LONDON: This year’s Formula One season gets under way on Friday with two practice sessions in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. And it begins with everyone asking the same question they were pondering at the beginning of last season. And the season before that. Can Mercedes be beaten?
The simple answer is “no.”
Despite all the fanfare of a new era surrounding the return of motorsport’s most illustrious championship, there is a palpable air of familiarity.
The only two teams even remotely capable of getting ahead of Mercedes and winning a Grand Prix have conceded that the Silver Arrows are the team to beat — Lewis Hamilton, in particular.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who, like Hamilton, can match the great Juan Manuel Fangio on five world titles with a championship victory this season, has made all the right moves and said all the right things in pre-season to at least give the impression he can challenge Mercedes.
But the German driver is a realist and knows Hamilton and his teammate Valteri Bottas have a distinct advantage heading into the new season.
This time last year, there was hope of a changing of the guard as Vettel took victory in Australia and was leading the drivers' championship standings until the Italian Grand Prix about six months later.
Slowly but surely, however, Mercedes ironed out their early issues with what was undoubtedly a quick car, but one that had issues on certain tracks. Hamilton went on to take nine victories, Bottas obediently assumed his position as No. 2 driver, and Mercedes’ procession to the drivers’ and constructors’ championships was complete. With lessons learned, it seems unlikely the German outfit will make the same early errors.
It is not all doom and gloom, however, and there are glimmers of hope for the F1 faithful.
While nowhere near the performance of the Mercedes and Ferrari cars, Red Bull will become more competitive as the year goes on after an upgrade to its hybrid system becomes available in time for the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
With the reliable Daniel Ricciardo and prodigious talent Max Verstappen in the cockpits, Red Bull will be looking to improve on their three Grand Prix victories last season and perhaps prolong Mercedes’ wait for the title at least.
More importantly, Ferrari — which had arguably the best car on the grid in 2017, but threw away the title with team errors and questionable driving — appear to have adopted some of Mercedes’ pre-season ideas and improved their power and speed.
Come Sunday, we will know if Ferrari have been successful and whether they can be in the mix for a first constructors’ championship since 2008.
If they cannot, while F1 has undergone monumental change off the track, there will have been a depressing lack of change on it come the season-ender in Abu Dhabi in November.
Lewis Hamilton still the one to beat as Ferrari gamble in bid to end Mercedes dominance
Lewis Hamilton still the one to beat as Ferrari gamble in bid to end Mercedes dominance
Reed surges four shots ahead at Dubai Desert Classic
- Spaniard David Puig climbed into second following a birdie-birdie finish after a 66 left him at 10 under
DUBAI: Patrick Reed stormed into a four-shot lead heading into the final round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, thanks to a brilliant 67 on Moving Day.
The American held a narrow overnight advantage at nine under but was quickly challenged by Francesco Molinari on the front nine. Molinari, who led after 18 holes, opened with three straight birdies to reach double figures before Reed hit back with three birdies and two bogeys in his first seven holes to join him at ten under.
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, then finished his front nine with a birdie to edge ahead and did not look back, picking up three further shots to climb to 14 under at Emirates Golf Club as he pursues a maiden Rolex Series victory.
“I think the biggest thing right now is the driving. I feel like I’m driving the ball a little better right now,” said Reed. “Once I saw putts go in this week, seems like the putter is back behaving doing what it’s supposed to, and allows me to free up the rest of my golf game.
“You’re always excited, showing up on Sunday with a lead. I feel like that’s what all of us live for as players, competitors, to have a chance to win on Sundays. I know it’s not going to be easy, it never is, and doesn’t matter how big of a lead you have.”
Spaniard David Puig surged into solo second following a birdie-birdie finish in a stunning 66 to reach ten under, with 2022 champion Viktor Hovland one shot further back alongside Englishman Andy Sullivan, who bounced back from bogeys at the eighth and ninth with three birdies on the back nine.
“It was a great day from start to finish,” said Puig. “We were a little behind, and seeing Patrick Reed and all the guys that are up there are really good players, so I knew I needed a good one. Still a little behind but it’s going really well. Hopefully tomorrow we have a good chance.”
Hovland, who carded a bogey-free 65, said: “It was very nice and steady today. Hit a lot of fairways. I know I played a wonderful round of golf today. Certainly no complaints about a bogey-free 65 out here. This place is no joke. If I get off the tee and in a decent position, I can really do some damage.”
Italian pair Molinari and Andrea Pavan were in a share of fifth at eight under, while Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Spaniard Jorge Campillo sat at seven under.
Nicolai Hojgaard led the group at six under alongside South African trio Jayden Schaper, Hennie du Plessis and amateur Christiaan Maas, as well as French pair Julien Guerrier and Martin Couvra.
