The 69th season of the F1 championship has a whopping 21 races on the calendar, and features the return of France and Germany, the disappearance of Malaysia, and the reshuffling of several events including Russia. With a long, long season ready to deliver what will hopefully be another fantastic championship fight, the 2018 season has plenty going for it.

Season overview

The regulations have remained consistent for another season, although teams and drivers have had to adapt to the introduction of the new cockpit protection device - the halo. Although not a popular addition to the cars, the improvement in safety is considered to be worth the perhaps unpleasant aesthetics that come with it. More than anything, it at least means we can at least stop speculating about what will be introduced.

The drivers have remained surprisingly consistent as well, particularly towards the top of the championship standings. Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are all keeping their drivers on board for another season, which means we could be in for some more fascinating teammate battles as the season drags on. It was fabulous to see the championship fight be undertaken by two different teams, rather than all the pressure being on Mercedes, and hopefully we can see more of the same this year.