Formula 1 Calendar

The Ferrari F2008 was launched on Sunday at the company's base at Maranello. The debut saw the first public viewing of the car Ferrari pins its hopes on for continued championship glory. Its drivers, World Champion Kimi Raikkonen and championship hopeful Felipe Massa are hoping and expecting a two way fight between themselves for the coveted title. The new F1 challenger is, according to Chief Designer, Aldo Costa, an important step in the development from last year's 2007. The ban on traction control and the introduction of cost saving measures such as the requirement that gearboxes must now last for four race events, along with the introduction of a standard ECU have meant that the designers were limited as to how far they could go. Raikkonen welcomed the return of traction control-free Formula 1 whilst Felipe Massa, not surprisingly, confirmed that he was now ready to take the battle to the current title holder for championship glory.

The second of the two likeliest championship contenders, McLaren Mercedes, also launched their car, the MP4-23, at their engine partner's base in Stuttgart, Germany. The Woking squad's CEO, Martin Whitmarsh, referred to the new contender as 'a step forward' in spite of the freeze on the development of some aspects of the car offered by the team as penitence in the wake of the Spygate scandal. Lewis Hamilton was in a confident mood at the launch, which coincided with his twenty-third birthday explaining that he was going into this year's championship with more confidence than he had at the beginning of last year's campaign. If 2007 was 'tentative' for the young Hamilton, Schumacher's record books must be shaking themselves off the shelves at the prospect of a properly confident Lewis in 2008.

Finally, the Honda A Team have not yet confirmed that their drivers for 2007, Takuma Sato and Brit hopeful Anthony Davidson are confirmed for 2008, although a spokesperson has intimated that to sign them up is the intention of the team. Meanwhile, Honda's second team has long since confirmed Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello as their drivers of choice. Or were they the first team? Oh dear, Honda's in a bit of pickle isn't it?

And so the season's testing and public gesturing begins. 2008 will be a vintage year for every Formula 1 fan, no doubt. Here's hoping that the Whinger Fernando Alonso can keep his complaints to himself, like the double champion that he was, when Nelsinho turns the 'rookie pressure' button to maximum attack.