Next years F1 season

Havel

What with the last season only just ending its maybe a little early to start making predictions but does anyone have any opinions on who they think might win next years drivers championship.
I reckon Massa has a great chance. He's very fast and has blossomed in the second half of the season, really matured and he has the advantage of not moving team, he's already integrated into Ferrari unlike Kimi and Alonso with their new teams.
BMW might be strong, they have improved a good bit in their debut season.
Redbull also, what with Weber joining and an Adrian built car for next year.
I can't see Renault being strong, not with Fis as their no.1 driver.

ARGINITE

Kimi ftw. No real facts to back it but for some reason it just feels right. Maybe its the fact that he has had such a poor season and with a change to Ferrari just might do the trick to motivate him. Massa could also do it, other than that Jenson Button could be a big surprize.

steviec

I'm going to go with Button. He's even outscored Michael and Fernando in the last few races(mainly due to reliability of course) and Honda seem to be the only team with solid continuity into next season.

BANZAI_RUNNER

I'm going to say Massa , he is a very good driver , I think Kimi is a bit of a lazy lout who actually races when it suits him , He was a great driver but since he signed for Ferrari he has lost interest, why should he race hard , he has his multi-million dollar contract . Alonso is out of the running unless McLaren have something up their sleeve, which I doubt

el rabitos

the honda with some better straight line speed and better reliability will go far next season i reckon, as much as it would be a pain in the ass having how great button is rammed down out throats.

alonso and mcclaren is impossible to judge really, mcclaren have alot of work to do i think

kimi has a great opportunity to take the championship next season, his main issue in the past 2 seasons was mcclarens reliability, so with ferrari he'll have speed and reliability, so it will be interesting.

hopefully its as competative whatever happens

aidan_dunne

McLaren are really going to have to get their act together if Alonso's going to have any chance of the championship next year. If they don't get their reliability nailed down over the winter, while I can see Alonso winning a few races perhaps, they won't win the championship unless they produce a near-bulletproof car like what Renault and Ferrari have had over the past couple of seasons.

As other's have already said, something in my gut, and I can't explain it but there's just something there inside that's giving me a feeling next year could very well be Kimi's year. But there's just something there that feels right. Of course, a lot will depend on how he settles in at Ferrari and gels with the team and personel there. But I think if he does that and Ferrari can give him a fast, reliable car, then he'll be hard to beat. And I agree, Massa has come on in leaps and bounds this season and I think the Kimi/Felipe combination next year could be the one to beat.

Renault, hard one to call. Fisichella has shown flashes of brilliance over the years but they've been too brief and too infrequent. On his day, he's certainly one of the fastest drivers around and can look unbeatable but he just doesn't produce those kinds of performances on enough occasions. He needs to be able to do that, weekend in, weekend out, and consistantly scores points, podiums and wins to have any hope towards winning the championship. Perhaps now with Alonso gone from the team and all the focus that was behind him, Renault might give that focus to Fisi for once and he'll have a chance to shine. But, for some reason, I doubt it. I think they'll be challenging for podiums next year, perhaps the odd win, but I can't see the championship coming Renault's way for a third year in a row next year.

I think Honda and Jenson Button will be a lot stronger next year. It's all about the car, though. In Button and Barrichello, they undoubtably have two quick drivers but Honda need to build a fast and reliable car. If they can do that then I think they'll be challenging for more wins next year and possibly even a top 3 or even top 2 place in the championship. But Honda have simply got to get their act together and provide the car to do it.

I'm expecting a lot from the Red Bull/Adrian Newey combination next year. A well-financed team with a strong engine (either a Ferrari or Renault, we're still not sure yet which the team will choose to go with but both are good anyway), a genius designer and strong drivers in Coulthard and Webber, I think everybody is expecting a big improvement from them next year. They need to get a lot of the reliability issues sorted over the winter (especially with that new, fancy gearbox of theirs!) but, if they can do that, I think they'll be strong next year. I would expect them to be regularly scoring points and even a few podiums. Wins I think would be a bit much to expect but definitely a few podium finishes should be on for them.

As for the others:

BMW - Like Red Bull, I'm expecting regular points scoring finishes and maybe a few podiums as well but wins will be a very long shot.

Toyota - They have simply got to get their shít together next year. There's no excuse for them at this stage. Lots of money, all the facilities you could want, a couple of quick (if sometimes inconsistant!) drivers, they've got to produce the results next year. They need to be finishing on the podium on a fairly regular basis and at least look as if they could challenge for wins. Otherwise I think it might simply be a matter of time before the bosses in Japan pull the plug on the whole project.

Williams - An improvement on this season. All depends on the Toyota engine and if they can get the reliability sorted. If they can, I'd expect them to be regular points scorers next year.

As for Toro Rosso, Spyker, Super Aguri.......... expect more of the same! Though, with a better engine next year (either the Ferrari or Renault, depending on which engine Red Bull chooses), Toro Rosso could spring a few surprises on the mid-field runners of Williams, BMW and Toyota.

Well, that's what I think of next year anyway! What do the rest of you all reckon?

Jonny Arson

It's Raikkonen's championship to lose. AFAIK there really isn't any technical changes on the cars so with Ferrari having the data on the Bridgestone tyres they should have a major advantage. Knowing Ferrari, Massa will be firmly the No.2 and will be Kimi's bitch so don't expect much out and out racing between them.

I'm fascinated to see how Kovalainen gets on next season in the Renault. 2 Finns going at it for the title would be interesting.

Frank Bullitt

For one thing i can see a very interesting season next year,Massa and Kimi are very even in my eyes,Massa might have it by a bit but not a lot and the only thing that will separate them will be skill so that should be interesting.

Renault will be strong but im not sure how strong,only time will tell.

Alonso may not have a great one next year,McLaren were poor this year and will need the hand of god to help them along next year.

Havent really thought about the other teams yet so ill wait a while before i pass judgement.

Beekay

im thinking massa is going to become very good, i can only imagine what his confidance is like now. and he seems very settled and at home in ferrari

projectmayhem

i think kimi could take this. the ferrari package just needs to move up incrementally because (imo) the renault package could be unreal, but they just don't have the real talent to take it anywhere. they'll have a few races maybe, but that's it.

alonso will struggle i'd say, purely because mclaren are suffering after loosing adrian... who could do something special for red bull.

i'd like to see jensen pick up the pace. he's clearly a talented driver, and hondra just need to get their aero package together to give him a shot, and clearly in the latter part of the season that's exactly what was happening over there.

but yeah, as was already said, it's kimis season to loose.

pburns

It's amazing people are talking about Massa as a potential WDC when you consider his reputation only a year ago! Personally, I don't think he has the versatility over an entire season, in the wet etc.

Kimi - I'm not sure he has the hunger, passion and appetite for hard work. Alonso has a cool head but there's a passionate desire to win there also. From the outside it looks like Kimi doesn't really give a **** sometimes... Still he's odds on favorite.

As for Button - don't like the guy but with the right car I think he could certainly be a WDC. He's driving really well lately.

Alonso? I think he's the best driver in F1. But I can't see McLaren doing the business next year. And what's all that crap about 1 more WDC being enough?

trendkill

Remember the Mclaren was the fastest car for the last half of the 05 season, it was just unreliability that plagued it. This year..... not the fastest.... Last year the ferrari was a pig.... this year it was great in the last half (same as Mclaren for the previous)....Mclaren know how turn things around, they did it last year but it was too late then. Alonso could be joining at the right time. I'm sure Ron wont be paying ALonso so much money and sponsorship from Vodafone to have a pig of a car next year... they have an ace up their sleeves... why else would Vodafone leave the most sucessfull F1 Team ever, especially since they would have known Raikkonen would be in Ferrari for 2007 and Alonso in a Mclaren.

However we do have the engine rules kicking in... who knows... if the Red Bulls are using the same engine as Renault or Ferrari will be... its a Newey car... they could win...... its possible.

Havel

Adrain Newey might not be as big a help at RedBull as his reputation would suggest. McLaren have not produced a championship winning car in a while. I def think their is better guys out there, Rory Byrne anyone?

I reckon McLaren are doing now what Ferrari did in 1996. Bring in a driver who they know can win championships and begin to structure the team around him. Basically emulate the Jean Tolt denied "Team Schumacher" at McLaren with "Team Alonso". Give them a few years and see what they produce.

cooker3

For next year, well it should hopefully be an interesting year (I say this every year when I think about it)

I think people are underestimating Massa, this time last year I would have laughed if I thought I would say these words but Massa has improved so much this year and for all praise Schumacher gets for Brazil (and he deserves them) Massa drove outstanding as well and pretty much matched Schumacher for lap times. I think it will be real interesting to see Massa versus kimi next year, think it could be a whole lot closer then people think, Massa has a year experience over Kimi in ferrari and with Bridgestone tyres and a year with Michael, this should be under-estimated. I like Kimi and he has been very unlucky over last few years but next year is his year to show whether he is real deal and as good as everyone thinks he is.

I also wouldn't under-estimate McLaren, yes there reliability has been terrible past few years and this years car hasn't been great but there past record proves that can produce the goods and now with a proven world champion at the helm, I still think they can do a lot, maybe even challenge.

I don't Renault will have same performances they had over last 2 years, car maybe great but I just don't rate Fishichella, on his day he is a great driver but his main problem is his day occurs in about 4 races per season.

Honda could also spring something, their car was very quick in Brazil and if you think of improvement since start of season that is quite something, also remember they were 2nd best team in 2004 after Ferrari so they can do it, they have good driver line up and can do a lot.

The rest of the teams, bleh don't expect them to challenge but overall looks like competative year.