The 2010 AUTOSPORT gamble

So Fernando Alonso is our favourite for the title, but only just - Lewis Hamilton isn't far behind, although it is 7-5 to the Spaniard on tips for the crown. Sebastian Vettel is a distant third in the total points, but only trails Lewis 5-3 on outright picks.

Not one of us has picked Felipe Massa to finish in the top two of the championship, which says a lot about the anticipation of the Alonso/Hamilton rivalry.

Reigning world champion Jenson Button is only sixth in the pecking order, and Michael Schumacher isn't much better off - only one person puts him in the top two and four don't think he'll be in the top five.

Ferrari is a more clear favourite in the constructors' predictions, which is a compliment to Massa, with 11 of 15 picking the Italians as winners. McLaren was tipped only twice, equal with Red Bull.

Only two didn't have Mercedes as fourth of the so-called big four, and Williams ran out easy winners over Sauber in the race for best of the rest.

Jonathan Noble, group F1 editor (JN)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Michael Schumacher; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Jenson Button

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Sauber

The quality of the field at the front of Formula 1 this year will not get over the fact that some of the big four are going to get their cars very spot on, and the others are not.

The momentum of the winter points to McLaren and Ferrari leading the way on race form - likely to be the key factor rather than having the out-and-out quickest car.

Hamilton and Alonso both look in the zone - but expect the others to be chomping at their heels.

Edd Straw, F1 editor (ES)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Jenson Button; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Michael Schumacher

1. McLaren; 2. Ferrari; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Williams

The prospect of an Alonso/Hamilton title fight is irresistible. Both Ferrari and McLaren will be strong and it's difficult to choose between them, but I'm going to go for an Alonso win... just. I expect both to have a very slight edge over their team-mates who will both hang in there as title contenders to the end of the year.

This leaves Schumacher to take fifth - and a few wins - after a slow-burner of a season as Mercedes takes a while to get on terms. Leaving out the Red Bull drivers was tough, but looking at testing, tyre degradation could be the Achilles' heel of a what is a very quick car with top drivers.

I'm tipping the silver corner to nab the constructors' at the last and take Woking's first since 1998. The reality is, you might as well flip a coin. Red Bull will score enough points to take third ahead of Mercedes, and I can see Williams taking "best of the rest" honours even though race wins will probably be beyond it.

Mark Glendenning, deputy F1 editor (MG)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Felipe Massa; 4. Sebastian Vettel; 5. Mark Webber

1. Ferrari; 2. Red Bull; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Williams

I'll let you in on a secret here - I haven't a clue who's going to come out on top this year. Pre-season predictions are a black art at the best of times, and the disruptions to testing and variability of fuel loads this time around just make it worse.

If McLaren and Ferrari do have the slight advantage that testing seemed to imply, then I'll plump for Hamilton to take his second title but Ferrari's slightly better line-up to secure the constructors' honours.

It's easy to imagine Red Bull again finishing the year as the strongest team, but compromising their season by losing a few early opportunities to reliability problems.

Tony Dodgins, F1 columnist (TD)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Michael Schumacher; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Sebastian Vettel

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Mercedes; 4. Red Bull; 5. Force India

The Ferrari and McLaren long run pace looks good, but you'd worry about Schumacher being just a couple of tenths adrift with his Bahrain update still to come. A reheating of the Alonso/Hamilton rivalry and a couple of incidents could easily let Michael in, even if the Merc pace isn't quite there.

The Vettel/Webber Red Bull combo could make a mockery of these predictions if the team gets a handle on looking after the tyres. Force India has looked promising and has a couple of strong drivers not as inexperienced as some elsewhere.

Dieter Rencken, F1 columnist (DR)

1. Sebastian Vettel; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Michael Schumacher; 4. Lewis Hamilton; 5. Felipe Massa

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Force India

Having been youngest everything - from grand prix participant to winner - bar champion in his brief F1 career, and only this season remaining to plug the gap after placing runner-up in 2009, Vettel will go all out and take it.

Alonso will likely run him close, but only after settling in at Ferrari, with Schumacher and Hamilton not far adrift. Massa's fight will be valiant, but the 2010 grid is absolutely top-drawer.

Red Bull should get its act together earlier than usual, with the bulk of victories being fought out between it and Ferrari. McLaren will lose ground as it adapts to independent status, while the Brawn/Mercedes marriage needs time. Force India is tipped for spoiler role.

Andrew van de Burgt, AUTOSPORT editor (AV)

1. Sebastian Vettel; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Lewis Hamilton; 4 Mark Webber; 5. Michael Schumacher

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Williams

This is probably harder to call than any season I can remember. But I get the feeling that it's going to be Red Bull's year. The progress the team made last year showed it has the resources to develop a good car into a great one, and that's going to be crucial this year.

I think Vettel got a lot of mistakes out of his system last year and I expect him to be a more consistent force this season. But it's going to be tight with Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes winning races regularly.

I think these four will pull clear of the rest with Williams heading the trailing pack - with Hulkenberg the stronger of its drivers by the end of the year.

Simon Strang, AUTOSPORT.com editor (SS)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Michael Schumacher; 3. Lewis Hamilton; 4. Jenson Button; 5. Sebastian Vettel

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Mercedes; 4. Red Bull; 5. Williams

Alonso looks happier and more fired up than I've seen him for a long time, and pound for pound is the most complete driver out there. It's a hard one to call this year, because any one of the perceived top four teams could hit the magic formula. And the midfield pack is not that far back.

Having said that, in my recollection, Schumacher was only once not a genuine contender (2005) in the last 13 years of his active F1 career - I just think he'll find a way to be in the mix.

The McLaren champions will be very close as well and you can't rule out the modern-day Red Bull squad either.

Charles Bradley, AUTOSPORT deputy editor (CB)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Felipe Massa; 4. Michael Schumacher; 5. Sebastian Vettel

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Williams

The reason I think Lewis will win a second world title is that he's going to have a true number two in Jenson Button this year, regardless of what anyone at McLaren says.

At the other teams, only Schumacher is going to be dominant, but I don't believe Mercedes is going to be quick enough from the start of the season to deliver the wins he needs for an eighth title.

I think Massa is going to give Alonso a hard enough time early on that it will rattle him, they'll fall out and Felipe won't help him to win the crown - scuppering his chances at the penultimate round in favour of Brazilian GP victory. Ferrari will have scored enough to win the constructors' title, however.

Pablo Elizalde, AUTOSPORT.com managing editor (PE)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Sebastian Vettel; 3. Lewis Hamilton; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Michael Schumacher

1. Ferrari; 2. Red Bull; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Williams

Although I believe that Ferrari is currently not the quickest team, a fired-up Alonso will make up for that with his talent and consistency, and will emerge on top at the end of the year.

It will be a close battle between him, Vettel and Hamilton, who will show they are in a league apart. Massa will inevitably have to play second fiddle to Alonso, but will still win races, while Schumacher will show he has not lost any skill, but will not have the car to fight for the title.

Matt Beer, AUTOSPORT.com duty editor (MB)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Sebastian Vettel; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Jenson Button

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

It's early season optimism time so let's predict a three-way title fight between the three most exciting talents of the era, with their team-mates close behind (but Webber probably luckless).

This is supposed to be a gamble, so here's a reckless stab in the dark: Schumacher's comeback will be an anti-climax.

It's going to be easier for Alonso to get up to speed alongside Massa at Ferrari than it is for Button to do likewise alongside Hamilton at McLaren, so the Italian squad will triumph. Behind the closely-matched top four, Renault will edge out Williams, Sauber and Force India thanks to Robert Kubica.

Steven English, AUTOSPORT.com news editor (SE)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Felipe Massa; 4. Jenson Button; 5. Sebastian Vettel

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Sauber

Alonso feels like the favourite - and if Ferrari is a match for McLaren it's hard to see anyone stopping him - but F1 is too unpredictable for that. I have a feeling Hamilton will come through in the end, partly because I think Massa will beat Alonso more often than Button will beat him.

Vettel really should be in the fray too, but I'm not confident the Red Bull will match the big two over 19 races. He should put Webber in the shade again, though. And as for the much-hyped Schumacher return, I don't think he'll have the car for it, and I suspect he'll have his hands full just keeping Rosberg behind him.

Reckon Sauber will be best of the rest. Even though I'm not thrilled by the driver line-up, the car looks very good. Expect it to be close between Force India, Williams and Kubica too.

Glenn Freeman, AUTOSPORT news editor (GF)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Felipe Massa; 4. Michael Schumacher; 5. Sebastian Vettel

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Sauber

Ferrari has probably got a bit in reserve and it was keen to avoid setting many timesheet-topping laps at the Barcelona test. Massa should give Alonso a much harder time than many expect, but I think the Spaniard's fire will be re-lit by having a competitive car again and he'll have the edge, while Hamilton will be right in there in what looks to be a very impressive McLaren.

Schumacher and Mercedes could easily trump everyone with that significant Bahrain update package, but I reckon Ferrari and McLaren's relentless development work will keep them in front.

With little to choose between Alonso and Massa, Ferrari should be in a very strong position. McLaren has the last two world champions so will of course be right up there, and I think Red Bull's continuity over the winter with its driver line-up will mean that both do a solid job whenever the car is on form. Sauber will spring a few surprises this season, that car seems so good on long runs that the races should come to the team as others struggle to look after their tyres.

Jamie O'Leary, AUTOSPORT.com writer (JO)

1. Sebastian Vettel; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Michael Schumacher; 5. Jenson Button

1. McLaren; 2. Ferrari; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Sauber

I just don't buy into this theory from testing that the Red Bull is going to kill its tyres over a stint. For a start, there are few tracks in the world that put the kind of demand on rubber as Barcelona. So Vettel is my choice for champion, closely followed by Hamilton.

The Mercedes seems to be about where the Brawn was at the end of 2009, so wins will be hard to come by and Schumacher will probably end up behind Alonso. I'm really looking forward to seeing how these four compare when it rains, though.

Kevin Turner, AUTOSPORT national editor (KT)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Felipe Massa; 4. Sebastian Vettel; 5. Michael Schumacher

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Williams

Despite McLaren's pacesetting during much of testing, Ferrari looks strong. I can't help but feel it is holding something back and the fact that Alonso reckons the F10 is the best car he's driven is ominous. He's also unlikely to make the sort of mistakes, or experience the downturn, that the last two world champions suffered.

I think Button will be better than many expect, but I can't see him matching Hamilton in Lewis's team. The Red Bull looks like it has the odd issue, but Adrian Newey is bound to have found some more performance on last year's pacesetting car, and Vettel is only going to get better.

The Mercedes doesn't look quite good enough at the moment, but it is close. If Schumacher can produce anything like his old magic it would be a surprise to see him outside the top five.

Ben Anderson, AUTOSPORT deputy national editor (BA)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Sebastian Vettel; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Jenson Button

1. Ferrari; 2. McLaren; 3. Red Bull; 4. Mercedes; 5. Williams

A tough call to make these predictions given how close the field is likely to be again this year (1.1s covered the top 16 drivers' best times after last week's Barcelona test).

McLaren and Ferrari produced sheds last season, but clearly haven't repeated that mistake this year. F1's two powerhouse teams also have the financial might to lead the development race so I expect a return to the formbooks of 2007 and 2008.

Alonso is the most complete driver on the grid and will be hard to stop. I expect Hamilton to run him close as the team leader in all but name at McLaren.

Their respective team-mates will lead the way on occasion, but ultimately end up part of the supporting cast, while I expect Vettel will again leave Webber trailing in his wake, but find the going tougher than he did in 09.

Michael Schumacher and Mercedes GP will easily be best of the rest, but then it gets hard. I expect a re-motivated Kubica to magic big points finishes for Renault, while Williams looks to have genuine pace and its best driver line-up since the days of Montoya and Ralf Schumacher.