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The transfers, testing and take-overs have finished.
The new F1 season kicks off this weekend in Bahrain, and TopGear’s fridge is already packed with beer and dips and massive flags with amusing slogans about Michael Schumacher’s age and Fernando Alonso’s sartorial sensibilities. It’s important to keep those flags cold.
And, jeez, there’s a lot to talk about. Big Schu’s return to the F1 grid, the ban on refuelling and, most importantly, exactly how much stubble Jenson will be sporting on race day.
If we can glean anything from testing – and it is always notoriously dangerous to do so, with rumours of teams running unusually heavy fuel loads to disguise their true pace – it’s that Ferrari and McLaren should be quick come Sunday, with Red Bull right on their tails.
Schumacher and Mercedes? Difficult to say. After testing in Barcelona, Big Schu ruled out any chance of a Merc victory in the first few races, but a few days later revised his prediction. More mind games from the old master?
Sebastien Vettel reckons there’s nothing between the top four teams, so it might all come down to the ability of the drivers to cope with the variable handling of a fully fuel-laden car at the start of the race and one running on fumes with shredded tyres at the end.
As you’ll have spotted, Bahrain is not in Australia. Melbourne has hosted the F1 season opener for the past three years, but this year we’re back at the Hermann Tilke-designed Sakhir circuit. It isn’t renowned as a classic circuit – David Coulthard described it as ‘annoying to drive’, but there’s always the potential for a bit of sand on the track early in the race.
Going by past form in Bahrain, it’s set to be a Ferrari weekend: both Massa and Alonso have won here twice since 2004. But you’d have to be brave or stupid to confidently predict any result this weekend, let alone this season. Head on over to Bill Thomas’s blog where he’s done exactly that.
And now it’s your turn. What’s going to happen this weekend? We don’t just want to know who you think will take the chequered flag. We want to know what else is going to happen.
Will Jenson arrive with a full Charles Darwin beard? Will Big Schu march out to the pitlane to the strains of Ride of the Valkyries? And, most importantly, will Fernando be wearing another bloody awful sweater?
Open Car Bar
What do you think?
Ferrari Tifosi commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 12:12 pm
First!
Ferrari is definitely gonna take this championship! In your face schumi!
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adixro commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 12:29 pm
finally!!
I guess Ferrari will take it.
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EmblemCraig commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Cant wait…………..gonna be awesome
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Tak commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 12:37 pm
What’s going to happen is me ranting on in a rotten mood. I won’t be at home to watch the race… There’s a higlights replay on at 6 on Dutch tv which I can catch, but it’s not the same by a long shot.
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Stig fan commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Stig is going to win
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iceman commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Mmmm, I cannot guess, maybe McLaren or Mercedes and why not Red Bull or Ferrari. I can just guess that it is going to be a great season.
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Kadagis commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Alonso will beat Mercedes
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Pat commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 1:56 pm
why is Alonso never happy?
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Moody commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Please forgive this American for sticking his nose in the middle of your Brit battle, but I hope Lewis destroys Jenson. And wouldn’t it be great if Kobayashi spends his entire season doing to Schumi what he did to Button in Brazil?
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Dajmin commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:05 pm
I’m surprised Button is allowed facial hair. All that extra weight!
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Oh No It's HIM again commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I know they won’t be competitive against ferrari, maclaren, red bull and even mercedes and I know it will probably be a repeat of the Jaguar attempts in formula 1; BUT isn’t it just a little heart warming and sentimental to see “LOTUS” back on an F1 grid? I love it, even if no-one else does.
Oh and Jenson and Hamilton will be fast, schumi will be the spanner that makes the difference behind in mid field as to who brings up the rear of the top 3/4 teams and drivers. Vettel will be the stand out of the season, maybe even his championship this year, I can feel it in my topgear waters.
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Shum1 commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:12 pm
I like sandwiches
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The Stig's No1 Fan commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Top Gear never thought of loaning The Stig out for a F1 Team? Imagine The Stig in Pre/Post race interviews…..
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Sami commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:17 pm
i think Alonso is gonna do it again in bahrain i cant wait to be there in the race
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MGRover commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:19 pm
I want Ferrari to win to make Schumi feel like a total idiot!
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Sami commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:22 pm
schumi is going to give ferrari a very strong and difficult challenge not so easy boy michael is very experienced
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Jimmyfish commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Look at the practice times people. Forget Ferrari, it’s all about Mercedes and Mclaren.
Oh, and by the way, who let the 2 GP2 teams on the circuit, someone should tell Hormone Replacement Treatment, and Virgin, that they entered the wrong race. Is 6 seconds a lot in F1?
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Senator commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Vitaliy Petrov cool.
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Sambwacki commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I won’t be at home to watch the race either!
I feel the same sorrow as Tak!
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Andy commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Ferrari for team champs, Shumi for drivers, and Sutil dark horse driver.
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some bloke commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 3:12 pm
For sure will be said at least 517 times during on air driver interviews
Adrian Sutil will find someone else to have a crash with now raikonnen is gone.
One or more of the drivers will have a cheeky wee in the car but less said about that the better.
Trulli will qualify well in the lotus then be crap on sunday.
In asurprise turn around Stefan GP will be allowed to race with the Stig as it’s only driver in both cars ans still take a one two finish
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CaptainSlow commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Bahrain w~ill give us a tottaly unexpected winner… But Afther 4 races we will see Schumi, Vettel, Alonso and Jason eating dust by the POWER of Hamilton!!!! He is the only one with the heart and spirit of the greatest driver of all times… Senna, Ayrton Senna!!!
Go Hamilton!!!
From Portugal i ask when will be a TOP GEAR Challenge in my Country!!!!
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vvk commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 3:50 pm
McLaren year guys..
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Bob Crow commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 3:56 pm
What’s happened to that Jamie Hibbard that used to write on here? I liked his F1 stuff but he’s not done anything for ages.
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YankeeDoodle commented on this article
Friday March 12, 2010 at 3:58 pm
HRT and Virgin overlapped at least twice, that’s what.
If they’re not taken out that is…
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