19 reasons to fall asleep this year

With the FIA introducing more cost-cutting measures that involve rule changes forcing teams to spend more money, this season looks to be another unpredictable and entertaining one.

Of course there is a chance that the season may not actually start until 2013, what with angry middle-easterns throwing rocks in Bahrain and the ever present eco-mentalists in Australia attempting to boycott the race by claiming that, unless Formula 1 cars start being powered by kangaroo droppings, their exhausts will cause a cataclysmic event that will flood the other half of the country.

I can’t be the only one who is relieved the Bahrain Grand Prix has been cancelled. It is, after all, the dullest race on the calendar. It will, however, be interesting to see what this new Indian Grand Prix is like. With an Indian run team, two Indian drivers in the sport and every company in the world having a call centre there, it is certainly a commercial benefit for the sport.

The move to Pirelli tyres is going to be a key factor. Apart from the unknown quantity of a new supplier, the ridiculously limited amount of testing time granted to teams may well make things a bit of a lottery. I think it will be more significant than the re-introduction of KERS or the questionable introduction of movable rear wings.

Of course there is the-reintroduction of the 107 percent rule. I personally don’t see the point because every time a team fails to qualify, they will site unforeseen circumstances and will be granted entry by the FIA, as was always the case in the past. Either that or the slow teams will whinge about how elitist the sport is and claim they are being treated unfairly.

Safety will be another key subject this year. We’ve already had drivers complaining about the number of buttons that are now on the steering wheel. It is only a matter of time before drivers start running into the back of each other because they are too busy trying to figure out which one of the gazillion dials and knobs they are supposed to press.

The new movable rear wings baffle me. It strikes me as incredibly dangerous to allow wings to be moved when the car is in motion. There is too much scope for human error and software failure. If we don’t see drivers ploughing head-first into tyre walls, I will be very surprised.

Of course, on the subject of safety in motor racing, the year got off to a sad start with the news that Robert Kubica sustained serious injuries in a rally accident. His injuries reminded me of those sustained by Alessandro Nannini in a helicopter crash in 1990. It is a real shame because I had a feeling that he and Renault, or Lotus, or whatever they are actually called now, were going to be a lot stronger this year and may even have challenged for the odd win.

So prediction time: The title fight will almost certainly be fought between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren again this season. Mercedes may be slightly stronger but I think they will still be lagging somewhat.

Ferrari are looking strong and may well be the team to beat this year. Once again, Alonso proved his lack of class at the final race of 2010 with his petulant display of frustration at Vitaly Petrov. It was completely unnecessary, especially because that performance by Petrov was about the only impressive thing he did last year. However, I think Alonso may well add a third championship to his collection come November.

It will be interesting to see how Massa gets on. I think this is make-or-break year for the chirpy chappy. I’m not sure whether it was as a result of his accident the previous year or whether Alonso just crushed him but he seemed almost invisible for most of the year. Well, apart from Hockenheim obviously. Sadly, Massa seems to suffer from the same Latin temperament that afflicts people like Barrichello, Trulli and Fisichella. When things go his way he can be unbeatable. However, when things get away from him, his chin drops and his performance ebbs.

Red Bull are bound to be strong again. With a championship behind him now, I think Vettel is going to be stronger than ever. There was a part of me that thought he deserved to lose the title after making so many mistakes last year. Still, the fact that he still won despite all the mistakes and his car letting him down on a few occasions shows just how good a job he and the team did.

Part of me thinks Mark Webber should have retired at the end of last season. He is no spring chicken now and I think last year was his best chance of winning the championship. This is not meant in a negative way; I really like the guy (although listening to him being interviewed always makes me want to hang myself, plus I’m convinced his cheeks are sinking further into his face). He is going to be a contender again this year but I have a feeling Vettel is going to have even more of an edge over him now.

McLaren have a lot of work to do in my opinion. They haven’t looked particularly impressive in testing and both drivers have voiced their concerns over the pace and reliability. I am convinced this is not just gamesmanship.

I was surprised how close Jenson was to Lewis last year. I honestly thought Hamilton would walk all over him. Although I still believe Hamilton is the quicker driver, Jenson’s experience and intelligence stands him in good stead and he will take the fight to his team mate once again. Still, I can’t escape this nagging feeling that Lewis will have a bigger edge over his team mate this year.

I think Mercedes are impressive. Not in terms of performance but in terms of their catalogue of pitiful excuses for Schumacher’s lousy performance last year. If it wasn’t the way the car was designed it was the tyres. Then it was the lack of testing. Then it was the simulator giving him motion sickness. My arse! The old Schumacher would have adapted. He is not the driver he once was and I really hate to see him making a cock of himself. If he fails so miserably again this year, he should fall on his sword and retire.

The rest of the teams are really making up the numbers. Renault/Lotus/Lada will score some points and we may see Heidfeld on the podium once or twice. Williams will pick up some points with Barrichello but their stock market value will fall because Pastor Maldonado will crash lots of their cars. Force India will also pick up some points but I’m not yet totally convinced about Paul di Resta. Torro Rosso and Sauber will trail the mid-field pack. The other Lotus team will be a lot closer and Virgin will be behind them. HRT may possibly make it to the end of the season but will inevitably go bankrupt at some stage.

As for the championship, it’s a close one between Vettel and Alonso but I can’t help thinking that the mono-browed Spaniard will do the job this year.