Your Prediction for the 2009 F1 Champion?

[paulf968]

Just watched qualifying at Melbourne -- time for us all to choose who they think will win it this year. My son is all for Jensen Button but I go for Massa. You?

 

[944s2]

It would be a barave man to forecast this early

I'd love too see Massa finally get his reward but on todays performance Button looks good but then once the diffuser is declared legal and the rest catch uyp who knows

Should be a good season

 

[paulf968]

Be brave! -- the idea is to commit to your forecast -- preferably before a wheel is turned in the race tomorrow

 

[Rotorhead]

Massa.

In part because he deserves to, but largely because Ferrari will engineer their cars, the rules and the politics in their favour.

 

[Neil Haughey]

I agree, and in a romantic sort of way he deserves a win after last season.

 

[Rob Sharp]

I've also have to go with Massa. I think that Ferrari will make up the deficit, and quickly.

But I have a sneaky feeling it will be close between Massa and Button

Rob

 

[944s2]

Right so thats Massa jinxed then if we all want him to win!

 

[tscaptain]

Quite nice that Brawn GP will now have Virgin plastered over their cars. McLaren seem way off - at the moment - Ferrari probably will strengthen. Now they have reversed the decision from the "most wins" back to the previous "most points" consistency is one of the key factors? Heart says Button, head says Massa.[]

 

[Big Dave]

I actually hope that the Brawn GP team as a whole do well this year.
So i suppose im routing for JB..
But ide also like to see Mark Webber do well, although i feel im in a minority....

 

[gresley]

Button has never fulfilled his potential and he has a strange look of ambition in his eye - I think he could do it - like Massa he is a true racer and I believe it will be close - but don't write off Vittel!!

Andrew W

 

[Steve Brookes]

Vettel for me too []

 

[daro911]

Below is the provisional grid with each car's weight. Note - Glock and Trulli were excluded from P6 and P8 respectively for illegal rear wings, and hence start from the back. A gearbox penalty dropped Hamilton from 15th to last, before Toyota's exclusion bumped him back up two places.

1. Jenson Button, Brawn GP, 664.5kg
2. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP, 666.5
3. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 657
4. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber, 650
5. Nico Rosberg, Williams, 657
6. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 654
7. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 655.5
8. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 662
9. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 691.5
10. Fernando Alonso, Renault, 680.7
11. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren, 690.6
12. Nelson Piquet, Renault, 694.1
13. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India 689
14. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams, 612.5
15. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 675.5
16. Adrian Sutil, Force India, 684.5
17. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso, 662.5
18. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 655
19. Timo Glock, Toyota, 670
20. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 660

 

[911kev]

My money is on Kubica this season. I just hope his BMW doesn't have an "Airbag" and " Engine management" warning light come on like every BM i've ever owned []

Kev

 

[PJS917]

I think it will be Kimi if it is a red car that takes the title, I am looking forward to the Button/Virgin comments as the season unfolds though[][][]

 

[tscaptain]

Great start for Brawn and Jenson. Booby prize goes to Kubica![]

 

[paulf968]

no mentions for Lewis so far -- with the drive he had today in a supposedly much slower car, there is no telling where he might end up -- is it his KERS system that is better than anyone else? (ie just rubbish at setting quick quali times)

 

[tscaptain]

True, but the 3rd place was rather flattering given that no's 2+3 commited hari kari with 3 laps to go, both Ferrari's didn't finish and Trulli was penalised after the finish. However, 10/10 for hanging in there!

 

[944s2]

You forgot the two safety car periods as well

But points in bad that may be useful later in season[]

 

[tscaptain]

So here's a few questions. Golf is not won by the player with the best clubs or tennis by the player with the best racket. F1 is clearly a team game. Are F1 drivers pretty much equal, with a few notable exceptions over the years, such that the car is the most critical part of winning? Well I think it is but in what proportion? 70% car/30% driver? Or the other way round? What do you think on average? And by how much could a Schuie or Senna change that proportion?

 

[poprock]

I think that one set of teams will dominate the first half of the season and an entirely different set of teams will dominate the latter half "¦ which will make for an interesting points situation in the end. Maybe that will favour the middle-of-the-road teams, if they can consistently bag a few points each race?

I'm blaming this situation all squarely on the massive rule changes and how they've been taken on by the various teams. It's going to be a year where the technology comes first.