Lewis Hamilton will go into the new season as the overwhelming favourite to win his fifth world title, but the key question will be which drivers can challenge the Brit.
With the new cars set to shake up the grid, F1 fans will be hoping the likes of Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel can light up the front of the grid and challenge for wins.
Here, we take a look at other key questions ahead of the new season.
Can anyone challenge Hamilton in 2018?
There is a genuine feeling that Vettel can finally be a consistent threat to Hamilton this time around – but will it be another case of early season optimism or can the German claim a fifth world title?
It’s now or never for Vettel – who turns 31 in July – and the new Ferrari SF71H is his best chance.
The same can be said of Hamilton’s team-mate Bottas.
The Finn had arguably his best season ever in 2017 with 13 podiums – including three wins – and grew in confidence and had more faith in his ability as the season progressed.
But will the 29-year-old sit back and let Hamilton dominate or will he finally step up and have a say in the championship race?
Expect Verstappen to have say in the title battle too.
The Dutchman had a torrid start to last season with seven retirements but finished strongly with two wins in Mexico and Malaysia – and also showed in Japan and America why he has the potential to be a future world champion.
However, in order for Verstappen to make this dream a reality, he needs to be consistent across the season.
Will Kimi Raikkonen do enough retain Ferrari seat at end of 2018?
There’s no doubting his popularity, but the 2007 world champion has done little to warrant a seat for Ferrari due to his inconsistency over the past few seasons.
The Finn may have finished fourth in the drivers’ standings last season, but the Ferrari man has failed to win since the Australian Grand Prix in 2013.
If it wasn’t for the reliability issues of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, then the 38-year-old could well have been lower in the standings.
For a driver on the fifth highest salary, he does not justify his position as an elite driver with the second best team in the sport. Could 2018 be the Ice Man’s final F1 season?
Who will come out on top in the battle of the Red Bull drivers?
The weight of expectation continues to grow as Verstappen steps out for his third season at Red Bull.
A disappointing opening to the 2017 campaign that included seven retirements had the 20-year-old frustrated with the reliability problems of his team.
But Dutchman finished strongly with two wins in Mexico and Malaysia.
When his car was firing, he out-qualified his teammate Daniel Ricciardo (13 out of 20 times) – and with a more reliable machine this term – he is sure to wrestle for more podiums.
It won’t be both Red Bull drivers at the top of the standings, however, so Ricciardo needs to make a statement and show his aggressiveness and overtaking skills as he enters into the twilight of his career.
Nine podiums last season will certainly raise some optimism, but this could be a seminal year for Ricciardo as Verstappen will have a more reliable car at his disposal to battle for wins.
Expect Verstappen to come out on top – and further underline why he has the potential to be a future world champion.
How far will McLaren rise with new Renault power?
After three years under unreliable and underperforming Honda engines, McLaren have finally swapped for Renault power in a move that is set to bolster their chances of securing a podium finish for the first time since 2014.
McLaren executive director Zak Brown has revealed the car passed its crash tests and is producing promising numbers in simulations – with Stoffel Vandoorne clocking the fastest lap during the fourth day of testing in Barcelona last week.
The car’s pace may be difficult to figure out after less than a week of testing, but in the wider scheme of things, it represents a significant boost as McLaren aim to clamber back slowly to the front of Formula One.
In Fernando Alonso, they have one of the most gifted drivers on the circuit – and although 37 in July – could be the man to inspire the Woking-outfit to success again.
Will the halo affect racing?
One of the major talking points over the past few weeks has been the introduction of the halo.
The halo is closed-cockpit protection device which has been made compulsory to give the drivers protection from flying debris on the tracks.
For 2017, the minimum weight limit went up 26kg from 702kg to 728kg due to the wider cars and bigger tyres. However, with the halo, the FIA has added another 6kg to the cars this campaign.
But with the mountings and brackets that are needed to secure this, the weight of the car could be heavier again – meaning teams will have to find ways to save weight in other areas to boost performance.
It’s bad news for the likes of Nico Hulkenberg of Renault – who is the tallest and heaviest driver.
The halo may be uglier and it may slow down cars, but it’ll certainly be safer.
Can star man Leclerc flip Sauber’s fortunes?
2016 and 2017 were seasons of the struggles for the Swiss outfit as they accumulated just seven points from the 41 races.
But fresh financial backing from Alfa Romeo could be the launching pad the team needs to revive their prospects.
With access to the latest Ferrari power units – Sauber could be in with a shout of competing for consistent points this campaign.
In new signing Charles Leclerc, they possess one of the most promising young drivers in the sport.
The 20-year-old Monaco native dominated F2 as a rookie last season – and the question remains whether he can produce the same magic on his F1 bow?
