Formula One: Cash is King- 2018 Mock Season

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RegalEpsilon

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Virtually all NR2003 fans appreciate oval racing. It's something most people who still use a NASCAR sim from 2003 are deeply invested in. But across the Atlantic, an entirely different form of motorsport is king: the lean, mean open-wheeled machines of Formula One. Coming into the 2018 World Championship, the paddock was rife with rumours and discussions of the season to come- with the primary story being the title showdown between the top teams of Mercedes and Ferrari.

This mock season will be run as frequently as possible, with practice, qualifying and race sessions occurring in the same post. I will attempt to stay as true to the 2018 schedule as I can, unless the track does not exist for NR2003- in which case I will use a suitable replacement. There will be plenty of info to come, so get ready for us to go lights out with the Australian Grand Prix!

PRE-SEASON HEADLINES:

Vettel and Hamilton Battle for Fifth Drivers' Championship:

With Mercedes and Ferrari set to be locked in a battle for the title, the two drivers in the spotlight would be the teams' main competitors of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, respectively. Both exceedingly talented, they've achieved four championships apiece and both will surely be looking to take home a fifth. Hamilton and Mercedes have dominated the field for the past four years- can Vettel usurp the Silver Arrows' reign and earn title number 5?

Formula 2 Champion Leclerc Looks to Earn Stripes in Rookie Season:

As the reigning champion of Formula 2 (the primary feeder series of F1), rookie Charles Leclerc is ready to tackle the responsibilities that come with racing in the highest tier of open-wheel motorsport. The young Monegasque driver, who has signed with Sauber for the 2018 season, hasn't had it easy despite his F2 dominance- the passing of his father late last year just as he was in contract talks with teams has affected him deeply, but he looks to overcome his struggles and show the world he belongs in Formula One.

Haas Strengthen Ties with Ferrari for 2018

One of the newest teams in the field since their entry into F1 two years previously, the American-based constructor are looking to grow closer to Ferrari this season. Despite being on the third rung of the Scuderia's partnerships, Haas are striving to improve their results with stronger links to the team- already having gathered attention for the unveiling of their 2018 car, bearing stark similarities to Ferrari's 2017 unit. Regardless of potential controversy, team principal Gene Haas has stated their mission "is to continue to grow and move forward as the season progresses" and to "expect good things from both drivers". Expectations will be high for them this year.


FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP- CLASS OF 2018
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Front Row (L-R): Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen
Middle Row (L-R): Sergey Sirotkin, Lance Stroll, Stoffel Vandoorne, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz Jr., Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon
Back Row (L-R): Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Marcus Ericsson, Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, Brendon Hartley
 
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RegalEpsilon

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  • The full schedule for the Formula 1 2018 season has been released! Newly introduced replacement Grands Prix are highlighted in bold. A pre-season testing session and an exhibition race at Lime Rock Park are also planned for pre-season events, so stay tuned for more.

    FULL 2018 SEASON SCHEDULE:

  • Round 1: Australian Grand Prix- Albert Park Circuit

  • Round 2: Bahrain Grand Prix- Bahrain International Circuit

    Round 3: Chinese Grand Prix- Shanghai International Circuit

    Round 4: Dutch Grand Prix- Circuit Zandvoort

    Round 5: Spanish Grand Prix- Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

    Round 6: Monaco Grand Prix- Circuit de Monaco

    Round 7: Canadian Grand Prix- Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

    Round 8: French Grand Prix- Circuit de Magny-Cours

    Round 9: Austrian Grand Prix- Red Bull Ring

    Round 10: British Grand Prix- Silverstone Circuit

    Round 11: German Grand Prix- Hockenheimring

    Round 12: Hungarian Grand Prix- Hungaroring

    Round 13: Belgian Grand Prix- Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

    Round 14: Italian Grand Prix- Autodromo Nazionale de Monza

    Round 15: New Zealand Grand Prix- Pukehoke Park Raceway

    Round 16: Thai Grand Prix- Bira International Circuit

    Round 17: Japanese Grand Prix- Suzuka International Racing Circuit

    Round 18: U.S. Grand Prix- Circuit of the Americas

    Round 19: Mexican Grand Prix- Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

    Round 20: Swedish Grand Prix- Falkenbergs Motorbana

    Round 21: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix- Yas Marina Circuit
 
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Mopar mad man

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What do the car templates look like? Where are the links to the tracks? Where are the links to the templates? Will you be uploaded stuff to this site?
 

RegalEpsilon

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Aug 30, 2021
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CarViewer files can be found here, https://stunodracing.net/index.php?resources/new-iss-beta__formula-1-xfiles.4303/

I believe the templates can be found here. http://www.nnracing.com/filelibrary.asp?fileid=64472 There are three different templates for different makes of the car, with slight differences:

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All track links can be seen on the NR2003 weebly track page, found here https://nr2k3.weebly.com/road-courses.html
To spare you the trouble I've linked the download files here.

Australia: https://www.mediafire.com/file/bbgss08zb4fxnbe (fortine_oo)

Bahrain: http://www.mediafire.com/file/3qdx6dt209f9q6f (John Norton)

China: http://srmz.net/index.php?showtopic=1288 (Quattro)

Netherlands: http://www.nr2k3tracks.com/amtronic/zandvoortDTM.zip (Amtronic)

Spain: http://www.mediafire.com/file/wx2thyvg8761x2c (Alfredo Martinez)

Monaco: http://www.mediafire.com/file/nj1st29lcxdf2ig (John Norton)

Canada: http://www.fse.marleyman.co.uk/page19.html (Freddy and Sean)

France: http://www.mediafire.com/file/tpotp1j62o4ccv4 (Team Redline)

Austria: http://www.mediafire.com/file/83s6ko9mrtvttoo (Dave Noonan)

Britain: http://www.nr2k3tracks.com/amtronic/Silverstone_13.zip (Amtronic)

Germany: http://www.fsbracing.com/files/Tracks/GTP/hockenheim.zip (Adriano Augusto, CTR Tracks)

Hungary: http://www.nr2k3tracks.com/amtronic/hring.zip (Amtronic)

Belgium: http://www.mediafire.com/file/q1zubb31spmb5fq (Team Redline)

Italy: http://www.mediafire.com/file/4kk51xgin3rq8c6 (Unknown)

New Zealand: http://www.mediafire.com/file/a657i6brjnn2rvf (Bronte Austeam Racing)

Thailand: http://www.mediafire.com/file/gmwuugkx6sfxxly (Milan655)

Japan: http://www.mediafire.com/file/m50jj4r2ol6mbdj (T18)

U.S.A: https://mega.nz/file/MaxV2KpT#TqTK5mRNYqumk7H2XPfBiZH9gw1m0I05BPxnOJmfnZA (Brian Booth, M. David Daniels, ALEXAMZ695)

Mexico: http://fsb.homestead.com/files/Tracks/mexico_city_2k7.zip (Unknown)

Sweden: http://www.mediafire.com/file/qqv7vkdmqdcd7b4 (CTR Tracks)

Abu Dhabi: http://www.mediafire.com/file/80vzxvpocyfzct8 (Mystical)
 

RegalEpsilon

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Aug 30, 2021
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Thank you for taking an interest! I plan to run testing soon to get some runs on the board and our exhibition race, in a build-up to the season.
 

RegalEpsilon

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Aug 30, 2021
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F1 2018- Pre-Season Testing @ Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

All the teams were ready to hit the track for the first chance to publicly test the new fleet of cars for 2018, arriving in Montmelo very early to get unpacked and started as soon as possible. With media personnel around the track and cameras trained on the action, the fanbase were keen to see the first laps from the drivers.

For the first session, one driver from each team took part- Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Vettel, Ricciardo, Gasly, Hamilton, Perez, Vandoorne, Stroll and Ericsson. The big focus for this testing would be Vettel and Hamilton, with all eyes on the #5 and #44 to eagerly examine their performance.


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The Haas of Romain Grosjean would be the first to make his way on-track, looking comfortable in the first few laps. Now in his third season with the fledgling American team, the #8 was looking to make an impact after a middling 2017 tenure.

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Next out would be the #3 Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo. A long-standing driver who's had a respectable tenure with the team, the Australian has seen impressive results but has just barely fallen short of a title. However, many believe his main struggle will not be the external competition but his own teammate- Dutch racing prodigy Max Verstappen, considered to be a future champion.

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It wouldn't be long before the main rivals of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton made their way out of pit lane and on track, eagerly competing to set the first laps in the new Mercedes and Ferrari vehicles. Both drivers quickly shot to the top of the leaderboard, with Hamilton ekeing out Vettel by just 0.166 seconds to already claim the fastest lap of the session. The teams were already pushing to the limit here, even in testing: this would really show the calibre of the competition.

Eventually, after several more laps of testing, the first session would come to a conclusion. Despite setting several fast times Vettel would be unable to match the defending champion, finishing 2nd fastest behind Hamilton. Grosjean showed significant speed for Haas, placing 3rd in an unexpected performance. Ricciardo would struggle, finishing P7 in a lackadaisical performance.

Session 1 Results:

1st- Lewis Hamilton (#44 Mercedes) 1:40.090

2nd- Sebastian Vettel (#5 Ferrari) 1:40.206

3rd- Romain Grosjean (#8 Haas) 1:40.512

4th- Pierre Gasly (#10 Toro Rosso) 1:40.621

5th- Nico Hulkenberg (#27 Renault) 1:40.691

6th- Sergio Perez (#11 Force India) 1:40.798

7th- Daniel Ricciardo (#3 Red Bull) 1:40.933

8th- Marcus Ericsson (#9 Sauber) 1:40.970

9th- Lance Stroll (#18 Williams) 1:41.277

10th- Stoffel Vandoorne (#2 McLaren) 1:41.468



The second session could now go underway, as Raikkonen, Alonso, Leclerc, Magnussen, Hartley, Ocon, Verstappen, Sirotkin, Sainz and Bottas geared up to take their turn on-track and set more solid times for the teams after the first testing run. With Mercedes and Ferrari on top as usual, this would show whether that status quo had remained the same.

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The #7 of Kimi Raikkonen would come out first, with Ferrari eager to get a head-start on the competition and show their superiority. Having had several consistent yet winless seasons for the team, the Iceman looks to take a victory in what could be his last year with the Scuderia.

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The next out was the #28 Toro Rosso, driven by rookie Brendon Hartley. After participating for several seasons in various Formula feeder series and being a reserve and test driver for both TR and Red Bull Racing, the New Zealand-based driver is finally making his full-time foray into F1. As a driver with clear skill but unknown potential, many eyes will be on him to see how he fares this year.

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Bottas and Verstappen would come out to make their first runs soon after, both drivers already competing and acclimating to the track straight out of the blocks. Both would make their way to the top easily- Verstappen placing in P2 ahead of Raikkonen and the #77 managing to slip into 3rd in the first laps- but nobody had expected the Renault of Carlos Sainz Jr. to take the fastest time in front of these three racing superstars. A shocking upset for sure: the top teams will be reeling at this setback. What does this spell for the rest of the season?

Session 2 Results:

1st- Carlos Sainz Jr. (#55 Renault) 1:40.000

2nd- Max Verstappen (#33 Red Bull) 1:40.169

3rd- Valtteri Bottas (#77 Mercedes) 1:40.288

4th- Kimi Raikkonen (#7 Ferrari) 1:40.577

5th- Kevin Magnussen (#20 Haas) 1:40.756

6th- Charles Leclerc (#16 Sauber) 1:40.793

7th- Esteban Ocon (#31 Force India) 1:40.977

8th- Fernando Alonso (#14 McLaren) 1:41.052

9th- Brendon Hartley (#28 Toro Rosso) 1:41.599

10th- Sergey Sirotkin (#35 Williams) 1:41.732


With the testing sessions now concluded, the teams would pack up and head home to prepare their final data analysis and setups before the exhibition race at Lime Rock and the end of the pre-season.
 

RegalEpsilon

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Pre-Season Exhibition Race- Lime Rock Park

The weather was light and cool at Lime Rock for the exhibition event- but the atmosphere was anything but. Despite being a pre-season event, the teams were treating this race as the first true demonstration of their skills. Many were anxious to get out on track and really prove themselves to the rest of the field.

As always, the main focuses of the season were Mercedes and Ferrari; the Silver Arrows and the Scuderia; the champion and the contender. Both teams had topped testing leaderboards, with Mercedes just in front. No introduction was needed for their main driver Hamilton- having been the most dominant force of the turbo-hybrid era. Neither did his main challenger Vettel, who had spearheaded Red Bull to four consecutive titles in the early 2010s. Now, the two best drivers of the decade were battling to claim a fifth. Which of them would come out on top?


In a one-shot qualifying run Sebastian would take the first step ahead, claiming the pole ahead of both Mercedes. Teammate Kimi Raikkonen would start P4, followed by Danish driver Kevin Magnussen in the #20 Haas.

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Both drivers were side-by-side into the first turns, already battling fiercely for the lead. Neither Vettel nor Hamilton could clear the other for much of Lap 1- there was no quarter being given even out of the starting blocks. After duking it out for several laps the Ferrari managed to pass Lewis to take the lead, but it wouldn't come easy as the #44 had no intentions of fading away.


However, the loss of P1 wasn't the only issue for Merc as the #77 of Valtteri Bottas had been forced to pit on the first lap, facing some kind of mechanical issue. The pit crew managed to salvage his race and cycle out the Finn, albeit well behind the rest of the pack in dead last. Already it seemed there might be a chink in their armour.


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The #5 had managed to keep the lead for a while, but even despite aid from Raikkonen in P3 it wasn't enough to fend off the defending champion. Both drivers were back to feuding ceaselessly for 1st place- Vettel was able to stay out front and keep the lead, now on the back foot and in full defence mode, but by Lap 6 the #44 had made his way to the front and wasted no time in pulling away from the frustrated Ferraris. It seemed no conclusions could be taken for the title battle just yet.

Hamilton would lead unimpeded for several laps, easily staying in front and continuing to extend his lead comfortably. Reaching the halfway point, it already seemed that the Brit would take home another victory before the season had even began. Nobody was willing to write off the result just yet- but this had come to be expected from himself and the team, so what was there to be said?


In the meantime, the Force India of Sergio Perez was fast losing tyre traction and was forced to pit, forfeiting a strong 4th place to Kevin Magnussen. Several drivers were putting up impressive Top 10 performances- including Charles Leclerc's #16 Sauber in P5 and the Williams of Lance Stroll behind in 6th. McLaren was continuing to struggle, with both drivers at the tail end of the pack and fading fast.


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As the laps ticked down, several cars would make their way into the pits. Bottas was facing severe issues and being forced to make yet another unscheduled spot, much to the ire of the #77. After pushing to the limit for much of the race, Vettel's #5 was fast running out of fuel, prompting him to pit from 2nd place and handing runner-up to Kimi.

"I don't know what is wrong with our car but it is handling like shit... I cannot turn the damn thing."
"Copy that Valtteri, box, box. We are working on it now."
"What about Hamilton? Where is Hamilton?"
"P1."
"F***ing hell."


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Ironically, Hamilton would pit from the lead soon after, with Raikkonen in hot pursuit- both drivers racing to be the first out with the pit cycle well and truly underway. The majority of the pack were making their way down pit road. With just 8 laps to go, this would be the event that decided the outcome of the race. Lewis would come out first, barely managing to pass Vettel and retain 1st. Bottas would be able to unlap himself, but remained at the rear of the pack.

With the Top 10 being Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Perez, Magnussen, Leclerc, Stroll, Sainz, Ricciardo and Verstappen, there were several wildcards in the mix and competing for a strong finish. The #44 was holding a comfortable lead of more than a second over P2, but the real battle was the pitched fight between Sergio and Kimi for the final podium spot. Sebastian would stay close behind Hamilton, attempting to fight back and mount one last attack but such a task was easier said than done with the gap between the cars rapidly widening.

As the racing began to amp up in the final lap, the field was becoming restless and many drivers were willing to make last-ditch pushes for position. Fighting for lower spots in the rear of the field, Esteban Ocon's #31 Force India would careen off track coming through a tight hairpin and trundle through the grass, attempting to rejoin several spots back. Unfortunately, he failed to accommodate for the speeding Williams of Sergey Sirotkin, who barrelled into the Frenchman and sent both cars skidding into the wall. Both drivers were furious.

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Sergey Sirotkin #35 radio chatter
"What the f*** was that?! What does he think he's doing? Idiot!"
"Sorry about that Sergey. Appalling, just appalling."


Esteban Ocon #31 radio chatter
"Ah, what was that! He saw me from a mile away! Oh my god... We got Sirotkin'd."
"Copy Esteban, box, box. White flag."
"We're not making it to the checkered with this damage."


Neither driver would finish the race, both cars ending up smoking and destroyed in the grass. Both appeared as if they had a few choice words (and fists) for the other, but officials would get between them to break up the conflict.

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Facing no competition from a faltering Vettel, Lewis Hamilton would bring it home to win the exhibition race at Lime Rock Park, with Raikkonen finishing well behind on the podium. It would seem that Mercedes were now edging out front in the battle for the championship, with Ferrari now even hungrier to take the first victory of the season. Now with the pre-season coming to a close, the racing world was getting ready to face the Australian Grand Prix.

Full Results:
1st- #44 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2nd- #5 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

3rd- #7 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)


4th- #11 Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th- #20 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
6th- #16 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
7th- #55 Carlos Sainz Jr. (Renault)
8th- #33 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
9th- #3 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
10th- #18 Lance Stroll (Williams)
11th- #27 Nico Hulkenberg
12th- #10 Pierre Gasly
13th- #8 Romain Grosjean
14th- #9 Marcus Ericsson
15th- #2 Stoffel Vandoorne
16th- #28 Brendon Hartley
17th- #14 Fernando Alonso
18th- #77 Valtteri Bottas -1 Lap
19th- #31 Esteban Ocon RET
20th- #35 Sergey Sirotkin RET
 

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RegalEpsilon

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Round 1- Australian Grand Prix

Finally, after several long months of preparation, testing, practicing and development, the first race of the 2018 Formula One season was upon us. The opening round would be held at the usual location- the long-standing circuit of Albert Park, having hosted the 1st event of every F1 season since 1996.
The teams had been gearing up for this moment just days after last year's champion was crowned, and both drivers and spectators alike were waiting with bated breath for the green lights to come out and hearken the beginning of the season.

Defending champ Lewis Hamilton would sit on pole position, having swept both the practice and qualifying events as the outright fastest. Rival Sebastian Vettel started alongside him on the outside, coming up second to the #44 in every on-track battle they'd had so far- would this be his time to finally one-up the Mercedes? The rest of the grid qualified as follows:

(Inside, Outside)
ROW 2 : Valtteri Bottas #77, Max Verstappen #33
ROW 3 : Kimi Raikkonen #7, Sergio Perez #11
ROW 4 : Kevin Magnussen #20, Daniel Ricciardo #3
ROW 5 : Esteban Ocon #31, Charles Leclerc #16
ROW 6 : Carlos Sainz Jr. #55, Fernando Alonso #14
ROW 7 : Nico Hulkenberg #27, Lance Stroll #18
ROW 8 : Marcus Ericsson #9, Romain Grosjean #8
ROW 9 : Stoffel Vandoorne #2, Sergey Sirotkin #35
ROW 10 : Pierre Gasly #10, Brendon Hartley #28



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Hamilton would quickly take off from the start, already leaving the field in the dust and pulling away comfortably through the first turns. In the meantime, the pack were already scrabbling for position, with plenty of early battles sparking amongst the field. Esteban Ocon was facing more misfortune after a strong qualifying effort- being scrambled on the green flag by his own teammate Sergio Perez and dropping to the back, much to the #31's chagrin.

"Oh, come on... can't we go one lap without getting screwed by somebody? This is bullshit."

Clearly there was a conflict of interest between the two Force Indias.

"Stay calm, Perez, it's Lap 1. Just keep it under control and don't make any charges."

However, more than one driver was having issues. Fernando Alonso's strong position was thrown out the window by his own vehicle, as the stubborn McLaren would go into free-fall in the first laps- plummeting all the way back to 18th. Clearly not satisfied with this self-flagellation, the #14 car proceeded to lock up the brakes diving into Turn 9, sending him sliding into the sand. The race would remain green.

"Are you kidding me!? Come on! Did we bring an F2 chassis to the race or something?"

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The midfield troubles clearly weren't affecting the leaders, as Hamilton would continue to keep up the strong lead and face little competition from Vettel- having extended the lead to almost two seconds and wheeling comfortably around the track. Nothing less was expected from the #44, especially at one of his stronger circuits; with three consecutive poles and podiums in the last few races here.

As always, the main contenders of Mercedes and Ferrari were locking out the top 4 positions, followed by a chasing Verstappen and Carlos Sainz- continuing to shine in his #55 Renault ahead of the struggling Ricciardo, who appeared to be faltering under the pressure of his home race. Only a few laps later the Australian would skid off-track and lose his grip on the Top 10. This wasn't boding well for the rest of the season.

With the Grand Prix now stretching to just past the halfway mark, the Melburnian terrain was beginning to take its toll on the field's tyres and the entirety of the field would take the opportunity to pit. Nobody was willing to take any chances just yet.

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The Silver Arrows pit crew did not disappoint, pushing Lewis out front to retain P1 well ahead of the rest of the field. Vettel would be next out- trailing several seconds behind followed by the 2nd Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas. Already the #44 had assumed a lead even stronger than what it had been before the pit cycle. Alonso had stayed out in an effort to unlap himself, but was well off the pace and could hardly manage to beat out the backmarkers.

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More drivers would continue to suffer a slew of issues, as Kevin Magnussen's Haas lost several positions following an abysmally slow stop and found himself at the tail end of the pack. However, the Danish driver hardly made it into Turn 1 before the #20 began smoking violently, falling further behind and quickly being left in the dust. The team were in utter disarray- it seemed that the Haas crew had made a catastrophic mistake on pit road. Completely desolate, Magnussen trundled miserably in a sluggish limp back to pit road, being easily lapped and forced to swerve into the wall. The crash would bring out the caution, with the #20 more bewildered than outraged as he climbed from the car.

"What the hell just happened? The car just gave out on me... I couldn't get out of second gear. There was smoke everywhere, I couldn't see shit. I thought it was going to explode with me inside it. Someone screwed up bad."

"Copy, Kevin, this is Guenther, I've got no f***ing clue what's going on. We're looking now but I don't know what to make of it... Oh my God. This is a f***ing nightmare."


With the sudden and mechanically inexplicable removal of the Haas from the running, the pack were now preparing to leave the Safety Car and go green with just 3 laps remaining in the race. As the field lined up side-by-side for the final time, the leaders were anxiously preparing to mount their attack. This would be the last opportunity Vettel had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Diving into the first turns once more, Hamilton was sticking to the usual plan of giving it everything he had on the restart, allowing the #44 to pull away and lead without issue for several laps with acute ease, as if there were no other opponents on track. Sebastian continued to push the Ferrari in P2, but it seemed that either the Mercedes was too much for Scuderia to challenge or Lewis simply held a total mastery of the circuit- both of which had truth to them. With only two laps to go many of the drivers on the outside of the Top 10 were getting desperate, fighting to make a last-ditch grab for points, and this would result in more carnage as Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc tangled whilst battling for P12.

Daniel Ricciardo, who was just inches behind Gasly when the wreck occurred, barely managed to keep it clean and was clearly rattled.

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"Oh, shit, shit! We're gone... how did I miss that!? Holy... That was lucky."

Hamilton refused to give up now. With just one lap to go and the leaders still pressuring, but beginning to falter and slip away, the Brit powered home in the last time around to win the Australian Grand Prix once more! Vettel finished almost 1.5 seconds back in 2nd place, followed by Bottas 2 and 3-tenths away. A few underdogs managed to avoid trouble and sneak into the points, with Marcus Ericsson achieving P8 for Sauber and Stoffel Vandoorne taking the final Top 10 position.

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Full Race Results:

1st- Lewis Hamilton #44 Mercedes

2nd- Sebastian Vettel #5 Ferrari (-1.489)

3rd- Valtteri Bottas #77 Mercedes (-2.334)

4th- Kimi Raikkonen #7 (-3.290)
5th- Carlos Sainz #55 (-5.948)
6th- Max Verstappen #33 (-6.727)
7th- Sergio Perez #11 (-7.332)
8th- Marcus Ericsson #9 (-8.308)
9th- Nico Hulkenberg #27 (-9.147)
10th- Stoffel Vandoorne #2 (-10.367)
11th- Daniel Ricciardo #3 (-11.106)
12th- Esteban Ocon #31 (-11.899)
13th- Romain Grosjean #8 (-12.849)
14th- Sergey Sirotkin #35 (-13.269)
15th- Lance Stroll #18 (-13.828)
16th- Brendon Hartley #28 (-14.391)
17th- Charles Leclerc #16 (-24.506)
18th- Pierre Gasly #10 (-25.596)
19th- Fernando Alonso #14 (-1 Lap)
20th- Kevin Magnussen #20 (Retired)
 

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Round 2- Bahrain Grand Prix​

With the 2018 season now in full swing, the Formula One circus would go travelling across the globe to the arid sands of Bahrain- the affluent and sparkling island of the Middle East situated amongst the Persian Gulf. Despite protestations regarding the country's controversial Al Khalifa rulers, whose rap sheets are as dark as the oil that fuelled their fortunes, money talks and the Grand Prix has kept its place on the schedule for now. With Hamilton temporarily holding the points lead over Sebastian Vettel coming into our 2nd race, a strong start is pivotal to the season- will the #44 be able to extend his tenure at the front?

Lewis is starting off strong by claiming pole position, sweeping both practice and qualifying for the second race in a row ahead of the rest of the pack. The #7 Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen will line up alongside him on the front row, followed by teammate Vettel and Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes. Max Verstappen rounded out the Top 5 in qualifying.

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Diving through the first turns, Hamilton and Raikkonen would battle for position but the #44 would come out on top once again, fast pulling away as the field thunders down the straights. Not all drivers would have as a strong a start as the Mercedes, however, as Nico Hulkenberg's #27 would face an issue on the start and be forced to make the humiliating crawl down pit road.

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"You have got to be freaking kidding me. God DAMN it."
"We're looking into the problem Nico. Come in, come in, we might be done here."



Raikkonen would manage to stay close behind Hamilton as the #44 comfortably held the lead, with Vettel and Bottas in hot pursuit. The Mercedes had already taken off to a strong P1, coasting easily to leave the field out of range for several laps. It seemed that Lewis had snatched another easy victory, even so early on in the race.

By Lap 5 Hamilton was setting blisteringly fast laps, staying more than a second ahead of Kimi in 2nd place. These issues were only further compounded when the Finn locked up his brakes going into Turn 1 the next time around, sending the #7 skating into the gravel and setting him back to 6th place behind Carlos Sainz.

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"Gah! Shit, I screwed it. Went off the throttle for half a damn second and the car was around."

It seemed several drivers were struggling to maintain control on the winding circuit, with the rust they'd accumulated over the off-season rearing its head as the field were forced to get back into the swing of things, and fast. Tempers would flare as there was an incident at the back of the field- with Esteban Ocon losing several spots in the first laps and plowing into the slowed Sauber of Marcus Ericsson as he cut across the corner.

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The #31 was having an awful start to the season- wrecking out in the exhibition race, having a strong start in the season opener derailed by his own teammate, and now this. Needless to say, the Force India was not happy at Ericsson's reckless move, with the feeling being mutual.

Esteban Ocon #31 radio chatter
"F***ING HELL! WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME! THE SAUBER WAS SLOW AS SHIT! He needs to get out of the f***ing way, man! That is such BULLSHIT!"

Marcus Ericsson #9 radio chatter
"Box this lap, Marcus. Keep it cool here into the corner. Stay low, stay low, Ocon is behind you. Down, DOWN DOWN!!"
"Argh! The 31 just- just smashed into me. Typical from him... I swear, is he blind as well as stupid?"


Both drivers would be forced to pit, with Esteban coming back out in dead last and miles away from the rest of the pack. Ericsson's already-damaged car had only been further exacerbated by the altercation and was forced to retire, much to the ire of the Swede.

In the meantime, Hamilton had continued to extend the lead into the early levels of dominance, completely untroubled by second-placed Vettel two and six-tenths seconds behind. The leaders had become significantly strung out, with Verstappen well behind in 3rd followed by Bottas- as Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo battled for P5.

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The trouble between Force India and Sauber wouldn't end with the first altercation, however, as another wreck through Turn 1 would bring out the Safety Car. Fighting neck-and-neck with Sergio Perez for 10th place at top speed into the 1st turn, the #2 of Stoffel Vandoorne braked late and drilled into Charles Leclerc, collecting all three drivers. Both Perez and Leclerc were deservedly irritated at the Belgian rookie, who was coming off a strong points finish at Australia.

Sergio Perez #11 radio chatter:
"Argh! Dammit! Of course we had to get caught up in that. I got hit by a flying papaya."

Charles Leclerc #16 radio chatter:
"What is Vandoorne DOING? Have the McLarens gone rogue or something?"

With the caution out, this would be a potential chance for Vettel and the rest of the leaders to equalise the significant gap to Hamilton. The only question was whether they could really utilise the opportunity- the #44 was well-known for being a strong restarter, often taking off before his opponents were able to battle for 1st.

As the Safety Car rolled by, the majority of the field would stay out, with only Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso pitting for damage incurred during an earlier altercation and cycling back out soon after. A couple of laps later, the caution would end and the race went green once more halfway through. Lewis would get off to another strong start, outclassing Vettel through the first turns to settle back into his comfortable lead.

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Hamilton would hold the lead for several more laps, but the #5 had refused to back down and was now on the charge- staying close behind in a furious effort to catch up and not let another victory be conceded to the Silver Arrows. As the race slowly ticked down, the Ferrari was fast reeling in the lead. With the rest of the pack more than 2 seconds behind, it all came down to this.

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"Lewis, the 5 is gaining time fast. He's setting better laps and closing in, but those tyres will start to break down fast if he doesn't catch you in the next lap. You need to defend like a lion."

"Copy that, Bono."


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Chasing Hamilton down the massive back straightaway, Vettel was in full attack mode and ready to come barreling in wheel-to-wheel. As the #44 struggled to keep his speed under wraps and careened to the outside, the Ferrari dived down the inside line to get a run!

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The two came sailing neck-and-neck to the line, now in pitched battle for the lead with just five laps remaining... which one of them would emerge victorious and take home the trophy to continue the fight for the championship? Would Hamilton extend his lead, or would Vettel level the playing field?

The Ferrari would come out on top as both drivers dived down into Turn 1, with the #44 being forced wide off-track yet again to allow Sebastian to surge into the lead- finally usurping Hamilton for the lead. Lewis would fight back through the rest of the lap and stay close behind, remaining in the firing line, but waiting for just the right moment to mount his attack.

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Four to go and the roles would be reversed, with Vettel now diving wide and coming back fighting- however, it wouldn't be enough as the Mercedes curved artfully to the outside lane- taking it wheel-to-wheel once more down the straightaway to get back into P1. The #5 slotted neatly into place behind Hamilton, taking up the chase yet again. 3 laps to go, the Scuderia was still fighting hard but Hamilton's strength out front was unprecedented, and the #44 would keep a safe distance from his contender.

"Keep it clean now Lewis, easy on the tyres. If we can keep Vettel behind at this rate we've sealed it."

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Two laps to go and Sebastian was beginning to struggle. The initial surge of speed he'd had was beginning to peter out- along with his tyres- as the rapid Red Bull of Verstappen was looking to be a real threat here.

"Come on Sebastian! Don't give it up now, you can still catch the 44. We need to fight for our life here."

They were coming to the line now with just one lap to go! Vettel was pushing like he'd never done before to catch up as they hurtled into Turn 1!

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DIVING INTO THE FIRST TURN VETTEL WAS RIGHT ON HAMILTON'S TAIL! The Ferrari was looking to be right back in the fight through the first turns, but he couldn't keep it up for long as the tyres were wearing thin and Verstappen was catching up! Hamilton was away now, the #5 was slipping! It had all gone wrong at the worst moment possible!



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The #5 would attempt to fight back, but it was no use as Lewis Hamilton cruised home to win the Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Vettel and Verstappen by more than a second! Victory for Mercedes, but absolute heartbreak for the Ferrari as their car had failed when it was needed most!

"Yes, boys! Let's goooo!!! Great job, guys, absolute great job, thanks team."
"Thank you Lewis, that was a brilliant drive out there. Really impressive."

"Oh my God... sorry everyone. I just couldn't get anywhere coming out of Turn 4, I really thought we had something there. So close... dammit!"
"Unfortunate, Seb, there was really nothing you could do. Great job at P2, awesome drive. We'll get 'em next time."


There would be two underdog points finishes- with Sergey Sirotkin having an amazing race: starting from P19 but working his way tirelessly through the field to finish 10th and earn a lone point. Charles Leclerc regrouped to take 9th place after an early-race incident had looked to dethrone his Grand Prix.

Full Race Results:

1st- Lewis Hamilton #44 Mercedes

2nd- Sebastian Vettel #5 Ferrari (-1.310)

3rd- Max Verstappen #33 Red Bull (-1.804)

4th- Valtteri Bottas #77 (-4.984)
5th- Kimi Raikkonen #7 (-6.520)
6th- Carlos Sainz Jr. #55 (-10.058)
7th- Daniel Ricciardo #3 (-12.161)
8th- Kevin Magnussen #20 (-12.742)
9th- Charles Leclerc #16 (-14.832)
10th- Sergey Sirotkin #35 (-16.390)
11th- Sergio Perez #11 (-17.555)
12th- Lance Stroll #18 (-18.467)
13th- Brendon Hartley #28 (-19.401)
14th- Fernando Alonso #14 (-23.078)
15th- Pierre Gasly #10 (-23.469)
16th- Esteban Ocon #31 (-24.811)
17th- Stoffel Vandoorne #2 (-25.836)
18th- Romain Grosjean #8 (-26.402)
19th- Marcus Ericsson #9 (Retired)
20th- Nico Hulkenberg #27 (Retired- Gearbox Failure)
 

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