Rise of the Underdogs (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Rise of the Underdogs

10:39am Saturday 4th April 2009 in

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As I write this, I am watching the Qualifying for tomorrow's Malaysian GP so beware of spoilers if you are not also watching.

The first round (Q1) saw an amazing oversight by Ferrari who went out early, assuming they had done enough - not counting on the surprising pace of some of the former 'slower' teams.

The top 10 of the first round include the phoenix of the F1 world, Brawn GP, BMW Williams, (two British teams!) and Red Bull.

It is a shame that this week's GP is overshadowed, as is much of this sport, by off-track regulations and politics. Last week McLaren's mistake in 'misleading' stewards hangs over Hamilton's head, and Vettel's error with Kubica has resulted in a 10 place penalty from wherever he ends up in qualifying.

It would seem that the top two teams of last season are arguably performing less well this season, following two hard years of championship competition, leaving room for the former back-of-the-grid teams to rise to the top which they are doing in style.

Does this mean a more level playing field? It certainly means a more exciting race. Enjoy - Malaysian GP on Sunday, BBC1 9am. Race starts at 10.