Hello again friends! The second semester of karting is drawing near, as is the 2009 Formula One season. Below are the first cars to be unveiled by big-money teams McLaren, Toyota and Ferrari. Any thoughts on these and/or the season ahead? Let's get some debate.

Hello readers,

We've also got some predictions in for the new season. Feel free to add your own!

JON BEAGLES
World Drivers' Champion: Kimi RAIKKONEN
Constructors' Champion: McLaren-Mercedes
Winner, first race: Felipe MASSA

KEITH HERBERT
World Drivers' Champion: Lewis HAMILTON
Constructors' Champion: BMW Sauber
Winner, first race: Lewis HAMILTON

TOM SMITH
World Drivers' Champion: Fernando ALONSO
Constructors' Champion: Ferrari
Winner, first race: Kimi RAIKKONEN

ADAM HIBBERD
World Drivers' Champion: Bruno SENNA
Constructors' Champion: Red Bull Racing
Winner, first race: Jochen RINDT (he might as well have said this - his other guesses were pretty outlandish!)

I didnt make a guess, but i recon that all the cars will come with their teammate next to them, i.e the winners team mate is second, the third place team mate is 4th etc, etc.

That's wholly irrelevant.

The Williams is clearly the best looking so far - but I am drawn to the Renault's colour scheme...

The williams and Toyotas look best. Williams is a testing livery though.

Kimi for champion.
Ferrari for Constructors.
Kubica for first race

Drivers: Hamilton
Constructors: McLaren
First race: Kubica

A photographic update of the 2009 challengers. Opinions, anyone?

Left to right...
Top row: BMW-Sauber; Renault
2nd row: Force 1ndia; Ferrari
3rd row: Toyota; McLaren
4th row: Williams; Brawn
5th row: STR; RBR



For looks alone, my top three are:
1) Renault - I know it's ugly, with that stupid, fat block of white cheese for a nose, but I think it's ace all the same.
2) McLaren - Probably the most attractive car overall, even though I've never considered myself a McLaren fan.
3) Brawn - I like the fluorescent yellow and the general shape of the car; simple but effective?

My least favourite car to look at has to be the Toyota. It looks so tower-like that a strong gust of wind might even blow it over. I think the designers took "taller and narrower" to extremes...

I think there are some trends here, though: Toyota and Force India have raised noses and tall rods connecting them to the front wing; naturally, Red Bull and Toro Rosso share the same tapered noses; Williams and Brawn both have rounded, drooping nose cones; McLaren and Ferrari's are some kind of stylish medium between round and drooping, and narrow and high; BMW and Renault have basically each strapped a bed to the front of their cars - something for the drivers to sunbathe on when they crash out at Melbourne...

I think the Toyota is the best looking of the bunch, followed by the Ferrari. However from a design point of view, it is interesting to notice McLaren and Williams have some nice subtle shaping on the front wing.

The Renault design is a puzzler. the only reason I can think of is that they have used the floor of the car to find mst of the downforce, and are using the big nose to divert more air underneath. The topside on the renult is 'curvier' than the others and I think will produce good airflow over the top. Ironically this could make the car the easiest to pass as the air following the car will be less disturbed!
the nose on the Renault isn't just shaped to divert air top and bottom though, it also has some nice shaping to divert air to the sides. It looks like it has been done in a way that will force air past the nose (on both sides) and straight into those radiator intakes. I think this is why Renault's radiator intakes are significally different, as the air doesn't have to be directed a second time. This means the openings can be smaller, creating less drag. Of course, having the benefit there will not matter if the huge nose is already costing them aero efficiency. Will be interesting to find out though!

Bernie Ecclestone:

"...if Brawn has got it right, there's a chance that for the first three races we could maybe see Jenson winning."

Ecclestone still expects more established drivers to eventually challenge for the championship but feels the results of the early races could help to shape the season.

He added: "Now that it is not points that decides the championship, if Jenson has three races in his pocket then it is not bad - although I suppose in the end you have to look at the old timers like Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton."


Sounds a bit funny to me. He's not calling Button (joined F1: 2000) as established as Raikkonen (joined: 2001), Alonso (2002), Massa (2002) and Hamilton (2007); indeed, he's calling those four "old timers". Granted the latter four have higher profiles among ardent F1 fans - but it is amusing that Bernie rates Button enough to seal the title within the first three rounds of the season, all the while not really considering him a particularly threatening name in the sport...

So there you have it - Button could win.

It'll only take four rain-soaked races for Vettel or Barrichello to beat him.

I personally think Barrichello could still beat Button regularly this year

Seconded.

Thirded

I'll state the opinion of most foreigners when it comes to F1, regardless of year:

KIMI ALONSO FERRARI 2010 LEWIS SUCKK!!!

I also agree with Keith as well

Well, we could not have been further from the truth. Collectively the opinions of us wise old sages amounted to what is popularly referred to as "diddly squat" (even though I loathe the term myself).

Despite his sometimes-unusual outlook on the grand prix world, Adam essentially came closest of all by suggesting Red Bull would win the constructors' championship. The team came second, which is nearer than I got with my BMW-Sauber prediction. That he nominated Bruno Senna as probable world champion sort of levels it out, but Tom Smith's prediction of Fernando Alonso was really very little closer...

Hats off to all for being bold enough to guess and, well, better luck next time!

Alonso would've won the title if Piquet would have crashed more like he was supposed too.

Josh Overhill wrote:
Drivers: Hamilton
Constructors: McLaren
First race: Kubica


Looking back on this now, I was nearly right about Kubica winning the first race. I honestly believe he would have won had him and Vettel not had the coming together with a few laps remaining, as he was on the right tyres at the time when Vettel and Button were not, and was catching the pair of them hand over fist.

Would have been interesting to have seen how BMW's season would have differed had Kubica won

I thought that once... Towards the end of 2008, actually.

It will really be interesting to see how the characteristics of the Renault aid him in his quest for glory. I hope fuel economy can keep him in the game.