc.



Can the team keep upward the momentum now the Monegasque possesses left for Ferrari?



Toro Rosso

Daniil Kvyat

Kvyat said he "never provided up hope" of racing again in spite of being dropped twice by Red Fluff

Drivers: Russian Daniil Kvyat returns regarding a second chance at F1. He / she has been re-employed just over a new year after being dumped by Crimson Bull, largely because their conveyor seatbelt of young talent had a ditch in it.



Quick but inconsistent, Kvyat will be a decent yardstick regarding promising rookie Alexander Albon, who has been born in Britain but races within a Thai passport, and is very rated.



Team: Toro Rosso lost specialized director James Key at a vital time last summer when he had been poached by McLaren.



In theory of which might hurt them. In practice, they will are quietly confident and are looking for fifth place in the shining. But they always say that.



Since the second Red Bull team throughout a year when the factory attire takes on Honda engines, they are usually likely to continue the role regarding guinea pigs they fulfilled as the particular Japanese company tested developments last season.



Williams



Archive: Kubica's remarkable return in order to Formula 1

Drivers: One of typically the most tantalising partnerships of the period pitches Robert Kubica, returning after a eight-year absence following his life-changing move crash in 2011, against British newbie George Russell.



Kubica's comeback is the real feel-good story - the Person of polish lineage, after a brutal rehabilitation period, ultimately getting a chance to continue the career that had looked destined pertaining to the very top. But questions is still as to the level at which often he will he perform, with simply partial use of his right hand.



Russell, a Mercedes young driver, is usually one of the most promising little ones in years.



In the perceptions video game, how will it play? If Kubica beats Russell, will Russell's reputation get damaged or will people think Kubica has returned close to or from his previous level? If Russell bests Kubica, will it be seen while inevitable, given the Pole's "limitations", since he describes his physical issues, or perhaps a great achievement? The same issues apply if they are closely combined.



Team: Williams hit rock bottom throughout 2018, finishing last in the constructors' championship. The car wasn't great, in order to say the least, but an uninspiring driver line-up hardly helped.



They wish to have addressed the driver concern, but what of the car? In contrast to McLaren, there have been no noticeable major changes in the team instructions other than the departure of overall performance director Rob Smedley, who is very likely to pop up elsewhere by summer time time.



Williams really need to demonstrate signs of progress, if they happen to be to allay concerns about their prospect.

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