Australia: Flashback 2018 and Prediction of the Winner
Just before starting this first race weekend of the year, Motors Inside offers you a brief review of the events of the 2018 edition. It's also time for predictions before the hostilities begin.
2018 in the Headlines
Lewis Hamilton on pole position – Sebastian Vettel victorious in the race
After smoothly making it to Q2, the quartet of Ferrari-Mercedes drivers now found themselves in Q3. The first to take a risk was Valtteri Bottas, but his attempt ended in the wall at turn 2. The final trio made no mistakes in their respective two attempts, and Lewis Hamilton authoritatively claimed pole position by completely outpacing the competition. Six-tenths better than Kimi Räikkönen in second and Sebastian Vettel in third.
In the race on Sunday, a good strategy of extending the first stint and the interventions of the Virtual Safety Car and the Safety Car allowed Sebastian Vettel to win, right under the nose of a Lewis Hamilton who thought he would triumph over his rival. At the finish, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen completed the podium.
From Hero to Zero
In qualifying everything must be perfect, and the search for that perfect lap can lead to excess. A year ago, Valtteri Bottas fell victim to excessive speed at the entrance of turn 1, which led him to flirt with the grass on the trackside in turn 2. A few meters further, the verdict was irreversible with a violent impact against the wall that destroyed the rear and right side of his car.
🚩RED FLAG 🚩 Q3
Heavy impact for Bottas at Turn 2#Quali #AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/yKgWbIfQW9
— Formula 1 (@F1) 24 mars 2018
The two interventions during the race were caused by the consecutive retirements of the Haas drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, who had to stop at the side of the track after their pit stops. The left front wheel on both cars had been improperly secured following the tire changes. What was shaping up to be the best weekend for the American team since its debut turned into the worst weekend imaginable.
The editorial team’s prediction
Based solely on the performances during the test days in Barcelona, and also a touch of subjectivity unique to each writer, the Motors Inside editorial team offers its prediction for Sunday’s winner.
The fact is that not one but two drivers stood out: Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc
To complete this prediction, Lewis Hamilton would also be a contender for the victory, if not for the podium.
