The new Formula One season gets underway this weekend, with the first race of 2018 taking place at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Australia.

It promises to be a fascinating championship, with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel both vying to become a five-time world champion.

Hamilton is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to seal another F1 Drivers' Championship trophy, followed by Vettel and then the likes of Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo.

It’s difficult to imagine any other driver seriously challenging for the main prize, although the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso will hope to spring a few surprises over the course of the campaign.

According to the Sky Sports website, F1 fans predict that Hamilton will finish the season in pole position followed by Verstappen, Vettel and Ricciardo.

However, former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone believes that this season might be too predictable, with Hamilton expected to breeze to victory.

”Too many people are sure that Hamilton will win the title again,” he told Belgian newspaper Le Soir. “And if the public does not doubt his victory, then why would they buy a ticket?"

It’s a fair point.

Ecclestone gives his opinion about the latest F1 cars

The 87-year-old also made an interesting point about how safe F1 is these days.

He believes that, if anything, the latest F1 cars might be *too* safe and subsequently create a less entertaining spectacle for fans.

"I spoke with them and I don’t think the concept of risk is alien to them, as Sebastian has children," Ecclestone said, revealing he’s spoken with Hamilton and Vettel.

"But they both said that they were always attracted to an element of risk in racing — that the driver is capable of more than an ordinary person.

"When an acrobat walks along a tightrope, they are admired because they risk their lives. But if the rope is a metre from the ground, no one pays attention.

"Today’s cars are too safe.

“Safety is very good, don’t get me wrong. But this Halo!”

He might be on to something there.

However, it’s important to remember that F1 has become a far safer sport for drivers over the past 20 years and that, surely, can only be a positive thing.

Only one driver (Jules Bianchi in 2015) has died as a direct result of an accident during an F1 race since Ayrton Senna in 1994.

Do you agree with Bernie Ecclestone? Have your say by leaving a comment below.