F1 2010 Preview

The new formula one season is set to start in Bahrain next weekend. Like many fans I'm really excited to see which team has done the best job last winter. With the return of Schumacher and the resurrection of Ferrari, F1 is set for a splashing return in the new decade. But what can we expect this season? I'm willing to potentially make a big fool of myself by doing some speculations about the way the F1 2010 season might resolve.

Teams

They're the biggest factor for success in the sport I'm sure. Because lets be honest most drivers are only as good as their cars. Let's start at the bottom. Three new teams have emerged from the financial crisis and joined the sport. I'm talking about Lotus, Virgin and Hispania. The last team announced their car just a few days ago and have not enjoyed the privilege of getting some winter testing. So I predict hard times for the team. They will probably find things that are wrong with the 1 seater during the first practice sessions and question is if they have enough time to recover from it. I'm slightly more optimistic about Lotus and Virgin. They're the slowest cars but with some miles under their belt perhaps they can be reliable quickly and then work on improving the aerodynamics. But the problem could be that the gap is too big, Massa spoke of a potential gap of three seconds, and that the financial situation for the teams can hurt their progress. Next up is Force India. In their third season things look better than ever. Obviously the big boss has a lot of money and it shows. In the final part of last season their car was in the middle of the pack, coming from all the way back. Now with a great winter and gaps smaller than ever perhaps the Indian team can score serious points in 2010. Williams are also part of the line-up. But I predict big reliability problems for them. They signed Barrichello which is an average driver these days and I can't help thinking that the team is lacking a true leader. We're working our way up now, Toro Rosso are making their real debut this season having used the Red Bull chassis in the past. The first car from the team looked real fast especially during the difficult circumstances. That shows that the car has grip so on some circuits Toro Rosso can shock the F1 field and score points I'm sure. Renault are next up. They are targeting fifth place and I think that's realistic. They seem relatively quick but I just can't help doubting the driver's speed.

Now I want to talk about the title contenders. Ferrari, Sauber, Mclaren and Mercedes are going for the F1 title this year. Ferrari are looking for revanche after a difficult 2009 season. They sacked Raikkonen and hired Fernando Alonso. He can probably communicate better with the team and team-mate Massa, who said that he already spoke more to Alonso than he ever did to Raikkonen. The car is looking quick but the last days of testing showed that perhaps the Ferrari isn't the quickest car just yet.

Sauber is the dark horse in this F1 fantasy. The testing results are really good and lets face it the Sauber car is pretty much developed by BMW. Reliability is also great but the drivers can hurt their chances. They simply don't have the experience required to withstand the pressure that comes from winning races.

Mercedes signed two German drivers, Schumacher and Rosberg, and with the great leading qualities of Ross Brawn perhaps the team is set for a golden future in Formula One. The car's performances might not be perfect just yet but it could definitely improve as the season progresses.

Mclaren are favorites for me. Two British drivers, a British team and the quickest car in the testing season. I simply don't see any big problems preventing them from being contenders this season. They just have to make sure that Hamilton and Button cooperate well. But I imagine that they've learned from past events and that this isn't going to be a problem. Their F1 challenge in 2010 looks to be the strongest yet and I'd be surprised if the team isn't up there right from the start.

Formula one has always been an exciting sport but this season could be the best yet. A great driver has returned and the team's pride is bigger than ever. I simply can't wait for the new season to start in Bahrain next weekend.