2019 Formula One Season: What You Need to Know

A New Year

After a thrilling season of racing last year,  F1 competition went into the winter break with fans buzzing. But the highest level of motorsport is returning on the weekend of March 15th. This year's competition is shaping up to be even more breath-taking than last year. Coming off of a fifth constructors' championship in a row, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team are ready for the new year with the all-new W10. 

Regulation Changes

The primary regulation changes are those regarding the shapes and sizes of the front and rear wings to allow for cars to follow each other easily. In addition, the cars' weight limit has been raised, meaning drivers won't need to be on extreme diets through the season anymore. 

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Shakeup in Driver Lineups

The number of changes to the driver lineups this season is somewhat unprecedented. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however, as new names and new teams for some of the sport's veterans always makes for exciting racing on the track. Most notably, Charles LeClerc takes Kimi Raikkonen's seat at Ferrari while Kimi returns to Sauber (Alfa Romeo-Sauber), the team he started his F1 career with. 

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Formula 1 season right here in MBWorld forum.

Winter Testing

With the two weeks of testing in Barcelona now behind us, we can start to speculate as to where everyone stands. Although we must resist the urge to come to any conclusions based on winter testing (teams generally don't show their real pace), there are some things we can safely assume. The most obvious being the fact that legendary F1 team Williams is not in good shape at all. 

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Mercedes vs. Ferrari

Since the last major change in F1 regulations in 2017, Scuderia Ferrari has caught up to the once totally dominant Mercedes-AMG team. The ultra-competitive battles between Ferrari's number one man Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes powerhouse Lewis Hamilton produced some nail-biting moments in 2017 and 2018. Ultimately, Hamilton won the drivers' championship both years while Mercedes took the constructors' crown. 

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Formula 1 season right here in MBWorld forum.

The Battle Continues

This year, the battle is expected to continue between the Italians and the Germans. With Ferrari showing a strong hand in the pre-season testing, many pundits believe that this might be the year that Ferrari finally surpasses Mercedes and takes the top spot.  

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Lewis Hamilton vs. Sebastian Vettel: Part 3

In 2018, Vettel and Hamilton went head-to-head, both as 4-time world champions. With Hamilton now leading the titles race against the German, Vettel will surely be going into this season trying to get one back and catch up. 

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Robert Kubica's Cinderella Story

Perhaps the most heart-warming story going into 2019 is the return of Polish motorsport star Robert Kubica. Coming back for his second stint as a Formula 1 driver, the former Grand Prix winner suffered a life-altering injury in a rally racing accident in 2011 at the age of 27. Despite this, he has worked hard to find his way back to the grid. And after a couple of seasons as a test driver for Renault and Williams, he will be making his long-awaited return to Grand Prix racing this Sunday.  

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Formula 1 season right here in MBWorld forum.

Melbourne, Australia kicks things off

It all starts this week in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix! The race weekend proceedings start on Thursday. The first practice session will be on Friday, followed by qualifying on Saturday, and the race itself on Sunday.

Click here to find broadcast availability and information for your country and region. 

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Formula 1 season right here in MBWorld forum.

And, for information on maintenance and repairs for your Mercedes-Benz, visit our How-To section here!