"Freaky" start of season expected

Formula 1 fans have been told to brace themselves for an unpredictable start to the season - with the competitiveness of the grid likely to throw up some big surprises in the early part of the campaign.

With pre-season testing suggesting little separates the teams this year – with some outfits appearing quicker in single-lap trim while others excel over race distances – plus Pirelli's aggressive tyres making strategy difficult, leading figures reckon the start of the year will be thrilling.

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT: "Yes, it is going to be a freaky one! Qualifying in Melbourne and the first races are going to be unpredictable.

"The tyres are going to make things very interesting. If you push too hard in qualifying then you are going to be screwed for the first part of the race – and if you pit too early it may mean you need to make an extra stop.

"It is going to be interesting, but we like the challenge. We would always love to have a car that is two seconds faster than the other ones, which would be very comfortable for us, but in the end we like the fight as well."

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said that as well as the field looking so competitive, the prospect of six world champions on the grid was something to get excited about.

"It is great for Formula 1 to have so many world champions," he said. "It is the quality of the field and the fact that the cars look like they are going to be close this year, it is going to be a really exciting season and it could be one of the best seasons we have seen for a number of years, so I am quite looking forward to a very challenging season. I am expecting the tightest start to a season that we have seen for a number of years."

Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane reckoned the competitive picture in F1 was much less clear than it had been for several years.

"I would say it is very difficult to predict," he said. "Normally by this stage we have got kind of an idea, but I don't think we know where we are."

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery predicts that engineers will get on top of understanding the tyres pretty quickly – but thinks the first few races could throw up some shocks.

"Martin Whitmarsh said we needed to give the teams a challenge, and if that happens then we will get some excitement – at least in the early season," he told AUTOSPORT.

"I think you have to remember the engineers in these teams are the best in the world and, while at the start of the year that may create, like we had at the start of the year, some challenges, as the year progresses they will work out the best way to manage the situation and it will equalise a little bit."

Source: Autosport

Hispania for pole

Of course Melbourne is going to be a complete unknown but then it is like this every year when the season gets underway. I would still predict come the latter part of qualifying that Red Bull, McLaren & Mercedes will occupy the front three rows with Alonso there or thereabouts. Will be interesting to see realistically the impression Lotus put upon the big teams in Australia, having Kimi racing the main players again would be truly exciting.

I would be suprised if there's a major shakeup at the front of the grid, however the midfield positions are truly unpredictable and will be an interesting view during q1/q2.

I preferred when tyres were durable and guy's could just go flat for most of the stint whilst perhaps preserving their tyre's a little. If a car has the fundamentals which makes it eat it's tyres horrendously early in the season they will probably be in trouble the whole season. Force India for example were eating their tyres at the start of last season and took until about Singapore to really sort the problem. Anyway i'm completely off topic.

For a few season's now Sauber and Williams will do glory run's in pre season testing for exposure and it's probably the same again, even Lotus potential may have been exagerated. I just hope there's a bit of a shakeup, if it is as close as predicted there could be some interesting results in the first few races.

I'm a Hamilton fan but I'm praying those Lotus testing performances were not 'glory runs' like as you said we've seen from Sauber in particular. Really hoping they've provided Kimi with a competitive car capable of qualifying within the top 8.

I'm hearing from a number of sources that rain is expected over the weekend, any confirmation? That would certainly make things 'freaky'

Seriously getting excited now

according to the people at sky theirs a big possibility of rain over the weekend which would be rather hilarious

That would be quite a combination:

- New cars
- New tyres
- Wet / changeable weather

I think most F1 fans would be "getting their freak on" over that.

I'm seriously hoping things are as tight as testing has suggested and that we have at least a few close races that are decided by moments of genius or bravery, rather than a driver in a superior car just driving to a strategy.

A few freak results would be great for the smaller teams, as well as making the front runners work a bit harder in the title races.

So long as Red Bull don't push a 'magic button' in Q3 and lock out the front row I'll be happy but until then I'll continue to have nightmares about another year of Red Bull dominance. Please no.

Rain would be ideal in qualifying, would hopefully mix up the grid completely leaving relative car performance completely up in the air until Sunday's race.