Australian GP: Williams Martini Grand Prix Preview

The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship is officially about to get underway! The season is set to start at Australia’s Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, with WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING eager to hit the track after poor weather conditions during pre-season testing in Spain limited the team’s running. The first race of the year is always exciting, not least due to the mixed testing conditions all teams endured, but also with new cars and drivers lining-up on the grid. Williams’ new recruit Sergey Sirotkin makes his Formula One race debut in Australia alongside Lance Stroll, who enters his second-year in Formula One following a strong first season with Williams which included a podium finish. The Australian fans always turn out in force for the season-opener, and their passion and enthusiasm never ceases to add to the spectacle.

PADDY LOWE:
We are all very excited to go back to Melbourne for the first race of the season. There are lots of new things this season with a new car, driver line-up, people, regulations and a range of new tyre compounds which I’m sure will make events interesting. The first race is always very special. It is good to get out of the European winter and to the pleasant climate in Melbourne with the enthusiastic crowds. Importantly, there is always a state of tension around where everyone will end up pace-wise with the first qualifying session being the most interesting hour of the F1 season, where we get the first exam results following our year-long build up to put together the FW41. We are excited to see Lance and Sergey in their first race as teammates, and it looks like there will be some close competition as all the teams appear to have done a fantastic job over the winter. And whilst that might make things difficult for the teams, it is great for the fans, so above all else, we hope to put on a great show for everyone in Australia.