EIGHT- PAGE PREVIEW OF THRILLING F1 SEASON

IT’S all change in Formula One for 2017 as the new season roars into life at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, this weekend.

The biggest and most obvious change is the cars; they’re now wider, better looking, have fatter tyres and produce much more downforce than last year. Lap times should be significantly reduced and drivers are hoping the recent trend of ‘saving the tyres’ is over.

But there’s been a significant shake-up behind the scenes as well. The old guard of Bernie Ecclestone is no more, with three experts from US sports marketing giant Liberty Media now in charge. The former Mercedes and Ferrari man Ross Brawn has been tasked with reforming the spectacle and although there may not be immediate changes, everything is up for discussion.

Liberty’s influence has already been felt at testing, where teams were allowed to broadcast video on social media to bring the fans closer to the action – a first step towards a more modern way of watching F1.

So how will the changes translate to the circuit? Here, we speak to the big names at Mercedes to find out if the team is still the one to beat, learn more about Renault’s push to the front of the grid and get the inside track from Channel 4’s Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard on the season ahead.