F1 2008 Preview / Australian Grand Prix Preview

Now that the driver lineups have been determined, the new cars have been launched (the ones that matter, anyway), and with Winter testing complete, the Formula 1 season is ready to begin! I, for one, am looking forward to it. I began watching/paying attention to F1 just after the first GP in 2004, when Schumacher was at his prime and Barrichello was still @ Ferrari and the time when people called Montoya crazy.First, let us tackle the new season. Will Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen win back-to-back constructor and driver's championships? How will McLaren rebound from their controversy filled (on and off the track) 2007 season? Can BMW join the elite and compete for podium finish and victories regularly. How will Renault fair with the return of two time World Champion Fernando Alonso?



The official F1 website has plenty of previews, so I'll just "borrow" them to hit the highlights of the off-season changes
Managing change: what's new for 2008 - Part 1
Managing change: what's new for 2008 - Part 2


Part 1 deals with the new technical regulations, which is highlighted by the banning of electronic control units which is where the traction control came from.Part 2 explains the new sporting regulations. Major changes include gearbox longevity and a tweaking of the qualifying format. Each car must now use the same gearbox for four consecutive races or they will incur a five place penalty on the grid.


2008 Team Preview - Ferrari, BMW, Renault
2008 Team Preview - Williams, Red Bull, Toyota, Toro Rosso
2008 Team Preview - Honda, Super Aguri, Force India, McLaren
2008 Schedule


The Formula 1 season will once again begin in Australia and conclude in Brazil. New race locations in 2008 include Valencia, Spain and Singapore. F1 will also return to Hockenheim, Germany to host the German GP. And lo behold, we have an Indian team in the reckoning. Things didn’t look rosy when we had an Indian @ the helm of a F1 car. Mr.Narain dropped out of Jordan after the 2005 calendar. At this juncture, he must be thinking what if he had stayed on? What if he could have garnered more sponsors for the beleaguered team of his!! Surprise surprise, Mr. Malya may have retained him in the current lineup of drivers for none other than the Indian team which has finally announced its presence in F1 as Force India. Now lets see how well does Force India perform with a billion people back home rooting for it; expecting it to do miracles in its first season. But remember folks, this is not a Ferrari though it has the engine of one; this team will take time to go up the ranks but since Mr. Malya being a great visionary, hope to see them on the podium when India hosts it first F1 in 2010. That’s something which will take the spotlight away from Cricket for sometime.


Australia Preview
Kimi Raikkonen dominated the race last year and Felipe Massa showed strong form as well in climbing through the field after starting shotgun after having mechanical problems during qualifying. It would be hard to pick against Ferrari again this year, but perhaps McLaren will be a bit closer at the beginning of this season than they were at the start of last year. Given Australia's location, this race will start around 10:30AM on Sunday morning for me, so I'll get to watch it.
So that ends my first review for this F1 calendar year