Preview - Australian GP and season 2007.

After taking time out to concentrate on last year's Commonwealth Games, Australia returns to its more familiar place at the start of the new Formula One season this weekend, with the circus arriving back in Melbourne full of the usual confidence and ambition.

With no more testing before the 2007 campaign kicks off, speculation will be replaced by reality as the eleven teams and 22 drivers get down to the serious business of competing for points rather than winter bragging rights. Opinions have been formed based on what has gone on in development sessions around Europe and Bahrain, but the coming season promises more unpredictability with a winter of change providing some intriguing focal points for the year ahead.

If observers thought a lot had changed between Fernando Alonso's two title years, they will be more amazed by the wholesale changes that preceded the 2007 campaign, with the double world champion a major catalyst. Although his move from Renault to McLaren was known before those Commonwealth Games kicked off in Melbourne twelve months ago, the fall-out has seen a vertitable merry-go-round that has key players in different cars and others staking a claim to success where previously they would have been discounted.

Gone is seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, replaced at Ferrari by erstwhile McLaren favourite Kimi Raikkonen. Gone too is Michelin, leaving Bridgestone in sole control of tyres in the top flight. In are four exciting rookies - Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, Adrian Sutil and Anthony Davidson - while Alex Wurz will be hoping that his return coincides with that of long-time F1 stalwart Williams.

The Grove concern is at the head of a raft of engine changes, switching to Toyota at the cost of Cosworth's F1 involvement, while Spyker and Toro Rosso get Ferrari power and Red Bull moves to Renault. The regie features a new title sponsor to back its quest for the third world title on the trot, while Honda has attempted to show its 'green' side by ditching sponsors altogether in favour of an environmental messge.

All in all, it's been an interesting off-season.

PRE-SEASON CHANGES:

Driver, team, sponsor and livery changes aside, it's been a busy winter for those attempting to get their head around the various rule changes that will affect the sport in 2007, with tyres, engines, testing, and safety requirements all joining a revised weekend schedule in the new rulebook.

Tyres:

Following Michelin's early exit from the sport, Bridgestone is the sole tyre supplier in 2007, ending the costly 'tyre war' at a stroke. Under the terms of the sporting regulations, the company must make available 'identical quantities and specifications of tyres to all teams', although this can be controlled to limit costs.

For testing, this means an allocation of 300 sets of tyres per team - for the entire season - with total testing mileage restricted to a maximum of 30,000km while, at a race weekend, no more than 14 sets of dry weather tyres will be permitted per driver. With Bridgestone supplying two specifications of tyre at each round - and teams required to run both in the race - the allocation will comprise seven sets of each spec. On top of that, there will be five sets of wet weather tyres per driver and four sets of 'extreme weather' tyres.

Eight sets of dry weather tyres will be made available for the two Friday practice sessions, four of each specification, but all must be returned to Bridgestone after session two. Only one set of wet and one set of extreme tyres will be permitted per driver for the same two sessions, again to be returned if used. Another ten sets of 'slicks' - five of each spec - will be made available for Saturday morning's third practice session, with two sets - one of each spec - to be returned afterwards. Four sets of wets and three sets of 'extremes' will also be available if needed, with unused rubber from Friday permissable in the allocaton.

For qualifying and the race, each driver will have eight sets of dry tyres, made up of four sets from each specification, and at least one set of each dry spec must be used by the driver in the race, unless wet or extreme tyres are used. Contrary to expectation, Bridgestone will now be finding a way of making the different tyre specifications visually distinguishable from one another to aid viewers understanding of which cars are on which tyres.

"Tyre usage is something we had to pay close attention to during 2006, and while the rules offer a little more freedom this year, it will still play an important part in how we plan our race weekend," Renault's Pat Symonds says, "Using two types of tyre during the race is not a huge change. The impact will vary from weekend to weekend, and its severity will depend on whether or not the softer tyre is marginal on the circuit in question, or in the prevailing conditions. Just as with any other strategic factor, though, there will be an optimum way to run the race - and most of the teams will arrive at that optimum point pretty quickly.

"It is a very good thing indeed that spectators will be able to distinguish between the tyres types. It makes the sport easier to understand, it's more transparent, and that's a good thing, but, for the teams, it makes very little difference, as we all used our resources to obtain this information anyway. Now, we will be able to invest that energy elsewhere."

Engines:

The new season also sees Formula One enter a period of engine homologation during which the sealed perimeter of the engine will remain unchanged for the period between 2007-10 inclusive.

All engines are based on the units used at the 2006 Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix, although approved modifications to specified areas of the engine were permitted, at the discretion of the FIA, to re-tune the units for a new maximum rev limit of 19,000rpm. As in 2006, all engines must be 2.4-litre V8s in design.

Where mileage was strictly controlled in recent seasons to ensure that engines lasted through the two-race requirement, usage is now free during the Friday free practice sessions in order to encourage increased on-track activity. An engine must still last for two consecutive events but, for the purposes of engine usage, an 'event' is deemed to comprise third practice, qualifying and the race. This means engines will be changed after P2, in preparation for running on Saturday and Sunday.

"Our development programme is clearly much reduced compared to previous years - and our resources have been structured to reflect this," Renault's Rob White says, "In the past, the primary routes to improved performance came through development within the engine's sealed perimeter, and any such development has been outlawed by the engine homologation regulations. No development is permitted within the sealed perimeter of the engine, which restricts our work to optimising how we use the engine in the car - and the areas of electronics, ancillary components and gains from fuel and lubricants with our partner Elf. Last year, with unlimited development under deliberately restrictive V8 engine regulations, we could expect to achieve a gain of between 1-2 per cent in engine performance. During 2007, modest gains of up to one per cent may be achievable."

Testing:

Having struggled to rein in the excesses on one particular team in recent seasons, all eleven equipes go into 2007 reading from the same hymn sheet regarding the amount of testing they are allowed to do.

Each team is now governed by an agreement that limits total annual testing mileage to a maximum of 30,000km. In-season testing is restricted to just eight three-day
single-car tests and a limited number of shakedowns and aerodynamic tests. However, while there has been greater activity in the relatively free pre-season period, teams are expected to continue racking up the miles between the start of the race year and the end, in Brazil, in October, albeit on a more controlled basis.

Safety:

Safety continues to be at the forefront of the minds of those making the rules, and all 2007 cars are required to include several significant improvements relative to their predecessors.

All cars must now incorporate new side intrusion panels, with a minimum thickness of 6.2mm and constructed from Zylon and carbon, on the cockpit area, while the dimensions of the rear impact structure have been standardised to ensure improved performance in the event of impact with both the barriers and other cars.

In an event to prevent accidents by providing a better warning system, all cars must include a 'track signal information display' in the driver's line of sight. This electronic marshalling system alerts the drivers to flags displayed around the circuit, and complements the traditional marshalling methods. Each car will also include a tell-tale medical warning light, linked to the data logger, to provide medical crews with an immediate indication of accident severity.

"The safety improvements for 2007 are extremely important," Symonds says, "Testing work last year showed that the side intrusion panels offer a major benefit in avoiding potentially serious accidents in the event of major impacts. The revised rear impact structure improves performance in two dimensions - improved resistance in the event of an impact with the barrier, and a reduced risk of cockpit penetration if a rear impact with another car occurs. And finally, the marshalling system is a big help for the drivers - and a much more effective, modern system than waving flags from trackside, out of the driver's line of sight."

Pit-lane speed limits have also been altered, and will be fixed at 60kph for the three practice sessions. For qualifying and the race, this will be raised to 80kph - albeit a reduction of 20kph over 2006 - and the additional time required for pit-stops may ultimately influence decisions on race strategy.

Race weekend:

Finally, the race weekend - already much tinkered with in recent seasons - has received another minor makeover, with the two free practice sessions on Friday running for 90 minutes apiece, up from 60, between 1000-1130hrs and 1400-1530hrs local time. Teams are now permitted to run additional drivers during these sessions, although they may run no more than two drivers in any one session.

The knock-out qualifying format trialled and welcomed in 2006 remains in place for 2007, while race distances remain unchanged over previous seasons.

NEWS FROM THE TEAMS:
McLaren - Fernando Alonso (#1), Lewis Hamilton (#2):

A Schumacher-less ferrari aside, McLaren will probably attract the greatest attention in Melbourne, although it is difficult to predict which of its drivers will be the focus.

Having decided to pair world champion Alonso with rookie GP2 champion Hamilton, both sides of the garage have their attractions for the fans and the media, and the pace both have shown in testing has only served to heighten the expectation. Melbourne will be the first race for the 'new' Vodafone-backed McLaren team, and Ron Dennis' operation is keen to banish memories of a 2006 campaign that failed to yield a single win - somewhat ironic given that it is carrying the #1 plate this year.

"At the start of the season, we have a lot of new things to offer," Mercedes' Norbert Haug said, "Champion of the last two years, Fernando Alonso, is now driving for our team, while Lewis Hamilton is a very talented young man who as an up-and-coming driver has been an integral part of our system for almost ten years. The team's new title sponsor, Vodafone, is a great partner and a global player, which has the same objectives as we do.

"However, prior to the start of the season, 'new' does not mean untried, as the team has tested more intensively than ever before and has completed more test kilometres than before every other season opener so far. During the past six months, the technicians and mechanics for both chassis and engines had to cope with great challenges, and their efforts to prepare for a successful season were as exemplary as the work of test and race teams during the 19 test days between 17 January in Valencia and 1 March in Bahrain. It's obvious what would be the best reward for all these efforts and it would be even better to receive it already in the first race of the season in Melbourne."

Heading to Australia as defending race champion, Alonso is keen to stamp his authority not only on his new team, but also on the world championship, as he seeks the same sort of start that propelled him to his world crowns.

"Having spent the winter getting to know my new team and new car, I feel really at home and am very motivated to start racing," he said, "I always enjoy Australia, there is a great atmosphere and I am excited to get out there and see where we are compared to the other teams. Everyone is starting from zero and it is going to make things very interesting. Am I going to go out at Albert Park and win my first race with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes? We are certainly going to push hard to try."

Hamilton, meanwhile, is being tipped by some as more than an outside bet for victory, but the Briton is typically understated in his reaction.

"Taking to the grid Australia is the end of one journey for me and the start of an even bigger one," he said, "I have been working incredibly hard towards this moment over the past few months - testing, physical training, working with the engineers at the McLaren Technology Centre and studying the regulations. I feel I have the experience I need and I definitely feel ready to get out there. This year will be a learning curve for me, Albert Park is one of the seven new tracks I'll be racing on, but it is not a huge problem more an exciting challenge. I have always enjoyed street circuits...."

Renault - Giancarlo Fisichella (#3), Heikki Kovalainen (#4):

Despite losing Alonso to arch-rival McLaren, Renault is not about toloosen its grip on the two world titles, although the now ING-backed team heads to Melbourne with a few points to prove as it too mirrors McLaren in fielding a veteran-rookie partnership in the shape of Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen.

Like the other leading teams, the regie has completed a massive amount of winter running, with more than 13,300km racked up in 37 'car days' since the opening test of the year on 16 January in Jerez. In spite of poor weather conditions hampering running at some tests, the team's cars have averaged over 350km per day - just over a grand prix distance - suggesting that reliability will not be a problem, even if outright pace is still lacking.

"I think we are being realistic about our performance at the moment," executive director of engineering Symonds admitted, "We know we are not in the same position as we were twelve months ago, but we were encouraged by the results of our final pre-season test in Bahrain. There are still areas to work on in order to improve the car, and we know what we have to do. Of course, there is some frustration that we are not out front and leading the field, but it is no more than that. We expected 2007 to be a tough battle - but we are ready for the fight."

Symonds was also praising of the team's line-up, which caused a few raised eyebrows when it was revealed last year.

"Giancarlo has been doing just what we asked of him this winter - he has stepped up to the mark, and is giving that little bit extra following Fernando's departure, exactly as we had hoped," he said, "As for Heikki, I think he is very focused on making a good start to his F1 career. He is confident ahead of his debut, and has done a very good job this winter. We are all looking forward to seeing him perform in a grand prix for the first time."

Fisichella won the Australian Grand Prix in 2005, and is looking forward to getting back onto the top step of the podium.

"Albert Park is one of my favourite circuits, and I have very good memories after my win there," the Italian said, "We have a good baseline, and lots of potential in the car; and we have worked hard this winter to be able to fight with the frontrunners at the start of the year. It will not be an easy race, and we don't expect it to be, but the motivation in the team is very high. I want to score as many points as possible in the early races of the year. If we cannot fight for the win, I will be trying to out-score my rivals, and finish on the podium if it is possible. BMW and Williams seem like they are ready to challenge, but I think Ferrari, McLaren and Renault will once again be the main favourites."

Kovalainen, meanwhile, is raring to go after a year away from competition.

"I think I started preparing over a year ago, when I joined the team as third driver!" he smiled, "But I was able to learn my job in the best conditions, get to know the team, and visit the factories. It was a long apprenticeship, but now I feel completely ready to go to the next level. I can't wait to get to Melbourne. I am expecting a tough race, and am preparing for every possibility - I know that I will have to push right to the limit. I want to get to the finish without any problems and finish in the points. I think that would be a good start.

Ferrari - Felipe Massa (#5), Kimi Raikkonen (#6):

Alongside Alonso's move to McLaren, Kimi Raikkonen's switch from Woking to Maranello as Michael Schumacher's repalcement at Ferrari attracted perhaps the most coverage in 2006, but it appears that the Finn has his work cut out if he is to challenge for that elusive F1 title.

A mass overhaul of the Scuderia following Schumacher's retirement has seen technical - and tactical - director Ross Brawn take a year out, while the engineering department has had a shake-up to take into account the break-up of the so-called 'dream team' built around the German. Despite the potential for disruption, however, Ferrari has been at the head of the timesheets throughout testing - although it is Felipe Massa rather than Raikkonen that has been posting the times.

"I would have to say we are ready to start the season," the Brazilian insisted, "For sure, testing is testing and racing is racing, but I can say that I am very happy with the way things have gone. I am very familiar with the car and I know the team personnel and how they all work and everything is going pretty well. Some people have been making something of the fact that, mostly, I have been fractionally quicker than Kimi, but I do not see it as anything significant. Kimi was still learning and getting to know the team. We will see what happens in Melbourne, as this is the moment that the answer comes. At this point last year, many people were sceptical about my ability but, now, twelve months on, with wins and pole positions in the bag, I think I have changed a lot. I am stronger mentally, I have improved a lot and I have much more experience. I can still improve some more, but this is a great time for me and a great moment in my career."

The opening race of the year will be the first missed by Schumacher since the German broke his leg at Silverstone in 1999, and gives Ferrari a whole new outlook.

"Melbourne will mark a new chapter in the extraordinary history of the Scuderia," chief executive Jean Todt agreed, "After eleven years, Michael will not be behind the wheel, and now it is the turn of Felipe and Kimi to fly the flag. We have been working as hard as ever over the past few months, but we will only know what condition we are in after Saturday's qualifying session."

Schumacher wished the team well before it left for Australia, but refused to say if Ferrari was the favourite to win.

"I have the feeling that we are very well prepared for the first race and that we should do well," he stated, "I cannot wait for the championship to begin as I think it will be very close and exciting. Now all that I can do is cross my fingers and wish Ferrari the best of luck."

Honda - Jenson Button (#7), Rubens Barrichello (#8):

Without frontrunning testing performances to shout about, Honda created headlines in other ways instead, unveiling its 2007 contender with no visible sponsorship and a livery consisting of a map of the world, in an effort to raise awareness of environmental issues.

The Australian Grand Prix will see the RA107 take to the track in its new 'earth' livery for the first time but, while the colour scheme might be new, the team - unlike the three before it on the entry - can at least count on continuity in the cockpit, as Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello enter their second season together. Their experience may be vital in the opening few rounds as Honda attempts to extract greater performance from its radical-looking car, which senior technical director Shuhei Nakamoto admits needs 'more improvements to take us to where we want to be'.

"Our race pace looks stronger than our qualifying pace at the moment," he said, "All in all, we must try to get the best out of our current package, whilst continuing to work hard on the development of new items for the test in Sepang after Melbourne."

Button and Barrichello are both keen to get the season underway after completing as many testing miles as their rivals, with the Briton aware that points could be won and lost depending on preparation.

"Melbourne is a very special place for me as the circuit where I made my F1 debut, but everything that you have been working on over the winter needs to come together for the first race," he said, "It's about choosing the right race strategy, making sure that the pit crew get everything right and having good mechanical reliability."

BMW Sauber - Nick Heidfeld (#9), Robert Kubica (#10):

If there has been a surprise in teh build-up to the new season, it has been the pace shown by the new BMW Sauber F1.07, which has taken its turn at the top of the timesheets and given race fans hope of a different contender to take on teh establishment in 2007.

The team exceeded its own expectations in its debut season to finish fifth in the constructors' championship, and the stated aim for 2007 is to claim more podium finishes on merit and further reduce the gap between itself and the top teams, but could BMW Sauber be poised for more than that?

"As ever, it is difficult to make predictions," motorsport director Mario Theissen admitted, "Our rivals have been generous with praise at times, but we also had a few problems in testing. As always, it is a race against time to get the car ready for the first race of the season. However, last year, we put in a very good performance at Albert Park, and it would be nice if we had something to celebrate once again on Sunday evening."

With both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica professing to enjoy the Albert Park circuit - the Pole tested there is the Friday sessions last season - the team can concentrate on honing the F1.07 for the weekend ahead.

"The tension ahead of the first race of the season is always particularly high of course, because you're waiting to find out how you shape up against your rivals," technical director Willy Rampf said, "The last test in Bahrain showed that the performance of the F1.07 meets our expectations, but we'll still only be able to make a reliable assessment of our progress once we get to Melbourne. Added to which, we will have one or two new parts on the F1.07 in Australia, which we hadn't introduced in the last test, so I have to admit that my sense of anticipation is even greater than usual."

Toyota - Ralf Schumacher (#11), Jarno Trulli (#12):

While BMW has made gains over the winter, Toyota once again appears to be stuck in neutral, its TF107 not having produced the advance that the Cologne-based team has been waiting for since its debut in 2002.

With neither Jarno Trulli or Ralf Schumacher apparently happy with the car, Toyota's celebration of 50 years in motorsport may be a little muted unless the team can unlock something quickly. The two drivers are also poised for celebration, having completed ten years since they made their F1 debuts together in Melbourne, but a busy winter testing programme has yet to show signs of allowing either to repeat the German's Australian GP podium from a year ago.

"We have done a lot of work in testing with the new car and I think we have made progress, even though testing was difficult sometimes," Schumacher said, "Melbourne is a great place to be. As well as the city, the track is one of the most beautiful streets circuits in the world and I really enjoy driving there. Because it is a street circuit, the surface of the track tends to be dirty and that means it is quite low on grip, especially early in the weekend. I just hope our car will suit the track and we will have a nice result this weekend."

Trulli agreed that the TF107 still needed work, despite two extra days of testing after the Bahrain group session at the start of the month.

"We had some issues to work on, but we have pushed hard over the winter and I am looking forward to this weekend with confidence," the Italian insisted, "A lot of work has been done on the new car and we expect it to be more competitive and more reliable [in Melbourne]. There are always big question marks as we prepare for the start of a new season because it is so hard to judge things from winter testing, but we have the motivation to succeed, so I am optimistic."

Red Bull Racing - David Coulthard (#14), Mark Webber (#15):

Whether or not Red Bull Racing goes to Melbourne with a potential race-winner, it will be assured of the majority of the crowd support, having snapped up local hero Mark Webber from Williams over the winter.

Despite not being able to match the emotional success of his fifth place on debut with Minardi in 2002, Webber remains a strong pull for the Australian audience, and he is hoping that his return to what was former employer Jaguar Racing can finally provide a car with which he is able to fulfil the predictions that accompanied him into F1. It has not been all plain sailing for the team over the winter, however, even with renowned aero expert Adrian Newey having penned the RB3.

Different to its Jaguar-derived predecessors, Newey's first RBR creation bears several hallmarks of his time at McLaren, but has yet to display the same sort of potential on track, with mechanical gremlins thwarting testing - despite David Coulthard topping the times on one day in Spain - amid reports that neither driver, and Webber especially, could get comfortable in the cockpit. Like Toyota, the team added extra days to its Melbourne preparation.

"Testing has not been trouble-free and a few elements still need fixing, but we have made some progress," team boss Christian Horner admitted after the Bahrain group session.

Red Bull's biggest filip of the off-season came with confirmation that the RB3 would be Renault-powered this season, the Milton Keynes team taking on effectively the same powerplants that took Fernando Alonso to his second world title.

"Competitive customer engine supply is part of Renault's racing heritage, and we have tried to approach our new relationship with Red Bull Racing in the best possible
conditions, establishing clear, honest operating principles from the outset," Renault's Denis Chevrier commented, "Priority number one was to ensure that the works team suffered no drop off in the quality of trackside support, but number two was to establish a strong trackside team with Red Bull Racing, building for the long term. Our teams have had to learn how to work together, in order to build up performance levels ahead of the season. What's more, our engine supply agreement has meant we completed more miles with the RS27 engine this winter, allowing us to learn more about its on-track behaviour than would otherwise have been possible. That additional knowledge will be beneficial for both Renault and Red Bull Racing."

Williams - Nico Rosberg (#16), Alex Wurz (#17):

Falls from grace don't come much harder than that suffered by Williams over the past couple of years, but the F1 stalwart is already showing signs of picking itself up, dusting itself off and starting all over again.

Ditching the potent Cosworth V8 in favour of a Toyota customer supply that has yet to show its worth in lesser teams may have raised a few eyebrows towards the end of 2006, but Williams is quietly proving the doubters wrong with a string of promising performances in testing. Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz may not be a big name partnership in the style of McLaren or Ferrari, but the Grove team could yet upset a few applecarts.

Rigorously developed by a fortified design and engineering team over the winter, the Toyota-powered FW29 is a comprehensive progression of last year's FW28. While the engine partner is new, the team's existing relationship with Bridgestone looks set to stand it in good stead with the switch to a single supplier. Since its launch at the beginning of February, the 2007 car has recorded just under 8000km of testing over twelve days.

"The great thing about the first race is the anticipation of what the running order will be among the teams - and, this year, it is harder to predict than ever," technical director Sam Michael insisted, "Two significant changes have really levelled the playing field - the single tyre supplier means that all teams will be running on Bridgestone Potenzas and the homologated and rev-limited engines means that all the teams will be revving to 19,000rpm. From winter testing, the new rules look like they have had their desired effect and tightened up the grid. That makes it harder for the engineers, but it's good for Formula One."

The new Williams will bear a revised livery in Melbourne, highlighting a robust sponsorship roster augmented by the arrival of new title partner AT&T, as well as a significant new relationship with Lenovo. Newly appointed test driver Kazuki Nakajima will get his first taste of a grand prix weekend in Australia as he assists with set-up work in Friday's free practice sessions, while Wurz and Rosberg arrive at round one with different points to prove.

"Every team comes here with the highest of hopes, and the first race is always exiting because everyone will soon know where they really stand," returnee Wurz, who is back in a race seat for the first time since 2000, "Albert Park is a mix of a 'real' track with a slight street character, but overtaking is not that easy, which I guess is normal nowadays with 22 top class drivers on the track."

Rosberg, meanwhile, will be looking to re-establish himself as the 'coming man' of Formula One, having seen his meteoric start in Bahrain became overshadowed by Williams' reliability woes as the year wore on.

"As a team, we are determined to move forward this year and bring some consistency to our season," he said, "We are hoping - and pushing hard - for a good start in Australia. It's great that the first race of the year is back in Melbourne, as it always makes for a good start to the season and often delivers unexpected results."

Scuderia Toro Rosso - Vitantonio Liuzzi (#18), Scott Speed (#19):

Red Bull's second team has had something of a turbulent winter, with delays sorting an engine supply leading, so the official line goes, to delays in announcing the driver line-up. Team boss Gerhard Berger has also apparently been asked to source additional funding elsewhere, suggesting that Dietrich Mateschitz pockets may not be as deep as once thought. Then there was the debate about the legality of the STR2....

In the end, the team has been able to join the V8 pack courtesy of 'big brother' Red Bull Racing's 2006 Ferrari engine supply, has named an unchanged line-up and still appears to be largely Red Bull-funded. The furore over the STR2 may yet erupt in Melbourne.

Although the car is, in many eyes, a replica of Red Bull Racing's Adrian Newey-penned RB3, Toro Rosso insists that it is not a customer car, having been built at both its Faenza factory and several out-source facilities around Europe, and designed by the independent Red Bull Technologies concern. Just how much flak the team cops in Australia - and beyond - may be determined by how successful it is.

Testing performances have been hard to decipher, with the car appearing late - a long time after RBR unveiled the RB3 - and not having much track time. Vitantonio Liuzzi managed to bang in a handful of quick laps to perhaps push the car a little higher up the pecking order than it deserved, while team-mate Scott Speed - only confirmed before the final tests of the winter - has had precious few miles behind the wheel.

"Last week was a shakedown for us really and every day, more and more parts have arrived here from the factory, which have helped us to improve reliability and performance," chief engineer Laurent Mekies said during the Bahrain test, "It really kept our guys busy and they worked very hard. Looking at today's performance
especially, with a respectable lap time and 125 laps, it is clear we are working in the right direction, even if there is a lot to do."

STR has acquired engine guru Alex Hitzinger from Cosworth over the winter, but his arrival may not be enough to ease the pressure on all concerned.

Spyker F1 - Christijan Albers (#20), Adrian Sutil (#21):

After a season of upheaval off the track, with its third owner in as many years, Spyker F1 will be looking to get its feet firmly under the table in 2007, before beginning to shake up the midfield.

With a new hand at the technical tiller, courtesy of former Renault and Toyota man Mike Gascoyne, and a youthful partnership behind the wheel - with rookie Adrian Sutil joining Dutch favourite Christijan Albers - the team at least heads to the opening race in buoyant mood. The grandly-monikered F8-VII chassis and Ferrari engine has proved to be an efficient and reliable package in pre-season testing, allowing Spyker to complete over 6000km in preparation for Melbourne without any major problems.

"I've been pleased with the testing so far this year," Albers commented, "We might not have done a lot of testing relative to other teams, but we have progressed perhaps more than any other team has done in the same space of time. The car is reliable and the balance is getting better all the time. Now that we understand the performance of the tyres more, we can really concentrate on getting a good set-up. It's not going to be an easy start to the year - we will have to push to get to the other teams, but that's what we're in Formula One to do. We've got to push ourselves to do the best we can."

After impressing in Friday testing last season, German Sutil got the nod over several more experienced option to make his debut 'down under'.

"Melbourne will be my first-ever Grand Prix, so there is certainly some excitement and maybe a few nerves - but that's good, at least the adrenaline is going!" he smiled, "Over the winter testing period, I've been trying hard to get as much mileage as possible so I will be as prepared as I can be for my first race. I've tried to learn from my engineers and understand the car, so I want to finish the race and build on a solid performance for future grands prix."

While the team has realistic expectations of performance relative to the rest of the field, it feels that there is every reason to be optimistic for the coming season. With significant aerodynamic updates planned from the second race of the season, the team aims to make steady, but measurable, progress from Australia onwards.

"After a long winter of testing and development, it's always exciting to be get out again at the first grand prix of the season," Gascoyne admitted, "From our point of view, testing went very well, the car is reliable and did not demonstrate any mechanical problems, the cooling is well under control and we really can be optimistic about the coming year. Performance-wise, we've always said we were going to be at the back of the grid, but we feel we'll be pretty close to the group in front of us now. For Malaysia too we're expecting a significant aero update, so for Australia the goal is to get both cars to the finish and to be as close to the pack in front as possible. With the new developments, hopefully, by Malaysia, we'll be racing them."

Although it has had to revise its livery after problems with the clarity of some of its sponsors logos, Spyker will cut a very distinctive dash on track.

"Seeing a Spyker in the new livery on the grid in Melbourne will make me very proud," team principal Colin Kolles admitted, "In the six months since Spyker came on board, we have signed a brand new engine supplier, one of the most accomplished technical personnel in the paddock and have doubled our aerodynamic resources. The partnership is already and we hope this reliability will continue into Australia so we can run with the rest of the competition."

Super Aguri F1 - Takuma Sato (#22), Anthony Davidson (#23):

After joining the ranks in 2006, the Super Aguri F1 team left it late again this year and it wasn't until the Wednesday before the Australian Grand Prix that it finally unveiled its 2007 car, the SA07.

Despite the fact the machine initially failed the FIA's mandatory crash test, team boss, Aguri Suzuki remains upbeat - and he was pleased with the winter test programme.

"The winter testing period has been very good for the team - we have been able to complete most of the things that we had planned to do, including the evaluation of the reliability of new parts for the SA07," he noted, "There are many things that we were not able to do due to time and resources but, all things considered, I am very happy with the car that we have here in Melbourne.

"Around this time last year, we were still struggling to get two cars onto the grid. It was our first year and everything was a new experience for the team. This year we have been able to prepare for the season and everybody is raring to go.

"We will be aiming for points from the opening race and my goal for the end of the season, which I think is a realistic one, is to have our cars in the middle of the grid."

Takuma Sato is also confident and after the progress the squad made in 2006, culminating with a competitive outing in Brazil, he wants to continue to move forward.

"It's been a long winter test compared to what we had last year," the 30-year-old remarked. "We were able to participate in the first winter test at the end of November 2006, and I joined the team testing at the end of December when I was able to experience the 2007 Bridgestone Potenza control tyres for the first time.

"We made good progress that continued into the New Year, and we are very happy with our last test in Bahrain and our new aero package. Technically we are looking good, but as with everything we are demanding and there is never as much time as you would like to prepare. Looking at our situation right now, I am very happy with the progress that we have made, with the developments on the car and the team atmosphere."

As for Anthony Davidson, who will drive the sister car and who will take part in his first full-season this year, the Brit has set himself a simple ambition for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

"To finish the race in Melbourne and get to the chequered flag - that's the first goal," he insisted, "It is something I have never done in Formula One, so I hope to progress from there."

TYRES:

Twenty-one weeks since the 2006 season finale in Brazil, the Australian Grand Prix sees Bridgestone in sole charge of Formula One's tyre supply, and doing its bit to help encourage competition.

The two different specifications on offer were decided well in advance of the trip to Melbourne - as they have for the opening five rounds of the year - and will see the eleven teams attempting to get the best - and most strategic - use out of medium and soft compounds on the notoriously low-grip Albert Park circuit.

"The biggest change [this year] is that there is no more competition [between tyre companies] so all drivers have the same tyre and you can ignore the factor of different tyre performance deciding the race," Bridgestone Motorsport's head of track engineering operations, Kees van de Grint, said, "We are also no longer making tyres for a
particular chassis or particular driver. Everybody is the same, so the teams have to adjust the car and the driver has to adjust his driving style, to get the best performance out of the tyres."

Albert Park does not only offer the 'problem' of driving on a street circuit used by normal traffic for the remaining 360 days of the year, but also frequently throws out a curve ball in terms of the weather, which has proved to be fickle in recent years.

"As the circuit is not a permanent one, it will be quite slippery in the beginning," van der Grint confirmed "And we are never sure about the weather - it could be quite warm, and it could be cold. However, the challenges are not the same as when we are in a competitive tyre environment. Our focus now is to ensure that the tyres are firstly, safe and secondly, consistent with a wide performance window. We are confident the tyres will perform well this weekend."

THE TRACK:
Race Distance: 58 laps - Circuit Length: 3.295miles (5.303 kms)

Albert Park was used for the non-championship Australian Grand Prix as early as 1953, but regular GP racing returned to the sporting capital of Australia in 1996. The circuit is remarkably unchanged, still weaving around the park lake, although now in a clockwise direction, with the old circuit running along the back of the pit area. Albert Park is a high downforce circuit, and one that is very popular with the drivers.

The 5.303km track features a mixture of short straights and slow to medium speed corners, and requires the car set-up to have a balance of good traction and stability under braking, as well as being aerodynamically efficient.

The circuit uses the normal roads of Albert Park as the basis of its layout, so the surface is normally quite dirty when the cars start running on Friday. It cleans up quickly however and lap times fall as rubber goes down in the corners. The generally smooth surface means tyre wear is not an issue, but getting tyres to work effectively certainly is.

THE WINNER?

As many key personnel up and down the pit-lane have already said, predicting the outcome of this weekend's season-opener is a tricky task. With so many driver moves over the winter allying with the switch to a single tyre supply and tightened engine rules, it could be anyone's game, although the usual names will always push to the fore.

Testing times alone would suggest Felipe Massa as the favourite for success, but new Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen is unlikely to take that lying down. World champion Fernando Alonso has also been on top form in the pre-season, but will need his McLaren to show the sort of reliability that was missing in Raikkonen's last two campaigns. Giancarlo Fisichella, meanwhile, will be looking to maintain Renault's record at Albert Park, and regain the crown he last wore in 2005.

The intriguing aspect of trying to pick a winner, however, comes when you consider that there could be two rookies in the mix on Sunday. Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen have both landed potentially front-running seats this season and have enough about them to be contenders - and not just picking up the pieces if it all goes wrong for the bigger names.

Add to that BMW's winter testing pace and signs of a resurgence at Williams, and the plot thickens further....

LAST SEASON:

The third race of 2006 owing to Melbourne hosting the Commonwealth Games, the Australian Grand Prix saw Fernando Alonso strengthen his early season grip on teh points table.

While the Renault driver appeared able to pull away at will, having passed Jenson Button on the first of many restarts, the rest of the field seemed more willing to self-destruct as the event turned into something of a demolition derby. Juan Montoya started the ball rolling by spinning on the warm-up lap, but was restored to his original grid position when Giancarlo Fisichella stalled. David Coulthard and Jarno Trulli, and Christian Klien, Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa all made contact in two separate first lap accidents - Klien crashing out for good five laps later - while Michael Schuamcher and Tonio Liuzzi both hit the wall later in the race.

Through it all, Alonso remained serene out front, only losing the lead during pit-stop windows - to the delight of the home corwd as Mark Webber led before gearbox problems intervened. Kimi Raikkonen and Ralf Schumacher both emerged from the chaos to join the Spaniard on the podium.

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 57 laps 01:34:27.870
2. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +1.829
3. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota +24.824
4. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber +31.032
5. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault +38.421
6. Jacques Villeneuve Canada BMW Sauber +49.554
7. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Honda-Honda +51.904
8. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Ferrari +53.983