After chops and changes, new season promises plenty of fireworks

Here we are again, on the cusp of another Formula One season. And here's the good news: despite the retirement of a certain German gentleman, the sky hasn't fallen in on the sport. Possibly, because of his absence, the new season looks like being a cracker.

The paddock is looking forward, not back. So, it seems, is Michael Schumacher. While Ferrari and most other teams were in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the awarding of a race there from 2009, he was up the road in Dubai to watch golf.

Of course, Ferrari face up to the new season with more than one familiar face missing. Ross Brawn, the veteran technical director, has gone on a sabbatical. On top of that Jean Todt, the team boss, has been promoted to CEO of the whole Ferrari company. The team who Michael made are no more.

Despite all that, the prancing horse has been fast in testing. Allied to that a genuinely fast pair of drivers, and Ferrari are likely to hit the Melbourne grid at the front. Kimi Raikonnen will benefit from the reliability of his new team's car, but will he fit in well at an outfit used to doting on a very different team leader? For that matter, will he establish himself as the team leader? Felipe Massa can see his big opportunity to assert himself, and Ferrari fans can only hope the competition pushes the team forward.

This year might well be the season that McLaren get their act together. No grand prix win last year would have hurt Ron Dennis, but things are looking distinctly rosier this time round. First off, the winter runs suggest the car, which is always ultraquick, won't need breakdown assistance quite so much as last year.

Secondly, they have world champion Fernando Alonso on board. One of the reasons the Spaniard won the title twice with Renault is that he can win races in cars that, strictly speaking, he shouldn't be winning in. In that respect he is Schumacher-like, and that will be in stark contrast to Raikonnen.