FEBRUARY 16, 2006

Old favourites not doing so well

McLaren and Ferrari are both admitting that their cars are not as good as they could be. Mercedes-Benz boss Norbert Haug is now admitting that the new 2.4-litre V8 engine is not as good as the company had hoped it would be and says that work is going on to make sure the package is improved before the start of the season. This is going to make it difficult for Mercedes-Benz to catch up with the opposition unless there is something obvious that has been overlooked.

At the same time the new Ferrari 248 F1 is not as competitive as the Italian team had hoped it would be. In part this is due to the Bridgestone tyres which still seem to be lagging a little behind the Michelins. Felipe Massa has told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper in Italy that the team still has a lot to do match the pace of the Renaults and the Hondas which seem to be the class of the field at the moment. Williams is doing well given that the engine has had a great deal less funding than its rivals but there is a feeling that eventually the big manufacturers will be able to develop their engines more rapidly than Cosworth.

Toyota has yet to show its true potential but is expected that the team will be in the hunt as well, which means that we are in for an exciting season.