After two straight rounds of waterlogged F1, it's wonderful to jump into the desert and see these cars get driven to their max.
For once, it seems like the focus this weekend might be on the race itself, which is certainly refreshing. Of course, there will be a major story within the race that will certainly affect the outcome: the heat. The first image you see when the cameras are switched on will be heat haze by the ton-and-a-half. The heat will make the track slick, it will be death to the tires, and, most importantly, the engines will be mighty toasty. These cars are designed to take the heat, but you can only run an engine at 19,000 RPM in a dry heat so much before problems start to occur. In practice, there were a few instances of drivers backing off to get some free air in order to keep the engines cool. Look for attrition in the form of smoke coming out of the cars for sure.
As for the race, it's hard to know for sure what will happen. I will point out that, in spite of the fact that I'm posting on Saturday afternoon, I still have no idea what has happened in qualifying -- gotta keep in the spirit of all my other previews, y'know. In hundred-degree weather like this, I like to look at who holds the most consistency through the two practice sessions. Judging by the results of the Friday sessions, I see the Williams-Toyotas looking very strong for Friday. Nico Rosberg certainly has winning in his blood, with his father Keke making noise in Frank Williams' first cars. Since this year is all about firsts -- first wins for Brawn and Red Bull -- I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Williams finds its way back onto the top step of the podium with Nico Rosberg.
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