It has been said before, but surely the 2010 Formula One season must be the most thrilling in prospect for a very long time. The reigning world champion and the ousted world champion in the same highly competitive team, the most successful F1 driver ever making a comeback in last season’s championship-winning team, six more cars on the grid, and an influx of drivers most of us have never heard of doing battle with a group of established stars and talented young guns who over the last three seasons have, for the most part, proven to be competitively matched. If this is not a recipe for excitement, then what is?
I see the championship as three divisions: the premiership consists of McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari with Williams, Renault, Force India, Toro Rosso and Sauber making up the first division. Formula Cosworth – Lotus, HRT (formerly Campos), Team USA (or its replacement) and Virgin – will be a lower league unto themselves.
McLaren has a problem with world champion Jenson Button and ex-champ Lewis Hamilton in the same team: two talented, hungry and capable drivers who are likely to take valuable drivers’ points from each other but to the benefit of the manufacturers’ championship.
Ferrari has the same problem with Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, likewise Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Expect Nico Rosberg.to be overawed at Mercedes by the returning Michael Schumacher, who only time will tell whether or not has the bravery to go head-to-head with a lot of rivals determined to put one over on him.
The 2010 champions will come from the premiership. Who? My guess is McLaren and, er, Vettel. I lie. I have absolutely NO idea… What a cracking season it should be!
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