The Real Formula 1 Season Starts

The Formula 1 season has been underway for a few months now, but the real season starts this weekend with the return to Europe and the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
 
The beginning of each Formula 1 season is usually very exciting. I call it the boat race part of the season since many of the races end up being run in the rain in Asia. This season started a bit differently with a very dry and very boring race in Bahrain, but quickly spiced up with the rain races in Australia, Malaysia and the prospect of one in China.


So, what can we expect now that we are back to more traditional tracks? Things should calm down. While weather can still be an issue, we should see a calmer, more stable field. Sadly, this may mean boring racing, but we will have to see. All indications are the field is playing out in a typical team by team format.
 
The top team is undoubtedly Red Bull. The only thing holding them back is reliability. Vettel has to be the favorite for the driver’s trophy. He is clearly the class of the team compared to Webber who can look very strong and very weak – often in the same race!
 
The next team in line appears to be Ferrari. The prancing horse is much stronger than last year, but does not look to be a match for the Red Bull as of yet. Alonso appears determined, however, which could put a fly in the ointment for Red Bull. Massa appears to be solid, but is not a match for his more talented teammate.
 

McLaren continues the revival theme and appears to be closing in on Ferrari. Surprisingly, it appears that Jenson Button is a better match for this version of the car than Lewis. To the credit of Lewis, he has kept his head and avoided the chaos that occurred when he and Alonso went at it a few seasons past. We’ll have to see if this lasts the full length of the season.
 
Then there is Brawn…err, Mercedes. The team is fourth in the pecking order. Schumacher is one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, but it is clear that even he can’t win against father time. He’s been down right embarrassing and easily out paced by Nico Rosberg.
 
So, what can we expect for the rest of the season? A battle royal. The new blood will be up against the traditional powers. Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren will battle it out with the best drivers and the best minds. Who will win? I’ll take Vettel for the driver’s title and Ferrari for the constructors. Then again, I could be wrong!

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