MOTORSPORT: High five and undie run for Ricciardo?

The number five is a common theme running through Formula 1 as its 2018 world championship gets underway in Melbourne.

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are chasing a fifth world title, Daniel Ricciardo is starting his fifth season with Red Bull Racing, it's the fifth year of the 1.6-litre V6 hybrid cars and the Victorian government has a contract for another five grands prix at the Albert Park circuit.

Although F1's new American owners Liberty Media have been in place more than 12 months, often teasing about an exciting new era, the build-up to this weekend's season-opener has been incredibly low-key, apart from Ricciardo's plethora of promotional appearances.

Whatever peripheral changes Liberty has made, a fundamental problem remains – that the hybrids don't sound like F1 cars. Despite renowned expatriate Australian TV ace David Hill working on an artificial noise solution for Liberty, no amplification appears imminent. Perhaps not at all while the existing rules largely remain for the next three years, and – with the Federation Automobile de l'Automobile (FIA) the ultimate decision-maker – maybe not even in 2021.

There are some changes for this season, foremost among them the introduction of the 'halo', a loop above the cockpit to provide greater protection for the driver's head but with a central pillar directly in his sight.

Although there is an extra GP this year – 21 instead of 20, with France back in the championship after almost a decade's absence – the drivers will be allowed only three power units (last year four) before incurring stiff grid penalties. This will lessen the chances for the teams to introduce significant power unit upgrades throughout the season.

So it's important for Australian – and carsales.com.au global ambassador – Ricciardo's Red Bull team's Renault power unit to be up near the mark of Mercedes and Ferrari from the outset. And for Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso's new engine supplier Honda too.

A couple of other technical changes: the extended 'shark fins' and T-wings on the engine covers are gone, and some suspension trickery that may have been helping some teams improve their aerodynamics during races has been outlawed.

There's a wider choice of slick tyre compounds – seven now, all but one softer than before, but only three types to be made available by sole supplier Pirelli at each GP.

And there's a possibility of standing restarts after red-flag interruptions to races – at the discretion of race director Charlie Whiting, who has remained as his long-time guiding light Bernie Ecclestone and others have departed the F1 scene, although Ecclestone remains nominally 'chairman emeritus'.

Gone too are F1's grid girls, replaced now by grid kids – youngsters with racing aspirations.

Those who have already made it to the top in national racing, in Supercars, get to compete this weekend for championship points at the GP for the first time since F1 came to Australia more than 30 years ago, initially in Adelaide.

The Supercars have four races over the event – the first late Friday afternoon, two on Saturday and another Sunday afternoon, before the F1 race starts at its new time – 4.10pm, Australian eastern summer time.

Melbourne's weather bureau is forecasting rain Saturday and Sunday – potentially great for the racing but not for the fans at the track.

Whatever the conditions, Ricciardo says Red Bull Racing is better prepared than in any of his previous seasons with the outfit that dominated the last four years of the 2.4-litre V8 era prior to his arrival.

Having been stripped of his surprise second place in Melbourne in 2014 – the first year of the V6 hybrids – over a fuel-flow irregularity, Ricciardo's best result in his home race stands at fourth in 2016.

Not only does he want to improve on that with what would be the first lasting podium by an Aussie in the Oz GP since it's been an F1 race, he wants Red Bull to make "a statement" as the new season gets underway that it, he and Verstappen can seriously challenge Mercedes and Ferrari for the driver and constructor titles this year.

Sportsbet.com.au has Mercedes man Hamilton favourite for Sunday, ahead of Ferrari's Vettel (last year's winner) and then Vestappen ahead of Ricciardo – presumably because of the former's better wet-weather form and stronger finish to last season. Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas and Vettel's offsider Kimi Raikkonen are next in the betting, while Fernando Alonso remains a long shot despite the McLaren team's switch to Renault power like that of Red Bull and the French manufacturer's factory team.

Apart from an Aussie in the race there's now a New Zealander – Brendon Hartley, who had great success with Porsche in sports car racing, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice.

A mate of Ricciardo – they were in Red Bull's junior development program together a decade ago – Hartley got his chance with Toro Rosso late last year as Porsche wound up its top-tier sports car activity. Although the Kiwi has kept his seat, he can't expect to be higher than midfield.

There are a couple of 'pure' rookies this weekend.

One is Russian Sergey Sirotkin at Williams, bringing more money to the team than Poland's enormously talented Robert Kubica, winner of the Canadian GP a decade ago but handicapped by a hand disability from a rally crash. Kubica has had to settle for a 'reserve' role, while Canadian youngster Lance Stroll, who brings some of his father's vast fortune to Williams, retains his seat for a second year.

The other new boy is Charles Leclerc, a 20-year-old from Monaco who has come through the Ferrari Academy. He has been placed at Swiss-based Sauber, these days under Scandinavian ownership, with Ferrari power and sponsorship from Alfa-Romeo.

As the betting suggests, Sunday's victor is likely to be driving a Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull.

If, by chance, it's Ricciardo he reckons he'd run a lap of the 5.3-kilometre circuit in his underpants – and wants fans to join him.

It would make for the most memorable day in F1 history in Oz. Much as we'd love to see it, can't quite believe it's possible.