After reading, hearing, digesting and deliberating all winter about how the 2007 F1 season was going to pan out, I thought I would try to summarise my view on all this info…

…well, that was last week and now the cat is somewhat out of the bag with the championship pole poll being aired on these very pages.

But, here I am anyway, slightly adapted, but hopefully by way of explanation as to my choices for the top places. I’m sorry as you’ve all heard it (or written it) already, this is mainly me trying to makes sense of the vibes in my own head.

I think an important factor this year will be team unity, and from the things I have absorbed I’m left with the feeling that McLaren will present a very united, focussed and determined front, there is no doubt they have the skills and experience within the team and I am sure they will bounce back form this last streak of bad form, but I think with Alonso and Hamilton in place a whole chunk of fresh air has been blasted through the place. Alonso is the superstar driver and coming off the back of double world championships is respected and accepted. Hamilton in his rookie year will be out to learn all he can, could provide solid support for Alonso and being a racer he will be out to prove himself also and go for the wins when he can.

Ferrari on the other hand seems to me to have a very fast, reliable car (always a good thing in F1) but will struggle a bit more within the team. Both Massa and Raikkonnen are superstar drivers and will want to be seen as such, both within the team and to the world. It may well be more of a problem for Massa if Kimi outperforms him. The team too have been used to pulling all the stops out for Schumacher (second driver included) and may well have more issues adjusting to the different setup…

…and no Ross Brawn.

But, whilst dining at a fabulous Italian restaurant in the Channel Islands recently (which just happened to be F1 & MotoGP themed, very Ferrari loyal and full of memorabilia), the waiter tipped Massa for the title, maybe that’s not a surprise! ITV though appear to me to be subliminally rooting for McLaren judging by their new colour scheme on the website!