As Titch would say, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

With only a few days before the start of this year’s F1 season (Australia 14 March), I am amazed at how car development has progressed.

This year’s changes are so radical compared to previous years, it will be a totally different kettle of rabbits (I know, but how different are rabbits to fish?).

* 8 speed gearbox
* brake and throttle by wire
* V8s -> V6 turbos
* 33% less fuel allowed (now limited to 100kg)
* ERS -> 250% of the last few seasons - from 60kw (max 6.7 sec) to 150kw (max 30 secs)
* Two electric motors, the second is to facilitate heat recovery from the turbo (the first is part of the ERS) and can be applied simultaneously, or directed to be stored in the battery-pack
* single exhaust exiting over the gearbox - no more blown diffusers (Yaaaaay! Red Bull won't like that lol)
* front lowered to prevent driver->car-nose impact (dildo/vacuum-cleaner/U.G.L.Y. noses are attracting attention from some, though Timothy Peter Kimberlin mistakenly claimed it was applied to the whole car "they [the cars] look like dildos")
* 5 second penalties for minor offences (this one is my personal fav)

And lastly, and by no means leastly, the fucking stupid rule about double points in the last race ... Bernie must have been on something that day.

I am also disappointed that Brazil has lost its "last race of the season" status. Brazil was such a nervous time for everyone - rain, crashes, heat, a technically difficult track - which always produced such dramatic season finales over the years, it is a shame that Abu Dhabi is now last.

All in all it is going to be great. I suspect that most races will see at least half the pack drop out with some problem or another during the first four or five races, as there is so little testing that these races will be about endurance testing teams have not been able to do on a completed car. Red Bull have already tried to bring mind games in by only finishing 18 laps during testing, while Mercedes look like their car could go to the moon and back.

My dilemma is who to support. I used to be a Fittipaldi fan until I watched Senna. Michael R. Schumacher driving at Monaco in his first race turned my head inside out and his rainmeister driving had me excited anytime the presenters said "looks like a spot of rain". When he had his 3 year hiatus I felt empty inside watching races, but I would cheer on anyone who looked like they would take out Lewis Hamilton (usually he did that himself tho lol). I guess Button. The cars have changed so much I don't believe any one driver in the current field can make me feel the way Fittipaldi Senna and Schumi did. They drove when cars needed a good driver to make them snap into shape, and watching them always got me excited. Any one of them could take a mediocre car from the middle of the grid and make it act like it was the best car in the race.

And then there is which car/team to support. I do not believe in supporting a team, normally. The only exclusion to this rule was Brawn GP. Ross Brawn made an amazing step in taking that massive risk to run a team, and the car was brilliant. It was like the old days had come back again, and they won!

I suspect I will hear myself shouting these phrases at the TV this year:

Come on Jenson! Go Button! … That’s it Kimi, go for it! ... Maybe I’ll even spare a little bit of love for Lotus, though it is the wrong Lotus I think? (not sure due to the fighting between them all over the team name, and I doubt any of them deserve it!)