The biggest day in Australian motorsport is almost here (with humble apologies to our Bathurst/V8s devotees).

The Australian Grand Prix brings noise, glitz and glamour to Melbourne this weekend as the Formula One cavalcade kicks off for another year.

A new season always brings with it plenty of questions.

• Daniel Ricciardo is all smiles, but for how long?
• F1’s greatest intra-team rivalries 
• Foxtel muscles in on Channel 10’s F1 
• The five most memorable Australian Grands Prix
• Click on the owl for full Australian GP broadcast guide   

Can anybody stop the dominance of Mercedes? Can Sebastian Vettel help Ferrari get back on top? Can Daniel Ricciardo put himself in contention consistently? How many people can Bernie Ecclestone offend?

The answers will start to become clearer this weekend.

The Teams

 Mercedes

Engine: Mercedes

Drivers/odds for Australian GP:

Lewis Hamilton ($2.10)
Nico Rosberg ($3.00)

Red Bull

Engine: Renault

Drivers:

Daniel Ricciardo ($15)
Daniil Kvyat ($67)

 Williams

Engine: Mercedes

Drivers:

Felipe Massa ($23)
Valtteri Bottas ($11)

Ferrari

Engine: Ferrari

Drivers:

Sebastian Vettel ($15)
Kimi Raikkonen ($21)

McLaren

Engine: Honda

Drivers:

Jenson Button ($81)
Kevin Magnussen ($101)
(Magnussen replaces the injured Fernando Alonso in Melbourne)

Force India

Engine: Mercedes

Drivers:

Nico Hulkenberg ($501)
Sergio Perez ($501)

Toro Rosso

Engine: Renault

Drivers:

Max Verstappen ($501)
Carlos Sainz Jr ($501)

Lotus

Engine: Mercedes

Drivers:

Romain Grosjean ($201)
Pastor Maldonado ($376)

Sauber

Engine: Ferrari

Drivers:

Marcus Ericsson* ($501)
Felipe Nasr ($501)
*It remains to be seen which of Ericsson or Nasr will drive in Melbourne, after a court ruled Giedo van der Garde was entitled to drive for Sauber

Manor Marussia

Engine: Ferrari

Drivers:

Will Stevens ($501)
Roberto Merhi ($501)

The Moves

Sebastian Vettel left Red Bull for Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso left Ferrari for McLaren.

Red Bull replaced Vettel with Daniil Kvyat, who stepped up from Toro Rosso.

Toro Rosso will feature two new drivers: 20-year-old Carlos Sainz Jr and 17-year-old Max Verstappen

Sauber has also brought in two new drivers: Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr, although on Wednesday a court ruled Giedo van der Garde was entitled to drive for the team, leaving their line-up for the Grand Prix in limbo.

The Caterham team has been disbanded for 2015.

The Changes

Each team will have to make do with four ‘power units’ (hybrid V6 engines) for the season.

Double points will no longer be awarded for the season finale.

The ‘anteater’ nose is gone for season 2015. Photo: Getty

Race stewards have the option to hand out 10-second penalties for minor infringements in 2015, as well as the five-second penalties introduced last season.

Drivers must head slowly to pit lane, rather than the starting grid, if the race is suspended.

The minimum weight for each car – without fuel – has been increased slightly to 702kg.

The 2014 ‘anteater’ nose and ‘twin tusk’ layouts are no longer legal. (Ugliness is a sin in F1.)

Teams will no longer be able to re-nominate gearings.

There will be two two-day testing periods in season, down from four last year. Two of the four days will be reserved for young drivers.

For a list of all regulation changes, click here.

The Circuit

The Albert Park street circuit used to hold non-championship Grands Prix in the 1950s, and it was resurrected in 1996 when Melbourne took over the race from Adelaide.

The circuit is 5.303km long and drivers will have to complete 58 laps on Sunday, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Albert Park has two DRS zones in place, on the first and second straights. Sebastian Vettel set the lap record there in 2011, getting round in one minute 23.5290 seconds, while Michael Schumacher produced the fastest lap in a Grand Prix, with 1:24.125 in 2004.

The forecast for Sunday is fine, mostly sunny with a top of 23 degrees. But it’s Melbourne, so check here closer to Sunday.

The Albert Park street circuit.

The Winner

Picking the winner of the season opener is always a tough challenge, but it’s hard to go past the Mercedes.

The question is, which driver?

We think Lewis Hamilton has what it takes to justify the bookies’ short price, although Rosberg won last year after the Briton was forced to retire.

The last time Hamilton saluted in Melbourne was in 2008, but we think he can be the man wearing the champagne on Sunday. Two-time winner Kimi Raikkonen will split the Mercedes on the podium, with Rosberg to finish in third.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Kimi Raikkonen
3rd: Nico Rosberg