Now that we have all of that out of the way, I’d like to think that Ferrari and Kimi are going to have another Championship Winning performing season.  Having said that, I really think that Louis Hamilton will be there at the top giving everyone a run for their money and a potential spoiler for the Driver’s Title.  However, with the way that McLaren have their driver lineup, I don’t see them taking the Constructors’ Title.   Alonso’s results will deeply depend on who he picks for a drive.  Most of the top teams already have a good lineup and have already signed their drivers for 2008.   My surprise of the season though will have to come from Honda.  With Ross Brawn now on the payroll the team will start to get it right.  However, they will greatly improve, they will not be as high as I would like for the teams to be competitive; not yet anyway.  My other surprise of the season will have to come from Red Bull and Toro Rosso.  I bring up these two teams because of the driver lineup and how they will be able to drive with the lack of traction control.  I think the hunt for third through sixth place will be tight.  I also think that Force India will have to go through some major teething issues before they can step up to the ranks of the higher teams.  I will give them props for being out there.  They are the predicted worse of the best teams in F1.  I also feel that Toyota has yet to improve on the car and the driver lineup.  The removal of Ralf Schumacher is an improvement for the team, but the available replacements are getting to be limited on choices.

2008 will be revolutionary year with the removal of traction control; the implementation of a new ECU and potentially slick tires (this may be delayed a year).  Driving styles will improve but I also think that there will be more accidents.  Mistake recovery will be more dramatic but with everyone will be driving to the limits or higher, gaps will open and close at incredible rates.  I’m not sure pure passing will be as often as opponent mistakes causing the passing, will be as often and as spectacular as they have in the past (Kimi Raikkonen passing everyone in the field at Suzuka in 2005).  I think we will see the purest of drivers show their true abilities and those who have entrusted the lifestyle of traction control will falter down the ranks.  2008 will be a great year, good or bad, it will be great.