Australian F1 Grand Prix 2018: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More

Formula One will return to the competitive calendar on Sunday, as the 2018 campaign begins with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Defending champions Mercedes are looking to continue their rampant Formula One streak and start their search for a fifth successive constructors' championship, with star driver Lewis Hamilton seeking his fourth world title in five years.

The pack are as hungry as ever to stop Mercedes' charge, though, with Ferrari likely to contend fiercely at the top again this season, Red Bull looking to close the gap and McLaren hoping to end several years of  frustration.

Read on as we preview Sunday's 2018 Formula One season opener, complete with live-stream details and race information.

Date: Sunday, March 25

Time: 6:10 a.m. BST/1:10 a.m. ET/4:10 p.m. local time

TV Info: Sky Sports F1 (UK), ESPN2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN Player (U.S.)

For the full list of drivers, visit the F1 website.

Preview

Preparations couldn't have come together much more smoothly for Mercedes leading into Sunday's race after headline star Hamilton finished fastest in both Friday's first and second practice session.

The omens are good for the defending champion and defending constructor on the eve of the new campaign, although Red Bull's Max Verstappen also enters on a high by finishing just a shade behind the Briton in practice:

The Dutchman will have bigger expectations on his shoulders than ever coming into this season. Although still just 20 years of age, he'll be in search of more accolades in 2018.

The same can be said for star team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, although a three-place grid penalty for Sunday has his season off to an unfavourable start.

Formula One journalist Ted Kravitz provided more details on the punishment, given after Ricciardo reportedly failed to drive slow enough while a red flag was out in practice:

Ricciardo finished seventh-fastest but now faces a big task in achieving a strong qualifying place in order to boost his odds of winning in front of a home audience.

Vettel was fifth-fastest after the first two practices but told reporters he and his car would have a lot more to showcase, per Adam Cooper and Jonathan Noble of Autosport.com:

"We tried to actually change the balance a bit, because I didn't feel very comfortable. 

"I think we still have quite a lot of performance in hand.

"I'm not too worried because I know if I get everything right, we should be in better shape.

"It looks to be close, which is good news, so we should be able to do something tomorrow."

The script seems likely to follow much the same narrative as 2017 this year, with Hamilton and Vettel the leading men for Mercedes and Ferrari, respectively, although their partners have a mighty role to play.

ESPN's Nate Saunders attested to the competitiveness between to the so-called No. 2 drivers, too:

The first race of the season is usually ushered in by talk of hope and best wishes, but McLaren talisman Alonso took a far more realistic approach when asked about his prospects for the season, per Cooper and Noble:

"This will be our lowest level. I think during the season we will improve a lot.

"We should be the team that will progress more compared to the other teams, just because the integration to a new power unit will require time, because the chassis has been designed for many updates during the season that will come very soon in the first couple of races.

"What we see here is going to be important, yes, but I think we'll be better and better.

"I expect a very strong McLaren in the second part of the season."

They're hardly words to rouse the troops on the dawn of 2018's first battle, but perhaps Alonso is lulling his peers into a false sense of security before a surprise charge on the podium places in Melbourne.