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Hello and welcome to Grandprix’s preview of the new F1 season. After an adrenaline filled finale to 2008, we’ve recovered enough to look forward to ugly looking cars for the most part and perhaps more overtaking. In this preview, I will run through some changes for the new season, have a look at the teams and drivers for 2009, make some predictions and see how I did with my predictions for last year. Beware: IT’S LONG!!
Let’s begin with looking at where the teams will be travelling to in 2009.
Australia – 29th March
Malaysia – 5th April
China – 19th April
Bahrain – 26th April
Spain – 10th May
Monaco – 24th May
Turkey – 7th June
Britain – 21st June
Germany – 12th July
Hungary – 26th July
Europe – 23rd August
Belgium – 30th August
Italy – 13th September
Singapore – 27th September
Japan – 4th October
Brazil – 18th October
Abu Dhabi – 1st November
For all those who need help spotting the changes, here they are. First up, 2 races have been removed from the calendar and 1 has been added, meaning we have a 17 race season to look forward to, down from 18 last season.
The season begins 2 weeks later than last year. China moves from being the 2nd to last race to the 3rd race of the season. Because of the later start, Monaco keeps its late May calendar spot so Turkey is now after it.
The Canadian and French Grand Prix are no more, which means that all the races move up. Britain is now in late June and it looks nailed on that it will be the last F1 race at Silverstone for a while. The F1 circus stops for a month after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The final race of the season is no longer in Brazil but in the new venue of Abu Dhabi.
For those interested in the circuit rotation, the German Grand Prix will be at the Nurburgring for 2009 and Suzuka gets to host the Japanese Grand Prix again after 2 years without it.
It’s time to move onto the rule changes for 2009. If you look at the 2008 cars and then look at the new 2009 cars, the differences are obvious. Slick tyres are back, so that will give them an increase in grip but this is offset by the aerodynamic changes, which I’ll come in a moment.
The slick tyres will come in 2 different compounds, like 2008, but with a difference. The compounds are vastly different to one another meaning that soft tyre running should be a big advantage if you can get them to work. For instance, a race track with a very soft tyre compound will get, for example, a medium compound, making the lap times on each tyre very different and they will have to use both compounds during the race.
The other really significant and noticeable change is to the aerodynamics. The changes are designed to allow a car to follow closer behind another car and making it easier to overtake. It’s rumoured that these changes will mean a car will only need to be about 3 tenths faster a lap to overtake, down from what was about 7 or 8 tenths of a second.
The front wing is lower and wider and to help aid overtaking even more, the front wing will be adjustable twice per lap by the driver. The range of movement is 6 degrees, which is a fair amount of change. The drawback will come when a front wing is damaged because there will need to be some linkage between the driver and the front wing, which will be need to cut and reattached during a front wing change, making wing changes longer.
The rear wing is taller and thinner and with the extra stuff like chimneys and winglets no longer allowed, the air disturbance will be less, meaning closer running behind other cars in theory. Another minor change is the rear diffuser is longer and higher restricting the effect it has at making downforce.
A major debate during the offseason was the banning of testing during the season. It was designed as a means of saving teams money but it leaves a lot of 3rd drivers out in the cold and a lot of the race drivers will be twiddling their thumbs between races. Don’t be surprised to see some drivers make guest appearances in other events during the season.
Another big debate was the Kinetic Energy Recovery System or KERS. Basically, this system is designed to collect the energy wasted when braking and store in a battery so that the driver can use it for a boost of horsepower. The problem is that the technology is expensive and in these times, it’s an expense they’d rather do without.
Another problem is that the KERS unit is heavy. This causes a problem with balancing the weight in the car and it means that the taller, heavier drivers will get less benefit from the reported 80hp boost the unit gives. There is also safety concerns about the unit after a BMW employee was quite majorly electric shocked by the system. It should be available for around 7 seconds a lap, so a major advantage if you can get it to work.
Staying on power related things; engines are still frozen with only Renault allowed to make changes to balance the horsepower deficiency they were suffering from. Engine revs have been scaled back again to 18,000rpm.
The engine change rule has been changed. Each driver has 8 engines for the season. Penalties come at the event where they make the illegal change after they have used up their allocation. For those not very good at maths, 8 multiplied by 2 is 16. It’s a 17 race season, so 1 engine will have to last 3 races.
A late change saw the points system move to the Drivers Championship decided by race wins with the points deciding the remaining places and the Constructors Championship. With just days remaining, the FIA have agreed to wait until 2010 if the teams are unhappy, which is silly because the teams have to agree to changes anyway.
Finally in the changes area of this preview, the safety car rule has been changed. Refuelling is allowed now as the pit lane remains open during safety car periods. However, each driver is given a minimum back to pit time meaning they can’t speed back and gain an advantage, in theory.
Some major changes I think you’ll agree. It is now opinion time as I give my thoughts on the drivers and teams competing in this years Championship. We’ll also see how I got on with my predictions last season.
Ferrari
Ferrari may well have taken both titles last season after just missing on the Drivers Championship but to be fair, Ferrari deserved the Constructors Championship and only that.
Ferrari are usually there or thereabouts when it comes to dishing out titles and from the testing times, you would think they have a chance again. They are sticking with the same driver line up but you have to wonder how long they will remain unchanged.
Massa
This could be a key season for Massa. How will he respond to missing out on the World Championship after being so tantalisingly close? Massa tends to be a fiery character and just missing out could drive him on to fulfil his dream.
However, he could go the other way and push too hard to be World Champion. He does have previous when it comes to binning the car by overdriving it. Massa got the better of Raikkonen last season and will have to do it again this season.
Raikkonen
Raikkonen had a poor season in 2008. He didn’t seem up for the fight and there were persistent rumours of his retirement. He hasn’t really done anything to put those rumours to rest as all he says is that he will see out his contract.
This poses the question whether Raikkonen will be interested in fighting for one last title or content to pick up a pay check. He may very well sign a new deal but Ferrari will only stick with Raikkonen for so long, especially if Massa persists with being the better driver.
McLaren
There is change in the air at McLaren as Ron Dennis has decided to step down and hand over the running of the team to Martin Whitmarsh. This comes of the back of a stressful but ultimately successful 2008 season.
Unfortunately, it seems like McLaren may have a difficult start to the season at the very least. They’ve admitted that their car isn’t good enough currently and although they showed some improvement near the end of testing, they are still not confident that they can fight for wins. It will be interesting to see if they pick up any wins at all unless you believe the reports of sandbagging.
Hamilton
He knows how to make a title decider dramatic. To win the title in that matter was obviously an adrenaline filled event for everyone watching regardless of who you were supporting.
Now he is defending champion and with it a different kind of pressure. He doesn’t seem to have any worries within the team and he had Kovalainen well and truly beaten last season. If McLaren give him the car, he can win you a Championship.
Kovalainen
It was a mixed bag for Kovalainen last season. On one hand, he scored a race win. On the other hand, he had a lot of misfortune and couldn’t get himself involved with the Ferraris, which resulted in Ferrari taking the Constructors Championship.
I actually believe that this is Kovalainen’s make or break season. He has to start matching Hamilton and he has to, if possible, interfere with the title challenging teams on the track. McLaren ultimately want Constructors Championships and they need 2 good drivers to do it. If McLaren don’t give him a title winning car, it may just save him however.
BMW
I wanted to see BMW break out for race wins last season and they made it, even if you will bring up the fact that the faster cars all had nightmare races. But then they decided to concentrate on 2009 with Kubica still in contention for the title. Kubica was not happy.
Put simply, BMW have to deliver, if only to show that their decision to not chase Ferrari and McLaren last season was right. Testing has been positive if quiet and they’ve kept the same drivers, one a race winner and the other extremely solid. They’ll be looking for race wins along with a few others.
Kubica
Kubica really showed his stuff in 2008. He won his first Grand Prix and his first pole position, almost beat Raikkonen to 3rd in the Drivers Championship and was one of the success stories of the year.
The hardest thing about a year like that is that it is seen as an overachievement. More is now expected and he has to live with the pressure. With things so open, it could be a tough year for everyone, especially for a driver with so much promise.
Heidfeld
You would think, looking at the drivers table, that Heidfeld had a poor 2008, especially as he got beaten by his team mate and the underpowered Renault of Alonso in the standings. Most of his problems were poor qualifying performances, which he will need to address.
So, Heidfeld, to keep sweet with the BMW management, will have to keep up with Kubica, qualify better and then score points more regularly. Although he finished a lot of races, he didn’t score in 7 races and that is not good enough if he has any dreams of being a Champion.
Renault
Renault’s 2008 season was punctuated by the lack of horsepower that their engine produced in relation to the opposition. The result was a season of frustration and then disbelief as they took back to back wins near the end of the season.
With more horsepower now available, the team positive about their chances after testing and with Alonso at the wheel, Renault are up for the fight. They’ve certainly got as good a chance as any other team and you know they won’t give up as Alonso won’t let them.
Alonso
Alonso showed why he’s a Champion as he hustles an underpowered car to victory twice in 2008. It may have been fortuitous but the pace from Alonso was there, even if it wasn’t available all the time.
Now with a more level playing field in theory, Alonso will be raring to go. He will fancy adding a 3rd title because even if the car isn’t quite as good as the front runners, he can make the difference.
Piquet Jnr
I’m not going to hold back. Piquet Jnr is the luckiest guy on this grid. How he kept this drive is beyond me. It was a disaster and although he managed 2nd place in Germany, you could easily understand why he would be dropped.
He remains however and this is crunch time. He cannot have another season littered with accidents because Renault will drop him quick and there was pressure for his seat. I think he’s done personally but I’m always happy to be proved wrong.
Toyota
What can you say about Toyota in 2008? Dull, uninteresting, boring are all words you can level at them. Average qualifying and average races resulted in average point scoring. The only bright point was podium finishes in France and Hungary, which they will feel was well overdue.
So, what about 2009? Yet another threat that they will pull out if they don’t start getting success. You do think with the current economic crisis that this might be a threat they will act on this time. At least testing has given them some hope that things might be a whole lot better for them.
Trulli
The tag of good qualifier, average racer keeps getting placed on Trulli and he hasn’t really done anything to remove that tag. 13 times he qualified in the top 8 in 2008 and only got 31 points to show for it. Blame it on the car all he likes but it happens all the time with Trulli.
Maybe this time, things will different. Toyota are hopeful the car will deliver and then there will be no excuses. Trulli will either be exposed or he will finally get rid of that tag once and for all.
Glock
In my opinion, Glock was the perfect driver for Toyota; a little rough around the edges but a fighter. He didn’t qualify well, he only scored points 5 times and he had a couple of big accidents but he finished only 6 points behind Trulli and got his first podium.
Unfortunately, Trulli is much more consistent and Glock has to add that to his ability if he wants to keep his place. If the car is as good as testing would have you believe, the pressure could really be on and then we’ll see how good he is.
Toro Rosso
Toro Rosso were tipped by many to struggle but with the good Ferrari engine and the new car arriving late but proving good, they exceeding expectations and took an incredible race victory in Italy, which led to them beating their sister team Red Bull.
It is still up for sale by the Red Bull owner and they might very well slip to the back of the field again but the ex-Minardi team are always a pleasure to have on the grid and long may it continue.
Bourdais
It was a tricky first season for Bourdais. He looked like scoring big points in Australia only for his engine to blow and that summed up his season. He was in tears after seeing a podium finish slip away in the last few rain soaked laps in Belgium and received a ridiculous penalty in Japan.
Still, he has got another shot and after a podium finish in the 12 hour race in the American Le Mans series at Sebring, confidence is high. 2009 has to be better than what happened in 2008, doesn’t it?
Buemi
Amazingly, Buemi is the only rookie in the field and 1 of only 2 changes in the driver line up for 2009. In 2008, Buemi was the reserve driver for Red Bull, took a win in a 6th place finish in the GP2 series and raced in GP2 Asia, where he got 2 wins and a runners up spot in the Championship.
There isn’t that much pressure on Buemi and Bourdais will be the obvious target to beat in 2009. Depending on the pace of the car, a points finish here and there may be enough to keep him on.
Red Bull
Once again, it was a tough season to endure for Red Bull. A podium finish in Canada was a boost but they suffered from the horsepower deficiency of the Renault engine way more than the Renault team.
2009 should establish Red Bull back ahead of Toro Rosso. Adrian Newey looks to have designed a good car and a clever rear suspension based on ideas from years ago could see them finally deliver what they’ve promised for so long – a consistent Championship charge.
Webber
Webber doesn’t seem to have the best of luck. His qualifying form is usually fantastic but poor race pace or technical problems limit what he is able to achieve. Webber remains one of the great characters in Formula 1.
2009 has been difficult already. He is already recovering after a broken leg in the off season and he is now going to be troubled by a team mate with a bright future. There is going to be a fair amount of pressure on his shoulders but I’m sure it won’t faze him.
Vettel
Coulthard’s retirement has led to the only other change to the driver line up as Vettel moves (or is promoted) to the Red Bull team from Toro Rosso. 2008 was a great year for Vettel, highlighted by stunning pace and becoming the youngest race winner in F1 history by winning in Italy.
2009 promises much more and could bring more race victories. His in team rivalry with Webber could be one of the highlights of the season, especially if they are fighting it out at the front. We could be looking at a future World Champion in the making.
Williams
Williams promised so much at the start of 2008 but once again they suffered with poor pace. An early podium in Australia was nice and a surprise 2nd place in Singapore was extremely welcome but ultimately a spike in a string of low times.
A lot of people were worried that Williams would be a prime candidate to fall foul of the economic crisis but they apparently have their 2009 budget in place already. What has usually happened is that Williams start strong and fade out due to poor development. They look pretty good again in preseason testing so it will be interesting to see if they can keep up later on in the season.
Rosberg
The discontent in the Rosberg camp is rising. Rosberg’s loyalty to Williams is commendable but if he wants to be a World Champion, he may have to move elsewhere and it’s becoming clearer that he will probably have to move. He is highly thought of so some great drives could see a spot open up somewhere competitive.
All Rosberg can do is do the best job he can with the machinery he is given. Beating Nakajima hasn’t proved to be a problem and shouldn’t be too much different this time around.
Nakajima
I was pleasantly surprised by Nakajima. He had a few nightmares but, for the most part, he looked a dependable driver for Williams. His qualifying form was iffy at best and it’s something he will need to improve but he will be happy with his showing in 2008.
2009 is now about stepping up. He could be one of those solid, dependable drivers that will get you points or he can start to show that he has that something special that differentiates himself from an also ran to a Champion. Catching Rosberg, particularly in qualifying will be important.
Force India
Force India will feel that they deserve to be last but they will also feel like 0 points for last season was harsh. They were on for 4th place in Monaco when they were cruelly denied by Raikkonen smashing into Sutil.
They released their 2009 car late and are hoping that they now start to move off the back of the grid on a regular basis. They are also looking for some stability after numerous management switches over the last few years.
Sutil
It was a tough season for Sutil and can rightly feel robbed after the Raikkonen incident in Monaco. He also struggled to beat Fisichella, which does not bode well for his future. Some poor performances, even in the worst car on the grid, could lead to losing his seat in 2010. 2009 could be the last we see of Sutil if he doesn’t prove his worth.
Fisichella
I’m still not a fan of Fisichella but he put Sutil in his place by consistently beating him in qualifying and in races. He’s now in the latter stages of his career and he will probably never drive a race winning car again so, depending on his motivation, this could be his last season. If Sutil starts beating him, it could very well be.
Brawn GP
Brawn GP officially line up 10th despite the Honda team finishing 9th because they have registered as a new team. The team really isn’t new. This is the same team that has been through some horrific times in the last few years and they gave up on 2008 very early to focus on 2009.
Well, did it work? If testing times are to be believed, Brawn GP (despite the terrible name) looks like the fastest team out of them all! Obviously, we need to see to believe but this has the potential to be the story of the season.
Button
Every year we say that we feel sorry for Button. He sticks with a poor team in the hope that they will eventually get it right and every year, his title dream slips away. 2008 was yet another year to forget with only 3 points to his name.
Still, with Brawn GP’s pace and his driving style potentially helping him with the tyre graining problems that others are experiencing, could this finally be Button’s year? I’m going to remain sceptical but we will wait and see how 2009 plays out.
Barrichello
Despite Barrichello outscoring Button in 2008, reports suggest that Barrichello is very lucky to still have a drive in 2009. Bruno Senna was pushing hard for this seat but it would seem that Brawn’s connection to Barrichello has saved him.
Again, if the pace is to be believed, it could be Barrichello’s last chance to win a World Championship. He’ll have multiple drivers to beat but there were glimpses of the old race winning Barrichello last season. Maybe a good car can bring one last great season out of him.
So, there are the drivers and teams competing this season. It’s prediction time as I look back at how I did in 2008 and make the unenviable task of predicting 2009. Let’s start with my 2008 predictions:
2008 Constructors Championship
1st Ferrari – finished 1st
2nd McLaren – finished 2nd
3rd BMW – finished 3rd
4th Renault – finished 4th
5th Red Bull – finished 7th
6th Williams – finished 8th
7th Toyota – finished 5th
8th Honda – finished 9th
9th Toro Rosso – finished 6th
10th Force India – finished 10th
11th Super Aguri – went bust after 4 races
The demise of Super Aguri was inevitable but sad. I aced the top 4 positions but had the midfield messed up due to Toyota doing okay and Toro Rosso exceeding expectations. Up next are the top 5 drivers that I predicted in 2008:
Drivers top 5
1st Raikkonen – finished 3rd
2nd Massa – finished 2nd
3rd Hamilton – finished 1st
4th Kovalainen – finished 7th
5th Alonso – finished 5th
I was a bit dim really not putting a BMW driver in the top 5 but Kubica did very well and Kovalainen had a bit of a struggle. I underestimated Hamilton for the 2nd season running but got Massa and Alonso spot on.
Now onto 2009 and this is going to be really tricky to predict. Here are my Constructors positions first:
1st Ferrari
2nd Brawn GP
3rd BMW
4th Red Bull
5th Renault
6th McLaren
7th Toyota
8th Williams
9th Toro Rosso
10th Force India
I really have no idea. I’m going to play safe and go Ferrari as Constructors Champions again. Brawn GP is a risk for 2nd and the midfield is so confusing I don’t have a clue at how it will shake out. McLaren as low as 6th is a risk too but I just can’t put them higher. Toyota 7th is just me not believing that Toyota can produce a top car and keeping it great.
Now for the top 5 drivers for 2009, according to my gut feelings:
1st Massa
2nd Button
3rd Alonso
4th Raikkonen
5th Webber
I’ve decided to go crazy. Massa is a bit of a gamble but Button for runner up is a huge gamble on my part. Alonso can hustle around that Renault and I think he can get 3rd. Raikkonen, due to his poor 2008, is down in 4th for me and I’m sticking my neck out for Webber in 5th.
If you want to post your predictions and have me review them in the 2010 preview, post them with a message saying you would like them saved and I’ll make sure I keep them.
With BBC covering more F1 than ever before and no ad breaks spoiling the enjoyment; this could be a cracking season. I hope you enjoyed and managed to get through this preview.
Thanks for reading
Grandprix
Let’s begin with looking at where the teams will be travelling to in 2009.
Australia – 29th March
Malaysia – 5th April
China – 19th April
Bahrain – 26th April
Spain – 10th May
Monaco – 24th May
Turkey – 7th June
Britain – 21st June
Germany – 12th July
Hungary – 26th July
Europe – 23rd August
Belgium – 30th August
Italy – 13th September
Singapore – 27th September
Japan – 4th October
Brazil – 18th October
Abu Dhabi – 1st November
For all those who need help spotting the changes, here they are. First up, 2 races have been removed from the calendar and 1 has been added, meaning we have a 17 race season to look forward to, down from 18 last season.
The season begins 2 weeks later than last year. China moves from being the 2nd to last race to the 3rd race of the season. Because of the later start, Monaco keeps its late May calendar spot so Turkey is now after it.
The Canadian and French Grand Prix are no more, which means that all the races move up. Britain is now in late June and it looks nailed on that it will be the last F1 race at Silverstone for a while. The F1 circus stops for a month after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The final race of the season is no longer in Brazil but in the new venue of Abu Dhabi.
For those interested in the circuit rotation, the German Grand Prix will be at the Nurburgring for 2009 and Suzuka gets to host the Japanese Grand Prix again after 2 years without it.
It’s time to move onto the rule changes for 2009. If you look at the 2008 cars and then look at the new 2009 cars, the differences are obvious. Slick tyres are back, so that will give them an increase in grip but this is offset by the aerodynamic changes, which I’ll come in a moment.
The slick tyres will come in 2 different compounds, like 2008, but with a difference. The compounds are vastly different to one another meaning that soft tyre running should be a big advantage if you can get them to work. For instance, a race track with a very soft tyre compound will get, for example, a medium compound, making the lap times on each tyre very different and they will have to use both compounds during the race.
The other really significant and noticeable change is to the aerodynamics. The changes are designed to allow a car to follow closer behind another car and making it easier to overtake. It’s rumoured that these changes will mean a car will only need to be about 3 tenths faster a lap to overtake, down from what was about 7 or 8 tenths of a second.
The front wing is lower and wider and to help aid overtaking even more, the front wing will be adjustable twice per lap by the driver. The range of movement is 6 degrees, which is a fair amount of change. The drawback will come when a front wing is damaged because there will need to be some linkage between the driver and the front wing, which will be need to cut and reattached during a front wing change, making wing changes longer.
The rear wing is taller and thinner and with the extra stuff like chimneys and winglets no longer allowed, the air disturbance will be less, meaning closer running behind other cars in theory. Another minor change is the rear diffuser is longer and higher restricting the effect it has at making downforce.
A major debate during the offseason was the banning of testing during the season. It was designed as a means of saving teams money but it leaves a lot of 3rd drivers out in the cold and a lot of the race drivers will be twiddling their thumbs between races. Don’t be surprised to see some drivers make guest appearances in other events during the season.
Another big debate was the Kinetic Energy Recovery System or KERS. Basically, this system is designed to collect the energy wasted when braking and store in a battery so that the driver can use it for a boost of horsepower. The problem is that the technology is expensive and in these times, it’s an expense they’d rather do without.
Another problem is that the KERS unit is heavy. This causes a problem with balancing the weight in the car and it means that the taller, heavier drivers will get less benefit from the reported 80hp boost the unit gives. There is also safety concerns about the unit after a BMW employee was quite majorly electric shocked by the system. It should be available for around 7 seconds a lap, so a major advantage if you can get it to work.
Staying on power related things; engines are still frozen with only Renault allowed to make changes to balance the horsepower deficiency they were suffering from. Engine revs have been scaled back again to 18,000rpm.
The engine change rule has been changed. Each driver has 8 engines for the season. Penalties come at the event where they make the illegal change after they have used up their allocation. For those not very good at maths, 8 multiplied by 2 is 16. It’s a 17 race season, so 1 engine will have to last 3 races.
A late change saw the points system move to the Drivers Championship decided by race wins with the points deciding the remaining places and the Constructors Championship. With just days remaining, the FIA have agreed to wait until 2010 if the teams are unhappy, which is silly because the teams have to agree to changes anyway.
Finally in the changes area of this preview, the safety car rule has been changed. Refuelling is allowed now as the pit lane remains open during safety car periods. However, each driver is given a minimum back to pit time meaning they can’t speed back and gain an advantage, in theory.
Some major changes I think you’ll agree. It is now opinion time as I give my thoughts on the drivers and teams competing in this years Championship. We’ll also see how I got on with my predictions last season.
Ferrari
Ferrari may well have taken both titles last season after just missing on the Drivers Championship but to be fair, Ferrari deserved the Constructors Championship and only that.
Ferrari are usually there or thereabouts when it comes to dishing out titles and from the testing times, you would think they have a chance again. They are sticking with the same driver line up but you have to wonder how long they will remain unchanged.
Massa
This could be a key season for Massa. How will he respond to missing out on the World Championship after being so tantalisingly close? Massa tends to be a fiery character and just missing out could drive him on to fulfil his dream.
However, he could go the other way and push too hard to be World Champion. He does have previous when it comes to binning the car by overdriving it. Massa got the better of Raikkonen last season and will have to do it again this season.
Raikkonen
Raikkonen had a poor season in 2008. He didn’t seem up for the fight and there were persistent rumours of his retirement. He hasn’t really done anything to put those rumours to rest as all he says is that he will see out his contract.
This poses the question whether Raikkonen will be interested in fighting for one last title or content to pick up a pay check. He may very well sign a new deal but Ferrari will only stick with Raikkonen for so long, especially if Massa persists with being the better driver.
McLaren
There is change in the air at McLaren as Ron Dennis has decided to step down and hand over the running of the team to Martin Whitmarsh. This comes of the back of a stressful but ultimately successful 2008 season.
Unfortunately, it seems like McLaren may have a difficult start to the season at the very least. They’ve admitted that their car isn’t good enough currently and although they showed some improvement near the end of testing, they are still not confident that they can fight for wins. It will be interesting to see if they pick up any wins at all unless you believe the reports of sandbagging.
Hamilton
He knows how to make a title decider dramatic. To win the title in that matter was obviously an adrenaline filled event for everyone watching regardless of who you were supporting.
Now he is defending champion and with it a different kind of pressure. He doesn’t seem to have any worries within the team and he had Kovalainen well and truly beaten last season. If McLaren give him the car, he can win you a Championship.
Kovalainen
It was a mixed bag for Kovalainen last season. On one hand, he scored a race win. On the other hand, he had a lot of misfortune and couldn’t get himself involved with the Ferraris, which resulted in Ferrari taking the Constructors Championship.
I actually believe that this is Kovalainen’s make or break season. He has to start matching Hamilton and he has to, if possible, interfere with the title challenging teams on the track. McLaren ultimately want Constructors Championships and they need 2 good drivers to do it. If McLaren don’t give him a title winning car, it may just save him however.
BMW
I wanted to see BMW break out for race wins last season and they made it, even if you will bring up the fact that the faster cars all had nightmare races. But then they decided to concentrate on 2009 with Kubica still in contention for the title. Kubica was not happy.
Put simply, BMW have to deliver, if only to show that their decision to not chase Ferrari and McLaren last season was right. Testing has been positive if quiet and they’ve kept the same drivers, one a race winner and the other extremely solid. They’ll be looking for race wins along with a few others.
Kubica
Kubica really showed his stuff in 2008. He won his first Grand Prix and his first pole position, almost beat Raikkonen to 3rd in the Drivers Championship and was one of the success stories of the year.
The hardest thing about a year like that is that it is seen as an overachievement. More is now expected and he has to live with the pressure. With things so open, it could be a tough year for everyone, especially for a driver with so much promise.
Heidfeld
You would think, looking at the drivers table, that Heidfeld had a poor 2008, especially as he got beaten by his team mate and the underpowered Renault of Alonso in the standings. Most of his problems were poor qualifying performances, which he will need to address.
So, Heidfeld, to keep sweet with the BMW management, will have to keep up with Kubica, qualify better and then score points more regularly. Although he finished a lot of races, he didn’t score in 7 races and that is not good enough if he has any dreams of being a Champion.
Renault
Renault’s 2008 season was punctuated by the lack of horsepower that their engine produced in relation to the opposition. The result was a season of frustration and then disbelief as they took back to back wins near the end of the season.
With more horsepower now available, the team positive about their chances after testing and with Alonso at the wheel, Renault are up for the fight. They’ve certainly got as good a chance as any other team and you know they won’t give up as Alonso won’t let them.
Alonso
Alonso showed why he’s a Champion as he hustles an underpowered car to victory twice in 2008. It may have been fortuitous but the pace from Alonso was there, even if it wasn’t available all the time.
Now with a more level playing field in theory, Alonso will be raring to go. He will fancy adding a 3rd title because even if the car isn’t quite as good as the front runners, he can make the difference.
Piquet Jnr
I’m not going to hold back. Piquet Jnr is the luckiest guy on this grid. How he kept this drive is beyond me. It was a disaster and although he managed 2nd place in Germany, you could easily understand why he would be dropped.
He remains however and this is crunch time. He cannot have another season littered with accidents because Renault will drop him quick and there was pressure for his seat. I think he’s done personally but I’m always happy to be proved wrong.
Toyota
What can you say about Toyota in 2008? Dull, uninteresting, boring are all words you can level at them. Average qualifying and average races resulted in average point scoring. The only bright point was podium finishes in France and Hungary, which they will feel was well overdue.
So, what about 2009? Yet another threat that they will pull out if they don’t start getting success. You do think with the current economic crisis that this might be a threat they will act on this time. At least testing has given them some hope that things might be a whole lot better for them.
Trulli
The tag of good qualifier, average racer keeps getting placed on Trulli and he hasn’t really done anything to remove that tag. 13 times he qualified in the top 8 in 2008 and only got 31 points to show for it. Blame it on the car all he likes but it happens all the time with Trulli.
Maybe this time, things will different. Toyota are hopeful the car will deliver and then there will be no excuses. Trulli will either be exposed or he will finally get rid of that tag once and for all.
Glock
In my opinion, Glock was the perfect driver for Toyota; a little rough around the edges but a fighter. He didn’t qualify well, he only scored points 5 times and he had a couple of big accidents but he finished only 6 points behind Trulli and got his first podium.
Unfortunately, Trulli is much more consistent and Glock has to add that to his ability if he wants to keep his place. If the car is as good as testing would have you believe, the pressure could really be on and then we’ll see how good he is.
Toro Rosso
Toro Rosso were tipped by many to struggle but with the good Ferrari engine and the new car arriving late but proving good, they exceeding expectations and took an incredible race victory in Italy, which led to them beating their sister team Red Bull.
It is still up for sale by the Red Bull owner and they might very well slip to the back of the field again but the ex-Minardi team are always a pleasure to have on the grid and long may it continue.
Bourdais
It was a tricky first season for Bourdais. He looked like scoring big points in Australia only for his engine to blow and that summed up his season. He was in tears after seeing a podium finish slip away in the last few rain soaked laps in Belgium and received a ridiculous penalty in Japan.
Still, he has got another shot and after a podium finish in the 12 hour race in the American Le Mans series at Sebring, confidence is high. 2009 has to be better than what happened in 2008, doesn’t it?
Buemi
Amazingly, Buemi is the only rookie in the field and 1 of only 2 changes in the driver line up for 2009. In 2008, Buemi was the reserve driver for Red Bull, took a win in a 6th place finish in the GP2 series and raced in GP2 Asia, where he got 2 wins and a runners up spot in the Championship.
There isn’t that much pressure on Buemi and Bourdais will be the obvious target to beat in 2009. Depending on the pace of the car, a points finish here and there may be enough to keep him on.
Red Bull
Once again, it was a tough season to endure for Red Bull. A podium finish in Canada was a boost but they suffered from the horsepower deficiency of the Renault engine way more than the Renault team.
2009 should establish Red Bull back ahead of Toro Rosso. Adrian Newey looks to have designed a good car and a clever rear suspension based on ideas from years ago could see them finally deliver what they’ve promised for so long – a consistent Championship charge.
Webber
Webber doesn’t seem to have the best of luck. His qualifying form is usually fantastic but poor race pace or technical problems limit what he is able to achieve. Webber remains one of the great characters in Formula 1.
2009 has been difficult already. He is already recovering after a broken leg in the off season and he is now going to be troubled by a team mate with a bright future. There is going to be a fair amount of pressure on his shoulders but I’m sure it won’t faze him.
Vettel
Coulthard’s retirement has led to the only other change to the driver line up as Vettel moves (or is promoted) to the Red Bull team from Toro Rosso. 2008 was a great year for Vettel, highlighted by stunning pace and becoming the youngest race winner in F1 history by winning in Italy.
2009 promises much more and could bring more race victories. His in team rivalry with Webber could be one of the highlights of the season, especially if they are fighting it out at the front. We could be looking at a future World Champion in the making.
Williams
Williams promised so much at the start of 2008 but once again they suffered with poor pace. An early podium in Australia was nice and a surprise 2nd place in Singapore was extremely welcome but ultimately a spike in a string of low times.
A lot of people were worried that Williams would be a prime candidate to fall foul of the economic crisis but they apparently have their 2009 budget in place already. What has usually happened is that Williams start strong and fade out due to poor development. They look pretty good again in preseason testing so it will be interesting to see if they can keep up later on in the season.
Rosberg
The discontent in the Rosberg camp is rising. Rosberg’s loyalty to Williams is commendable but if he wants to be a World Champion, he may have to move elsewhere and it’s becoming clearer that he will probably have to move. He is highly thought of so some great drives could see a spot open up somewhere competitive.
All Rosberg can do is do the best job he can with the machinery he is given. Beating Nakajima hasn’t proved to be a problem and shouldn’t be too much different this time around.
Nakajima
I was pleasantly surprised by Nakajima. He had a few nightmares but, for the most part, he looked a dependable driver for Williams. His qualifying form was iffy at best and it’s something he will need to improve but he will be happy with his showing in 2008.
2009 is now about stepping up. He could be one of those solid, dependable drivers that will get you points or he can start to show that he has that something special that differentiates himself from an also ran to a Champion. Catching Rosberg, particularly in qualifying will be important.
Force India
Force India will feel that they deserve to be last but they will also feel like 0 points for last season was harsh. They were on for 4th place in Monaco when they were cruelly denied by Raikkonen smashing into Sutil.
They released their 2009 car late and are hoping that they now start to move off the back of the grid on a regular basis. They are also looking for some stability after numerous management switches over the last few years.
Sutil
It was a tough season for Sutil and can rightly feel robbed after the Raikkonen incident in Monaco. He also struggled to beat Fisichella, which does not bode well for his future. Some poor performances, even in the worst car on the grid, could lead to losing his seat in 2010. 2009 could be the last we see of Sutil if he doesn’t prove his worth.
Fisichella
I’m still not a fan of Fisichella but he put Sutil in his place by consistently beating him in qualifying and in races. He’s now in the latter stages of his career and he will probably never drive a race winning car again so, depending on his motivation, this could be his last season. If Sutil starts beating him, it could very well be.
Brawn GP
Brawn GP officially line up 10th despite the Honda team finishing 9th because they have registered as a new team. The team really isn’t new. This is the same team that has been through some horrific times in the last few years and they gave up on 2008 very early to focus on 2009.
Well, did it work? If testing times are to be believed, Brawn GP (despite the terrible name) looks like the fastest team out of them all! Obviously, we need to see to believe but this has the potential to be the story of the season.
Button
Every year we say that we feel sorry for Button. He sticks with a poor team in the hope that they will eventually get it right and every year, his title dream slips away. 2008 was yet another year to forget with only 3 points to his name.
Still, with Brawn GP’s pace and his driving style potentially helping him with the tyre graining problems that others are experiencing, could this finally be Button’s year? I’m going to remain sceptical but we will wait and see how 2009 plays out.
Barrichello
Despite Barrichello outscoring Button in 2008, reports suggest that Barrichello is very lucky to still have a drive in 2009. Bruno Senna was pushing hard for this seat but it would seem that Brawn’s connection to Barrichello has saved him.
Again, if the pace is to be believed, it could be Barrichello’s last chance to win a World Championship. He’ll have multiple drivers to beat but there were glimpses of the old race winning Barrichello last season. Maybe a good car can bring one last great season out of him.
So, there are the drivers and teams competing this season. It’s prediction time as I look back at how I did in 2008 and make the unenviable task of predicting 2009. Let’s start with my 2008 predictions:
2008 Constructors Championship
1st Ferrari – finished 1st
2nd McLaren – finished 2nd
3rd BMW – finished 3rd
4th Renault – finished 4th
5th Red Bull – finished 7th
6th Williams – finished 8th
7th Toyota – finished 5th
8th Honda – finished 9th
9th Toro Rosso – finished 6th
10th Force India – finished 10th
11th Super Aguri – went bust after 4 races
The demise of Super Aguri was inevitable but sad. I aced the top 4 positions but had the midfield messed up due to Toyota doing okay and Toro Rosso exceeding expectations. Up next are the top 5 drivers that I predicted in 2008:
Drivers top 5
1st Raikkonen – finished 3rd
2nd Massa – finished 2nd
3rd Hamilton – finished 1st
4th Kovalainen – finished 7th
5th Alonso – finished 5th
I was a bit dim really not putting a BMW driver in the top 5 but Kubica did very well and Kovalainen had a bit of a struggle. I underestimated Hamilton for the 2nd season running but got Massa and Alonso spot on.
Now onto 2009 and this is going to be really tricky to predict. Here are my Constructors positions first:
1st Ferrari
2nd Brawn GP
3rd BMW
4th Red Bull
5th Renault
6th McLaren
7th Toyota
8th Williams
9th Toro Rosso
10th Force India
I really have no idea. I’m going to play safe and go Ferrari as Constructors Champions again. Brawn GP is a risk for 2nd and the midfield is so confusing I don’t have a clue at how it will shake out. McLaren as low as 6th is a risk too but I just can’t put them higher. Toyota 7th is just me not believing that Toyota can produce a top car and keeping it great.
Now for the top 5 drivers for 2009, according to my gut feelings:
1st Massa
2nd Button
3rd Alonso
4th Raikkonen
5th Webber
I’ve decided to go crazy. Massa is a bit of a gamble but Button for runner up is a huge gamble on my part. Alonso can hustle around that Renault and I think he can get 3rd. Raikkonen, due to his poor 2008, is down in 4th for me and I’m sticking my neck out for Webber in 5th.
If you want to post your predictions and have me review them in the 2010 preview, post them with a message saying you would like them saved and I’ll make sure I keep them.
With BBC covering more F1 than ever before and no ad breaks spoiling the enjoyment; this could be a cracking season. I hope you enjoyed and managed to get through this preview.
Thanks for reading
Grandprix
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It looks like I'm not going to win for this post but I'm glad you liked it.
The first race is always a bit of a lottery due to it being the first race and reliability issues. That's why it's usually good fun.
The first race is always a bit of a lottery due to it being the first race and reliability issues. That's why it's usually good fun.
pete_21 wrote:
> pb wrote:
> Staffies; this needs to win tuesday's GAD prize.
>
> Seconded.Very good post.
Thirded. Fantastic post.
On to the topic, I thought that race was a very nice opener with Hamilton pulling back from 18th to 3rd, the failure of Ferrari (which always makes me happy) and of course a nice crash or two for my sadistic side :)
> pb wrote:
> Staffies; this needs to win tuesday's GAD prize.
>
> Seconded.Very good post.
Thirded. Fantastic post.
On to the topic, I thought that race was a very nice opener with Hamilton pulling back from 18th to 3rd, the failure of Ferrari (which always makes me happy) and of course a nice crash or two for my sadistic side :)
Cheers for the comments and the praise guys. Much appreciated and I hope you all managed to get through it all. :D
I stayed up 'til nearly 3am to watch as much of the first practice as I could - I needed my F1 fix!
Good to see Williams at the top of the timig screens for the first time in a while. The Brawns are up there as well, which is also good, although not as suprising.
Can't believe how slow the McLarens are. Testing showed they'd be off the pace, but Lewis down in 16th? Blimey...
Renault slower than expected too. Toyota are up there, which they need to be this season or I think it'll be their last.
Good to see Williams at the top of the timig screens for the first time in a while. The Brawns are up there as well, which is also good, although not as suprising.
Can't believe how slow the McLarens are. Testing showed they'd be off the pace, but Lewis down in 16th? Blimey...
Renault slower than expected too. Toyota are up there, which they need to be this season or I think it'll be their last.
pb wrote:
> Staffies; this needs to win tuesday's GAD prize.
Seconded.Very good post.
> Staffies; this needs to win tuesday's GAD prize.
Seconded.Very good post.
Staffies; this needs to win tuesday's GAD prize.
Yeah, I'll be watching the race and qualifying live. I'll be here although I watch the timing screens too. Any F1 discussion is best placed in my season long thread.
Am I eligible to win for this post in this forum? I didn't think it fitted on the other side. :)
Am I eligible to win for this post in this forum? I didn't think it fitted on the other side. :)
Yup, lots of changes this year. Well written GP!
I'm most looknig forward to the wet races - less aero grip but with the same tyre as last year? It'll be very interesting!
I have to say I've stuck a fiver on Button for the win this weekend. Plus a fiver on podiums for Rosberg, Trulli & Glock. Will I be 20 quid down on sunday? Who knows!
Anyone on here going to watch quali and the race live? Coming on here for a chat during the race?
EDIT - I'm off to Silverstone for the first time this year - woohoo!
I'm most looknig forward to the wet races - less aero grip but with the same tyre as last year? It'll be very interesting!
I have to say I've stuck a fiver on Button for the win this weekend. Plus a fiver on podiums for Rosberg, Trulli & Glock. Will I be 20 quid down on sunday? Who knows!
Anyone on here going to watch quali and the race live? Coming on here for a chat during the race?
EDIT - I'm off to Silverstone for the first time this year - woohoo!
Yeah, McLaren have said they aren't competitive so Hamilton will have problems defending.
A fair few people think Brawn GP are going to walk away in Australia.
Cheers for the support. Took me a fair few hours this time as I had to get my head around all the technical changes so that I can at least try to explain them.
A fair few people think Brawn GP are going to walk away in Australia.
Cheers for the support. Took me a fair few hours this time as I had to get my head around all the technical changes so that I can at least try to explain them.
Great to see your annual post back GP, been looking forward to this. The season is certainly going to be interesting, if not always for the right reasons and I really think Hamilton has a struggle this year to keep his title.
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