With the new car launches underway the 2009 F1 season has truly begun. It is at this point in time that I traditionally ask the UpdateF1 team for their thoughts on the new season, so it was with this in mind that I asked each the following questions:
Who will win the first race?
Who will be world champion at seasons end?
Will there be any new winners and, if so, who will they be?
What will be the biggest surprise, and biggest disappointment, of the 2009 season?
Will Force India, with the new McLaren-Mercedes link, score regular points?
Will there be any drivers who fail to complete the season?
Your correspondents are: Lita, our long time forum queen; James, the lurker from London; Paul, doyen of the junior racing series; Dylan, our occasional contributor whom we hope to hear more from this year; Filip, our US racing expert; Braden, race day regular, and myself, Steve, Editor and feature writer (that's my yacht in the harbour.....)
Read on, then, for our predictions on the year to come.
Who will win the first race in Melbourne?
Lita: Felipe Massa.
James: Raikkonen – he has a point to prove.
Filip: Nick Heidfeld.
Braden: Look for BMW to come out of the box strong and for Kubica to take the first race
Dylan: As much as I'd like to say Webber, I fear time off for his leg to heal won't help him much, but I also think that the rule changes could through up a few surprises so I'm going to go with his RB team mate Vettel to get the opening race win.
Paul: BMW have a huge advantage on KERS so i think it will be one of them, Heidfeld will win sometime this season but Kubica will win the opener.
Steve: Nick Heidfeld. This is his year.
Who will win the world championship?
Lita: Massa. I think after being so close last year that he'll really get his act together and go for it.
James: God knows but he'll be in red or silver overalls!
Filip: Lewis Hamilton.
Braden: Robert Kubica. Last season he proved what he could do, now he'll be in a better car.
Dylan: Massa. If he can get some more reliability over that which he didn't have last season, he's in with a real good chance at the title.
Paul: I am expecting a huge 5 way battle - Hamilton Vs Raikkonen Vs Massa Vs Alonso Vs Kubica - i would love Kubica to take it but i see him just missing out as Raikkonen bounces back to take his second title.
Steve: Nick Heidfeld. He and Kubica will take an early lead as BMW get a jump on the rest, but Nick’s consistency will bring him the title.
Will there be any new winners?
Lita: Maybe Heidfeld if BMW make a comeback and perhaps Webber will get his chance if there's a string of technical or mechanical failures in all the top teams in the one race. He did break a leg after all.
James: I think the only winners this season will have won last season, no-one new will adorn the top step (Kovi DID win last year didn’t
he?)
Filip: Heidfeld and Piquet.
Braden: Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber. The latter is more hopeful rather than knowledge. There aren't too many new drivers in top cars and unless someone like Williams or Toyota pull out a great season, there won't be many new winners, if any at all.
Dylan: Webber will break though this season. I just know it... I hope I didn't just jinx him, I am touching wood as I type this.
Paul: There won’t be many, as all the top drivers have aleardy won - Heidfeld will definatly take one and Webber will get podiums, whether he will win remains to be seen.
Steve: Heidfeld and Glock. And Sutil! While Webber deserves to win he won’t have a car capable of doing so – again – as Adrian Newey spends too much of the winter fiddling around with it. Toyota will win races this year.
Who, or what, will be the surprise of the season?
Lita: Piquet retaining his seat at Renault. Seriously!
James: There will be no big scandal!
Filip: Piquet.
Braden: Red Bull at the front of the field.
Dylan: It's already happened... Honda withdrawing from the competition.
Other than that, I'm sure there will be another sex scandel mid season, this time involving Flavio, Fernando, some hookers dressed up with Michael Schumacher chins and dressed in the 'United Colours of Benetton' and a dog...
Steve: Force India and Adrian Sutil.
And the biggest disappointment?
Lita: The possibility of another team not being on the grid this year and DC's retirement. It was always fun to try and guess whose race he'd upset for every Grand Prix.
James: Montezemelo chirping on about Ferrari being treated unfairly (or something about the FIA being against them).
Filip: Ferrari.
Braden: Ferrari crashing back down to earth with McLaren.
Dylan: No one had a camera this time. (See biggest surprise…..)
Paul: Among the British press it will be Hamilton not winning the title, for me it will be Kubica not winning it (assuming my prediction above is correct).
Steve: Raikkonen, who will confirm this year that he really isn’t interested.
Will Force India be regular points scorers?
Lita: No.
James: Hell yeah!
Filip: No.
Braden: No, they changed engines too late in the "silly" season to have a car being developed, it'll be behind schedule and at the back of the field again.
Dylan: No.
Paul: No, they might get one or two points but they won’t be regular.
Steve: Yes, they’ll be the bane of Red Bull’s season as they take points off them everywhere. This will be the biggest transformation in a team we’ve seen in recent years.
Will any drivers fail to see out the season?
Lita: I'd put Piquet here, but really, so long as he doesn't try and get one over Alonso, he should be ok. More seriously though, unless another team goes under, I think everyone will finish the season.
James: IF he gets a race seat, De La Rosa,
otherwise no idea
Filip: Mark Webber will break his leg again while falling off his only podium at Monaco. He'll be replaced by Ralf Schumacher.
Braden: One of the Force India drivers if they need some money, or if Honda gets bought, one of their drivers.
Dylan: None - this is the best driver list I've seen in years. FIA Associated Personnel who won't see out the season: Max Mosley.... please
Paul: Piquet will be in trouble if he starts badly with Di Grassi and Grosjean lining up to take the seat. Trulli may struggle and if he doesnt have a good season could get moved aside for Kobayashi after hte GP2 season finishes.
Steve: Raikkonen. Monte will simply get fed up with his lacklustre efforts and the Finn will calmly walk away to take up rallying in his home country. He’ll be replaced immediately by Alonso.
An eclectic set of views I’m sure you will agree, and all that remains is for me to say a big thank you to all of our correspondents, and look forward to the 2009 season.
Written by Steve Turnbull on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:35:20
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