Let the 2009 F1 season begin

The 2009 season couldn’t have begun on a worse note. As if the global economic meltdown was not enough, the constant changing of rules related to cars and the points system had created confusion and consternation between the teams and the governing body.

Thankfully, the FIA has backed down from its proposal to introduce the new points system this year. Hopefully, everything will be settled so that fans can enjoy the real action starting in Melbourne on Sunday, March 29.

The teams though are trying to make some sense of the new piece of machinery that they will be handling this year. The 2009 car is radically different from last year’s car in every sense —aerodynamics, engines, tyres, KERS and the restriction on testing.
As a result, these changes will be the single most dominant part in deciding this year’s champion.

As for the season’s favourites, the usual suspects, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, still remain on top of the list.

However, they are no longer the overwhelming favourites. In fact, McLaren Mercedes is struggling for pace with the new set-up.
Though Lewis Hamilton would dearly love to defend his title and enter history as one of the very few drivers to have won back-to-back drivers’ championships, he may find the going tough with the 2009-specs McLaren.

Having missed out on winning the drivers’ title by a single point, the Brazilian Ferrari driver Felipe Massa will be desperate to win the title this year. Kimi Raikkonen, too has a point to prove. He had a lacklustre 2008 when people had started doubting his commitment. The ‘ice man’ would be keen to prove that his 2007 win wasn’t a flash in the pan.

Along with Ferrari, BMW is a strong contender. The German team has achieved whatever targets they had set themselves for the first three years. This year, they have declared their intention of fighting for the championship. Their confidence in putting KERS to good effect makes them one of the teams to watch out for.

Now, for the surprise elements. Unbelievable as it may sound, but the newly formed Brawn GP, whose very existence was in doubt till a few weeks ago, has stunned everyone with their pace in the testing sessions. Both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello have scorched the tracks of Jerez and Barcelona during testing and have catapulted themselves as the dark horses.

The other team to watch out for is Red Bull, with Sebastian Vettel being already tipped as a  future champion. The 21-year-old German already has a number of records against his name, youngest to start a Grand Prix; youngest to finish in the points, youngest to take pole position and, most importantly, youngest to win a Grand Prix.
Toyota have done little justice to the money spent on them. The team though has shown promise in the testing sessions. Hopefully, it will transform into something solid. Williams continues to be a shadow of its glorious past despite the fact that it has one of the most talented drivers, Nico Rosberg, on its rolls. Maybe, this could be the year of resurrection for the British team which has made some interesting interpretation of design changes. 

The year 2008 was a forgettable one for Force India. 2009 though promises to be different. Backed by Mercedes power in the form of drivetrain and KERS, the team is expected to open its points account.  Toro Rosso with both Sebastians, Bourdais and Buemi, would be fighting for points as well. With so many new factors getting added, this season could turn out to be one of the most intriguing ever.