2017 Formula 1 season: five races we are looking forward to

As we get ready for the start of the 2017 Formula 1 championship, on March 26, when the Australian Gran Prix will tace place in Melbourne, let’s take a look at some of the races we are looking forward to the most this season:

1. Italian Grand Prix
Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy – September 3.

Home is where the heart is. And definitely the most passionate fans in the entire Formula One World. It is also only one of two Grands Prix to have been held every single year since the first Formula 1 season (the other one being the British Grand Prix) The Ferrari fan presence and response at the podium at the end of the race, especially when a Scuderia driver finishes on the podium, is absolutely amazing and creates an atmosphere that every Ferrari fan should experience at least once. This is a race the fans love to get behind and a Grand Prix fueled by history and tradition. We anxiously wait for the whole straight to be filled with thousands of Scuderia Ferrari fans and can’t even begin to describe what the atmosphere would be like with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen on the podium!

2. Monaco Grand Prix
Circuit de Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 28.

The Monaco Grand Prix has always been one of the most prestigious and glamorous motor competitions in the world. Although the concrete walls lining thin stretches of public road with sharp turns and winding straights make it very difficult for drivers to get past their opponents, the top-class drivers have always found that extra space to pass and offer momens of outstanding and exciting racing. There have been 43 winners from 76 races held in the streets of Monaco since 1929 and each Formula 1 team and every driver are eager to add their names to the list of Monaco Grand Prix winners. The glamorous atmosphere surrounding the lunches and parties of Monaco attracts some of the most famous and wealthy personalities in the world.

3. Australian Grand Prix
Albert Park, Melbourne – March 26

Traditionally, the Formula 1 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix and it is no surprise that the ratings are always high and the public presence is massive, as fans have to wait the entire winter to once again see their favourite drivers and teams in action. Except for the seasons 2006 and 2010, when Bahrain received the honours – the Formula 1 championship kicked off down under ever since 1996, when the Australian Grand Prix moved from its Adelaide home to the street circuit around Melbourne’s Albert Park Lake.

Things will not change in 2017 and for the 20th time, Australia will host the first race of the new year. Just like each time, there will be a lot of excitiment in Melbourne, as it only happens once a year where all F1 teams roll up on the grid in all-new cars, with new paint jobs and, in a lot of cases, new team set-ups. For many F1 fans, it is the first opportunity to discover the new grid, and it just adds to the spectacle of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

4. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi – November 26.

From the first round of the Season to the last. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has featured within the last three races of the season every year since back in 2009. When introduced it was huge, the Grand Prix is an evening race, run as the sunsets over the Middle East. It provides the perfect stage to crown the World Drivers Champion of 2017. Last year we witnessed the close battle between the Mercedes drivers of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, and if the season reaches the 20th round in a similar position, but with at least one of the Scuderia Ferrari drivers involved in the fight for the F1 title, it will prove probably the most passionate and thrilling race of the championship, especially when experienced directly from the race track.

5. Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Baku City Street Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – June 25.

The first Formula One race at the Baku City Circuit took place in 2016, was named the European Grand Prix and was a total success. The tight street circuit provides a setting unlike anything that is present in the F1 calendar so far. The long straights allow for the cars to get up to incredible speeds within the concrete wall roads around the city and slingshot them straight into tight corners with blind exits. The excitement level for this race will be high, and you will not want to miss it. 2017 will only be the second year the Azerbaijan circuit has hosted a Formula One event, but there are all the premises for the race to become a fan favourite very fast.