The announcement that two time World Champion Fernando Alonso is moving to Ferrari is setting up to make 2010 a highly interesting season for Formula One fans. The rivalry between McLaren and Ferrari is about to fire back up.
The 2007 season was a classic. McLaren seemed primed for a huge year with Fernando Alonso and budding star Lewis Hamilton on board. Ferrari was looking less certain with Kimi Raikkonen coming on board for a retired Michael Schumacher. Still, the two dominant teams were primed to battle and battle they did. Alas, it was McLaren that fell apart as in team fighting led to strife and, shockingly, Ferrari squeezing by to take the driver’s title in the very last race by one point. Soon thereafter, Fernando was back at Renault and McLaren was being investigated for using Ferrari intellectual property to improve their cars.
Flash forward two years and what do we find. The 2009 season is staggering to a close. Ferrari and McLaren have been nowhere to be seen most of the season although both have improved in the latter half and snagged a win or two. Instead of the big boys, we have the Brawn and Red Bull teams staggering to the finish seeing who can choke the most. Dominant in the early part of the season, leader Jenson Button considers it a good day now when he snags a few points from a race. All and all, 2009 is ending with a whimper, but 2010 is looking very promising.
Ferrari versus McLaren. Alonso vs. Hamilton. Regardless of which teams or drivers you like, nothing could be better than a red hot rivalry between the dominant teams in the sport. It is akin to the Yankees versus the Red Sox, Arsenal versus Manchester United and whatever other great barnstormer comes to mind. Classic rivalries make classic sports and that is what we will see in 2010.
So, can things go wrong in 2010? Of course. Both cars should be up to snuff as the teams are already working on the new chassis, but there are a couple of points that make one wonder a bit. The biggest issue appears to be at McLaren. All indications are the McLaren-Mercedes relationship is not what it once was. Mercedes will apparently buy the majority of the Brawn Team, which makes one wonder how much love it will be giving McLaren. The loss of support might not show up in 2010, but you can expect it to down the road.
The other big potential problem is the driver pairings. Both drivers prefer to be strong number ones. How will Alonso get along with Massa? Hamilton is already whining about the potential move of Raikkonen to McLaren, which would certainly put Hamilton up against a competitive driver. Of course, Kimi hasn’t exactly shown much motivation the last two years, so Hamilton may have nothing to worry about. Regardless, both drivers have shown they don’t play well in a team environment, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
All and all, 2010 looks like it will be a barn burner in Formula One with Ferrari and McLaren coming into prime form after a lackluster 2009. I’ll be watching!
