Formula One : Round 1 in Bahrain this weekend

Jamaica got an official introduction to Formula One a few years ago, when thanks to our insatiable appetite for energy drink Red Bull, we were ‘the chosen ones’, so Red Bull Racing invaded our notorious little rock and gave us a taste of what 18,000 rpms of mechanical harmony sounds like. Sweet memories. I can still see the blue blur of the machine shrieking along Trafalgar Rd, as Sebastien Buemi did his demo runs! What’s better than ‘donuts’ (360 degree turns) at 18000 rpms? Answer – more ‘donuts’!

We got a taste, but this weekend, the citizens and Formula 1 fans in Bahrain will have a three course meal, served by the most technologically advanced race cars on the planet.

Rule Changes

Several rule changes will give F1 a new look this season but, the most significant rule change in my book is the ban on re-fuelling. For 2010 there will be no re-fuelling – no ‘splash and go’. Larger fuel cells are now necessary to accommodate the volume of fuel needed to complete a race. When translated this means – more weight. In Formula 1 circles, adding weight is like the Bubonic Plague, only difference being it kills time!

It is my view that this rule may work in favor of the better drivers. The driver who is best at reigning in the 650 plus horses, record blistering times with a heavy fuel load while conserving the brakes and tyres will, if the car is reliable, win a lot of races. A multi-faceted driver in your carbon fiber projectile (race-car) may be the difference between a World Championship and a re-think of the team’s future at the end of the season.

The 2010 grid is not short of quality drivers and the fear in some quarters is that bitter rivalries may ensue within teams. Look at the driver line up for 3 of the ‘big teams’ : Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton – McLaren, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber – Red Bull and Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso – Ferrari. There are 4 former World Champions on the grid and then there is the other group of drivers, comprised of aspiring world champions, who are eager to pounce to claim their share of the spoils

Ross Brawn (Mercedes GP), emboldened by his success last year, says he wants to start with a win in Bahrain. I know the other teams on the grid are all saying – “We will see about that!”

On Sunday, at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix we will have the first piece of the puzzle which is the 2010 F1 Championship.

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On–Line Writer