Motorsport: Inter-team battles loom in Formula 1

Stoffel Vandoorne and Fernando Alonso talk in the paddock. Photo / Getty Images

With a dramatic, even melodramatic, New Zealand Grand Prix 2018 now a simple entry in the history books, thoughts turn to the fast approaching other Grands Prix of the season.

As at the NZGP, there will be battles between teammates and inter-team rivalries that will bring the fruits of victory to some and leave others in despair.

Kiwi Marcus Armstrong had the twin crowns of being a New Zealand Grand Prix winner and Castrol Toyota Racing Series champion in his grasp for more than 30 minutes of racing before both were cruelly taken away from him with just a minute left in the race.

Both titles went to his teammates.

The international TRS drivers are now back in their respective domiciles and preparing for their own battles within whatever Formulae they are racing in the 2018 season. Their new career paths will, they hope, take them to Formula 1 at some point and they will be part of a new generation trying to displace the 'older' drivers in the teams.

Those battles are on-going every Formula 1 season and the 2018 season will be no different.

At the Mercedes team, as in the Ferrari team, the pecking order is now well established with four time world drivers' champion Lewis Hamilton dominating his clear 'number 2' in Valtteri Bottas. The situation at Ferrari is similar with four time champion Sebastian Vettel almost subjugating teammate, and one time world champion, Kimi Raikkonen with ex TRS driver Daniil Kvyat on standby.

At some other teams that order of driver dominance is far from clear-cut and has the potential to develop into a fully-fledged war, both on and off track.

The battle for supremacy between the Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo, age 28 with 129 GPs experience and Max Verstappen, is not so much one of age, with Ricciardo just eight years older than Verstappen at 20 with 60 GPs experience, but one of simple speed with both drivers capable of easily winning a race.

A real battle will resume between the Force India team drivers from last season with young Esteban Ocon, age 21, proving a tough customer to control for Sergio Perez, age 28. Ocon with 29 GPs experience and Perez with 134 have crashed into each other more than once in their first season together and nobody sees that situation changing despite the team issuing a strong 'cease and desist' order. Ex TRS driver Nicholas Latifi, as the teams reserve driver, waits to pick up the pieces

At the Williams team 2015 TRS champion Lance Stroll age 19, himself a rookie with just one season behind him, will be joined for 2018 by 22 year old Sergey Olegovich Sirotkin, age 22 and no GP race history whatsoever. A combination that is fraught with potential disaster and the coming season will be pivotal for both their careers.

As will the 2018 season be for the Renault team drivers with 30 year old Nicolas Hulkenberg, 135 GPs, and 23 year old impressively named Carlos Sainz Vazquez de Castro with 60 GPs. A combination where neither driver has shown dominance in the short time they have been together but with Hulkenberg, at his age, needing to step up to lead.

Brendon Hartley, age 28 with all of four GPs' experience and Pierre Gasly, age 22 and just five GPs' experience will be the least experienced combination on the grid, driving for the Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda team. With Hartley being a Le Mans winner and double World Endurance champion, to say he is inexperienced seems strange but by his own admission Formula 1 is a different world. Gasly is one of the new breed of young and fast drivers and the team now has a new power plant as well in the Honda unit so Hartley, and his vast experience, will prove invaluable to both the team, Honda and Gasly himself.

The Haas F1 team has, in Romain Grosjean a 31 year old with 122 GPs behind him, a very fast driver, on his day. All too infrequently lately has it been his day but more often than not he has had 'off days' and a good few 'off track days'. He needs to change that very quickly as his team-mate, 25 year old Kevin Magnussen with 60 GPs, is proving to be difficult to conquer. Often these two seem to find each other on track with the inevitable clash of both cars and personalities.

The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 team has a new recruit in the form of 20 year old Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc and I fully expect this exciting young rookie driver, with no F1 GP experience at all, to quickly dominate his 27 year old Swedish team-mate Marcus Ericsson who after 76 GPs has a best result of eighth.

Finally we come to McLaren. Fernando Alonso Diaz, to give him his full name, with 290 GPs, at age 36, is still recognised by many as being one of the best drivers on the grid.
He is still high profile enough for the FIA to change the schedule of the World Endurance Championship so that he can compete in the Japanese round. With two world titles to his name, the last in 2006, and making headlines for his driving outside of Formula 1, Alonso needs a good 2018 F1 season.

A very good 2018 season.

The past decade has not been good for him in Formula 1 with four frustrating years at Ferrari followed by three disastrous years at McLaren – Honda.

At the moment his current team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne, age 25 with 20 GPs experience, has not threatened Alonso's supreme position in the team. However, time marches on and in the wings, quietly working away developing both his own skills and the new McLaren F1 car, is 2016 Toyota Racing Series champion 18 year old Lando Norris.

Both Alonso and Vandoorne will be well aware that a new generation of drivers is just around the corner.

Alonso seems to be preparing for life after F1 by driving sports cars and has recently signed to drive a Toyota at this years Le Mans 24 hour race.

For Vandoorne, one of the new generation just three years ago, his time may be running out before he has the chance to prove himself.

This coming season is vitally important for McLaren, new engine partner Renault as well as Alonso but like others on the grid, 2018 may well make, or break, the career of Stoffel Vandoorne.