The 2009 Formula One season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons of the last decade.  There are numerous rule changes, as well as a return to BBC television coverage for UK viewers, which will see an exciting and inaugural viewing experience for us all.  I for one am really looking forward to the new season, and have been since the 1st November 2008!!

New Rule Changes

Personally I think these are the most exciting thing about this new season, despite my hope that we will see a renewed Kimi respond to everyone who’s criticised his every race from Monaco onwards last season!  The 2009 cars are majorly different to the 2008 predecessors, and each team has interpreted the new rules differently.  Here is a whistle stop tour of the new rules:

Rear wing - This is one of the major changes for 2009, and has been introduced in an attempt to improve overtaking on the track, rather than in the pitlane, something which has been heavily criticised by Bernie Ecclestone.  The rear wing is now smaller in width by some 25 cm, but slightly higher by 15cm.  

Front wing - is now much lower on the car and also 40 cm wider than the 2008 car

Appendages -The extra bits of bodywork on a car have been removed, the infamous barge boards which caused Ferrari so much bother in 1999 are now gone, as well as winglets, chimneys and the ‘bull horns’

Tyres - are no longer grooved.  Thank the lord!!  Those of you who have followed F1 prior to the introduction of grooved tyres in 1998 will know how fantastic the racing was with these tyres! If you don’t already know, or haven’t followed F1 for very long, look up F1 prior to 1998 to see what the racing was like.  Research has suggested that slick tyres yield 20 % extra grip than grooved tyres.  

Testing - In season testing banned.  The only testing that will now occur is in race weekend practice sessions.

Engines - They must now last for three races as opposed to two

KERS - I’m not the oracle on this subject, as I don’t know a great deal about it, and its not compulsory (at least for Australia anyway).  It’s widely speculated that only a couple of teams will use the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) in Melbourne, and here’s why.  The design and materials it uses add weight to the car, and as you know weight is a very important issue, regularly scruitinised in Formula One, and there has been some debate about drivers being forced to lose weight because of the KERS being introduced to this seasons cars.  The idea behind this system though, is that it will take some of the energy lost in the decelaration process, and convert it into energy used to ‘boost’ speed.  Complicated!!!

Pitlane speed limit - This has also been increased to 100 km/h, which Lewis Hamilton will be happy about, as long as he remembers to spot a red light!!! 

The Teams and Drivers

Many teams remain largely unchanged from their line ups in 2008. Only David Coulthard retired last year, which meant his spot at Red Bull was assumed by the 2008 Italian Grand Prix winner Sebastian Vettel, and his seat has been taken up by Sebastien Buemi who joins yet another Sebastien…Sebastien Bourdais. My my Torro Rosso love their Sebastiens’!!!

Here is my team by team preview:

McLaren-Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton: 

The 2008 World Champion starts the season with the number he has always wanted on his McLaren.  From the moment he walked up to Ron Dennis as an 11 year old boy and asked for his support, to last season’s exciting and dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix, his number one aim has been to be World Champion.  Now that its been achieved, Lewis can retire gracefully!!!!  

Only kidding, although 2009 will be a different ball game to the last two seasons for Lewis.  The 2009 winter testing programme has been worrying for many at McLaren, and many have questioned their lack of pace (Lewis spent the majority of the penultimate week of testing setting times nearly 2 seconds slower than a car that had begun its testing only that week).  The McLaren team also spent a great deal of winter testing with a 2008 rear wing.  What 2009 will bring for Lewis, only time will tell?

Heikki Kovalainen: 

Heikki inherited a win in Hungary last year after Felipe Massa’s unfortunate engine blow 2 laps from the end.  Despite this fortune, the Finn was largely as underwhelming as some of the media conceived his compatriot to be.  It seemed that he couldn’t get a handle of how the car worked, and an early season mid race crash in Spain (from which he left the circuit on a stretcher) would have done little to alleviate his confidence to perform in a championship challenging car.

There is no doubting that Heikki is a very talented and fast driver, however he needs to work harder and work with his teammate on comparisons of their car if he is to challenge Lewis in the team this year.

Ferrari

Felipe Massa: 

The Brazilian was very nearly the World Champion in 2008, missing out by one point.  Massa was arguably Ferrari’s strongest driver of 2008, regularly leaving his teammate in the shadows in terms of race performance.  Massa also won 6 races as opposed to his teammate’s 2.  This is something Massa will be hoping to maintain in 2009, in order to keep up his ‘number one’ status in the team, and respond to the critics who believe that he is an inconsistent driver.  There is no doubting that Massa is talented, a fantastic victory in Turkey proved that, however Massa is under pressure to prove that he can take that consistency in the dry into his performances in wet circumstances.  With Malaysia just around the corner, and conditions regularly wet in April, Massa will want to put his five spins in appauling circumstances at Silverstone behind him.

Kimi Raikkonen: 

Needs to prove a lot of people wrong.  The pressure is on Kimi immediately, the doubts of many media critics have produced many stories over the winter linking Spaniard Fernando Alonso, to Kimi’s seat in 2010.  Recent reports have also suggested that Kimi is under pressure from his bosses at Ferrari to put in a better performance in 2009, or his seat will almost certainly be taken by Alonso, despite the Finn having a contract till the end of 2010.  Despite a wobbly few races and under par performances in the middle part of 2008, Kimi was regaining some of his old form in Belgium, and by Japan and Brazil he was back to the Kimi we all know and love.  On his day, the 2007 World Champion is the one of the fastest, if not THE fastest driver in Formula One, scoring 10 fastest laps in the 2008 season, at least carrying some victory over from the 2007 season.  (Kimi won the DHL fastest man of the year award in 2007 and 2008 for scoring the highest number of fastest laps during a season.)  Here’s hoping that Kimi can improve his performances in 2009 to prove that he still has the motivation to be World Champion.

BMW Sauber

Robert Kubica:  

The Pole is the first person from his country to win a Formula One race, and his victory in last year’s Canadian Grand Prix was well deserved.  Kubica is probably the most consistent of last years drivers, and out of all those challenging for the title, he was the only one who didn’t make a major mistake.  His reliability record is also one of the most impeccable in Formula One, in 40 race starts, Kubica has only retired with reliability issues twice.  Perhaps the biggest mistake for Kubica last season was BMW’s decision to focus on the rule changes for this season, and therefore lack of backing to improve last season’s car to really mount a challenge for the World Title.  Many were skeptical this was a good decision, lets hope for Kubica and Heidfeld’s case, it has paid off and BMW maintain a competitive strong standard from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

Nick Heidfeld: 

Nick Heidfeld enters his tenth season in Formula One, still winless.  With 152 races underneath him, Nick Heidfeld is one of the most experienced drivers in Formula One.  However despite his experience, with newer more exciting drivers, such as Vettel, teammate Kubica and Buemi, Heidfeld’s position in Formula One could be under threat, unless along with his teammate he can mount a strong challenge for the title.

Renault

Fernando Alonso:  

Double World Champion of 2005 and 2006, Alonso returned to Renault in 2008, on the back of one of his toughest season’s in Formula One so far.  Alonso had partnered Brit Lewis Hamilton in a team which had supported the latter of the two drivers since he was 11 years old.  The likely result in a competitive Alonso, was his open disgust at his superiority over a novice not being realised by his colleagues at McLaren, who supported both drivers in a championship challenge.  Moving back to Renault was perhaps one of the best things Alonso could have done, realising that the 2008 car was perhaps one of the poorest on the grid, Renault pooled efforts into their 2009 car, and gradually improved their 2008 car, which resulted in two consecutive victories for Alonso (Singapore and Japan.)  Therefore the momentum is with Alonso to be one of the strongest competitors of 2009, could a third title be on the cards?

Nelson Piquet Jnr: 

I’m hoping Piquet Jnr will be out to prove that he is worthy of a seat in Formula One.  He had a largely underwhelming debut season in Formula One, and many were calling for him to be replaced in the Renault team.  However, he has not, his commitment to the team has been rewarded, and the hope is that the Brazilian will prove that he has what it takes to be a good, regular point scoring driver.

Toyota

Jarno Trulli: 

Is one of the Formula One veteran’s on the grid this year.  Toyota have looked strong in winter testing, and look one of the teams likeliest to score a race victory in Melbourne.  Jarno will be hoping it is him, who will be the one to win, and therefore add to his one victory scored for Renault in Monaco.

Timo Glock: 

It is yet to be proven that Glock has been forgiven by the Brazilian contingency who celebrated Felipe Massa’s shortlived title glory at last season’s title showdown.  Despite that however, Glock is one of the hottest talent’s on the grid this season.  After a podium in Hungary last year, Glock will be hoping to add to that in his second full season in F1, with a victory.

Toro Rosso-Ferrari

Sebastien Bourdais:  

His talent is yet to come to light in Formula One, again a largely underwhelming driver, despite his experience and success in junior formulae and in the American Indycar series.  Bourdais was largely outshone by a teammate who is more than 10 years his junior in 2009, and will be hoping Buemi, the only newcomer this year, won’t be one to do the same.

Sebastien Buemi:  

An unknown quantity to those, who like me, don’t follow the GP2 series as well as I would like to (that’s out of superstition more than anything). I’m informed that Buemi tested for parent team Red Bull, so hopefully his testing experience will help him in his first season.

Red Bull-Renault

Mark Webber:  

Has had a troubled off season!  Whilst particpating in the Mark Webber Challenge in Tasmania on a bike, he collided with another vehicle - as a result Webber broke his leg very badly and is lucky to even be able to participate in Australia.  However, participating he is, and as he has a new teammate he will be hoping to show that he is just as exciting and competitive as Vettel.

Sebasian Vettel: 

The exciting young German (nicknamed ‘Baby Schumi’) was one of 7 race winners in 2008, and is worthy replacement for retiree David Coulthard joining from junior team Torro Rosso.  As a result of his amazing victory from pole position in Monza last year, many are expecting big things of Vettel, and he’s quite a master in wet conditions.  No wonder many compare him to Michael Schumacher.

Williams-Toyota

Nico Rosberg:  

Wants Williams to be much more competitive in 2009, the German is entering his third season with the team having not really had a shining 2008 season.  The signs look good for Rosberg, Williams have been consistent and fast in ‘winter’ testing and look to be one of the stronger midfield teams along with Toyota in 2009.

Kazuki Nakajima: 

Is perhaps one of the clumsiest drivers on the grid. Despite this he contributed to Williams’ cause last year by scoring 8 points, and will be hoping to improve on this in 2009, with higher points finishes and perhaps even a podium.

Force India

Giancarlo Fisichella: 

This is Fisichella’s 14th season in Formula One, and the Italian will be out to prove a point, after a point-less 2008 season.

Adrian Sutil: 

Will also be hoping to score points for his team, and improve on qualifying performance, after spending a large majority of the season 2008, not even getting past Qualifying One.

Brawn GP

Jenson Button:

Starting the season as favourite to win the opening race?  Enough said!!!

Rubens Barrichello: 

The most experienced driver in Formula One, and a race winner to boot, Rubens will be hoping he can take advantage of Brawn GP scintilating pre-season pace, despite just 2 weeks of testing all winter!!

Carly Durrington

(Gokimi forum member - cazzy4kimicozheizfit)