2018 Australian F1 Grand Prix: preview, timetables and broadcasts

The wait is finally over for Formula 1 fans, and this weekend we have the opening of the 2018 season at the Australian Grand Prix. The Albert Park circuit in Melbourne will be the stage where the 69th edition gets underway in the history of the premier category of motorsport.

For this new season, Lewis Hamilton is once again the big favourite to win the world title, which, if he manages it, would be the fifth in a row for Mercedes, something only Ferrari has achieved in F1 history. The Italian team, and more specifically Sebastian Vettel, will be Hamilton’s main rival, as they demonstrated in pre-season testing in Barcelona, where the red cars were the fastest on the track.

Speaking of pre-season, Carlos Sainz has given a very good impression and, judging by what we have seen, it could be the year of Renault and the first team after the big three (you know them: Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull). The prospects of shining for the Madrid driver are very good, and we will see whether he can live up to the high expectations from the very first race.

By contrast, Alonso, who this season will surpass the figure of 300 grands prix, has not had such a good pre-season, and his McLaren has left plenty of doubts, even after the departure of Honda which, surprisingly, has worked quite well in the Toro Rosso cars during the tests at Montmeló. Even so, we already know full well that the Asturian driver is capable of getting the most out of whatever he is given.

All of this, plus the new features that this year brings (among them the now famous Halo), we will see at the Albert Park circuit. The Australian track has hosted the Australian Grand Prix since 1996, and from the starting grid, Räikkönen, Hamilton and Vettel (each twice) and Alonso (in 2006) know what it takes to win.

2018 Australian GP timetable

Due to the time difference between Spain and Australia, following the first GP of the 2018 season will mean staying up late or getting up earlier than we usually do on a race weekend. The

timetable

is as follows:

Friday 23 March:

2:00 am -> Practice 1

• 6:00 am -> Practice 2

Saturday 24 March:

4:00 am -> Practice 3

• 7:00 am -> Qualifying

Sunday 25 March:

7:10 am -> Race

• As in previous years,

Movistar TV

holds the rights in Spain to the Formula 1 World Championship, after renewing for three more seasons, and this year exclusively, as Vodafone TV will not broadcast the races. The motorsport package can be subscribed to on this platform from 10 euros a month.