This year, Honda seem to have been keeping a slightly lower profile than other years. It had become something of a tradition for Honda to talk up their chances for the coming season during testing, but so far they have been no more vocal than any of the other teams. Strange in this case, as they have performed one of the larger coups of 2007/2008, the employment of Ross Brawn.
When I first started watching F1 a few years back, Ralf was driving for Williams alongside Juan Pablo Montoya and winning races. At the time I thought he was pretty good and I suppose he was, but he didn't seem to get on with Montoya and did have a sour face occasionally, something that annoyed me from such a privileged individual.
BMW took second place by default in 2007 after McLaren were docked their championship points, but this shouldn't take anything away from a team that improved noticeably during the season and ended up claiming two podiums. The team have set a goal of a race win in 2008, which although some seem to think is not realistic, I have the feeling that on the right track they have an excellent chance of doing so.
From all sides it appears. Most recently it has come from the grandstands in Spain, where 'fans' have been shouting abuse at Lewis and McLaren, some of it racial. I didn't understand it last year, and I still don't now. Yes, Lewis clearly irritates a lot of people and I suppose Spanish F1 fans could still be upset about the problems of 2007, but is there really a need for this? Does F1 have to turn into football?
For Renault, 2007 will be a season to put down to experience, one where they can turn the car back around to being a race winner and championship challenger again - not only for the team, but for the prodigal son too. Yes, Fernando Alonso did the only thing he could and returned to reside once more under Flavio's wing, but he will be wanting to prove a lot of things on the track in the coming season and will require the right car to do so.
So McLaren at this stage are clear to challenge for the title in 2008, something which they could have won in 2007 if they had stayed honest and their drivers did their jobs properly. Now that Alonso has left for pastures old, McLaren have to bed in another new recruit this time in the form of Heikki Kovalainen. Provided he is given adequate time to familiarise himself with his new steed, he should be able to capitalise on his 2007 closing season performances.
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The Williams F1 2008 World Championship Challengers.
Williams finished fourth in the World Championship in 2007, a considerable achievement after 2006 and still impressive when McLaren's disqualification is taken into account. Williams are the reason I became interested in F1 and I would love to see them back at the front and challenging for race wins, but is their 2008 challenge up to the job?
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