Poll
Question:
In your opinion, who will be triumphed F1 World Champion this year?
Option 1: Hamilton (3.3)
votes: 1
Option 2: Alonso (4.5)
votes: 1
Option 3: Massa (5.5)
votes: 2
Option 4: Raikkonen (6)
votes: 1
Option 5: Kubica (9)
votes: 1
Option 6: Vettel (15)
votes: 0
Option 7: Heidfeld (18)
votes: 0
Option 8: Kovalainen (30)
votes: 0
Option 9: other (at least 50)
votes: 0
Post your votes until the season starts.
I think Alonso can be the world champion if his car is able to be within 1 sec from the top cars. He can get around half a sec of any car compared to the rest of the drivers. But, as usual, the #1 driver on the best car will win.
Season will be harder than previous ones, and it seems, due to current tests sessions, that McLaren is not at its best : they still race with 2008 rear wing and when they try 2009 one they are 1-1.5 second slower than the rest.
I think BMW will have the best season start, they prepare their car since more time than the other teams and they have a really functionnal KERS. So my bet is Kubica, who has the will to be champion and the nerves to do so. This year, BMW won't stop the car improvement at the middle of the year like in 2008.
Renault can be a good surprise, even if the car nose and livery is quite ugly (but it seems they will change to a smaller one, as seen in Geneva last days : http://adrien68190.free.fr/geneve/r29%20(2).JPG). (http://adrien68190.free.fr/geneve/r29%20(2).JPG).) But I don't think Piquet will be of any help for the team (like last year).
Ferrari will be there too, as usual. Kimi seems better than last year in the car, but at the opposite Massa doesn't seem to like the new car (opposite of the last year).
Toyota, Red Bull and maybe Toro Rosso will be main challengers for small points, and I really think Glock will keep improving. On the other hand, I fear Williams won't get a good season again. Nakajima is crappy, and Rosberg doesn't have the same experience than Alonso to bypass the issue of a useless mate for the car setups and so on.
So, my tip for drivers' championsip is :
1/ Kubica
2/ Raikkonen
3/ Alonso
then Massa, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Vettel, Glock, Trulli, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Webber, Bourdais, ... in this order.
Team championship : Ferrari will win, BMW 2nd and McLaren 3rd with a good season finish, bypassing Renault in the last races for the 4th place because of the regularly crappy results of Piquet Jr.