Back on Track: The Australian Grand Prix
It’s so close, you can practically taste the champagne. The Australian Grand Prix marks the start of a new Formula One season, which is only one week away. The off-season has been a whirlwind of rumors, contracts, and shocking moments, but finally, those world-famous 20 cars are almost on track. However, the question remains: What can fans expect from the opening race?
From data gathered in pre-season testing as well as interviews given by team members, the boys in rosso at Scuderia Ferrari HP seem confident coming into what will be a landmark season. The driver lineup of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and sixth-year Ferrari veteran Charles Leclerc has already made a splash with fans around the world, but especially in the team’s home country of Italy. An event held in Milan this week presented the SF-25 and its drivers to over twenty thousand tifosi, and a brief interview session gave insight into Ferrari’s preseason mindset. “Over the winter, we have worked harder than ever to be in the best possible shape, and we hope we can get some great results, maybe already in Australia,” Leclerc said before joining in a resounding rendition of the Italian national anthem. The 2024 constructors’ runner-ups look to be high in spirit, but what of the only team that bested them?
McLaren is entering the season with its head held high, albeit with less fanfare than its Italian rivals, coming off a nail-biting constructors’ championship win last season. Lando Norris topped timesheets on the first day of preseason testing, and both he and teammate Oscar Piastri seemed to look comfortable in their MCL39. Norris, in an interview with NBC, said despite his satisfaction with the car, “he and Piastri are always complaining of something; we always want to improve in every area, whether it's the rear of the car or the front of the car or the whole thing. We're always exploring the limits.” CEO of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, has remained steadfast in his belief that he and his papaya team can hold onto their title but admitted that “he thinks it's going to be remarkably close the entire field.”
After a disappointing season for Oracle Red Bull Racing, defending drivers’ champion Max Verstappen has been cautiously optimistic for what could be his fifth championship season in a row. Verstappen did not have the fastest lap in any of the preseason testing timesheets and admitted to F1.com that there was “still a bit of work to do” for the Austria-based team. In an out-of-character move on Friday, Verstappen seemed to have conceded the first race to his opponents, saying, “I don't think we can fight for the win already in Melbourne,” at a Dutch media event. It is hard to believe that a fighter like Verstappen would ever back down unless he believed he had a good reason to. Will the race at Albert Park begin the end of the reign of Red Bull?
