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

Alfa Romeo

F1 Grand Prix of Australia - Previews

If I were to be completely honest there are several teams to look forward to, a couple of dark horses and some that will almost certainly be complete duds (see Williams above) but there is only one team that is a complete unknown and that is Alfa Romeo.

With a new name and new driver as well as an experienced world champion (along with its surprising but welcome forays into the points last season as Sauber) this team has the makings of a fun competitor in the mid group but, as with many of the other teams, there are potential issues.

For starters the team last year was at its peak due to its close ties with Ferrari and it’s still uncertain how close the two teams are with this new ownership. As well as that Kimi Raikkonen can hardly be described as enthusiastic on the best of days and just how much of this World Champion’s effort is going to go into driving round at the bottom of the points has to be a concern for any potential fans.

Still, if the stars align, it could very well be that in a couple of weeks I am forced to eat my words as Alfa Romeo follows in Haas’s footsteps to the fight for position in the mid-tier groups.