The 2016 Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia.
The preview press releases have been rolling in, with drivers and teams sharing their thoughts and expectations ahead of the new F1 campaign.
Here is a round-up of what some of the grid have to say about the new season and first round in Australia.
Lewis Hamilton
"Testing was just incredible - the best I can remember in my career. The car feels even better than last year's from both a performance and reliability perspective, which is saying something. It's all so refined in every area and we can be really proud of what we've achieved over the winter. Together, we're always searching for perfection. But that target is always shifting and you're constantly faced with new challenges to reach it. Just as you think you're close, suddenly you fall further back.
"I know there's still more to come from me - I think I've shown that in the past two years. There certainly needs to be some extra in my tank, as the competition will be stronger than ever this year. There are a few things that will make it even more challenging for all of us this season, too.
"The changes to the radio rules will have a big impact. It will be tough - but hopefully it will make for more exciting races. Now we head to Melbourne and the first to chance to see how all this plays out on track. I can't wait to get started."
Nico Rosberg
"This is always a massively exciting time of year. Testing is important, of course. But what every driver really looks forward to is unleashing a new car flat out for the first time. I'm already itching to get back out there. It's so impressive how the team keeps on pushing, aiming to be better all the time.
"Of course, we all know that Ferrari are right there with us and maybe some of the others will be up there too, so we have to keep pushing. But it's good to have that competition. With the team we have I believe we can keep them behind.
"I'm really hoping to bring back a couple of wins from the first flyaways to reward everyone at the factories for their hard work. I've had a great winter and done a few things differently for this year. I've never felt more ready to go. It's going to be a great battle."
Fernando Alonso
"It’s been a very long winter – the longest I can remember without Formula 1 – so I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car. This track is always exciting to drive, partly because of its street circuit nature but also because everyone is impatient to go racing again.
"The important thing is to get a good start – usually everyone is eager and it’s quiet common for there to be some drama off the line in the first race. This year, it’ll be interesting to see how everyone’s tyre choices play out, and the strategy each team picks, but it’s only on Sunday afternoon that we’ll get to see where we really are.
"On Friday and Saturday, we’ll be working hard to predict the track’s characteristics on race day, and focusing on setting up the car in its final specification. It’ll also be interesting to see how the improvement in the power unit deployment pans out on this tricky circuit, too."
Jenson Button
"I’m so excited to go racing again. Albert Park is always a great season-opener – I love Melbourne as a city, and the track is pretty good, too. In Australia it’s always a new slate each day in terms of set-up, as the track starts off very green on the Friday and wears in more and more as the weekend goes on.
"We are planning to bring some updates to this race, so we’ll be working on configuring those into our set-up right from FP1. Albert Park is a tricky place to start the season at – it’s an unforgiving, technical, bumpy street circuit, so it really gets you going after a few months off from racing, but that’s why we love driving there."
Sergio Perez
"It feels great to be going racing again. Winter has been long and I have been missing the atmosphere you get from a race weekend. Going to Melbourne is a great way to start the year and it’s one of my favourite races.
"I’m a big fan of street tracks and Albert Park is a real challenge. You can’t afford to be rusty because it’s a circuit that doesn’t forgive your mistakes. Getting a perfect lap together is quite difficult because it’s quite stop-start. You need to be good on your brakes and strong out of the traction zones.
"No matter how many laps you do in testing, you never really know where you are compared to the other teams. So I don’t want to say too much. As a team we feel quite happy with what we achieved in Barcelona and that’s the main thing. The car has been reliable and we’ve made a good step forward compared to last year. I think we can go to Melbourne knowing that points are achievable."
Nico Hulkenberg
"Melbourne used to be my unlucky track, but I scored points in 2014 and 2015, so I think I’ve broken the curse. The weather is great, the city is cool and you get a lot of energy and positivity from the crowd and the buzz in the paddock.
"Sector two is my highlight of the lap: you go from a slow chicane to a straight and into a fast left-right combination that is tricky to get right. It's a high-speed corner where you can make or lose a lot of time and it can set you up for a good overtaking spot on the approach to turn 13.
"To be quick at Albert Park you need a car that is well settled. It’s about braking late, using the kerbs and being precise. The opening race of the season often throws up surprises: anything can happen and we need to put ourselves in a position to make the best of any opportunity that comes our way."
Daniel Ricciardo
"Testing’s been a lot better for us this year. You still don’t really know where you are until you get to Melbourne, but we’re better prepared than we were this time last year so we can use that as some confidence. Me personally, I’m ready to go – I was ready in January and I’m still ready now.
"In fact, I’m going to have to control my adrenaline because there’s a long build up over the weekend. Sunday’s cool, it’s probably the quietest day of the week for us in terms of other obligations so it’s really time to just focus on the race. When I’m on the grid on Sunday, it’ll just be full focus, full determination, knowing that I’ve got a battle on my hands the next hour and a half."
Daniil Kvyat
"I think compared to this time last year, I’m feeling a lot more confident and comfortable in the team, I know everyone a lot better and everyone knows me, so it’s good that we start off the season with this kind of confidence.
"Looking at the Australian GP, I like Melbourne it’s a nice, chilled out place with good food, a good beach and sunshine. The track is quite unusual, there is no other track you can compare it to; it’s half street circuit, half normal circuit with tight run off areas. You have to maximise your entries everywhere, be very precise in your driving – I like it.
"I feel like we’re prepared going into the first race, we’ve done a good amount of work in winter testing with all the procedures we were after. We maximised everything and we know what to do in Melbourne and that’s the most important thing so there are no big question marks now and that’s very good."
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Here is a round-up of what some of the grid have to say about the new season and first round in Australia.
Lewis Hamilton
"Testing was just incredible - the best I can remember in my career. The car feels even better than last year's from both a performance and reliability perspective, which is saying something. It's all so refined in every area and we can be really proud of what we've achieved over the winter. Together, we're always searching for perfection. But that target is always shifting and you're constantly faced with new challenges to reach it. Just as you think you're close, suddenly you fall further back.
"I know there's still more to come from me - I think I've shown that in the past two years. There certainly needs to be some extra in my tank, as the competition will be stronger than ever this year. There are a few things that will make it even more challenging for all of us this season, too.
"The changes to the radio rules will have a big impact. It will be tough - but hopefully it will make for more exciting races. Now we head to Melbourne and the first to chance to see how all this plays out on track. I can't wait to get started."
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Nico Rosberg
"This is always a massively exciting time of year. Testing is important, of course. But what every driver really looks forward to is unleashing a new car flat out for the first time. I'm already itching to get back out there. It's so impressive how the team keeps on pushing, aiming to be better all the time.
"Of course, we all know that Ferrari are right there with us and maybe some of the others will be up there too, so we have to keep pushing. But it's good to have that competition. With the team we have I believe we can keep them behind.
"I'm really hoping to bring back a couple of wins from the first flyaways to reward everyone at the factories for their hard work. I've had a great winter and done a few things differently for this year. I've never felt more ready to go. It's going to be a great battle."
Fernando Alonso
"It’s been a very long winter – the longest I can remember without Formula 1 – so I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car. This track is always exciting to drive, partly because of its street circuit nature but also because everyone is impatient to go racing again.
"The important thing is to get a good start – usually everyone is eager and it’s quiet common for there to be some drama off the line in the first race. This year, it’ll be interesting to see how everyone’s tyre choices play out, and the strategy each team picks, but it’s only on Sunday afternoon that we’ll get to see where we really are.
"On Friday and Saturday, we’ll be working hard to predict the track’s characteristics on race day, and focusing on setting up the car in its final specification. It’ll also be interesting to see how the improvement in the power unit deployment pans out on this tricky circuit, too."
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Jenson Button
"I’m so excited to go racing again. Albert Park is always a great season-opener – I love Melbourne as a city, and the track is pretty good, too. In Australia it’s always a new slate each day in terms of set-up, as the track starts off very green on the Friday and wears in more and more as the weekend goes on.
"We are planning to bring some updates to this race, so we’ll be working on configuring those into our set-up right from FP1. Albert Park is a tricky place to start the season at – it’s an unforgiving, technical, bumpy street circuit, so it really gets you going after a few months off from racing, but that’s why we love driving there."
Sergio Perez
"It feels great to be going racing again. Winter has been long and I have been missing the atmosphere you get from a race weekend. Going to Melbourne is a great way to start the year and it’s one of my favourite races.
"I’m a big fan of street tracks and Albert Park is a real challenge. You can’t afford to be rusty because it’s a circuit that doesn’t forgive your mistakes. Getting a perfect lap together is quite difficult because it’s quite stop-start. You need to be good on your brakes and strong out of the traction zones.
"No matter how many laps you do in testing, you never really know where you are compared to the other teams. So I don’t want to say too much. As a team we feel quite happy with what we achieved in Barcelona and that’s the main thing. The car has been reliable and we’ve made a good step forward compared to last year. I think we can go to Melbourne knowing that points are achievable."
Nico Hulkenberg
"Melbourne used to be my unlucky track, but I scored points in 2014 and 2015, so I think I’ve broken the curse. The weather is great, the city is cool and you get a lot of energy and positivity from the crowd and the buzz in the paddock.
"Sector two is my highlight of the lap: you go from a slow chicane to a straight and into a fast left-right combination that is tricky to get right. It's a high-speed corner where you can make or lose a lot of time and it can set you up for a good overtaking spot on the approach to turn 13.
"To be quick at Albert Park you need a car that is well settled. It’s about braking late, using the kerbs and being precise. The opening race of the season often throws up surprises: anything can happen and we need to put ourselves in a position to make the best of any opportunity that comes our way."
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Daniel Ricciardo
"Testing’s been a lot better for us this year. You still don’t really know where you are until you get to Melbourne, but we’re better prepared than we were this time last year so we can use that as some confidence. Me personally, I’m ready to go – I was ready in January and I’m still ready now.
"In fact, I’m going to have to control my adrenaline because there’s a long build up over the weekend. Sunday’s cool, it’s probably the quietest day of the week for us in terms of other obligations so it’s really time to just focus on the race. When I’m on the grid on Sunday, it’ll just be full focus, full determination, knowing that I’ve got a battle on my hands the next hour and a half."
Daniil Kvyat
"I think compared to this time last year, I’m feeling a lot more confident and comfortable in the team, I know everyone a lot better and everyone knows me, so it’s good that we start off the season with this kind of confidence.
"Looking at the Australian GP, I like Melbourne it’s a nice, chilled out place with good food, a good beach and sunshine. The track is quite unusual, there is no other track you can compare it to; it’s half street circuit, half normal circuit with tight run off areas. You have to maximise your entries everywhere, be very precise in your driving – I like it.
"I feel like we’re prepared going into the first race, we’ve done a good amount of work in winter testing with all the procedures we were after. We maximised everything and we know what to do in Melbourne and that’s the most important thing so there are no big question marks now and that’s very good."
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