F1 Preview: What to expect from teams and drivers in 2019  

Mercedes and Ferrari

F1 Hamilton and Vettel

While the battle for the top of the midfield and the potential rise or fall of Red Bull are all set to be interesting, unless there is a significant change this is likely to be a two horse race again.

Charles Leclerc has good potential and while it’s possible he could come out of the gate swinging and win Melbourne it’s more likely he is going to spend time getting used to being in a top team and he will likely come into his own in the second half of the season.

Throw in Valtteri Bottas’s struggling and it’s possible that we will once again have a Vettel and Hamilton shoot out.

Looking at the cars, Ferrari is thought to be the stronger team after the testing but Mercedes is possibly still the faster of the two in Qualifying, which could prove crucial if the downforce dependence of the previous two seasons leads to a lack of overtaking again.

It’s too close to call but going with my gut I’d have to say that, even if Ferrari are the stronger team, Mercedes’s ability to adapt and improve along with a history of good reliability could give them the edge as the season goes on.