It’s amazing how a bit of rain can spice up the action. Mark Webber’s inspired decision to change from full-wet to intermediate tyres for the final session of qualifying saw the Australian storm to the second pole position of his career, an outstanding 1.346 seconds ahead of Nico Rosberg who will share the first row of the grid alongside him.

Qualifying in the rain produced an exciting session that had as much (if not more) action than a typical race. We had thrills and spills, pirouettes and reactions that ranged from surprise through to shock, dismay that teams who should have known better just sat waiting for the weather to break and joy, that a new team had made it through the rain to Q2.

So how did it all play out?

The session started with mixed conditions; some parts of the track wet, whilst other areas were slippery or dry. McLaren and Ferrari gambled on better weather and decided to delay going out in the hope that the rain would pass, rather than going out on intermediates. This was to be a decision they would later regret as they languish at the back of

the grid; the downpour became stronger and by the time they did set a time on full-wets, it was too late. In the treacherous conditions that followed, Fernando Alonso lost control of his Ferrari and managed a spectacular triple spin that could easily take the award for artistic merit.

McLaren’s Jenson Button managed to set a time fast enough to make the second session but after beaching his car in the gravel the rules did not allow him to take any further part in qualifying, he starts tomorrow in 17th place.

With the “big guns” of Ferrari and McLaren eliminated in the first session, alongside both Hispania drivers and the Lotus of Jarno Trulli we expected an exciting final session and were not to be disappointed. As the heavens opened, the session was red flagged and no-one had set a flying lap. Once the worst of the storm had past, the session was restarted and with seven minutes remaining the drivers chose their tyres for a final few flying laps, with all except Webber going for the full-wet rubber; this was to be a decisive decision and one that was to secure him pole position, an amazing 1.3 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

So who starts where? – The virtual grid

There’s nothing like a virtual grid to show just how dominant Webbers pace had been, with the top eight separated by just less than 2.5 seconds. For the third successive qualifying session, Rosberg had beaten his seven-time WDC team-mate Michael Schumacher, renowned for his skills driving in the wet.

 

Sebastian Vettel and Adrian Sutil start alongside each other on the second row, whilst rookie Nico Hulkenberg, who beat his more experienced team-mate Rubens Barrichello, will start on the third row, a career best fifth.

The full results table can be seen by clicking on the thumbnail link. One thing’s “for sure”, rain or shine tomorrow we will be in for some interesting racing as Hamilton, Button, Alonso and Massa attempt to force their way towards the podium from the back of the grid, will the weather or tyres again decide who will ultimately win or lose?… I can’t wait!

Image © Getty Images/Red Bull

Perhaps it was the excessive levels of hype that the media have been throwing in the direction of the 2010 season? Perhaps we expected too much from Bahrain – it’s not produced many thrills in previous seasons either, an issue that was perhaps overlooked when given the top billing? Whatever it was, we can only hope that the rest of the season generates more interest than the season opener.

Good Weekend

Clearly a good weekend for Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Ferrari. Maximum points for the team, with Alonso settling right in and delivering exactly what the Tifosi expect. For Massa, it was the first race back after his horrific accident in Hungary and he will be pleased with the result although there is the small, dark cloud of the first bragging rights in the team heading Alonso’s way. Still, given that Massa’s previous best return from the first race of a season was a measly 6th in 2007, he can’t complain. Bahrain has always been happier hunting ground for the Brazilian than Australia.

“A very special day for me as coming back to the top of the podium is always special but I think it is even more special with Ferrari with all the history behind the team and all the expectations a driver has when he drives for Ferrari.” Fernando Alonso

Lotus also came away happy, both cars were classified which was two more than both the other new teams. And they weren’t that many laps behind by the end – thank goodness for a long circuit. Force India once again had to settle for 9th although at least you get points for it now so Vitanio Liuzzi is off and running in what looks like being a very competitive midfield car in 2010…

Bad Weekend

…It wasn’t such a good weekend for his team mate though. Adrian Sutil could have so easily have been hunting down Sebastian Vettel come the end of the race, instead he disappeared into a cloud of smoke coming from Mark Webber and along with Robert Kubica, came out of it facing the wrong way. That also ruined Renault’s weekend – coming away empty handed.

However, it was Sebastian Vettel who was left looking at the positives of at least finishing fourth when he should have been winning who probably had the worst weekend. A faulty spark plug eventually fingered as the culprit in his loss of power late in the race.

Mixed Weekend

McLaren looked pretty good in race trim, the struggles in qualifying being the downside. Lewis Hamilton is no doubt pleased with a third place in the end but if he’d managed to have kept Nico Rosberg at bay at the start there was a good chance he could have been looking at second place, especially as Massa eased off in order to protect an overheating engine by running rich on fuel.

For the fans, Formula 1 was at least back but it was hardly a race to remember.

Three new teams, two returning teams, five new drivers, two returning drivers and still plenty of room for some familiar faces – the 2010 season starts here at the Bahrain International Circuit and on the face of it, it promises to be an intriguing season.

The Main Challengers…

With four World Champions and a raft of young pretenders to the throne, take your pick. The smart money, or at least the money of those not willing to stick their necks out too far, seems to spread between McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. Even then, all eight drivers in the form of Button, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Webber, Massa, Alonso and of course Schumacher are all capable of challenging – all the ingrediants are there for a vintage year in Formula 1.

“Even after four weeks of testing, it’s incredibly difficult to predict the order ahead of the new season. There are a number of teams and drivers who appear to be in the hunt, and, as with the start of every new season, it will be fascinating to see who emerges as the team to beat.”
Jenson Button

Others to Watch…

There are also plenty of dark horses, sitting on the fringes. Bridgestone have been waxing lyrical about Sauber’s ability to look after tyres, although Bahrain isn’t a tough circuit in terms of tyre wear so it may not be an advantage here. The other name that their rivals keep mentioning is Force India – there seems to be a distinct feeling that they may spring some more suprises in 2010 and Bahrain may be a circuit that suits their low drag philosophy. Williams also look to be in good shape. The one team that everyone seems to be keeping quiet about is Renault – they have a lot of updates ready for this weekend but they’ve yet to spark any interest from the opposition.

Then there are the three new teams at the back. Nobody is expecting them to threaten the rest of the field, indeed the talk is more about re-introducing the old 107% qualifying rule to ensure they’re up to scratch. Never-the-less this private little battle will also be worth watching unfold.

The Circuit…

One of the most unique destinations on the calendar due to its location, the imposing desert backdrop significantly influences track conditions over the Grand Prix weekend at Sakhir. The blowing winds intermittently blast desert sands onto the circuit which inevitably pose certain challenges for all but the leading driver as they pursue their counterparts and their cars are faced with air infused with damaging sand particles. “The circuit lay-out in Bahrain has changed significantly as it is now dominated by a narrow section in the infield with eight additional corners,” says Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber’s technical director. “The downforce level will be a compromise. On the one hand the many low speed corners require high downforce, but on the other the extraordinary width of the track encourages overtaking and this means you can’t disregard the need for top-speed.”

More on the circuit, including lap simulation, here.

2010 sees Bahrain hosting the Formula One season opener, with last year’s race winner, Jenson Button, returning as World Champion – and with a new team to boot as he joins Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. Title winning constructor Brawn is now Mercedes GP with Michael Schumacher returning to Formula 1, while at Ferrari, the Italians will be putting their faith in Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, Red Bull will be all about stability as the one major team maintaining its 2009 line-up. Coupled with a number of rule changes and a pack of hungry new teams, there are always plenty of questions before the season starts and Bahrain provides the first opportunity for answers. The first race isn’t always an accurate barometer of the year but here are a few of my questions for the year ahead…

1. Who is at the front?
The end of refuelling has further complicated interpretation of testing as teams carried widely varying fuel loads. The general consensus is that Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes are up front with Williams, Force India and Sauber not far behind.

“The first race of the season is always an exciting weekend as none of the teams really know where their car is in performance terms until we hit the race track for the first time in competitive conditions.” - Jenson Button

That that is such a big group just tells me that nobody has a clue! However, Bahrain isn’t necessarily a good indicator to how the season will turn out anyway. The race may have been won by the eventual World Constructor’s Champion in every season that the race has been held but there are plenty of anomalies in the other positions: Look at Toyota locking out the front row in last year’s qualifying session for example.

2. Which of the new teams can make their mark in the established order?
Realistically, only Hispania. And then only because we have no idea of their performance and I wouldn’t get my hopes up. No, the main aim for the back of the established order will be to remain well clear of the new teams. Instead, it looks like being a private battle between the three new comers, a battle that Bruno Senna has stoked by claiming to be a second a lap faster. Virgin seem a little faster than Lotus in qualifying trim, Lotus seem a lot more reliable. And who knows where Hispania is – is Senna’s assessment spot on or are they simply keen to start hiding that livery under a few sponsor’s logos?

3. What will be the effect of the re-fuelling ban?
The big change from a spectator’s point of view will be the end of in-race refuelling and the effect that many will be hoping for is an increase in overtaking. Tyre management will be crucial but with tyre strategy restricted by the need to run two different compounds, strategy is unlikely to vary by much. It seems more likely that the presence of the slower, new teams will do more to increase overtaking than any other rule change. One issue, that has rarely raised its head while refuelling was allowed, is the sight of cars coming to a stop with insufficient fuel in the car. We may not see it in Bahrain but at circuits with a higher probability of a safety car there will be pressure to run with insufficient race fuel in the hope of making up the difference in fuel saving mode behind the safety car.

4. Can Schumacher challenge for the Championship?
The return of Michael Schumacher is the year’s big talking point but how will the year pan out? The German is undoubtedly fit enough but as ever, he still needs the right car. If he doesn’t, will he see out the year, never mind a three-year contract? World Champions have returned after a break before: Some returned to claim more glory, others only added an embarrassing endnote to their career.

5. Will Hamilton join twitter?
Or, for that matter, Alonso, Schumacher, Massa and others? The social networking site reinvigorated pre-season testing and looks like adding a new dimension to the upcoming season. Last year just a handful of drivers used the service, most notably bringing an insight into happenings at Brawn as both Button and Barrichello took Formula 1 to new levels of accessibility. Every team has at least one driver with an account, although it’s debatable whether Rosberg himself has ever been near his, and fans can only hope that others follow suit.

Three races in and Bernd Maylander has possibly done more laps in the safety car than Heikki Kovalainen has managed racing. However, the Formula 1 circus should leave behind the rain of Malaysia and China as it moves on to face the completely different challenge of the heat and dust of Sakhir and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The circuit at Sakhir seems made for KERS: Plenty of hard braking for recharging coupled with four lengthy straights and a long run to the first corner (Circuit Profile) that can be exploited, so all the teams that dropped KERS for Shanghai should have it back. The only problem for them may be that aforementioned heat and dust which will both hamper the car’s cooling capability, a problem that Ferrari have struggled with. The race has only previously been won by three drivers and two teams but Renault and Ferrari look to have their work out to repeat that achievement with Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa respectively.

Two from the Front
Brawn have been pulled up by the charging Red Bulls and now know they’re not going to have it all their own way from now on. Still, the British team should have an advantage in a dry race and should still be the yardstick by which the others are measured as they were still the fastest in qualifying in China once fuel loads had been taken into account. However, comments from Jenson Button after the race suggest that tyre temperature may be a weakness of the Brawn which should give the other teams some more hope. At least Red Bulls victory has taken some of the focus off the double diffusers, not that it has silenced Flavio Briatore in any way, and with Brawn’s diffuser officially legal, the chasing pack will be out to catch up.

“As the first four Grands Prix take place over just a five-week period, it has been an intense and demanding start to the season for the Brawn GP team. Australia, Malaysia and China produced some fantastic racing and I am very pleased with how the team responded to the challenges that we have faced. This was particularly the case in China last weekend where the team and the drivers did an excellent job. Although we were not able to challenge for the victory in the dramatic and unexpectedly wet conditions, we consolidated our championship position with two strong points-scoring results.” - Ross Brawn

Two from the Middle
Renault and McLaren seem to be leading the chase from the midfield with major aerodynamic changes all ready in place in Shanghai now getting a real chance to show their worth in the dry. It will also be a relief that Heikki Kovalainen finally had a race. Presuming that both teams are armed with KERS they may be in a position to challenge for serious points and pick up on the mistakes of others, however, they need to get their strategy right first. In China, McLaren took a conservative approach to Hamilton, fuelling him heavy with one eye on the weather. On the other hand, Renault seemed more intent in trying to snatch pole than in putting in a serious challenge for points, fuelling Alonso so light that he was always going to be swallowed up by the midfield even if the race had had a dry start. I’m starting to wonder about what is going on behind the scenes at Renault. Why was a pole start seemingly so important and why is Flavio Briatore keen to redirect attention away from the team’s struggles and blame Ross Brawn, a guy who brought him two World Championship’s with Benetton?

“We seem to have a solid direction within the team – all our upgrades invariably bring a lap time improvement and our direction on set-up and strategy shows what a strong group we still are. I still think we are several races away from being truly competitive but a straightforward race at Bahrain would give us a very good opportunity to accurately assess where we sit among our rivals.” - Lewis Hamilton

Two from the Back
With Red Bull challenging at the front it is only a matter of time before that filters down to the team’s sister team at Toro Rosso and with new boy Sebastien Buemi being a revelation so far and putting his more experienced teammate in the shade, that may give some of the midfield something to worry about. Force India came close again to getting off the points mark in China only for Adrian Sutil to miss out again. However, remarkably, the under-budgeted team seem to have stolen a march on Ferrari and will arrive in Bahrain with a new floor and diffuser – now who saw that coming?

“The team should be proud of the race we had and the performance we showed in China. Of course I am disappointed we didn’t get the ultimate result, but you have to get over it as there is always the next race. For sure we deserved the points, but we’re not giving up as there are always other chances. We’ve refocused and are now looking forward to Bahrain.” - Adrian Sutil

Knowledge is Everything
As the teams gradually come to grips with the new regulations for 2009 having the jump on the opposition when it comes to learning a track will have huge benefits and so it is that Toyota, Ferrari and BMW Sauber return to a track on which they did two weeks of testing, all be it interupted by a two-day sandstorm. Applying what they learnt at that test will be crucial, particularly with respect to managing the supersoft tyres, but one lesson that Ferrari will not want to repeat is that the heat of Bahrain and the batteries of their KERS did not get along with each other. Robert Kubica also tested with KERS in Bahrain so it will be interesting to see if he will finally race with it this weekend. However, the team to watch out for may be Toyota. They’ve been hot on the heels of Brawn in the first three races and the information they will have gained from their testing may just give them an edge.

“I am looking forward to racing in Bahrain after the tests we had there over the winter. Bahrain was the first chance I had to really test the TF109 in dry conditions and I knew immediately we had a competitive package, which has proved to be the case now the season has started. In testing the car was strong in Bahrain so I have a good feeling for this weekend and I think we can be competitive.” - Jarno Trulli

The Other One
Williams have been a bit of a disappointment really. The car has looked pretty good, especially in the hands of Nico Rosberg, but the team haven’t really capitalised yet due to some poor calls from the garage. With the middle of the pack closing in, they may have lost their best chance to shine in 2009.