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Nigel Roebuck's verdict on the start of F1's new era

Is Ferrari a genuine threat to Mercedes? What does the race in Australia say about F1's revamped machinery, and who impressed in strange circumstances?

In terms of predicting how a season will go, history shows it's a mistake to set too much store by what happens in Melbourne. For one thing, it's the first race of the year; for another, Albert Park is hardly a typical Formula 1 circuit.

That said, the events of last weekend suggested that the Barcelona tests did not lie, that - Saints Be Praised - at last the endless Mercedes domination is under genuine threat.

Previous article Mercedes admits it needs to reduce its 2017 Formula 1 car's weight
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