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Here are the notes from the 2011 F1 Season Preview show:
The A-Teams:
Red Bull-Renault: Just like last year: sandbagging
Testing: 258 / 395 / 349 / 370 = 1372 laps
Vettel – This time no contest?
Webber – His turn to be Champion or to play second fiddle?
Ferrari: The contender? But only the one? Lots of miles on “the truck”
Testing: 286 / 463 / 435 / 379 = 1563 laps
Alonso – The matador takes the Bulls by the horns
Massa – Last chance with the Scuderia
Following Close Behind:
McLaren-Mercedes: Already throwing in the towel???
Testing: 279* / 233 / 331 / 221 = 785 laps in 2011 car (895 laps total)
Hamilton – Quit whining, Lewis
Button – Staying quiet but Mr Smooth could surprise
Mercedes: No need for the excuses after all?
Testing: 203 / 338 / 427 / 318 = 1286 laps
Rosberg – A chance to make the team his own
Schumacher – One last hurrah (then it’s Di Resta)
(Lotus-)Renault: Just when it was looking good
Testing: 227 / 276 / 337 / 286 = 1126 laps
Heidfeld – big shoes to fill
Petrov – one more chance with plenty looking over his shoulder
Williams-Cosworth: Money trumps talent
Testing: 258 / 253 / 351 / 257 = 1119 laps
Barrichello – The Old Man keeps on trucking
Maldonado – One and done?
Sauber-Ferrari: International Rescue, amigos. Fast? yes. Reliable? maybe…
Testing: 214 / 320 / 392 / 390 = 1316 laps
Kobayashi – needs to start ’11 like the middle of ’10 not the beginning.
Perez – settling in nicely
Mid-Pack Madness:
Force India-Mercedes: Do they have a car to match the driving talent?
Testing: 327* / 264 / 272 / 363 = 899 laps in 2011 car (1226 laps total)
Sutil – Has to raise his game from Day 1
Di Resta – Rookie of the Year? A shoe-in.
Toro Rosso-Ferrari: Step it up or be run over by the newbies
Testing: 203 / 327 / 317 / 347 = 1194 laps
Buemi – No excuses this year
Alguersauri – Carry on where he left off
Team Lotus-Renault: What’s in a name? We’ll find out
Testing: 144 / 198 / 204 / 361 = 907 laps
Kovalainen – Most underrated driver on the grid
Trulli – If things go well, he’s still quick
Virgin Racing-Cosworth: Enough of a step?
Testing: 219* / 215 / 329 / 263 = 807 laps in 2011 car (1026 laps total)
Glock – Deserves some reward for his patience
D’Ambrosio – Keep it tidy and keep out of the way
107% Scarey:
HRT-Cosworth: Money’s too tight to mention and once again behind the Eight Ball.
Testing: 188* / – / 257* / 0 = 0 in 2011 car (445 laps in 2010 car)
Karthikeyan – proof they will take anyone with money
Liuzzi – see above, though he claims otherwise
– MCZF1