THE DAVID COULTHARD MUSEUM
2007 PREVIEW
| ….And so it’s the beginning of a new era. How many times have we heard that recently in Formula 1? Anyway when the V8 powered cars roar onto the grid in Melbourne there will be one particular red car that’s going to feel a little bit different. Even though there will be many who won’t miss him (myself included) I think everyone has to admit it’s going to feel slightly odd. Even though there are many rumours about Schumacher taking a test role within the team or perhaps more of a managerial role he will be completely absent form F1 in 2007. When we go down under it will be most certainly auf wiedhersein to Mr Schumacher. | |
 |
Right I’m drawing a line, no more about Michael and lets look to the future. 2007, eh? Well, where do you start? The Champ, of course. Fernando Alonso has now been champion twice and knows what he needs to do join the elite of the triple champs. I don’t think there’s anybody out there who can really doubt he has what it takes to do it again. However, the focus will be on the MP4-22. If Alonso is to retain his title then the first non Adrian Newey designed Macca in a whole decade has to be reliable. They have been ultra-quick in the past but just can’t keep the car going for the full race distance. He will also need the help from a dutiful team-mate in rookie Lewis Hamilton. Even though the Brit has been fast so far in testing he will be undoubtedly playing number two this year as he climbs his learning curve |
If winter testing is anything to go by it looks as though the main competition will come from either of the Ferrari drivers, Kimi Raikkonen or Felipe Massa. Both have looked pretty fast in testing and it will be very close to see which one of the pair will be the main contender. Massa matured a lot over last season but Kimi has always been considered an extremely fast driver. However, being new with the team may give the edge to his Brazilian counterpart. Ferrari may get a big advantage from all other teams reverting to the Bridgestone rubber, the prancing horse gets to keep it’s familiar, reliable horseshoes. Even though winter testing isn’t all that reliable in judging real pace of the race-spec cars if we look at this year’s test times it would seem that the good has overtaken the ugly and the even uglier. Established talent Heidfeld and the new whiz-kid, Kubiscuit (as I have started to call him) in the BMWs are a lot faster than either the new Renault or the ridiculously ugly Honda. The tricky second year is always very difficult for every new team and seems as though BMW at this point are coping. |
|
 |
Anyway, those horrid Honda’s as well as being an insult to the eye and to the grid are either a.) a cynical, hypocritical, and in my opinion, rather pointless attempt at trying their best to make people more aware of climate change or b.) just a huge cover up from Simon Fuller’s 19 organisation so as to not give away the fact that Honda can’t actually find a main sponsor other than fags. It makes Jenson look like an absolute idiot, or in some people’s eyes, an even bigger idiot than he already is. It wouldn’t be half as bad if the car was fast enough but quite frankly it isn’t and Honda have already all but admitted it. Do not expect them to be challenging in 07 |
Throughout the season I’m going to keep an eye on the battle between the supplier and the customer. It would seem thus far that the boys down at the Williams factory have designed a decent chassis for old Frank. This may cause a bit of a headache for the Toyota guys who have sold them the engines for this season. As always Toyota have looked distinctly middle of the road so far and it looks like there is a distinct possibility that Williams may beat them. Just keep an eye on that one. And what about the lads struggling on at the back, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Super Aguri, and Spyker. Now here’s a battle that’ll be raging outside the cars as well as in them. As I’m sure everyone knows the Toro Rossos and the Aguris are using the chassis’ from their bigger brothers and for them it can only be a lose-lose situation. If on the one hand they can’t be bothering for the top ten and the points then it will seem that they have not optimised the machinery they have been given. However, if they do start pressurising the 6ths, 7ths and 8ths then Spyker will complain to FIA quicker than you can say clogs |
|
| Of course there’s our man, the oldest swinger in town, a Mr D Coulthard. Many people including all the team, fans and the drivers themselves were expecting much better things from the Newey designed RB3. However, apart from one storming performance in Barcelona when somehow DC managed to be fastest of the lot, the car has yet to deliver the performances that were expected. However, even if the car is only going to fight for the points every now and again there will still be fierce competition between Webbo and DC. David has had the RB team revolve around him for the past two years and now he’s going to have the Ozzie trying to take his mantle. For both drivers the rest of their careers depend on this year. Lets just hope at some point Red Bull can finally get their wings. In less than a weeks time Albert Park will be buzzing with all types of drivers, mechanics, VIPs and everyone else that’s associated with the Formula one circle. Hamilton, Kovaleinen and Sutil will all be experiencing this for the first time and Mikey the Shoe’s hands maybe starting to itch ever so slightly. Expect a season of close racing and a challenge to the Spaniard’s crown. Let’s just hope that DC can pull through and at least get a point or two down under. |
|
| My predictions:
Big Surprise: Williams |
 |