Another season; renewed hope for non-Mercedes teams
Is it that time of year again? Indeed, as we approach less than a month out from the much-anticipated 2019 Australian Grand Prix in mid-March, the traditional season-opener since 2011, the paint has barely just dried on the newest iteration of each respective team's racing machines. There has been a few rebrands this season, with the likes of Alfa Romeo (formerly Sauber) and Racing Point (formerly Force India), a few radical livery changes, and of course the retention of a certain Rosso Corsa machine (guess who). In terms of mechanical changes, 'evolution' rather than 'revolution' is the theme for most cars, with only relatively minor rule changes coming into effect. Check out the new looks and driver lineups below so that, come the Aus GP, you can tell your Red Bull from your Toro Rosso...
(Images courtesy of each respective manufacturer) A (very brief) overview of rule changes
Rule changes are to be expected year-on-year in F1, albeit none too significant this year. Main changes are centred around reducing turbulence produced by high-downforce rear and front wings, meaning that (hopefully) overtaking will be easier and therefore produce better racing for spectators. Front wings now have to be wider but less intricate (with a mandated standard endplate and maximum of five horizontal winglets), as well as rear wings needing to be higher but narrower than in 2018, again resulting in cleaner air for a following car. In a similar vein, the DRS opening in the rear wing is now 20mm wider (up to 85mm - resulting in 30% more efficiency) meaning that, when open, cars should be faster and therefore encouraged to attempt overtaking. Expect this to have a huge effect at Albert Park; for the first time in 2018, there were three DRS zones throughout the circuit.
Importantly, driver weight has been set at a 'minimum' of 80kgs, meaning that neither heavier drivers (like the 184cm Nico Hulkenberg) are disadvantaged, nor are they encouraged to restrict caloric intake - an unhealthy and unwise strategy for drivers of 300km/h+ machines. If drivers are less than 80kgs, then ballast must be added to the car, but only in the cockpit area. Maximum fuel loads have been upped from 105kgs to 110kgs, with the intention of allowing drivers to be pushing harder for longer; again, with hopes of making for better racing. Continue reading below for more information on the car, their drivers, and a brief preview on each... The TeamsMercedes
Read more from the official Mercedes-AMG site here.
Ferrari
Read more from the official Ferrari site here.
Red Bull Racing
Read more from the official Red Bull site here.
Renualt
Read more from the official RenaultSport site here.
Rich Energy Haas
Read more from the official Haas site here.
McLaren
Read more from the official McLaren site here.
Racing Point (formerly Force India)
Read more from the official Racing Point site here.
Alfa Romeo Racing
Read more from the official Alfa Romeo Racing website here.
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Read more on the official Scuderia Toro Rosso site here.
Williams
Read more from the official Williams site here.
All in all, the 2019 season looks to be a promising one with rebranded teams, new cars, and new faces along with the familiar ones we have grown to love (and not love so much). The next big hurdle for all teams will be the Australian Grand Prix, where teams who are serious contenders and teams who didn't do their homework throughout the offseason will become very clear indeed... See you trackside at Albert Park!
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