Any restructure where key staff are moved around gives me cause for concern; Chris Dyer is a man who has won championships many times over and knows what it takes. But that's part of the idiosyncratic and slightly chaotic nature that endears Ferrari to so many. What it needs to do now is transfer that restructuring into progress on the race track.

The red team would have you believe the blue team is faster, while the blue team suggests the red cars are quickest. In truth there's probably little between them, Ferrari losing out by having a weaker driver line-up than Red Bull. Alonso is without doubt one of the finest drivers on the grid, the way he structured the Italian team around him in his debut year was a glowing indication that he can lead a team, but then we already knew that from his days at Renault.

By contrast the Felipe Massa of 2010 wasn't the Felipe Massa of 2009. It's difficult to know if his downturn in form was a result of his horrifying accident in Hungary in 2009, if it was that the 2010 car and tyres that didn't suit him, or if it was the team's reaction to the arrival of Alonso. What is certain is that 2010 was lacklustre and in 2011 the Brazilian will need to improve if he is still to be considered a top level driver. With rumours constantly linking others to his seat throughout last season failure to succeed may result in different coloured overalls for 2012.

In the wake of last year's failure, Chris Dyer effectively woke up to find the head of a prancing horse in his. Failure in 2011 is likely to see others given similar treatment.

2011 expectation: Championship contenders

1: Red Bull

There is no underestimating Adrian Newey. The man has led the development of championship winning cars at three different teams over two decades, and there's no reason to think that over the course of the last 12 months he's lost his knack.

Some sections of the media have suggested the Milton Keynes team is as much as six-tenths of a second clear of the pack already, though how such claims are justified is speculation at this stage. One thing is certain however, they have one of the strongest line ups on the grid with two drivers who know how to win, one of them being the reigning champion.

Common belief is, like McLaren some two decades before who allowed Ferrari to steal the limelight during testing, Red Bull are holding their cards close to their chest. They've been up towards the sharp end during testing, and both drivers appear quietly confident. Red Bull it seems is determined to show that 2010 was no flash in the pan, though better management of the personalities within the team will be a critical factor in making that a reality.

Tension between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, not to mention the tension between Webber and the team, grew as the 2010 season progressed. Talks after Abu Dhabi are supposed to have cleared the air though one cannot help but feel that with a competitive car and two competitive drivers there will be opportunity for conflict to raise its head again.

Morale and motivation will be critical to Webber's season, and something he seems to have struggled with in the latter half of 2010. At the opening test in Valencia the Australian was moping around the paddock, while suggestions continued to indicate he was on his way out the door, probably to be replaced by Robert Kubica. Webber, it seems, will remain in the car for 2011, though his future beyond that is clouded. He's fast approaching the end of his career, 2011 is realistically his last shot at a championship.

Vettel meanwhile confirmed his label as the new 'wunderkind' with his championship. The young German, with more than a decade in the sport ahead of him, is fast becoming the new benchmark in Formula One. His job will be reigning in his youthful exuberance on the track, without losing any of his charismatic individuality off it.

2011 expectation: Championship winners

Mat Coch
mat.coch@pitpass.com

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