After many months of waiting, the 2014 Formula One Racing Season begins on Sunday with the normal season opener in Melbourne, Australia. However, with brand new rules for this year, not to mention drivers who have not been familiar with their cars following the pre-season tests, should make this a very interesting race for the first time in years.
Albert Park’s main straightaway, where this weekend the 2014 Formula One season kicks off in Melbourne, Australia. [Photo courtesy of zimbio.com]
Although Mercedes has done very well along with Williams in the testing, it is very hard to tell if both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg can dominate the opening event, or will the same winners emerge from the top teams of Red Bull, Ferrari or Lotus, who won the opening event with Kimi Raikkonen.
New rules included, it will be very interesting as this course of just over three miles a lap winds through the center section of town in the Albert Park region. This park circuit reminds many of Montreal, Canada, which is run in June, but the comparison stops there. The idea that both circuit are both in park areas, Montreal has a couple of hairpins, where in Melbourne, it does not exists. The fans and people involved are wonderful in this Victoria state in Australia, and the event is very well liked and many love coming back every year.
The track on the other hand, is very tough on a normal level, but this year in particular is even worse, due to the introduction of the new V-6 turbo power units. The circuit has a combination of tight corners and very high acceleration and the corners themselves are mid to low speed, especially the first two turns of the circuit. In addition, there is a lot of heavy braking during the event, and depending on what power unit the drivers are using, it could be a make or break time to do well in this opening event.
The race itself is being run this weekend is the 29th edition since it became an event in 1985, and considering the protests all the time to change the venue, it is now still the race that begins the season and it is used every year.
Mark Gero has written formula one racing stories since 2002 on the Internet for such sites as Motorsport.com, Racing Information Service News and for a brief time at the Munich Eye newspaper in Munich, Germany along with Autoweek online. Mark also has a diploma in journalism from the London School of Journalism in London, England and in addition a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa.