The 2008 Formula Renault 3.5 Preview

The first of nine meetings across Europe takes place at Monza this weekend. Adjustable skirts, prevalent in the category in 2005, make a return to the new machine, which has had concerns levelled against it by teams over the quantity of spare parts available. Manufacturer Dallara is expected to accommodate demand should there be any repeat of the carnage in last year's Italian round.

The most dramatic change to the regulations comes with the introduction of a 'Super Pole' qualifying system. The field is set to be split into two groups, each of which will participate in one 20-minute qualifying session. The fastest six from each group will be promoted into the Super Pole session where points are eligible on a four, two, one scale for the pole to third place qualifiers.

In the Saturday race the top eight in the Super Pole will start in reverse order, followed by the four slowest Super Pole drivers and the remainder of the field in qualifying order. For race two the Super Pole drivers will start at the head of the field in normal order, followed by the rest of the field in their classification from race one.

The system will has been postponed until round two at Spa-Francorchamps, after the restraints of the Le Mans Series timetable this weekend was deemed to make the new format impractical. also on hold is a power-boosting bio-fuel, which will not see the light until the second-half of the year.

Mikhail Aleshin should be the most settled driver in the championship, as the Russian prepares to start his third consecutive season with Carlin Motorsport. The new rules dispensing with the race two top-10 reverse grids should also put Aleshin's mind at ease more than most. It was difficult to argue that last year's system was entirely a meritocracy when the driver who led more laps than anyone else finished 12th in the championship, repeatedly caught out by incidents.

Mikhail Aleshin, Carlin

Aleshin was not always an innocent party in his downfall, as several large points hauls were thrown away attempting needless manoeuvres. The 'king' of Friday practice sessions last year was also guilty of fading over the course of a race weekend, yet if all remains well Aleshin is capable of delivering the speed to trounce the opposition.

Promising Canadian Robert Wickens fills the second Carlin seat having jumped in at the behest of backers Red Bull, in place of Michael Ammermueller, at the tail end of '07 and immediately impressing. A former champion in Formula BMW USA, the man from Toronto starts the season race sharp courtesy of his recent A1GP efforts, and signalled warning of his intent by topping the final pre-season test in Barcelona.

Comtec's hunt for a proven speed merchant ended at the door to Marco Bonanomi's residence. Both parties appear to be enjoying a partnership which, although in its infancy, has appeared to gel effortlessly. Bonanomi has posted fastest times in closed season tests in Valencia and Barcelona, and his confidence can only have been boosted further by victory in the GP2 Asia finale with Piquet Sports.

If anyone is in doubt of Marco's potential given just a solitary win in GP2 Asia with a team of such repute, it is worth noting the outfit was staffed by personnel from Italian F3000, and Piquet Sport's engineering guru Felipe Vargas was on hand for just two days of testing during the campaign.

The man from Lecco starts the season on home ground in Monza, but if he is to mount a championship challenge must deliver on the promise achieved by two fastest times in his qualifying group with RC Motorsport last year, rather than succumb to the unforced errors that marred his rookie campaign.

Forming an all-Italian line-up, Pasquale di Sabatino joins Bonanomi at the 2006 champions. Di Sabatino can afford to raise his ambitions, having previously not had the ideal platform to show off his wares.

Echoing the thinking of Comtec, Prema Powerteam has sought out experienced drivers to tackle the development of the new machinery. In the Spanish line-up of Miguel Molina and Alvaro Barba, the Vicenza based outfit are alone in fielding two race winning drivers at this level.

In-house rivalry will be intense as youngster Molina is backed by Barcelona, and Alvaro by the region of Valencia. Molina was the in form man at the end of '07, claiming two wins when with Pons Racing. Chances of a hat-trick of victories, in race meetings, look slim; the Catalan has a grid penalty to be imposed on him in Monza this weekend having causing an incident in race two at Estoril last year.

Alvaro Barba, Prema Powerteam

Barba is five years senior to his teammate, although coincidentally both drivers share the same birthday. Now entering his third spell at this level, Alvaro has relinquished his previous berth at Draco to younger brother, rookie, Marco.

Two other teams are sporting all-Spanish pilots; RC Motosport and the patriotic Sito Pons. Pons has picked Marcos Martinez stepping up (down?) from a disjointed season of Spanish F3 and GP2, in partnership with Spanish F3 champion Maximo Cortes.

Twenty-year-old Cortes is understood to have the patronage of the boss of his former F3 team, TEC Auto, to facilitate the move into Formula Renault 3.5. Spanish observers rate Cortes highly, but testing times suggest he will need time to adjust to the step-up, and a repeat of predecessor Molina's exploits at Pons will be an achievement.

A lack of promotion in Italy has been addressed by the introduction of a new TV package, but it has come too late to have any bearing on the, enforced, withdrawal of Italian minnows GD Racing and Eurointernational, in order to accommodate a reduced grid of 26 cars. Members of GD have found refuge at RC Motorsport, where novice Aleix Alcaraz makes the jump from the midfield of the Formula Renault Eurocup.

Alcaraz, a 17 year-old former Spanish Junior karting champion, is benefiting from the Circuit de Catalunya's investment in youth, but in learning the ropes in such a competitive environment may struggle to make an impact. Instead, RC will be looking to Borja Garcia to stage a repeat of his championship near-miss with the squad in 2006. Neither party's faith in each other will have been too rattled by the brake failure which caused Garcia to crash heavily on the final day of testing in Barcelona.

The Spanish speaking theme continues at the Telmex backed Interwetten, who enjoy the services of last year's Monza reverse grid winner Salvador Duran, and Mexican countryman, International Master graduate Pablo Sanchez.

Kurt Mollekens' burning ambition has resulted in a strengthening of his KTR team, and will be lifted by the continuity in maintaining race winner Guillaume Moreau on their books. Testing has been fraught after gearbox and alternator problems on Moreau's car contributed to wiping out nearly a complete day of running in Barcelona, but a lengthy test on the Thursday prior to Monza should put the Frenchman back in the frame. Russian Daniil Move steps across into KTR's second seat, having jumped into the deep end by signing with Interwetten.com last year despite negligible racing experience.

Guillaume Moreau, KTR

Draco Racing made their driver selection earlier than most, snapping up Marco Barba and former KTR man Bertrand Baguette. The Belgian is backed by a concert promoter from his homeland, and has far more potential than 17th in last year's standings would suggest.

With the Morini family's crack outfit at their customary position towards the top of the winter testing time sheets, Baguette feels wins and a tilt at the championship are realistic goals. Marco Barba lost out to Cortes for last year's Spanish F3 crown, but with Draco may find himself with the tools at his disposal to eclipse his adversary in this year's contest.

At the time of writing Jersey's James Walker was the only confirmed driver at Fortec Motorsport. The former British Formula Ford champion was spurred on when partnered by rapid Dutchman Yelmur Buurman in select races last year, and will be hoping for another quality teammate. Knowledge garnered in three seasons of British F3 should be useful when the series visits Silverstone on June 7-8 and Walker make a repeat of the home success chalked up at Donington last year.

Having parted ways with Red Bull, Epsilon Euskadi has taken the bold step of drafting in two rookies; Brazilian Sud-Am F3 runner-up Mario Romancini and French Formula Renault frontrunner Alex Marsoin. Their bid to become the top newcomer faces a stiff challenge from Charles Pic, godson of former Formula One driver Eric Bernard, who partners Julien Jousse at last year's champions Tech 1 Racing.

There are two new teams (of sort). Ultimate-Signature is a fresh outfit formed by Barry Walsh of British F3 team Ultimate Motorsport, in conjunction with Philippe Sinault's Signature F3 squad. Experienced Brazilian Fabio Carbone heads up the driving strength, having returned form two years' racing in Japan. In the second car, Monegasque domiciled Brazilian Claudio Cantelli makes the ambitious entry from International Formula Master. Ultimate-Signature show no signs of going about their business in half-measures, taking in an additional test at Le Castellet, along with four other teams, on the run down to Monza.

Pippa Mann, P1 Motorsport

Thwarted in their plans to enter GP2 with Carlin in 2007, Roly Vincini's P1 concern spent a year running Cram Competition's World Series by Renault team. P1 are now an independent entry, having bought off some of Cram's equipment as an act of good will. Pippa Mann will be looking to build on the impressive speed that was in evidence in the last two rounds of 2007with Cram, and has shrugged off a shoulder injury which had threatened to stymie her progress.

Finally, Giedo van der Garde is the highest placed returnee from last year's championship, having finished sixth. The former World Karting Champion eschewed GP2 offers to remain in Formula 3.5, and in the five month lay-off from has stepped-up his assault for this year's crown with training sessions at Dr Ceccarelli's Formula Medicine programme in Italy, and keeping his karting hand in with former team CRG Holland.

Perhaps there is no obvious Sebastian Vettel-type candidate on the fast track to F1 this year, but the opportunity remains for someone to grasp their chance and come to the attention of a Grand Prix team. For an example of coming into the big time under the radar, ask Robert Kubica.