LET'S GET READY TO RUSSELL

Coulthard nose what it takes... and first crown for George smells right

- EXCLUSIVE BY DANIEL MOXON

THE new Formula One season is so close now you can almost smell it.

And even after nine days of preseason testing, across sessions in Barcelona and Bahrain, it’s still tough to predict what the balance of power will look like in this new era.

So tough that smelling drivers is the only method David Coulthard (below) trusts to try to figure out who will start the season on top.

“It’s all about the pheromones - you have to sniff them,” the 13-time F1 race winner said, with a smile.

“You can smell the success, and you can definitely smell the fear.”

The only thing Coulthard can say for sure is: “There's going to be a winner - and there’s going to be a loser.

“There will be bounce-backs and comebacks. A few years ago, McLaren were last on the grid in Bahrain at the opening race - now they are back-to-back constructors' world champions.

“Things move quickly in this sport, so I'm looking forward to seeing who is the fastest on the draw when it comes to race one in Melbourne.”

The bookmakers have Mercedes and their experienced driver George Russell as the preseason favourites for glory.