Teams to beat in 06?

[ND500BARB]

I'm not very well-informed when it comes to F1.

Who do you guys think will be the teams/drivers to beat this year?

Thanks!

Barb

[GrandView]

Well, it's probably premature to establish an informed position........but this would be my gut feeling from what we have seen in testing.

In this order, I think these are the strongest packages.

Renault
Honda
Ferrari

I would make Toyota, Williams, and McLaren a tick behind.

Very unscientific I assure you.

My other gut feeling about drivers is.........Rubens, Ralf, and Juan Pablo will be the stars of their respective teams. Also very unscientific.

GV

[Plectraholica]

I'll go out on a hunch and say that we will see McLaren or Renault take several checkered flags this year.....

Purely speculation though......

[Kurt Cobain]

I'll go out on a hunch and say that we will see McLaren or Renault take several checkered flags this year.....

Purely speculation though......

Exactly my thoughts, but throw in Ferrari.

Williams will win one race too, but as to which driver that's anyone's guess.

[Indy kiwi]

In my opinion, the top 4 fighting it out will be McLaren, Renault, Ferrari and Honda, but expect Toyota to be close also. The next group will be Williams, BMW-Sauber and maybe Red Bull, with Midland and STR trying to avoid slipping back into the clutches of Super Aguri. With the change in regs, there could be a few surprizes this year. For the top driver in the lead teams I'm picking Kimi (by a whisker over JPM), Alonso (but Fisi closer than last year), Chop Schuey by a country mile, Rubens (with Button close behind) and Trulli showing how overpaid little Ralfie is.

[PDC]

I hope you guys are right about Barrichello, he might be my favorite 'person' behind the wheel in F1, but I am not as optimistic. But, that's what makes the pre-season fun. Just about 30 days left.

[Joe in LA]

McLaren hasn't looked great so far, but I'm guessing they will outperform Honda, and that we will see Renault, Ferrari and McLaren at the front with Montoya, Alonso, Raikkonen, M. Schumacher the drivers in the hunt for most of the year. Williams will be better than last year. Honda and maybe Toyota will win a race at some point this season.

I expect RedBull to fall off from their pleasant surprise last year and Toro Rosso (nee Minardi) and Midland (nee Jordan) to hold (poor) form.

IMHO, the wildcad team is Sauber BMW. The chassis and the drivers are wildcards. Heidfeld has never really been in a good situation, so I still don't know what to make of him (althought I thought he clearly got the better of Webber), and JV has been off the mark recently. If the chassis turns our well, and the drivers perform to potential they could upset the apple cart a bit.

Among the drivers, the most interesting intra-team driver battles will be Montoya and Raikkonen, Barrichello and Button, and Webber and Rosberg (who I think will outpace Webber by the second half). I think M. Schumacher is going to startle his new teammate.

[Joe in LA]

McLaren hasn't looked great so far, but I'm guessing they will outperform Honda, and that we will see Renault, Ferrari and McLaren at the front with Montoya, Alonso, Raikkonen, M. Schumacher the drivers in the hunt for most of the year. Williams will be better than last year. Honda and maybe Toyota will win a race at some point this season.

I expect RedBull to fall off from their pleasant surprise last year and Toro Rosso (nee Minardi) and Midland (nee Jordan) to hold (poor) form.

IMHO, the wildcard team is Sauber BMW. The chassis and the drivers are wildcards. Heidfeld has never really been in a good situation, so I still don't know what to make of him (althought I thought he clearly got the better of Webber), and JV has been off the mark recently. If the chassis turns our well, and the drivers perform to potential they could upset the apple cart a bit.

Among the drivers, the most interesting intra-team driver battles will be Montoya and Raikkonen, Barrichello and Button, and Webber and Rosberg (who I think will outpace Webber by the second half). I think M. Schumacher is going to startle his new teammate.

[Cygni]

The V8 situation has really shook the grid up a bit. McLaren looks to be struggling, along with Toyota. Renault and Ferrari seem to have picked up a bit from the end of the last year, and Williams is suddenly back in the frame. This is how i see the grades so far, with the test times for today factored in, in order of quickest to slowest:

A)Renault
A-) Ferrari, Honda
B+) Williams
B) McLaren
B-) BMW
C) RedBull, Toyota
D) Toro Rosso
F) Midland