Hacker: Pedal to the Vettel

On the face of it, little has changed over the winter; Sebastian Vettel has been serene out front, Jenson Button is still Mr. Consistency, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have reinforced their frosty relationship with a high speed collision and Felipe Massa has already allowed Fernando Alonso to pass him once. Oh, and Michael Schumacher is still parking his Mercedes in eleventh place on the grid.

However, more technically, we have seen the introduction of the DRS (Drag Reduction System) and also the reintroduction of the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), first pioneered several years ago, in a raft of regulation changes wrought by the FIA (no more acronyms now, I promise).

These systems will surely shake up the sport – but this would require them to actually start working. If we disregard the Hispania team (as most in the paddock, not least the Hispania crew themselves, seem intent on doing) – who never even tried to design a car which could accommodate KERS – we see problems throughout the field. Not even reigning champions Red Bull are immune; they deliberately disabled KERS in Australia and then in Malaysia suffered major problems on both of their cars.

One major and unquestionable change has been to the tyres. Pirelli have stepped in as sole supplier this season and have certainly not shirked their mandate to create less durable tyres. The manufacturer has been widely praised so far for giving the drivers a greater challenge, although it is a wonder how Lewis Hamilton – who has so often in the past complained of a lack of grip in his tyres – is going to last the season without blowing a gasket, if his post-race interview in Malaysia is any guide. Ultimately, the new tyres have been a shot in the arm to the spectacle of Formula 1 and the sport just cannot seem to get enough of those.

The BBC has also done its bit to improve the spectacle of Formula 1, as its viewers are no longer subjected to Jonathan Legard’s peculiarly antagonistic brand of commentary. Now just another grunt on Match of the Day, the prospect of Legard being inflicted upon the nation’s football supporters brings an unashamedly wicked smile to the face.

With such widespread technological difficulties, the door is open for any front-running team to steal a march on the rest and bag a strong sequence of results before they are caught up. Vettel might have form on his side, and no small degree of talent, but he hasn’t got the chasing pack beaten just yet. The statistics might say that it’s business as usual in Formula 1 but 2011 has plenty of potential for radical change. Webber, Alonso, Hamilton and Button are all as fired up as ever and we should not discount the likes of Massa and Rosberg. Even Michael Schumacher is still talking the talk.