THE MOTORSPORT LAP
Halo adorns drivers as the roar of F1 returns
Strategic move gives Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel the first win of the season
The 2018 Formula One season got under way at the Melbourne circuit in Australia on Sunday following pre-season testing in Spain. Testing in Barcelona showed a great deal of improvement by most teams compared to the preceding season. The new season sees the debut of halo-festooned cars as part of the cockpit protection system for drivers. In addition, drivers are wearing biometric gloves which contain sensors that in the event of a mishap allows sensors to relay vital information about the driver’s condition over a Bluetooth link to FIA medical crews. Also, a new safety car in the form of the Mercedes-AMG GTR with 430kW and 700Nm has been commissioned. The start of the season was met with much anticipation with free testing on Friday favouring the top three teams — Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing — which was replicated during qualification. On race day, reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton managed to place his Mercedes on pole ahead of Sebastian Vettel’s and Kimi Raikkone...
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