It was a lot of fun and ended up being very close with the top three players still challenging for the win right up until the last race.

In the end, Andrew took the top prize: a scale model of Jenson Button’s revolutionary BGP001 in the historic Brawn GP livery.

2009 was one of the best and closest F1 seasons ever, which meant that predicting the winners was hard.

With Fernando Alonso in a Red Car and the return of Michael Schumacher, 2010 promises to be just as exciting.

This year the Prediction Game returns for another season, but rather than posting your predictions on blog posts, the game has been fully Facebookified! Just visit http://apps.facebook.com/formulaone-buzz and add the application.

The rules are basically the same. Make your predictions for pole, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and fastest lap by the start of qualifying for each race. The deadline for each race is listed on the calendar page.

The points have been tweaked slightly to reflect the new points system introduced by the FIA in 2010:

• Pole position: 10 points
• 1st: 25 points
• 2nd: 18 points
• 3rd: 15 points
• Correct driver on podium but not in correct position: 8 points for each driver
• Fastest lap: 10 points

The prize will remain a scale model of the winning car/driver by Minichamps. They are nicely detailed little models. Andrew can tell you. Just look how happy he is up there!

As the countdown timer in the top right shows, there is now less than a week until the first race of 2010. This means to maximise your chances of winning you need to get your predictions in for Bahrain by this Saturday.

The first race is always the hardest to predict. Good luck!

Related posts:

1. The f1buzz.net prediction game
2. 2009 F1 Buzz Prediction Game Winners
3. Prediction game: Round 9 results

The 2009 Championship was another very close season with six drivers from four teams winning races. Brawn dominated the opening Grands Prix but McLaren made one of the biggest comebacks ever in the second half of the season.

All through the year there was the constant presence of Red Bull and the occasional threat of a Ferrari and even Force India.

All this meant that predicting who would win or even who would stand on the podium was a dificult task. In the end, the prediction game was even closer than the Championship with a single point separating second and third places.

Thanks to a lucky couple of weeks in the Far East I actually ended up with the most points but as I was just playing for fun and not prizes my score doesn’t really count.

This means that the 2009 Champion is Andrew with a score of 173, closely followed by Sergio with 172. Despite apparently knowing nothing, Kathryn came in third with 133.

As announced, first prize is a 1:43 scale Minichamps replica of Jenson Button’s Brawn GP BGP001. Second and third will each receive a copy of the 2009 Formula One Season Review DVD.

Congratulations to the winners (email me at david@f1buzz.net to let me know where to send your prize) and thanks to everyone for taking part. I hope you enjoyed it. A special thanks also goes out to Miguel for suggesting the idea!

Only four months until next time!

Image: Brawn GP

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 5 results
2. Prediction game 2010 – now on Facebook
3. Prediction game: Round 10 results

Abu Dhabi will be a race of firsts and lasts. Not only will it be the first time Formula One will visit the new Yas Marina circuit but it will also be the first time a Grand Prix has started at twilight and finished at night time. The race will start at 5pm local time and the flood lights will be on throughout the race so a consistent lighting level is maintained.

The last race of the calendar, Abu Dhabi will play host to a number of other lasts.

Some time during the race a car will make the last stop for fuel in a Grand Prix; refuelling is banned for 2010.

McLaren are hoping it will be the last win for a KERS powered car on Sunday. While KERS is still allowed under the 2010 rules, the teams have agreed not to use the energy recovery technology next year.

BMW Sauber will be contesting their 70th and last Grand Prix this weekend and unless one of the other new teams fails to show up on the grid next year it is unlikely the team will carry on under new owners Qadbak.

With the driver market still in a state of flux it is not known how many drivers will be making their last appearance on Sunday. If everything goes to plan, Giancarlo Fisichella will make way for Felipe Massa at Ferrari next year while Kazuki Nakajima and Romain Grosjean both look likely to miss out on a race seat.

Jenson Button and Brawn GP may have clinched both Championships in Brazil but with McLaren and Ferrari battling for third in the Constructors’ and Barrichello and Vettel freed from worrying about the Championship, Sunday’s race should provide plenty of excitement.

To make your predictions in round 17 of the F1 Buzz prediction game (and be in with a chance to win some nice prizes), just leave a comment on this post with your driver predictions for the race in the following format:

Pole:
First:
Second:
Third:
Fastest lap:

Remember, the deadline for entries is start of qualifying on Saturday, that’s 13:00 GMT.

Good luck!

Image: McLaren

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 1 – Australia
2. Prediction game: Round 5 – Spain
3. Prediction game: Round 3 – China

This weekend that needs to change if he wants to keep his Championship hopes alive; Jenson Button goes to Interlagos with a 14 point lead.

There are a few ways Button can seal the Championship on Sunday but if Barrichello can win his home race then the Championship decider will come down to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi (at a new circuit no-one has driven before.)

Sebastian Vettel is theoretically still in the fight and, while he will have his work cut out for him to close the 16 point gap to Button, seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher thinks he could do it:

I think it helps to think of a fact which I was always sticking to during my career: It is not over until it is over; you have to fight until the end.

It looks like Jenson Button will have to try pretty hard to not win the Championship this year but rain is forecast for this weekend and as we saw in 2008 anything can happen when the track is wet.

To make your predictions in round 16 of the F1 Buzz prediction game (and be in with a chance to win some nice prizes), just leave a comment on this post with your driver predictions for the race in the following format:

Pole:
First:
Second:
Third:
Fastest lap:

Remember, the deadline for entries is start of qualifying on Saturday, that’s 16:00 GMT.

Good luck!

Image: Brawn GP

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 10 results
2. Prediction game: Round 15 – Japan
3. Prediction game: Round 10 – Hungary

One of the great circuits of the world, the unique figure-8 track is up there with Spa in the affections of both drivers and fans.

Lewis Hamilton dominated the high downforce Singapore Grand Prix last weekend but McLaren are unlikely to do as well at the higher speed Suzuka circuit.

This weekend will be Lewis Hamilton’s first experience of Suzuka.  He won at Fuji in 2007 but so far has only experienced Suzuka virtually:

It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life to race at Suzuka – so, as you can imagine, I’ll be really excited when practice starts there on Friday morning. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve raced Suzuka on computer games – and while it kind of gives you an idea of how the circuit goes, nothing can beat the real thing.

Despite not having won a race since Turkey in June, Jenson Button still enjoys a 15 point lead over his nearest rival, team mate Rubens Barrichello.  There are now only three races left and in theory Button could seal the title in Japan but in the press conference on Thursday Jenson said he was only thinking of the race:

There are so many possibilities this weekend. There are still three people who can still challenge for the championship. I am one of them, and the most important thing for me to do is work as hard as I can on Friday and Saturday to get the car ready for qualifying and the race and have a good race, the same as all of these guys. I shouldn’t be thinking about anything else.

One possibility this weekend is rain.  So far it looks like it will be wet on Friday and Saturday but probably dry for the race.

To make your predictions in round 15 of the F1 Buzz prediction game (and be in with a chance to win some nice prizes), just leave a comment on this post with your driver predictions for the race in the following format:

Pole:
First:
Second:
Third:
Fastest lap:

Remember, the deadline for entries is start of qualifying on Saturday, that’s 05:00 GMT.

Good luck!

Image:  Toyota

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 16 – Brazil
2. Prediction game: Round 7 – Turkey
3. Prediction game: Round 14 – Singapore

Although we now know the result was fixed I loved last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.  Formula One’s first night race looked fantastic under lights and gave a chance to see things you would normally miss such as the red hot glowing exhaust pipes and the showers of sparks as the cars bottomed out on the bumpy circuit.

There are only four races left and unless something goes very wrong it seems almost certain that Jenson Button will be crowned champion but, despite being 28.5 points behind the leader, Red Bull’s Mark Webber hasn’t given up yet:

We’re hoping for a change in fortune in Singapore – the street circuits haven’t been a happy hunting ground for us so far this year. It’s certainly not going to be a piece of cake, but we’re doing our absolute utmost to get back towards the front again.

One thing we haven’t experienced at night yet is bad weather.  Thunderstorms are always a possibility in that part of the world and it is unclear how drivers’ visibility would be affected in the event of rain.

McLaren will be bringing their final upgrades to Singapore before concentrating on next year’s car and the tight and twisty, high-downforce circuit should suit the MP4-24.  Last year Lewis Hamilton had a Championship to worry about and so had to be a bit conservative.  Now he is just out to win as many races as possible between now and the end of the year:

I remember my race in Singapore last year was all about damage limitation – I was driving with one eye on the world championship and wasn’t going to take too many risks. I was happy to finish on the podium. This year, it’s very different – I know I’m out of the title hunt and I want to attack these last four races, pushing for as many victories as I can.

To make your predictions in round 14 of the F1 Buzz prediction game (and be in with a chance to win some nice prizes), just leave a comment on this post with your driver predictions for the race in the following format:

Pole:
First:
Second:
Third:
Fastest lap:

Remember, the deadline for entries is start of qualifying on Saturday, that’s 14:00 GMT.

Good luck!

Image: Williams

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 15 – Japan
2. Prediction game: Round 16 – Brazil
3. Prediction game: Round 17 – Abu Dhabi

However, the man that delivered all three of those firsts will be driving a Red Car on Sunday.

With Giancarlo Fisichella moving to Ferrari, Force India’s test driver, Tonio Liuzzi, has been promoted to a race seat alongside Adrian Sutil and he is keen to show that he is worth a full time drive.

Speaking to Autosport he said:

This is a good opportunity for me to show what I can do.  It will be really important for me to show a good performance.

But while Force India were strong at Spa, they may find it hard to keep up with the KERS powered McLarens, Ferraris and Renaults (who are refitting the device for Monza.)

Mercedes motor sport boss Norbert Haug thinks the Italian Grand Prix will be the closest race of the year:

Together with Monaco, Monza is the most untypical Formula One track.  But whilst Monaco is a street course with the lowest average speed, Monza is a high-speed circuit at more than 250kph average, whilst the top speed in the dry will probably exceed 350kph this year.  During the forthcoming race we will possibly see the closest field in Formula One history.

The last six races have seen six different drivers on the top step so predicting who is going to take the chequered flag at Monza is not going to be easy but to make your predictions in round 13 of the F1 Buzz prediction game (and be in with a chance to win some nice prizes), just leave a comment on this post with your driver predictions for the race in the following format:

Pole:
First:
Second:
Third:
Fastest lap:

Remember, the deadline for entries is start of qualifying on Saturday, that’s 12:00 GMT.

Good luck!

Image: Ferrari

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 6 – Monaco
2. Prediction game: Round 7 – Turkey
3. Prediction game: Round 17 – Abu Dhabi

Eau Rouge

Probably the best corner on the best circuit on the Formula One calendar. 300km/h, flat out, sweeping left, right, left up the crest into a blind summit.

In the 80′s and 90′s only the most fearless drivers could take Eau Rouge flat out and there was some hope that the reduction in downforce this year would again make it a real challenge to keep the pedal to the floor. The reality is that the increase in mechanical grip from the slick tyres has more than made up for the decrease in aerodynamic grip.

But one thing that cannot be counted on at Spa is a dry race.  Toyota’s chassis chief Pascal Vasselon:

Where Eau Rouge regains its magic is in the rain; to watch a Formula 1 car through there on a wet track is just unbelievable.

The cooler temperatures and fast sweeping nature of the circuit should suit the Red Bulls more than the hot twisty Valencia circuit.  Rubens Barrichello dominated there but Spa will test whether Brawn have solved their problems getting heat into the tyres as Ross Brawn explains:

Although we believe we now have a better understanding of our recent tyre issues, the lower track temperatures at Spa will be the proving ground for this.

Similarly, while the McLarens were strong in Valencia, they are unlikely to be as competitive at Spa but team boss Martin Whitmarsh still thinks points are likely:

Despite making some major improvements to the MP4-24, we go to Spa knowing that the circuit’s high-speed configuration is unlikely to play to our strengths of our car. Having said that, our new technical package makes us confident that we’ll be a strong contender for points as we look to improve on our fourth position in the constructors’ championship. We’ve enjoyed a tremendous record here, winning ten times, and both Lewis and Heikki love this place so I’m looking forward to another exciting race.

To make your predictions in round 12 of the F1 Buzz prediction game (and be in with a chance to win some nice prizes), just leave a comment on this post with your driver predictions for the race in the following format:

Pole:
First:
Second:
Third:
Fastest lap:

Remember, the deadline for entries is start of qualifying on Saturday, that’s 12:00 GMT.

Good luck!

Image: Williams

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 10 – Hungary
2. Prediction game: Round 2 – Malaysia
3. Prediction game: Round 16 – Brazil

Michael had planned to take over from Felipe Massa until the Brazilian was fit to race again but later had to announce that, due to an earlier motorcycling accident, his neck wouldn’t be up to the G-forces of Formula One. Instead, Ferrari’s test driver, Luca Badoer, will drive the other Red Car in Valencia — ten years after his last Formula One Grand Prix.  Needless to say, expectations aren’t too high, even from Badoer himself:

It will effectively be a test session for me, but I will be trying my best to secure a good result.

After successfully converting their one-race ban into a $50,000 fine for sending Fernando Alonso out on three wheels in Hungary, Renault have announced that Romain Grosjean will replace Nelson Piquet Jr for the rest of the season. Grosjean has won two races in GP2 this year but has also been involved in a number of incidents — I was sitting in the grandstand at Tabac in Monaco this year when he launched his car halfway over the barrier a few metres away. It will be interesting to see if he does any better with the R29 than Piquet.

McLaren will be looking to take a second straight victory in Valencia, something which looks perfectly possible now that they seem to have sorted out their aerodynamic problems. McLaren boss, Martin Whitmarsh, believes their KERS now gives them a formidible advantage:

Now there is no doubt that KERS is an advantage. We have potentially a small lap time advantage, we have an overtake or defend advantage and certainly, if we can get near the front of the grid, then we have a launch advantage.

But while McLaren may be challenging for the win, the real competition is between Red Bull and Brawn GP. Will the work Brawn have put in at the factory be enough to recover from their recent poor performances or will Red Bull continue their charge?

To make your predictions in round 11 of the F1 Buzz prediction game (and be in with a chance to win some nice prizes), just leave a comment on this post with your driver predictions for the race in the following format:

Pole:
First:
Second:
Third:
Fastest lap:

Remember, the deadline for entries is start of qualifying on Saturday, that’s 12:00 GMT.

Good luck!

Image: Red Bull Racing

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 17 – Abu Dhabi
2. Prediction game: Round 3 – China
3. Prediction game: Round 1 – Australia

Quite a few people recognised the improvement in the McLarens but only Kathryn and myself predicted a victory by Hamilton.

The Ferraris didn’t feature in anyone’s predictions, but even with only one Red Car in the race the Scuderia still came away from Hungary with 8 points.  That puts Ferrari in third place in the Constructors’ Championship, just 1.5 points ahead of Toyota who didn’t have such a bad weekend with both drivers finishing in the points.

Jenson Button is getting worried:

It is nice leading the championship, but it won’t be the case in the next three or four races if we have the performances like we have had in the last few.

Image: Brawn GP

Related posts:

1. Prediction game: Round 8 – Britain
2. Prediction game: Round 10 – Hungary
3. Prediction game: Round 9 – Germany