F1 LIVE: Hamilton hits back as driver hit with Australian GP penalty | F1 | Sport

The Formula 1 season is almost upon us as teams descend on Australia for the opening race of the season. The prospect of seeing a new format, new competition and new teams offers a tantalising prospect.

Fittingly, the drama has already got underway. Valterri Bottas has already been hit by a grid penalty as he makes his return to the sport with Cadillac.

After a year out and a frustrating testing period, Bottas is being hit by a penalty he picked up in the 2024 season and will drop five places following qualifying after he collided with Kevin Magnussen in Abu Dhabi.

Elsewhere, as Ferrari gear up hoping to offer a title challenge, though Lewis Hamilton has played down the suggestion of an in-team competitive rivalry with Charles Leclerc. The British F1 icon has suggested the focus is simply on doing what is best for Ferrari, even after a disappointing debut season.

“I don’t see it that way,” he told Corriere della Serra. “Ferrari is one thing: in Italy and abroad, people follow it like a religion and love it like the Pope. My goal is not to divide the fans.

“We both want to win, and obviously, I want to be the one to do it, and I’m working towards that.

“But the team comes first. Charles is a phenomenal driver in terms of his driving and his ethics, and he’s been here for eight years. But I’m coming into this championship in a different way.”