Newbury Takes Pole Position

The launch of the new Formula 1 season is upon us.

After a turbulent 2009 the race to the checkered flag looks to have got going as smoothly as the aerodynamic designs of the cars themselves.

With three new teams and 4 world champions on the grid competition is guaranteed to be fiercer than ever.

The two most recent champion drivers - both British - were on hand at the Vodafone headquaters in Newbury to unveil the latest Mclaren, which is designed and built at Woking.

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will be vying to get their nose in front in the MP4-25, although friction is guaranteed as different circuits suit their contrasting driving styles.

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh expressed optimism that last year's disasterous pre-season preparations which hindered their ability to challenge for honours would be averted, although they acknowledged a big obstacle to winning could be internal competition between the drivers.

AutoEvolution writes that it was the first official meeting between the two drivers, so all eyes will be trained on any psychological weaknesses under questioning from the world press corps.

GPForum noted the launch was streamed live online, a move which heightened anticipation among fans and increased the exposure and scrutiny on the team.

WorldCarFans have an excellent photo album of the event which is well worth a look for all you auto-fetishists out there.

BBC F1 has exclusive interviews with the 'dream team' of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

And in a typical example of the top quality journalism at the corporation Andrew Benson analyses the challenges facing the team.

He explains that the launch at the 'plush' HQ of Mclaren's main sponsor was a reflection of the professionalism of their organisation. They didn't try to dodge any of the issues, instead they were using the event as an opportunity to come up with satisfactory answers and assert the strength of their challenge.

Both drivers expressed their satisfaction with the distinctive 'shark fin' design and said the first impressions were positive.

As Martin Whitmarsh commented "preparation is the key to success."


Oranjepan says:
If only all our politicians were as open and accountable as professional sports-people!


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