The wait is over. Formula 1 is back. It’s time for engines to roar, war to be forged and new stars to be born.
No less than 5 world champions will compete in this year’s tournament, plus they’ll be joined on the tarmac by a host of familiar faces, and some hotly anticipated rookies.
Here’s the Karting Nation guide to what promises to be another pulsating series of races.
The Players
Sebastian Vettel returns as reigning driver’s champ, behind the wheel of the heavily fancied Red Bull car. Red Bull took home last year’s constructors championship and once again set the pace during pre-season tests in Spain with their RB7. With Vettel and a resurgent Marc Webber behind the wheel the Red Bull team looks formidable.
The Ferrari team have been right there with them during the tests and are likely to be their biggest rivals throughout the campaign. The team missed out on a championship chance at Abu Dhabi last year, and they’ll be chomping at the bit this time around. As will their main man Fernando Alonso. He’s still one of the best driver’s in the game and he’ll be out to knock Vettel from his perch.
Don’t write off Mercedes just yet. Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are no mugs, and after a slow start, the team ended the practice runs on a high, following some timely tweaks to their new MGP W02.
After disappointing practice performances McLaren and Renault are expected to battle it out for fourth place. Technical problems and a lack of track time have hampered progress for McLaren and their MP4-26 doesn’t look ready for a title push. But appearances can be deceptive and both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have expressed their confidence in the car once all the pieces of their preparation fall into place. The guys at Renault are reeling from the loss of Robert Kubica but certainly won’t be bringing up the rear come November.
A little further down the pecking order, competition is sure to be tight, and there’ll be plenty of interest in teams like Williams, Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso, not least because of promising new drivers like Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Paul Di Resta (Force India) and Sergio Perez (Sauber).
Team Lotus, HRT and Virgin look, arguably, stronger than ever to round off a very competitive field. But don’t expect them to pose a great deal of problems to the big guns. All in all the standard of racing is set to be as high as spectator pulse rates.
The Game
Tension is building in the final days of preparation before the season opener in Australia, not least because of a number of rule changes. The game continues to evolve and organisers guarantee that the action will be as competitive as ever.
One of the biggest talking points has been the introduction of a movable rear-wing. The controversial addition is activated remotely at certain points of the circuit when a signal is given. Once activated, a gap is opened between the upper and lower wing planes, reducing drag and increasing speed. Crucially only the signalled car is able to activate the rear wing, offering a temporary advantage over the driver in front. This in turn makes overtaking a greater possibility.
Out go front wings, double diffusers and F-ducts, not to mention Bridgestone tyres. This year, burning rubber will be provided by Pirelli. Much has been said about the new tyres and in particular the fact that they degrade much quicker than their predecessors. For this reason, a busy year for pit crews seems likely. Last year Ferrari and Virgin managed to record 3.6 second pit stops. Will that time be bettered in 2011?
Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) make a return this year. This technology transforms the waste energy produced by braking into additional power at the driver’s disposal throughout the race.
Perhaps most ominous of all the changes takes the form of the new 107% rule, which states that tailenders won’t be allowed to race if they finish more than 5 or 6 seconds outside the top qualifying time on Saturday afternoon.
For a great number of reasons it’s sure to be yet another great campaign in the world’s most high profile motor sport.
For the inside track on everything that happens check the official Formula 1 website.
For a wheel-spinning Grand Prix in which you’re in the driving seat, book a great go-karting event at any of our racetracks around the UK. To take a look at the impressive selection of venues, race types and special offers click here.
Tomorrow, we’ll take a closer look at the opening meeting, the magnificent Quantas Australian Grand Prix 2011. Don’t miss it.