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Preview: Five key questions for AustraliaHow far ahead will Mercedes be?
During the pre-season, Mercedes left the competition with no doubt that it remains the team to beat. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were faster on Soft tyres than rivals on Super Softs at the final test, and combined to log a phenomenal number of laps. As the paddock assembles in Melbourne, everybody is pondering just how far ahead, under normal circumstances, they will be. During the final dry qualifying session of 2014 – in Abu Dhabi – the outfit held an advantage of more than half a second over Williams. Although there was in theory more for rival teams to gain over the winter, Mercedes has worked tirelessly to find improvements of its own. Reducing the lead gap at all would be highly impressive, but there's every chance that it could grow further…
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Preview: Five key questions for Australia --- continued --- Who will be the 'best of the rest'?
Behind Mercedes, we are set for a huge scrap. Williams appears to have improved an already strong car, while Ferrari's SF15-T looks much easier to drive than its troubled predecessor. And we can't forget about Red Bull; although the pre-season featured more problems with Renault's power unit, it was a massive improvement over the experiences of 2014 – which did not stop the team taking the only non-Mercedes victories of the season, and finishing runner-up in the Constructors' standings. The order of these three is tough to call, but Williams' chassis gains and the ongoing use of Formula 1's pace-setting engine should stand it in good stead. There is also the unknown of Lotus, which has swapped from Renault to Mercedes power, and overhauled its car. Although the lead battle appears to be settled, there should be plenty of fighting through the rest of the field.
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Preview: Five key questions for Australia --- continued --- Can Ricciardo bring glory for Australia?
Talk of the chasing pack leads on well to Ricciardo. The Australian hit the ground running with the senior Red Bull team last season, qualifying and finishing second on home soil. The elation was short-lived, however, with the FIA disqualifying him for a fuel breach. Fast forward 12 months, after three race victories, and he is determined to make up for the heartache. Given the pace of Mercedes, and the tight battle mentioned above, it would be an incredible achievement for Ricciardo to come out on top this weekend. But weather and attrition can lead to surprises. Remember the start to the 1999 season? McLaren drivers Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard dominated the Albert Park event until respective throttle and hydraulic issues struck in the race. Stranger things have happened…
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Preview: Five key questions for Australia --- continued --- How will the Sauber drama unfold?
Formula 1 has been gripped by a major legal battle this week. Giedo van der Garde took Sauber to court, claiming that he had a contract to race for the team in 2015, after spending last year in a reserve role. This was initially backed by a Swiss arbitral tribunal, and ultimately upheld in the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday morning. The Dutchman's lawyer said he is "ready, willing and able" to race in Australia, despite Sauber's repeated safety concerns, and would be acting quickly to complete a seat-fit. Sauber has now launched an appeal, with matters set to continue in court on Thursday. It is a nasty situation, and one that team boss Monisha Kaltenborn admits will take time to sink in. We now await the next development.
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Preview: Five key questions for Australia --- continued --- Can Manor get within 107 per cent?
Let's make it clear. Manor Marussia deserves massive credit for even making it to Australia. It all looked very bleak at the end of last year, with the team entering administration in October, laying off staff a month later and putting its assets up for auction just before Christmas. But team chiefs Graeme Lowdon and John Booth refused to give up. Crucially, the sale of the squad's 2014 cars was cancelled, and Ovo Energy founder Stephen Fitzpatrick stepped up with investment. Manor will start the season with a modified version of last year's car, powered by Ferrari's old engine, before introducing a full 2015 design. The big question is: can the team qualify? While Marussia finished within 107 per cent at all rounds last year, lap times are expected to have improved by around two seconds over the winter. Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi have their work cut out, but everybody will be hoping they can sneak under the barrier.
Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point. 
Who's hot and who's not after winter testing
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!
