Webber predicts a bloodbath at Australian Grand Prix

This weekend’s Australian Grand Prix will be a titanic tussle of two halves, according to ex-Formula One driver, Mark Webber.

The Aussie ace predicts it will be a “bloodbath” battle at the front between his former Red Bull Racing outfit, Ferrari and Mercedes while a ding-dong fight for the best of the rest will brew between the likes of Renault, a resurgent Mclaren, Force India, Haas and Toro Rosso.

“The top three are going to run away – it will be a blood bath,” he told Drive at Albert Park on the eve of the opening round of the 2018 World Championship.

“Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes will be off in the distance and then you’ll have the second race. And that’s going to be on for young and old too.”

Webber is confident compatriot Daniel Ricciardo will be among the front runners following a positive pre-season for Red Bull Racing, which has arrived in Australia under-prepared for the last few seasons.

“It’s the best chance we’ve had in a long time,”

“Traditionally this race is a bad one for [Red Bull design guru] Adrian [Newey] because it comes too early for him, but I think they had enough of that last year and worked out that the first race is closer to the schedule, and they look better prepared than ever before.”

But he concedes that one of Ricciardo’s biggest threats will come from within his own ranks, against team mate Max Verstappen, and the team needs to work together to overhaul the reigning world champions, Mercedes-AMG F1 and Lewis Hamilton.

“Mercedes in qualifying are very strong, and between Ferrari and Red Bull they need to work out how to clear them in the race somehow,” he said.

"Ferrari look good too, and it is always a popular win here in Melbourne for them because of the community, and [Sebastian Vettel] won here last year – which was good. But I want Daniel to win, or Max – that’d be brilliant.

“It’s going to be any one of the two Red Bull boys, Lewis and Seb.”

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