Formula 1: Who will win the championship this year?

Japan is a car mecca. Cars may be replaced, the same cannot be said about human life. Life is both priceless and irreplaceable. Recent events in Japan have bestowed a huge burden upon our Asian relatives. The Japanese are a resilient people, the road ahead will be treacherous, but we wish for them an early return to normalcy.

Civil unrest in Bahrain forced an unplanned pit stop for the greatest show on earth – Formula 1. But the sun will shine tomorrow – and all things being equal it will shine in Australia, 25th – 27th of March.

Last year we were witnesses to a thriller of Godzilla-like magnitude. We were captivated by a F1 season, which was as indecisive in choosing a champion, as a teenager trying to select a dress for her sweet 16 bash! The suspense the insane rivalries generated breached its retaining walls and not even the eventual champion was immediately aware of his accomplishment when he crossed the line and won the final race of the season.

Vettel

Sebastian Vettel’s mettle shone when it mattered most and energized by multiple swigs of his sponsor’s product – Red Bull – he claimed his much deserved prize and stood where legends like Aryton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher stood. But Vettel did one better – he became the world’s youngest world champion!

How time flies! A new season is upon us and with it there is a grid loaded with recently engineered machines, rule changes, Pirelli tires and new expectations. What is happening with the usual suspects – Red Bull Racing, McLaren Mercedes, Mercedes GP and Scuderia Ferrari. Will an outsider, an underdog (Renault, Williams etc.) spring a surprise? Will the 2011 season be as brutal in intensity as the 2010 season? Who will win the championship this year? Australia in 2 weeks will give us the first clue!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer