This coming weekend will be another F1 Grand Prix (hopefully great) season. Here's my personal preview of what's the season will be.
I'm now anxious to see the first race in Melbourne. As you know, I am a Michael Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari fanatic. I feel sad. For the first time in as many seasons, I won't be seeing my F1 idol on tv making flying laps while qualifying, and on race day, I won't see him lining up at pole or a top 3 place on the grid. I won't see his famous "Victory Leap" at the podium anymore. But I'd learned to accept that. And now, a new era has begun. Changing of guards as they say.
Lookin' at the grid this season. F1 aficionados are tipping Ferrari once again as the team to beat this year. Continuing from their strong finish last season. I'd like to see what's in store with the tandem of the Flying Finn Kimi Raikonnen versus the Brazilian Felipe Massa. Who would be the Numero Uno driver?
I'm curious to see how Kimi do flying laps with the F2007 car. I could only imagine him on pole or winning the race even. Of course I won't be discounting Massa to continue on his winning since Brazil.
To the other teams, well, current champion Fernando Alonso is now with the Macca boys together with a new comer Lewis Hamilton, a graduate from the lower formula. I hope the Mercedes engine would be reliable this year giving Alonso the chance in winning.
On Renault, driver tandem of Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen. My fearless forecast, if Fisichella won't produce sterling performance in the early races, he might get the axe midway of the season since Nelson Piquet Jr. is already waiting in the wings.
The BMW team are on the rise. With drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Cubica, BMW F1 cars are flying during the winter. I hope they maintain their strong form thru the season. I'd like to see this team win a race or two this season. As you know, next to a Ferrari car, I like Bimmers too. Hehehehe.
As for Honda, Jenson ("push-the-wrong" my own private joke hehehehe) Button and Rubens Barrichello admittedly not happy with their new car RA107. I won't see them up there fighting at the top of the grid in the early races. Mid season? perhaps. It will boil down on their work on the car.
Moving over to Red Bull Racing, hmmm, I'm not really a fan of David Coulthard and Mark Webber. This two are contrast when qualifying. Coulthard is a slow qualifier ever since the revised qualifying format while Webber is a quick qualifyer. Both are good when their cars are good and vise versa. I think this two will just stay at the mid grid even though they have an Adrian Newey designed car powered by a Renault.
What can I say about Toyota, there's not much on this team. Big budget under achieving. They sitll got the old timers of Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, the only new face is Frank Montagny their test driver. From what I know about their winter test, it would be another year of disappointments. Tough luck. By now, I think they're having regrets firing Mike Gascoyne.
Now on with the backmarkers. Hehehehehe. Let me see.
Williams...2006 season was the lowest in their entire F1 history. Since the departure of BMW from their partnership, they went downhill. Now, they are on the rise once again thanks to Toyota and their break thru gearbox. They got two under rated drivers in the name of Alexander Wurz and Nico Rosberg. I think they will give the top teams a run for their money this season. I'm keeping my fingers cross.
Spyker F1...for me they are the dark horse within the group. Having a Ferrari engine on a good designed car by Mike Gascoyne, I'm reminiscing the Jordan days. Simple and yet very effective. I hope drivers Christian Albers and Adrian Sutil can do a good job.
Scuderia Toro Rosso...one of the controversial team, having almost identical cars with Red Bull Racing. What do you expect!?! They are sister teams. Another car with a Ferrari engine. I think they cars are much stronger than their sister team. They also got second term drivers of Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed.
Super Aguri F1...the second controversial team, running the year old Honda RA106 chassis. Drivers Anthony Davidson and Takuma "Kamikaze" Sato. In fairness to Taku, he raced last year more than crashing other cars. I think they are in good form to fight with the mid grid players.
As for the car controversy, I totally agree with the arguments raised by Williams and Spyker F1, these two teams should not be included in the constructors championship. As I see it, they didn't build their own cars.
There we have it.
Now, I can't wait to hear...."All five red lights are illuminating....and it's off!!!"
