Melbourne: the big three weigh each other up after EL1

Unsurprisingly, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari monopolized the Top 6 of the first running session in Melbourne but their respective directors believe that it is too early to establish the beginning of the hierarchy.

Published on 23/03/2018 à 05:36

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Melbourne: the big three weigh each other up after EL1

Lewis Hamilton comfortably dominated Free Practice 1 of the 2018 Australian Grand Prix, his teammate Valtteri Bottas ensuring the double for Mercedes. Third and sixth on the timesheet, Max Verstappen et Daniel Ricciardo framed both Ferrari by Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel, which did not use the fastest Ultra-Soft rubber, unlike their rivals.

« The first session was OK, said Toto wolff, boss of the Silver Arrows, at an FIA press conference. The Ferraris did not use the same tires as us so it will take a little more time before we can draw the first conclusions. But it's a good start indeed. Last year, with the introduction of the new aero rules, we saw that the advantage varied depending on the circuit and we believe that will be the case again this season. I don't see any team breaking away quickly and staying ahead all season. »

For his counterpart at Red Bull, the reigning four-time world champions remain the big favorites at the start of the year even if he hopes that his team has the means to regularly progress at the forefront.

« We had a positive first session, commented Christian Horner. We find Mercedes where we left them, They look in great shape. We made good progress over the winter. Our drivers are satisfied and the fight promises to be close with Ferrari but I don't yet know what the real gap with Mercedes will be. The season is long and fitness will vary from one race to another. It will be fascinating to follow the speed and development ability of the cars over the 21 races that make up this busy calendar. Because these are the factors that will dictate the overall level of performance. »

Also present alongside Wolff and Horner, Maurizio Arrivabene refused to make any predictions.

« It's very complicated to calculate the gaps, even more so after encountering unpredictable weather during winter testing in Barcelona, said the Italian manager. Mercedes looks competitive, Red Bull too, and so do we. »

On this last point, everyone pretty much agrees.