Australian Grand Prix 2015 Preview: It's 'hammertime' for Mercedes

It will be ‘Hammertime’ come Sunday as the 2015 Formula One season kicks off with reigning champions Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes set to continue their run of dominance starting with the Australian Grand Prix.

Mercedes won a record 16 out of 19 races last season as the German marque stamped their authority over Formula One’s new turbo-hybrid era.

One year on little has changed and, with the rules largely stable, all indications from pre-season testing point to Mercedes having pulled further ahead.

“At this point in the year you don’t really know what to feel as a driver. You’re impatient to get back to racing but, at the same time, you never know what a new season will bring,” Hamilton said in a team preview issued ahead of Sunday’s race. “I feel fresh, I feel fit, I feel relaxed, I feel positive… I feel ready. I think as a driver you get stronger with every season, so I plan to be better than last year.”

Hamilton claimed eleven of Mercedes’ 16 wins to clinch his second world title last year and heads into the season hoping to equal his idol Ayrton Senna’s tally of three world championships.

But, despite his Mercedes’ ominous pace, Hamilton will not have it all his own way and can expect team-mate and 2014 title-rival Nico Rosberg to push him hard once again over a punishing 20-race season.

The former karting friends buried the hatchet after an acrimonious battle for the title last year, with Rosberg magnanimously congratulating Hamilton following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix despite having his own title hopes dashed at the season-finale.

But Rosberg, who was comprehensively outraced by Hamilton last year, has been working hard over the winter to iron out his weaknesses. And, with at least the early season races almost certain to be a two-horse race, the rivalry between the Mercedes team-mates is sure to be reignited.

“It’s always been a challenge, the relationship (with Lewis),” Rosberg, who won the season-opener last year, told reporters at a promotional event in Melbourne. “It has its ups and downs, (but) we have that base respect, which is important to keep things going. “So we can always fall back on that. But it’s going to be exciting as always,” Rosberg said.

THE CHASING PACK

Mercedes may be the clear favourites at the head of the field but all indications are that the battle behind them will be close with Williams, Ferrari and Red Bull all expected to fight it out to be the best of the rest.

Williams, in particular, have rediscovered their mojo after enjoying their best season in a decade last year, and head into the season targeting race wins. The team have been hard at work over the winter ironing out the operational niggles which, on occasion, cost them victory last year and go into the season in a strong position if not quite on Mercedes’ pace.

“I think we had a good testing and I’m really looking forward to have a good start of the season, to have a good season,” Felipe Massa said at a promotional event in Melbourne on Wednesday. “We always want to have the best we can for the victory. We know it’s not easy because Mercedes is very strong but I’m really looking forward that we can have good races and give them a hard time. That’s what we will try.”

Ferrari, too, have made a major step up and, after a winter of wholesale change, the sport’s most successful team looks set to bounce back from their first winless year since 1993.

But the squad achieved its objectives in testing, catching the eye of rivals including Mercedes, and both Sebastian Vettel, who arrives from Red Bull, and Kimi Raikkonen are happy with their new challenger.

“Now, I can say that we have reached our objectives,” new team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, the squad’s third team-boss in the space of a year, said.

“But we all have our feet on the ground, because we know the other teams aren’t sleeping. It’s clear that Mercedes is there, but we have to concentrate on ourselves.”

Vettel, following in the footsteps of boyhood hero Michael Schumacher, has already impressed the team, with Arrivabene drawing parallels between his dedication to the task at hand and Schumacher’s own punishing work ethic.

But, though Ferrari may not be able to mount a sustained title bid this year, their sights are squarely set on returning to winning ways, with Arrivabene setting the squad a modest target of two race victories.

Red Bull also had a far smoother pre-season and head to Melbourne significantly better prepared compared to last year. But engine supplier Renault admit there is more power to be squeezed from their 1.6 litre V6 turbo-hybrid and Red Bull’s performance remains a bit of an unknown.

Home hero Daniel Ricciardo, who proved to be the revelation of last season when he became the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race by claiming victory in three races, steps into the role of team-leader following Vettel’s departure.

He will be joined by former Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat, who became the sport’s youngest-ever points scorer at the Australian Grand Prix when he finished 9th on his debut.

ALONSO MISSING

Fernando Alonso’s absence from the Australian Grand Prix dominated headlines in the days building up to the race. The double world champion will miss the season-opener on doctor’s orders, putting off his McLaren return after suffering a concussion in a mysterious crash in the penultimate pre-season test.

Kevin Magnussen, ousted in favour of Alonso, will instead fill the vacant seat alongside Jenson Button.

Alonso’s absence compounds an already dismal pre-season for the renewed McLaren-Honda partnership and the duo, who once dominated Formula One, are braced for a tough few flyaway races.

The Spaniard, however, is hoping to be back in time for the second race of the season in Malaysia.

“Of course I’m very disappointed not to be joining Jenson in Melbourne…but I understand the recommendations of the doctors and I’m already back in training and preparing for my first race in the MP430,” the Spaniard was quoted as saying in a team-preview issued by McLaren.

“Keep working good … Malaysia is one of the most demanding races, and we will be at 100%!” he had tweeted earlier.

THE ROOKIES

Sunday’s race will see five drivers make their Formula One debuts. But none will be more in the spotlight than 17-year-old Max Verstappen. The son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen, he will become the youngest-ever driver to start a Formula One race when he lines up on the grid for Toro Rosso.

He lines up alongside another rookie, Carlos Sainz Jr. – son of the rally legend – and also part of the Red Bull young driver programme.

Roberto Merhi, who took part in a few practice sessions for Caterham last year, will make his race debut driving for the revived Manor Marussia squad. He lines up alongside Will Stevens who has just one Grand Prix under his belt. Brazilian Felipe Nasr, Williams’ reserve driver last season, will make his Grand Prix debut for Sauber.