McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain locks up his tires at a corner of the Albert Park racetrack during the second practice session for Sunday's Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne on Friday. (Andrew Brownbill/Associated Press) It seems a long time since newly-minted world champion Lewis Hamilton sprayed the last bottle of champagne for the 2008 Formula One season.
A lot has changed in the Formula One world this off-season, including teams, drivers, events and most significantly, technical specifications. What has not changed is the fact that in F1, the battles off the track are sometimes better than those on the track and this, the 60th anniversary season, is chock full of new controversy.
The newest bone of contention surrounds the interpretation of a fresh set of rules regarding the aerodynamics of this season's cars. The extensive rule changes have had F1 engineers working overtime, and it appears that Brawn GP and the two Toyota powered teams have had the greatest success. Toyota, Williams and Brawn GP have come up with a superior rear wing design, which may or may not be legal.
And so the soap opera begins. Brawn GP and the Toyota powered teams have developed a rear wing design that has made them very, very fast. The design was submitted to and approved by the F1 technical committee on Thursday.
Even while the committee was deciding whether it was legal, the engineers at McLaren, Ferrari and BMW disagreed and decided to launch a protest.
F1 may have approved the wing design, but the argument isn't over. If any of the Toyota properties gain points this weekend in Australia there will be a protest, a review and a ruling. The ruling won't be announced for about three months.
The real question, is why did the F1 technical committee wait until the day before the season began to make this ruling?
That's where it gets really interesting.
Some suggest that F1 czar Bernie Ecclestone wants his teams to be divided, so they don't team up against him to gain control over F1's direction.
There is also the suggestion that the three teams who have the new rear wing need to succeed in order to help the financial future of F1. Toyota has spent a lot of time and money yet it still lingers near the back of the grid. A win would help the accountants at Toyota justify their investment in F1.
Brawn GP, formerly Team Honda, now has Mercedes power and the new rear wing as well. They've been fast all pre-season and are looking for sponsors. A podium finish wouldn't hurt their chances. Team Williams, the second Toyota-powered team is in need of success too as their fortunes have slipped over the past few seasons.
Perhaps the real reason F1 took so long to make a decision, is to give the fans yet another reason to tune in to Sunday morning's race from Australia.
Here are a few of the storylines to follow as the F1 soap opera premieres:
- McLaren: Will wunderkind Lewis Hamilton continue his winning ways, despite the team's lack of speed so far?
- Ferrari: Will Massa take over the role of the team's top driver or will Raikkonen find his way out of his slump?
- BMW: They were fast in 2008, and Kubica showed flashes of brilliance, but will they have the pace this season?
- Renault: Will two-time world champion Alonso continue his late season form, becoming a podium regular? Will he stay at Renault?
- Toyota: Is this the year that a Japanese manufacturer becomes world champion? Will they get to keep their points in Australia?
- Torro Rosso: Will rookie Buemi be the real deal? Will Bourdais finally prove he belongs in F1?
- Red Bull Racing: Can Sebastian Vettel make the most of his move to the big team and be a surprise contender?
- Williams: Will Nico Rosberg step up as a team leader, and get Williams back on the podium regularly?
- Brawn GP: Can Ross Brawn emerge as a dominant player in the F1 world again? Will Jenson Button show he is the great driver everyone suspects he is?
- Force India: Can they stay out of everyone else's way and finally get some points?
