McLaren chief of aerodynamics, Peter Prodromou, does think the Halo will offer opportunities for designers to exploit despite its limitations.

The controversial cockpit protection device is a standard part supplied to all teams for 2018 but the FIA has given some room for the addition of aerodynamic pieces to improve the look, with the British team offering the first example in the post-season test last year.

Given the location of the Halo on the car, it is also crucial designers find solutions to ensure optimal airflow into the engine and around the back of the car with the T-wings set to remain but lower down either side of the exhaust area.

“Aero wise it is certainly not penalty free and I think there is a challenge to cope with it in the first instance, let’s call it damage limitation,” Prodromou was quoted by PlanetF1.

“Thereafter I think it is about opportunity and exploitation and it does open up some avenues which are possibly interesting to look out."

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The former number two to Adrian Newey at Red Bull expects there to be unexpected areas for development thanks to the Halo but does concede it will likely only be a talking point early in the year. 

“The advantage is likely to be short-lived with the rest of the field catching up midway through the season,” Prodromou said. “I’d probably give it half a season and I imagine everyone will have converged, that would be my rough guess.”

McLaren is increasingly upbeat about the potential they have with Renault this season, as the French manufacturer expects strong gains from their engine.

The British team is anticipating a major leap up the grid in 2018, potentially joining Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes at the front of the field after ditching Honda following another very difficult year last season.

Though Renault has continued to lag behind their German and Italian rivals since the start of the hybrid era in 2014, they ended work early on their power unit and have focussed on addressing their weaknesses with the latest specification.

"There are no alarm bells ringing," McLaren executive director Zak Brown told Autosport. "They seem to be very confident - although it is best that they talk about the specifics.

"In terms of power and reliability, they are happy with where they are at and what has been happening on the dyno. Specifically the reliability, they think they are on top of it."

The latter is important after the flurry of problems which saw the two Red Bull teams running low on parts in the final races and particularly as the limit on engines allowed before penalties is dropping to three and two in the case of some elements.

"Last year they had the power and it was when they turned it up that the reliability issues kicked in," Brown continued. "So they had their issues in Mexico but they also dominated the race, so we are feeling good."

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McLaren has overcome the challenge of adapting their car for the different layout of the Renault engine and has highlighted the difference in "experience" as one area it has a major advantage over Honda.

However, the Woking outfit is dependent on them getting it right with managing director Cyril Abiteboul conceding it will be a few years before McLaren can influence the engine design.

"We developed a complete power unit before working with McLaren, so it's not like with Honda, where Honda was dependent upon McLaren - we have the whole parameters of the power unit under our responsibility," he said.

"I think we will take it step by step. We want to be very pragmatic. Clearly, for 2018 and even 2019, it's very late for McLaren to have any influence on the hardware of the engine.

"Having said that, we want to be humble. We accept that we can improve our product, that we have to improve our product, and we will be open to their suggestion," Abiteboul added.

"Therefore, we can have a different and more connected way of working together for the medium to long-term future but it's not something for before 2020 in my opinion."

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey has accepted the position of Ferrari in the sport is "unique" but insists they cannot be prioritised over others regarding the future.

The two parties are expected to have a tricky relationship during 2018 as owners Liberty Media look to reshape the F1 landscape but the grid's most iconic brand is threatening to pull out if it doesn't agree with how their vision shapes up.

The main areas of contention are engine changes for 2021, with initial proposals last October leading to chairman Sergio Marchionne's quit threat, and financials, as F1 bosses target the Scuderia's $100m bonus and look to introduce a budget cap.

"Ferrari has a unique importance and is a legend, but it must be treated like all the other teams," Carey told Italian publication Corriere della Sera laying out Liberty's position.

"We want them to remain part of the category -- we want to change the sport for the better, not change the teams.

"We have to improve the show we offer on the track. The aerodynamics do not help and I am told that it is also a problem for some of the circuits."

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Having tried to introduce greater transparency to the political scene in the paddock in his first year in charge, the American F1 boss is sure solutions can be found which suit all but did issue one warning.

"Agreements can be reached," he insisted, "but the main objective is non-negotiable: the interest of the fans comes first."

The issue of policing track limits is high on the agenda as Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting leads a meeting of FIA officials in Geneva this weekend.

With the level of stewarding and decision making in certain situations always under scrutiny, particularly in F1, the Briton has called on fellow race directors and stewards to take a broader approach when dealing with important on-track matters such as track limits.

Last year incidents at a number of races took place but none more so than in Austin where Max Verstappen lost a podium he thought he had earned on the final lap after putting all four wheels across the inside of the track.

Responses ranged from a call for permanent stewards in a bid to ensure consistency to some criticising modern circuit design with run-off areas and wider kerbs leading to drivers looking for every advantage the can get.

“I think the most important thing about this seminar is to open everybody’s eyes to different ways of doing things,” Whiting was quoted by Crash.net.

“There is almost always more than one way to correctly do things right and the right course of action depends on many factors.

“There are not only series or championship-specific approaches that might be of benefit elsewhere but you also have people saying ‘that’s a good idea, we could use that in our series’.”

Previous methods to try and maintain track limits has seen stewards call on drivers to keep at least one wheel on the white line, sensors were used in Hungary and, more commonly in races, a three-strike policy at the corners where running wide is more prevalent.

Force India founder and team principal Vijay Mallya is very "proud" of his team's achievements in Formula 1 but also suggested they may have peaked.

The Silverstone outfit celebrated 10 years on the grid in 2017 and enjoyed their most successful season, finishing fourth in the constructors' championship for a second straight season and scoring their most points with double top 10 results in 16 of the 20 races.

Force India's problem, however, is whether they will ever make the step up to become a potential giant-killing team as their former incarnation Jordan did in the late 1990's, early 2000's.

"At the moment there is a huge gulf that we need to close on the top three teams, but I’m still proud that we are ‘best of the rest’," Mallya told First Post.

"We are racing against huge car manufacturers and we need to be realistic about what we can achieve with our own resources. So I’m satisfied and proud of the job we are doing, but hungry for even better results and podiums."

Ultimately, though, with the likes of McLaren, Renault and Williams to name a few that could potentially overhaul them as soon as this year, the Indian entrepreneur acknowledged: "The goal for the future is to maintain our position and start closing the gap to the teams ahead of us."

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Force India's strength has come from putting talent over money in all areas, whether it be drivers or those in the garage and the factory but Mallya admits that isn't enough and that will be the case unless the new F1 owners introduce changes.

"It’s no secret we lack the financial might of Mercedes and Ferrari as these privileged manufacturer teams also benefit from beneficial prize money arrangements, which further widen the gulf to the independent teams," he said.

"It’s something that we’ve always believed has an impact on the health and competitiveness of the sport. A more equitable sharing of the prize fund would allow other teams, including Force India, to compete on a more equal footing.

"Until this is addressed, it’s unlikely we will see independent teams fighting for race wins every week."

Daniel Ricciardo has made it clear he prefers to have a "fast" teammate in Formula 1 and has again touted his desire to partner with Lewis Hamilton, likely at Mercedes.

The Australian is firmly putting himself on the market as he enters the final year on his current contract with Red Bull and is also well aware the world champions will likely be following him, with Valtteri Bottas only on a single year deal.

Known for his high motivation and competitiveness, leading to the 'Honey Badger' nickname, the 28-year-old claims he has no thoughts at all of wanting to be part of a team where he would be the clear 'number one'.

"I've never really been too fussed about the type of teammate," he told Racer.

"People will probably call me a liar for this but I would like a fast teammate. You're always going to get more out of yourself and it's going to be more of a true valuation, how good you are, where you stand.

"I'm in this sport, yes, to win, but to win by being the best, and not getting lucky or whatever. If I win a title I want to know that I was the best guy that year."

Put to him that he is already meeting that goal as the man across the garage from Max Verstappen, Ricciardo agreed but that doesn't stop him from dreaming of a chance to compare himself alongside an established great of F1.

"I would love to go up against Lewis at some point, irrespective of the team situation. Yeah, that would be fun!" he smiled.

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With his future past-2018 still unresolved, the five-time Grand Prix winner insists his relationship with Red Bull remains firmly intact and thanked them for allowing him the patience to consider his options.

"I spoke briefly with Red Bull since the end of the season and they haven't given me an ultimatum either, they haven't put a contract in front of me and said 'Sign it this week or we're moving on'," he revealed.

"They've been kind and given me some time, and they understand that I kinda want to see where we are in the first race or two."

Lance Stroll has revealed he seeks inspiration from current four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton when dealing with those who doubt his ability.

The young Canadian has become a divisive figure among many in his first 12 months in Formula 1, with a difficult pre-season and subsequent tricky start to his rookie year only toughening the stance of those who see the 19-year-old as a 'pay driver'.

Though he would show signs of his potential in Baku and in the wet at Monza last year, some also see Stroll as quite arrogant, particularly after recently suggesting his 2017 Williams teammate Felipe Massa was not much of a mentor to him last season.

“I stay in my little bubble - that is what I try and do,” he was quoted as saying by Crash.net. “There is always noise out there and distractions, but you just have to block all that noise out. People will say things. The crucial thing for me is that I stick to my job. 

“I believe I have earned my shot in F1,” Stroll continued. “I have won F3 and we all know F3 is a very high level. I come from a background that when I win, people try to put me down, and when I lose, people try to put me down. I accept that and I actually find it kind of funny.”

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With Massa retired and a year of experience under his belt, the Williams driver is now expected to step up his game in 2018 and potentially lead the Grove-based team alongside another man looking to make his mark in Sergey Sirotkin.

Considering how he will look to do that, it was then Stroll looked to another polarising figure in Hamilton.

“You saw in the title race last year how well Lewis handles pressure, (Sebastian) Vettel folded, but Lewis was able to handle that expectation," he surmised.

"His car wasn’t always easy to drive and Mercedes struggled at a few races but he still managed to get the most out of it and score points when he had to.

“Hats off to him, he completely deserves the success he has had. He is extremely talented and I hope I can have half the success he’s had in my career.”

Romain Grosjean believes ensuring the successful introduction of upgrades to the car during a season is the area Haas must improve on to move forward in 2018.

While the American team scored points in their second year on the grid last season, arguably they were less competitive dropping down the order and sitting in front of Sauber in the pecking order in the final races.

With the midfield battle only likely to get more intense, there is a risk Haas could slip further behind without addressing their key weakness as Sauber expect to make big gains, Williams also hopeful of progress and really only Toro Rosso potentially in difficulty with Honda.

“There are a few areas where we need to focus on and get better,” Grosjean admitted to Autosport.

“One is making sure that the updates when they are coming are working well and they have been validated before, so not losing three months of time to bring something that doesn’t bring what it was supposed to do.

“This is two years in a row where the trend is to go a bit down during the year."

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Haas has usually been blighted by brake problems, changing supplier between Brembo and Carbon Industrie regularly but still failing to find a solution.

The Frenchman, who has particularly struggled, claims another key factor is hurting the team's progress.

"We started twice with a very, very good platform and we have been struggling with the tyres," he said.

“We are not up there with tyre usage and understanding. Behind the scenes there are a lot of things we can coordinate better between the factory in Maranello, the one in Dallara and the one in England to make things run smoother and more efficient.”

Max Verstappen believes Red Bull's rivals "would never see us again" if the Anglo-Austrian team was powered by Mercedes engines.

The beginning of the V6 hybrid era in 2014 coincided with the end of Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel's period of dominance in Formula 1, with the German manufacturer taking over thanks to a far superior engine.

Over the past four seasons, however, the Milton Keynes-based outfit has remained one of, if not the best on the grid in terms of the chassis but a failure on the part of their engine supplier Renault to close the performance gap has left Red Bull unable to challenge for the title.

"I think that if we had a Mercedes engine in the back, they would never see us again!" Verstappen proclaimed talking to Motorsport.com. "Ours (Renault) just isn't that stable compared to what Mercedes and Ferrari have."

The deficit hasn't just been about performance between Renault and their leading rivals either with reliability a major problem, particularly at the end of last season, and though there have been reassurances of progress, the Dutchman isn't expecting it to change soon.

"It has to do with several things otherwise, they would have solved it a long time ago, of course," he claimed.

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At the same time, however, Red Bull hasn't always got it right, notably last year when a major change in design rules was expected to help them but instead, they slipped back.

"They thought about going for a low drag configuration, but for some reason, it just didn't work out," Verstappen revealed. "Maybe it was a bit too optimistic.

"But you've seen that the team can turn things around very quickly," he added, pointing to the strength of in-season development which saw the RB13 chassis more than a match for Ferrari and Mercedes by the end.

"It does give you confidence for the future that it can go in the right direction."

Nico Hulkenberg is "convinced" he was giving his all despite regularly holding a substantial speed advantage over Jolyon Palmer last year at Renault.

Arriving as the new lead driver at the beginning of 2017, it would be a role he did excellently scoring strong qualifying performances, often a second or more faster than his British teammate, but would struggle to maintain those positions in the race.

At the time, that was put down to weaknesses with the car both aerodynamically and in the engine department and Hulkenberg was adamant he couldn't have done much more with a more competitive driver across the garage.

"It would be unprofessional if I would have had some slack at the beginning of the season because I was just safe," he told Autosport.

"I don't think if I take the first half of the season and any of my qualifying laps that I would have found significantly more time if I would have had another teammate closer to me. I just don't believe it, I am convinced it is not like that."

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Ultimately, Palmer's lack of results saw him replaced after the Japanese Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz making the switch from Toro Rosso on loan from the Red Bull stable as part of the engine deal which saw McLaren swap Honda for Renault from 2018.

Immediately, the Spaniard impressed, finishing sixth in Austin, and Hulkenberg is sure the pair will continue to drive the Enstone outfit forward this season.

"He [Sainz] is pushing and I am still pushing, we are pushing each other to the benefit of the team," he said.

"He is giving good feedback to the team as well. Two guys, instead of one, pushing everything forward is really important for a team."

The 23-year-old is also keen to continue testing himself against a driver with the reputation of Hulkenberg.

"I want to be up against a guy that has seven or eight years in F1 that's really settled nicely into a team like Nico has over the last year," Carlos commented.

"There is only things to learn and things to look out for so I'm going to just get into the atmosphere. Already on the simulation, we have a lot of similarities and that's going to help going forward."