What's new in F1? Halo comes in, T-wings are out and the French and German Grands Prix return as the 2018 season prepares to get underway

  • The new Formula One season gets underway on Sunday with the Australian GP
  • Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will be hoping to defend their world titles
  • But there have been tweaks to the technical rules over the winter
  • French and German grands prix also return to the calendar but Malaysia is axed
  • READ: More F1 news and features ahead of the new season 

Recent F1 seasons have been, to put it bluntly, boring. A lack of serious title fights, competitive teams challenging Mercedes’ dominance, or high octane racing on a consistent basis have put new fans off, and even current die hard are finding it a struggle.

F1 have looked to react this season, with a series of changes ranging from those designed to make the sport more interesting, to those sure to create debate and talking points.

So what’s new for 2018? Sportsmail has delved in to examine what we have to look forward to…


 
The Halo device has been introduced for 2018 and will provide cockpit protection for drivers

The Halo device has been introduced for 2018 and will provide cockpit protection for drivers

Halo

The most immediately noticeable and most talked about addition to the F1 cars this season is the halo, the cockpit protection device designed to protect the drivers’ heads from flying debris.

It consists of a carbon fibre ring around the driver’s helmet, with a thin central pillar down the front, for both protection and support.

The halo is mandatory, so all 20 cars will have to sport it. Opinions on it vary – some feel it ruins the look of the cars, others say it is barely noticeable. Most, however, agree that it is necessary, in order to provide more protection to drivers.

On a technical level, the minimum weight for cars has risen by six kilograms to 734kg, in order to compensate for the halo.

 
The ugly T-wing and shark fins that featured on the 2017 cars have been banned this year

The ugly T-wing and shark fins that featured on the 2017 cars have been banned this year

Kimi Raikkonen tests his Ferrari around Barcelona without the T-wing or shark fin

Kimi Raikkonen tests his Ferrari around Barcelona without the T-wing or shark fin

No T-wing

One ungainly add-on for the cars has gone, however. The shark fins – extended, thin pieces of bodywork on the top of the engine covers – and the T-wing – black supports above the rear wing – were added in 2017 to help aerodynamics and down force by teams as part of a loophole. This has now been closed, and the fins are gone.

 
There are now nine compounds (two wet) of Pirelli tyre including the new hypersoft (front)

There are now nine compounds (two wet) of Pirelli tyre including the new hypersoft (front)

Hypersoft and superhard tyres

As in 2017, Pirelli are providing tyres to all 10 teams on the F1 grid, with three compounds available per Grand Prix.

However, there are two new types available at either end of the spectrum, depending on the track and conditions: hypersoft, marked by a pink band, and superhard, marked in orange.

There are now nine types of F1 tyre – seven for dry racing, two for wet - all of which have been designed to increase racing speed. Initial tests have been good, with lap times reported to be up by around a second.

The superhard are to be used for the quickest tracks – as they are most durable but have the least amount of grip – while hypersofts will be seen at the twistiest, slowest races, such as Monaco.

 
McLaren made the most notable change in livery over winter, going back to their orange roots

McLaren made the most notable change in livery over winter, going back to their orange roots

Liveries

Many of the colour schemes for the 2018 cars are maintained from the previous season – Haas, Williams and champions Mercedes all have their familiar styles of various shades of grey, white and silver. Toro Rosso are also more of the same, in metallic blue.

Force India remain in the pink, as introduced last year, while Red Bull are their usual red and navy – a disappointment to those fans impressed with the special edition camouflage livery, which the team insist will only be seen at pre-season testing.

Ferrari are their usual, iconic colour, while Renault’s yellow and black look is always a winner, however Sauber’s new partnership with Alfa Romeo is celebrated with an eye catching splash of red at the back.

The biggest change is seen at McLaren, who having reverted to their historic orange look in 2017, have now gone fully retro with the addition of light blue – the colours used when they first entered the sport.

 
After a one-year absence the German Grand Prix returns at the Hockenheim circuit

After a one-year absence the German Grand Prix returns at the Hockenheim circuit

FORMULA ONE CALENDAR 2018
Date Venue Country
March 25 Melbourne Australia
April 8 Sakhir Bahrain
April 15 Shanghai China
April 29 Baku Azerbaijan
May 13 Barcelona Spain
May 27 Monaco Monaco
June 10 Montreal Canada
June 24 Le Castellet France
July 1 Spielberg Austria
July 8 Silverstone Great Britain
July 22 Hockenheim Germany
July 29 Budapest Hungary
August 26 Spa-Francorchamps Belgium
September 2 Monza Italy
September 16 Singapore Singapore
September 30 Sochi Russia
October 7 Suzuka Japan
October 21 Austin USA
October 28 Mexico City Mexico
November 11 Sao Paulo Brazil
November 25 Yas Marina Abu Dhabi

Tracks

There are a few minor tweaks to the F1 calendar for 2018.

The Bahrain GP is before China this season, as the second and third races swap places.

The Azerbaijan race moves from June to April, while Russia swaps from April to September.

This is partly because two historic races have returned to the F1 calendar: the French GP is back on June 24 at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, near Marseille.

It is the first time the track has hosted the race since 1990, and the first French GP at all since 2008.

Germany also gets itself back on the F1 calendar, returning July 22, having been left out of the 2017 calendar after the Nurburgring pulled out. Hockenheim will host in 2018.

The race to miss out this time is the Malaysian Grand Prix, whose F1 contract was not renewed amid spiralling costs.

The Austrian and British GPs both take place a weekend earlier than 2017 which means no conflict with the World Cup final, on July 15.

 
McLaren were hit by a spate of grid penalties during a wretched 2017 campaign

McLaren were hit by a spate of grid penalties during a wretched 2017 campaign

Grid penalties

Last season, the penalty system for teams who changed engines and gearboxes, or suffered failures, resulted in farce as drivers would get up to 60-place penalties, and the results of qualifying were often rendered meaningless.

Now, any driver who earns a penalty of 15 places or more will start from the back of the grid. If more than one driver gets penalised, they will be ordered by who changed their components first to most recently. Sounds simple – but we wait and see.

 

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