Formula One has had one of the most anticipated build ups to a new season in history as the sport returned this weekend with new rules and regulations. These changes have been a struggle for certain teams to come to grips with such as World Champions Red Bull however teams like Mercedes have excelled- making themselves the favourites for this seasons constructors championship.

This season started with action, crashes and pure adrenalin, just as any Formula One season should. Here is my review of the 2014 Australian GP.

Albert Park

This is my favourite venue on the F1 calendar because it is fast, and particularly unpredictable, it’s very rare for a driver to win this race season after season.  With a particularly fast second sector and a slow final few corners, many have retired in this race due to driver mistakes. The question posed this season was whether drivers would manage to finish the race let alone challenging for points.

Rules and Regulation changes and their impact

Many changes were on show in Australia. The new V6 engines sound totally different to past engines used in the sport. The new petrol cap means cars must run from the beginning to the end of the race on one tank of petrol without filling back up, and the new eco-system and car system means if something faults the car becomes impossible to drive- therefore many retirements occurred at the weekend. Most noticeably, World champion Sebastian Vettel and world championship favourite Lewis Hamilton both retired due to car problems. It was also a weekend to forget for Lotus who finished last in the qualifying and both cars retired during the race.

The Debutants

It was a weekend to remember for some new drivers, especially McLaren Mercedes new boy Kevin Magnussen. The young Dane managed to secure a highly respectable fourth in qualifying and then third in the race- further pushed up to second following the disqualification of Daniel Riccardio. The Aussie himself before the disqualification had qualified and finished in a comfortable second. Also impressing fans was Torro Rosso’s Russian new boy Kvyat.

Rosberg Cruising to Victory

German Nico Rosberg came a comfortable 1^st place in Australia and impressed with the very impressive Mercedes car. He won by a comfortable 26 seconds or so. The established f1 driver follows his father’s footsteps by winning the Australian open and therefore leads the championship after round 1.

Who do you think will win this season’s World Championship? Please comment below or tweet me at @leeham1996 with your answer and #F12014Winner.