With days to spare we continue our 2008 Formula One World Championship preview...
starting with BMW. Last year the former Sauber team slotted into the role that Honda had taken on the year before, comfortably ahead of the midfield scrum, but not able to challenge the top dogs. While BMW came home second in the standings, I'd be extremely surprised if they accomplished the same feat this season, assuming McLaren don't somehow get kicked out again. 2008 promises to be challenging for the Swiss based team; early testing of the F108 has shown it to be somewhat of a twitchy beast, not good considering this was one of Honda's most prominent features last year... If Rampf and the boys can tame the Bavarian beast I'd put my money on BMW scrapping with Renault for McLaren and Ferrari leftovers, although Alonso's genius may take his car further than either Heidfeld or Kubica.
Points wise, BMW were in a veritable no man's land last year. Ferrari were a cool 103 ahead and Renault 50 behind. I'm sure the team is hoping they've made a jump forward to the fight ahead, but I'm afraid that judging from the winter they're only going to get caught from behind. And it's not because of anything they've done wrong as much as everyone else was simply off the pace last year. With their steady technical staff and driver pairing they're set up to do well in 2008, but it seems the rest of the midfield has been figuring things out. There is no way Renault is going to give up 50 points to them again and hopefully, neither will Williams.
Williams is one of the most storied teams in Formula One. THey've won 9 constucter's and 7 driver's championships over the years, which easily puts them among the greats. Unfortunatly for Frank WIlliams and Patrick Head, the team's dynamic management duo, it's been about a decade since the glory days. Things have really looked bleak through a couple of seasons full of horrific reliability after BMW's departure. (Actually, some point to the beggining of Williams' downfall as the day in 2004 when they unveiled the ill-fated and ghastly walrus nose (pictured) others mention the day they lost Montoya)
If they don't want to become like Uncle Rico ("ya ever hear of a thing like time travel on that internet thing?") they need to start delivering. Things are looking good though, Nico Rosberg is one of the best new drivers on the grid, and Kazuki Nakajima has shown he's got real talent, although his first race wasn't good when he started things out by sliding through his pit crew on the first stop. Some observers rate him more highly than Takuma Sato, so the fact that he's driving a vastly superior car than his countryman is due reward. Rosberg should be able to keep comfortably ahead in this duo for most of the season and is the type of driver who tends to show up in places you'd never expect, sort of like his teammate Wurz did last year sneaking onto a podium. Williams may prove to be 2008's most improved team, and while Toyota may be inept at Formula 1 in general, their top notch engines are behind the Grove team's renaissance.
Last year Toyota engines powered home 46 points, of which only 13 came from the factory Toyota team. This is a typically poor performance from the biggest team in the game, but you just have to think they're going to get it right one of these years, if even by accident. Its hard to put a finger on just what is wrong with Toyota, but ever since they boldly announced their intention to race F1 it seemed like they're were doing it all wrong. First off, they built the team in Cologne, Germany, when everyone knows you're supposed to base F1 teams in England. And then there's the joke about having thought they'd just pulled the coup of the century hiring Michael Schumacher away from Ferrari when all they'd done is get suckered into paying a fat retirement fortune to some guy name Ralf.
Meanwhile, they've had the pitlane's second quietest driver, Jarno Trulli (behind Rubens) putting in storming qualifying laps before spacing out during the races while thinking of pretentious wine descriptions for use back at the vineyard. Driving Toyota's second car? I've no idea to be honest, at least they ditched Ralf, but I'll get right on it as soon as I see a name in Q3 I've never heard before. True to off-season Toyota form, Trulli magically pulled some Ferrari chasing times out of his ass just before everyone closed up shop to head to Melbourne last week. Real pace or low fueled tomfoolery, take your guess, but I'm not expecting to hear the Japanese anthem anytime soon.
Wait a tick, it wasn't so long ago we had a Japanese constructor in the winners circle. Honda was there the season before last, but it has to feel like an eternity for this crew. Banishing the demons of this team's history has proven to be a mighty task and last year Honda was as far from Championship material as they've been since Monsiuers Villeneuve and Pollock boldly declared they'd win at their first go back in 1998. So far, neither that dream team, the genius of Dennis Richards nor the guidance of Nick Fry has been able to get things sorted.
This year sees the arrival of a certain Mr Ross Brawn, possibly the pitlane's most accomplished man and genius behind M. Schumacher's incredible career. His resume is literally covered with success and it has to be a huge boost to the team to have him on board. The fact that he's made it a point to state this isn't his car we're seeing this year says his confidence is low, but Button is still a sharp driver and the only way is up. At least that's what Jenson must be hoping. He's practically an F1 veteran at this point and must be feeling an awful lot of empathy towards David Coulthard as Lewis Hamilton drives away with all Britain's adoration. That lone win in 2006 had everyone thinking Jens would be back soon, but the podium looks a long way away at this point. And to make things worse the new Honda hasn't exactly looked fast so far...
Barrichello will be back in the other Honda and you have to wonder how he still has a drive. I think he's a great driver, and he's got more wins than just about anyone else in the field, but in the modern, what have you done for me lately state of F1, its a miracle Honda's sticking with him. Perhaps its a reflection of their management's maturity that they realize its not the driver's doing something wrong when the cars is such crap, but you must hope that something lights a fire under everyone at Honda this year. At least they've changed their paint from super fugly to bland and slightly ugly, which is an improvement.
If Honda represented getting it all wrong last year, it seemed McLaren were destined to show what getting it all right looked like. Or so we thought, but what a roller-coaster it turned out to be. From those hopeful begginings in Valencia where Lewis and Fernando traded time burning doughnuts in front of huge crowds came a total nightmare. No one could have guessed that what looked like the grid's most promising driver combo would turn out to be its most poisonous.
But say what you will about McLaren, and specifically Ron Dennis' inability to manage the growing discontent between his two star drivers, this is the only team on the pitlane who could, or would, take a 100 million Euro fine on the chin and come out looking as strong as they do right now. Last season would have crushed most teams, while the others would gladly walk away from the sport rather than pay such a penalty. Can you imagine Ferrari apologizing for anything? And there is absolutely no chance Carlos Goshn, with his meticulous accounting over the F1 team's PR returns, would stoop to paying 100 million to the FIA. Ron Dennis and his team, such is their love of and dedication to racing, simple went the stiff upper lip route and are determined to take back what they feel was robbed last season, 2 World Championships.
Based on pre-season form Macca looks to be able to accomplish this should things go their way, validating Mercedes' and their sponsor's backing of Ron Dennis' continued role at the helm. Amid rumors that he'd be stepping down, Ron Dennis today assured his team that it was business as usual. Testing form seems to back this decision up.
Early on it looked like Ferrari had a much faster car, but as things have progressed Lewis Hamilton has shown that his car is no slouch, especially in the all important qualifying trim. The young Brit's innate race-craft should allow him to defend any hard fought poles he earns this season and there's no reason this won't progress into a very serious championship bid. That said, this year should prove to be a mighty challenge for Hamilton. Last year he had the superior car for much of the season but was unable to deliver in the end; will he be able to this year against a stronger Ferrari team? Only time will tell, but judging from Hamilton's amazing rookie year I'd say he's got an excellent chance of not only maintaining his Best Brit status, but moving to the top of the heap overall.
Playing the role of wingman at McLaren is Heikki Kovalainen. McLaren has a history of fast Finns and after a rocky start last year Heikki showed he's got potential to be the next. His monstering of Fisi was complete and utter chez Renault and he's shown the speed to match Hamilton on occasion this year testing. Certain SofC editors who specialize in oval racing are particularly stricken by Kova, and I would also love to see him give Lewis a stern test this year. It'll be a challenge, but his dedication to the job in hand throughout the first couple rounds last season make me believe he's got what it takes. No talk, just action, a bit like the other fast Finn on the grid these days...
