The season opens
A week after the engines were started in MotoGP in Thailand, it’s time to get serious in Formula 1 as well. As per tradition in almost all of the last thirty years of history, the championship will kick off this weekend at the Melbourne circuit, where the Australian Grand Prix will be held. A highly anticipated event not only to witness the competition on track again, but also to see the new single-seaters outside the context of pre-season testing, with the same cars that, compared to last season, must comply with a decidedly different technical regulation, with rules that are still not entirely simple to understand.
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The surprise of the tests
Chassis and power units that open a new era of F1, which could shake things up and provide surprises. Limited to winter testing, one of the realities that impressed the most was the Ferrari-powered Haas VF-26, particularly for its reliability and for the total number of laps completed. The US team arrives with the goal of achieving at least one top-3 finish, never reached so far in its ten-year history, with the high point dating back to the pole position won by Kevin Magnussen in the 2022 Brazilian GP.
The team’s work
Big changes, then, but not in the team’s line-up, which still features Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon. The enthusiasm for the Briton is evident, even if the 20-year-old will have to be very careful right from the opening weekend, being ‘in the lead’ in the penalty points standings and 2 points away from disqualification: “Although the winter break was short, it now feels like a long time since we looked forward to seeing the true performance of this new generation of Formula 1 cars – he commented – it has been a titanic job for the team, many have been away from home for several weeks, working at all hours and across different time zones to ensure our testing program was smooth and productive, and for that I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Pre-season testing provided answers to many of our questions and, despite there being still much to learn, I believe we are working on solid foundations. I arrived in Melbourne this weekend to beat the jet lag early and also to have the chance to see a bit of this fantastic city. The Albert Park Circuit is a phenomenal track that will really test all of us, and it’s crucial that we remain reliable and consistent in these early races. Last year was a learning experience from start to finish for me, but after 12 months I feel completely ready for the weekend ahead.”
Proud of the team
Fired up for the first round of the world championship is also Ocon, who like his teammate highlighted the team’s efforts: “The first race of a new season is always an exciting moment for everyone – the Frenchman added – the months of hard work will finally be put to the test and I am personally very excited for this new challenge and to get back to racing. It has been a monumental effort from the whole team to prepare the car for Fiorano, Barcelona and then for the Bahrain. We had a couple of successful weeks of testing and the team can be very proud of itself. Starting the season in Australia is always a challenge, with the long journey and the time difference, but it’s a fantastic event and Melbourne is a fantastic city with incredible energy. The Albert Park track is a unique, bumpy and tricky street circuit, which will be interesting with this new generation of cars. I can’t wait to get on track in Melbourne and to see how we perform against the competition. In a tight midfield battle, consistency will be key, so we will look to maintain momentum and start the season well.”
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