With the former Honda Formula One team now operating independently under the leadership of Ross Brawn, 20 cars will be on the grid in Australia this weekend. That is two less than in any of the past three seasons, thanks to the demise of the Super Aguri team, but it could be a lot worse.
Somewhat remarkably, 19 of the 20 drivers who competed in 2008 return this season, with only the retired David Coulthard missing from the grid. Sebastian Vettel is the only driver to switch teams, but via a lateral move from Scuderia Toro Rosso to its sister team, Red Bull Racing. Sebastien Buemi is the only rookie, after Red Bull bosses promoted him to an STR race seat, replacing Vettel as Sebastien Bourdais’s teammate.
Among the teams, the only significant change is that Mercedes now supplies Force India (Ferrari in 2008) and Brawn GP (Honda in 2008) with engines.
Here’s how the grid looks as the series heads into the season opener in Melbourne, Australia, on March 29:
MCLAREN-MERCEDES
DRIVERS: Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen
OUTLOOK: Last year was a great one for McLaren--it bounced back from the frustrations of 2007 to clinch its first drivers’ championship in nine years, although the much-prized constructors’ crown remained out of reach.
As for this year, to say that early testing with the MP4-24 has not lived up to expectations is an understatement--the team seems to be in pretty poor shape as it tries to solve some serious aerodynamic problems. However, it would be dangerous to underestimate the organization’s potential over the season.
It will be interesting to see whether Hamilton is even better now that he has a championship to his credit, while Kovalainen learned a lot last year and should push him harder. Meanwhile, there’s a big change in management, as Martin Whitmarsh formally takes on the role of team principal. Ron Dennis will take a step back after nearly three decades in charge, but he will still attend races and still plays a leading role.
FERRARI
DRIVERS: Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa
OUTLOOK: Many thought that Ferrari would struggle once the fabulously successful Michael Schumacher/Ross Brawn era ended. But Kimi Raikkonen took the title in 2007 and--after team boss Jean Todt also moved on--Felipe Massa almost won it last year. The constructors’ prize was a welcome bonus in 2008.
The team has done a great job during this transition period, and it has been fascinating to see Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo take a higher profile and play a key role in creating unity among the teams by leading the Formula One Teams Association. Ferrari has not been a great supporter of kinetic-energy recovery systems, but the new F60 car seems to boast a competitive package and must be a title favorite. However, reliability could be a weakness, and the team has suffered in testing recently.
As for the drivers, Massa has confounded skeptics with his upward career momentum, while Raikkonen should be a lot stronger than he was last year and should not be discounted.
BMW SAUBER
DRIVERS: Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld
OUTLOOK: Since taking over Peter Sauber’s team in 2006, BMW has gone from strength to strength. Major landmarks were achieved last year when Robert Kubica gave the team its first pole in Bahrain and a maiden win in Canada.
However, there was some tension in the camp as Kubica felt that the team put more attention on developing the F1.09 rather than any serious push for the ’08 title. In the end, he fell short of the championship, but early indications say that the strategy was a good one; the new car has been very competitive in preseason testing. Kubica is set to be one of the greats of the next decade, but it could be a last chance for the dependable Nick Heidfeld to do something special.
RENAULT
DRIVERS: Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet Jr.
OUTLOOK: It took a long time for the former Benetton team to match the achievements of the Michael Schumacher era, but Fernando Alonso’s successes in 2005 and 2006 were as spectacular as those of his predecessor.
The team’s fortunes took a dive after the Spaniard left, but last year he rejoined and the rebuilding process began. The team showed that it still had that winning habit when he triumphed in Singapore and Japan as misfortune struck others. He should thrive in this new era of driver “toys,” such as the kinetic-energy recovery system and adjustable front wings.
Meanwhile, Nelson Piquet Jr. has a second chance but no excuses if he does not perform. A horsepower break from the FIA for the French V8 will help the team on its quest to become a title contender once again, while Renault was also the first team to publicly commit to running a kinetic-energy recovery system in Australia
TOYOTA
DRIVERS: Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock
OUTLOOK: This is Toyota’s eighth season of Grand Prix racing, and there can be no more excuses as the Cologne, Germany-based team seeks an elusive first win.
There were positive signs last season after a spell in the doldrums, and the car was fast in qualifying in the last few races. Despite the massive rule changes for 2009, the team appears to have maintained its momentum, and the TF109 looked good from the start of testing.
Jarno Trulli is ultra-quick in qualifying and can be fast in races if the car is right, while former Champ Car driver Timo Glock had some good races last year and has potential. Toyota has become more adept over the years at capitalizing on opportunities when they arise, as it proved with its two podium finishes last year. But the next step is the biggest.
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO-FERRARI
DRIVERS: Sebastien Buemi, Sebastien Bourdais
OUTLOOK: Scuderia Toro Rosso was the surprise package of the 2008 season, and Sebastian Vettel’s win in the Italian Grand Prix was perhaps the most popular of the year by any driver.
Now in its fourth season since Red Bull took over, the former Minardi team will find it difficult to match last year’s amazing form, but it has a great starting point courtesy of car designer Red Bull Technology--which has star designer Adrian Newey in command.
Rookie Sebastien Buemi’s true talent level is hard to judge, but it won’t be an easy year for him. Teammate Sebastien Bourdais returns for a sophomore year, and like Piquet at Renault, has to get the job done.
There’s a big change behind the scenes as Gerhard Berger is no longer involved in STR management, leaving Franz Tost in sole charge as team principal.
RED BULL RACING-RENAULT
DRIVERS: Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel
OUTLOOK: This is the fifth season for the team that we used to know as Jaguar Racing, and before that, Stewart Grand Prix. Last year, Red Bull Racing began the season well, only to fade away in the second half, just as the sister Toro Rosso outfit began to come good. Renault horsepower played a role, and this year, Red Bull Racing benefits from an upgrade to the Renault V8.
The big question is whether Adrian Newey has done a better job than his rivals of adapting to the rules changes. But the ace up the sleeve is the arrival of Sebastian Vettel as replacement for David Coulthard, for the youngster is undoubtedly a great talent and a good motivator in the Schumacher mold. It’s going to be tough for Mark Webber, who nevertheless remains a superb qualifier.
WILLIAMS-TOYOTA
DRIVERS: Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima
OUTLOOK: Twelve years have passed since Jacques Villeneuve won the 1997 drivers’ championship for Williams, and the team’s last win came courtesy of Juan Pablo Montoya in 2004.
Indeed, Williams has been through some tough times since it split with BMW, but this year’s package seems to be stronger than of late, and the moves to cut costs certainly works in favor of a team that does not have manufacturer support.
Williams has been one of the biggest supporters of the kinetic-energy recovery system, and if the team has its numbers right, that could play a role as the season goes on. Nico Rosberg has to step up and get results this year, while Kazuki Nakajima has the luxury of Toyota support, but needs to show more speed in his second season.
BRAWN GP
DRIVERS: Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello
OULOOK: The F1 world was shocked when Honda announced its withdrawal in December. But after months of speculation, the company finally confirmed that it had sold the team to a management group led by tech boss Ross Brawn.
Behind the scenes, engineers were quietly modifying the Honda RA109 to accept a Mercedes-Benz V8. From its first test at the start of March, the BGP001 has been extremely fast, and under its new identity, the team has turned the form book upside down. Life will probably get tougher as the year goes on, and the lack of a kinetic-energy recovery system may ultimately prove expensive.
Still, Button can’t believe that his luck has turned around in the last few weeks, and he has a chance to salvage his career this year. Veteran Rubens Barrichello will have to forget that the management that has just re-employed him is the same guys who had all but written him off at the end of last season.
FORCE INDIA-MERCEDES
DRIVERS: Adrian Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella
OUTLOOK: The team previously known as Jordan, MF1 Racing and Spyker launched a new identity last year thanks to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, and that was further strengthened by the adoption of national colors for the season.
Getting off the back row on a regular basis is a tough proposition, but Mallya has made the bold gamble of switching from Ferrari to Mercedes power to guarantee the supply of a customer McLaren gearbox and, eventually, a kinetic-energy recovery system. Having those key elements in place allows the team to focus on areas such as aerodynamics, and thus the overall package should be more competitive.
Adrian Sutil is fast but incident prone, while veteran Giancarlo Fisichella---the most experienced guy in the field other than Barrichello--seemed to lose interest last year and needs a good car to motivate him.
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