Race this weekend,

[miasmum]

shall we have a go at predicting the top three finishers?

I have seen very little coverage of testing, so mine is pure gut instinct and my top three are

1. Button
2. Vettel
3. Rosberg

(I chose Rosberg as the 'other' teams always seem to do well at the beginning of the season and then tail off)

[Workingman]

I have never put much faith in testing being an indicator of the season to come, so I'll do a heart selection.

1. Raikkonen
2. Webber
3. Maldonado

I have a gut feeling that the 'other' teams might have a big say in who wins this season.

[miasmum]

How do you mean Frank? I have to admit I have sort of lost touch with F1 during the winter, wheras usually I still try and keep interested

[Workingman]

Shell, testing is for the teams. What others do is interesting, but what the team itself does is more important.

However, this year's testing shows that some of the middle order have caught up, probably because the big changes are for next year - turbo engines. new KERS etc..

The Mercs have gone forward, no doubt about that, but so have Sauber and Williams.

It could be an interesting season.

[cromwell]

In practice McClaren were more than 2 seconds off the pace!
Being innovative they have thrown lots of ideas at the new car but as yet they don't understand it...
Ooops.
My prediction
Vettel
Massa (or Alonso if they pull team orders on him)
Raikkonen

Mercedes are also looking strong. They have run 2 or 3 places higher than last year and seem to be reliable.

[Workingman]

In practice McClaren were more than 2 seconds off the pace!
Being innovative they have thrown lots of ideas at the new car but as yet they don't understand it...
Ooops.

Cromwell, interesting point there about the McLarens. Of all the teams they are the one to have made big design changes - higher suspension unit, lower nose, no vanity boards, redesigned back end/exhaust exits. Most of the teams have evolved last year's cars prior to the big technical changes for 2014.