Five-star Hamilton to leave Bottas bombed out? GP Fans' F1 2018 predictions

The new Formula 1 season is a few days away, with just enough time to look at what is to come before the action commences at Albert Park, Melbourne. From the rookies to the rivals, here’s how we see F1 shaping up in 2018.

The drivers’ world champion will be...

LEWIS HAMILTON

It's difficult to look past Hamilton securing a fifth drivers' title in 2018. Many of the signs in pre-season testing pointed to Mercedes and the champion yet again proving the partnership to beat. His form during last season suggests he’s firmly entering his prime as a driver, and now in his sixth season with the team he argues to be "one of the greatest sport has ever seen", he's developing a similar relationship to the one Michael Schumacher enjoyed at Ferrari in his early-2000s pomp.

He often plays down talk of statistics, but another title would put Hamilton one ahead of Sebastian Vettel and edge him closer to Schumacher’s outright record of seven. Who would have thought that possible when Hamilton announced his decision to quit McLaren back in 2012?

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The constructors’ world champions will be...

MERCEDES

Although there was no headline-grabbing time from Mercedes during pre-season testing, they demonstrated their strength on long-run pace and appear to have retained an edge over rivals Ferrari and Red Bull. A fifth-consecutive constructors' title appears a strong possibility, having focused resources over the winter on solving the issues that led to team boss Toto Wolff nicknaming last year's car "the diva" due to its tendency to misbehave.

Judging by the W09's pre-season performance, the diva has been tamed. The car looked stable through the quick corners and - perhaps more crucially - nimble through the slower, twisting sections; a known weakness of last year's car. Hamilton declared he was "ready to go to Melbourne" after only two days in Barcelona, ominously declaring that "last year's car was great, but this car feels better". We'll soon find out if he's right.

The most improved driver will be...

CARLOS SAINZ JR

Sainz has shown occasional flashes of potential during the past three years, none more so than his brilliant fourth place for Toro Rosso in last year's sodden Singapore Grand Prix. This year, Sainz has a huge incentive to deliver regular results and Renault's expected leap forward in performance gives him the car to do just that.

Still technically contracted to Red Bull, Sainz could return to his previous stable, should they have a Daniel Ricciardo-shaped seat to fill in 2019. After being overlooked in favour of Max Verstappen in 2016, what better motivation than to join the Dutchman in the senior Red Bull squad and take him on in a leading car?

The most improved team will be...

MCLAREN

Though hampered by technical gremlins during testing, McLaren should finally move up the grid this year and return to the podium for the first time since the opening race of 2014 - yes it really has been that long! The decision to swap Honda for Renault power will also allow McLaren to compare performance against that of the works team and probable frontrunners Red Bull, so we will finally see if their chassis is all it has been cracked up to be.

Early season podiums may be a stretch as the Renault engine will not be fully unleashed from the start of 2018. Its full capability is believed now to be close to 950bhp, but reliability has been prioritised over performance. By mid-season, we should see McLaren pushing for bigger results, and podiums ought to be possible at the less power-dependant circuits. Fernando Alonso set the third-quickest time of winter testing on the final day - although on the hypersoft tyre, it provided a glimpse of what the car is capable of.

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The most disappointing driver will be...

VALTTERI BOTTAS

In his first season with the Silver Arrows, Bottas exceeded many people's expectations, securing an early pole at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and following that up with wins in Russia, Austria and Abu Dhabi. A second season with the team should, in theory, be a little easier as he settles in and becomes accustomed to the way the team operates. The reality, however, could be quite different.

Bottas finished ahead of Hamilton in eight races last year, although the last three came with Hamilton already celebrating another title. If unable to hit the ground running this year, Bottas could find the going tough, especially if Ferrari and Red Bull become a genuine threat to Mercedes' title chances. With his contract up at the end of 2018, and a host of drivers eyeing up his seat, the difficult 'second album syndrome' could put the brakes on Bottas' progress.

The most disappointing team will be...

WILLIAMS

A brief resurgence at the beginning of the hybrid era led many to believe this once great team could be returning to the very top of F1, but - a few podiums aside - Williams have been steadily sliding back down the grid ever since. Despite retaining fifth in the constructors’ championship, 2017 marked a four-year low based on average points scored per race.

With veteran driver Felipe Massa now firmly retired, Williams' hopes for a 2018 revival rest with 19-year-old Lance Stroll and F1 rookie Sergey Sirotkin. Having finished slowest on each of the final four days of testing with a car that overlooked test driver Robert Kubica described as handling "like a bus", Williams are set for a difficult year and may regret opting for such a youthful lineup when more experienced options were available.

The most impressive rookie will be...

CHARLES LECLERC

Ferrari protege Leclerc arrives in F1 with one of the hottest junior formula records in recent memory. Back-to-back titles in GP3 and F2, including a record eight pole positions en route to the latter, caught the attention of several F1 teams, but his close ties to the Scuderia secured a race debut with engine customer, Sauber. Although just 20 years old, Leclerc knows a strong showing this year could catapult him into contention for a future Ferrari seat alongside Vettel.

Ferrari is usually risk averse to employing young talent - they haven't employed a race driver under 25 since Massa in 2006 - but Leclerc’s potential is huge, and he could finally be the one they break the mould for. As long as Sauber don't get cut adrift at the rear of the grid, expect Leclerc to spring a surprise when the opportunity presents itself.

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The biggest news of the year will be...

SILLY SEASON

The driver merry-go-round usually stays still until around Silverstone time, but 2018 is already different. Several top drivers are in the last year of their contracts, so we may see some movement at the sharp end of the grid. The top three teams - Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull - each have a driver approaching free agency, with Ricciardo holding the most power in those negotiations.

The other two, Bottas at Mercedes and Ferrari's apparently Teflon Kimi Raikkonen, will be looking to retain their seats rather than eye up a move elsewhere. Ricciardo is thought to be the front runner to replace either of them if Red Bull are not able to provide the challenger he wants. A move to the Silver Arrows seems most likely entering the season, which may well open the door for Bottas to replace his fellow Finn at Maranello.

Watch this space.