<P> Tyre supplier Pirelli provides teams with two new tyre compounds in 2018 . Each of the 2017 compounds was made softer, with a new "hypersoft" tyre becoming the softest of the nine and a new "superhard" tyre to be the hardest . The hypersoft compound is marked by a pink sidewall, while the superhard will be orange . The hard compound, which previously used orange markings, will now be changed to ice blue . The hypersoft compound made its début at the Monaco Grand Prix . The rules dictating which tyres are available were relaxed to allow Pirelli to supply a wider range of compounds . Previously, Pirelli had to provide sequential compounds; for example, ultrasoft, supersoft and soft . In 2018, Pirelli is able to supply compounds with up to two steps of difference between them; for example, the ultrasoft, supersoft and hard tyres . Pirelli is required to manufacture an additional tyre compound that is not intended for competition . This tyre is to be supplied to teams for use in demonstration events to prevent teams from using demonstration events as informal--and illegal--testing . </P> <P> For the Spanish, French and British Grands Prix, Pirelli reduced the tread depth by 0.4 mm across all compounds . This is to combat blistering due to new asphalt at these circuits for the 2018 season, which resulted in higher grip and reduced tyre wear . This was in response to the high level of blistering experienced by Mercedes at the re-surfaced Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya in pre-season testing . </P> <P> The championship started in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix . The race ended with a victory for Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel, who used a timely virtual safety car period--triggered by the stricken Haas of Romain Grosjean--to pass Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton and he successfully defended the position until the finish . Kimi Räikkönen finished third in the other Ferrari ahead of Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo . McLaren ended the first race of their partnership with Renault with a fifth and ninth place for Alonso and Vandoorne respectively . Max Verstappen finished sixth after an early spin ahead of Nico Hülkenberg . Valtteri Bottas was eighth, having started fifteenth when he took a penalty for a gearbox change after a heavy crash in qualifying . Carlos Sainz Jr. completed the points - scoring positions in tenth . Charles Leclerc and Sergey Sirotkin both made their competitive débuts for Sauber and Williams respectively . Leclerc finished thirteenth while Sirotkin retired with a brake failure . </P> <P> Vettel then won from pole at the next round in Bahrain, holding off a late charge from Bottas to win by seven tenths of a second . Hamilton finished third despite a 5 place grid penalty for a gearbox change and contact with Verstappen on the second lap . </P>

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