Fri 22 May, 05:00 PM
As the dust settles on the opening phase of the 2009 Formula One season, we seem to have an awful lot to talk about but one thing is for certain... it's getting to be a really interesting season, isn't it.
F1 underwent a heavy technical revision over the winter, with new aero rules being the most visible change, and I think we've been very lucky, in that we've seen some great races. All the rules they've put forward seem to have worked, and they've closed the racing up. Of course, there have been different interpretations of the new rules, and this has had an effect on the outcome of the first few races, but I don't think it will necessarily have a long-term effect on the outcome of the championship.
These people catch up so fast - once one team has something that is really good, it doesn't take the rest long to have it on their cars. Having said that, I must say that just putting diffusers on isn't an easy job. We're talking around a �1m job, I understand.
What is interesting, however, is that Brawn is doing so well in what is a fairly open season. I don' think anyone would have predicted such a successful return for the former Honda team but, if you look at the credentials of a man like Ross Brawn, they're pretty fantastic. And remember, Brawn started on that thing quite early last year and was working towards this year, starting with that benefit while the other teams were saying 'we're going to start on next year's car as soon as we can'.
There's no doubt they're in a tremendous position now to seal the championship. Alright, it's still early days, but the way it's going is tremendous. The amazing thing for me is that they can have the Honda car, which was obviously going to have the Honda engine, and they've managed to get the Mercedes engine in there without too much trouble.
Of course, Brawn's emergence has been good news for both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, neither of whom appeared destined to return to F1 following Honda's announcement. It's great how well those two drivers are doing, particularly Jenson. I think Ross Brawn taking over was probably his only hope and I think he's been very lucky, as everything is coming together so well.
It's been quite a dramatic reversal of fortune for the two Britons in Formula One, with Button obviously going from seemingly being out of the sport to now leading the championship, while Lewis Hamilton has gone from his dramatic world championship in 2008 to being a midfield runner. I think that if you'd asked anyone, including yourself, a year ago, you'd never have thought this would happen. But I think it's good for the sport, and it's been very, very good for remains of Honda, as it has for the [Brawn] drivers as well.
Obviously, a key element has been the drop-off in performance for the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and BMW. Personally, I don't think they started on this year's car quite early enough, obviously not realising what Ross was doing, and I think they probably got caught a bit with their pants down there.
Now they're starting from further back, although I'm sure they will catch up eventually. I'm sure McLaren and Mercedes will get their car far, far better, and I'm sure Ferrari will too. BMW, though, I'm not so sure about as I think they've got a slightly higher hill to climb.
While you should never discount someone like Hamilton or Felipe Massa - who I thought was very unlucky to lose the championship last year - this season has opened the door for some other teams and drivers to come to the fore. Sebastian Vettel is one I predicted great things for before the season started and he's still a favourite. I don't know if what he's got is sufficient to catch Jenson after Brawn's amazing start, but I'd put him down as the most likely to.
Vettel and Red Bull have already won a race this year, and I think Toyota might as well. They're an enormous company, and they're doing a hell of a lot better than they were before. There's no doubt that their engine looks good, so I think we will see them get a win this year - but then, having said that, who'd have thought Jenson would be there with so many wins at the start of the year?
Monaco is next up, and I think it is going to be fantastic. Of course, the trouble with Monaco - and you can't get away from it - is that it is difficult to pass. You've got vey short straights and so on, but it can happen - and we've seen it happen. People who are really late on their braking, people like Lewis and so on, will be able to get past.
The uncertainty of the Monaco Grand Prix could bring the likes of Ferrari and McLaren back into play next weekend, but I think that Ross has got his car to handle so well that they have to start as favourites. If you watch the guys when they're driving, it amazes me how steady they can be with the cars on the steering, they really do handle exceptionally well. I think it will be partly processional, but I think it will be stunning too. I think it is going to be close, and I don't know, frankly, who I would bet on, I must admit.
While the diffuser row was the first controversy of 2009, we're now moving towards another with the budget cap that the governing body is keen to impose on the sport for next year. I must admit that I don't support the idea. While I realise that they need to bring the price of the sport down, if you want a lot less money in it, you go to America and race CART [sic].
I think the problem is that the big companies can afford it - their attitude is 'right, if we can get the money together, why shouldn't we do it?' - so it's a very difficult situation. I really don't know which side to come down on. I can see how important it is to try and cut costs but, having said that, I believe that Formula One has to remain as open as it can, more or less a Formula Libre, where you can build a car and race it.
We're hearing claims that the budget cap, as it stands, will create a 'two-tier' Formula One, with threats that the likes of Ferrari will walk away. I think it is the fault of the FIA. I think they've made a mistake and I'm hoping that Max [Mosley] will admit that - and I hope that it will be rescinded, frankly.
I'm not sure Formula One, as a brand, can survive without the likes of Ferrari. Ferrari gets more money than the other teams, and quite rightly. One can't imagine a Formula One race without a Ferrari. They are so important, the name is just world-renowned - if you ask any kid what is a real racing car, they're going to tell you 'Ferrari'. It would be good to have the likes of Lola and Aston Martin come in - and, hopefully, they will - and I wish Cosworth would come back too, but I just don't think it works like that. I just think we've to have it as a semi-free formula, as it is now.
There is also some debate about the future of the British Grand Prix, and I'm concerned because I don't think Donington Park can get the necessary work done in time. I'm very disappointed because I think Silverstone is liked by the drivers. It is a greatly improved circuit from what it has been, it has been the home of motor racing for a long time and I think it ought to continue. They've got the infrastructure and everything else going on.
I think it would be awful if we didn't have a British Grand Prix and I just hope that Bernie [Ecclestone] will come to his senses and say 'okay, the British Grand Prix can continue at Silverstone', because that's the place I think it should be, frankly. At worst, alternating between Silverstone and Donington could certainly happen. If the alternatives could offer as good a facility and other things to the drivers, as good a circuit, then I don't think it is a bad thing to go around, I have no problem with that, but I don't think it is going to happen. To build up Donington is going to cost a lot of money, and I just don't see that it is going to happen, or be done in the time.
Moving away from Formula One for a moment, I was down in Brescia, Italy at the modern Mille Miglia event with the new McLaren Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss the other day, comparing it to the Mille Miglia-winning car I drove in 1955. I took David Coulthard out in the sister car to my #722, and he's going to drive around the course in that car. David is going to be followed by Mika [Hakkinen] in the modern 'Stirling Moss' one, so it's going to be quite a nostalgic thing.
While I'd still rather have the old one, I have to admit that the SLR is remarkable. The good news is that you can see where the heritage was - it's sufficiently like the one of over 50 years ago that you realise what it was.
I'm not confining myself to the SLR, however, and hope to be out racing my OSCA again this year. Over the bank holiday weekend, I hope to be racing down at Brands Hatch, and it'll be quite nostalgic to go back there. The only trouble is that I think I've forgotten where the circuit goes....
I love getting back into the cars of yesterday - I'd far rather be getting back into that than a modern one, I can tell you. I don't know where the hell I am [with the new generation of car]!
There's obviously a big following for historic and vintage racing and that's the great thing, of course. The fans can get round the cars, meet the drivers, look at the machines and, if the children are good, you let them sit inside. But I think that the greatest thing about historic racing is that it is much more relaxed than Formula One. I can see why Formula One is the way it is, but historics is a very different scene. We're amateur drivers, we're not racing for anything, I don't think there is any money in it - except that which goes out from me rather than coming back. It is quite an expensive sport because everything has to be made....
There are some more modern things that I enjoy, however, and we've just relaunched the official Stirling Moss website. It is different and quite a lot of work - these things don't happen overnight, and I know that a lot of work goes in to trying to keep it up to date and so on. I'm very proud of the site, I think it looks jolly good and I hope you will go and have a look.
www.stirlingmoss.com
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