It happens about the same time every year. I find myself vibrating like a tuning fork in anticipation of the upcoming Formula One season. The sights, smells, and sounds of F1 start surging into my mind. With the way last season turned out, I cannot fathom what we have in store for this year. First, we have to get everything straightened out with teams and drivers. With all of the information that we need to cover, this is going to be a four part series. We are going to go in ascending order of constructors points from 2007 (sorry McLaren).
McLaren - Mercedes
2007 Points: 0
Current Driver Lineup: Lewis Hamilton & Heikki Kovalainen
Chassis: MP4-23
Engine: Mercedes-Benz FO 108V
After a tumultuous year full of controversy and plenty of drama, McLaren are probably looking forward to starting a fresh season. Unfortunately, they are going to have to start it from the smallest garage in pit lane as they are neighbors with Force India (Formerly Spyker). How a team like McLaren are going to handle the humiliation that comes with being that far down the paddock we will have to see, but it's not going to be a benefit...that's for sure.
If you have survived wave after wave of Lewis Hamilton drivel, you would have noticed that McLaren have a new driver lineup. Heikki Kovalainen has arrived without much fanfare which is probably what they were looking for after last year regardless of his credentials. That said, keeping an eye on winter testing has shown that he's not going to be the door mat that Lewis and McLaren were hoping for. They could end up with more of a challenging duo than they had bargained for.
Force India
2007 Points: 1 (As Spyker F1)
Current Driver Lineup: Adrian Sutil & Giancarlo Fisichella
Chassis: Spyker F8-VII
Engine: Ferrari
Bought by a consortium headed by Indian billionaire Dr. Vijay Mallya, the former Spyker team is clambering over themselves to get a competitive team together. They aren't starting from scratch however. Mike Gascoyne is still heading up their car development and he's no punter when it comes to putting a decent package together. With a decent budget, Force India could make some good progress this year in spite of their horrendous name.
When it comes to putting a proper driver lineup together you can't go wrong with experience. Giancarlo Fisichella fits that mold perfectly. Although he is past his prime, the friendly Italian still has a lot to offer in terms of development. Adrian Sutil on the other hand is a bit of a question mark. He is young and has proven to have plenty of aggression which is nice to have when you're battling at the back of the grid. We'll enjoy watching this driver combo to see what they can do with a Force India F1 car.
Super Aguri
2007 Points: 4
Current Driver Lineup: Takumo Sato & Anthony Davidson
Chassis: SA08
Engine: Honda
For a team that was put together by Honda to give their Golden Boy Takumo Sato a ride, Super Aguri did an amazing job last season. If Honda didn't bring in Ross Brawn for their own factory team, Super Aguri would have been on my list to come out ahead of Honda F1 in 2008. There must be a little magic left in that old Arrows facility in Leafield.
As far as driver lineups go, you couldn't find a nicer couple of guys. Off the track, both Takumo and Anthony are very pleasant to have a chat with and both are very passionate about what they do. Takumo has made some bone headed moves in the past, but he has also made some brilliant moves like his pass on Fernando Alonso. Anthony Davidson quietly did a brilliant job last year. What he did, which you rarely see at this level of motorsport, was keep learning as the year went on. Keep an eye on both of these drivers as they will provide quite a bit of action as 2008 progresses.
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