F1 2009 Season!!!

Here we go! The start of a new season is upon us! Practice starts at 10pm tonight, so we'll so who's been faking and who's been sandbagging! Lots of new tech like adjustable front aero, KERS and slicks should make this a VERY interesting season. It's funny that KERS "rewards" lighter drivers with more HP...so if you're a big boy, you don't get to have an extra 80HP! Apparently they have yet to figure out the packaging to optimize the weight balance for the larger drivers. Most teams have just skipped it for this first round, but BMW has opted for a split strategy meaning Kubica will have to continue making Heidfeld look silly without a "nitro" button...

Brawn, Williams and Toyota are "legal" until the whiners appeal otherwise... McLaren has gone the more traditional route of copy and catchup. Brawn is going to pick up Virgin as a sponsor, which is a major coup for both parties. The management buyout goes through, so they have talented people running the team instead of corporate bureaucrats. Virgin gets all the branding they want without the headaches of learning the technical side of the F1 business. Brawn GP gets the funding they will desperately need to keep up with the frantic pace of development throughout the season. There is a small possibility of collusion where Brawn GP may have convinced Virgin to withdraw their offer to Honda so that the MBO would have less bidding competition, then gives them preference as a sponsor. Also the rumors of Todt's "retirement" are intriguing...

Here's hoping Rubens makes Button look as boring as he is!

And I've always got to root for Williams! With Brawn GP and Williams F1, I'm hoping for TWO competitive "privateer/gentleman drivers" teams showing the manufacturers how its done!