A bright new era for Formula 1

Dieter Rencken looks back over the sweeping changes in F1 over the last 12 months, and examines the state of play as the race to prepare for 2010 heats up

With the announcement that the likeable (and extremely able) former McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa will fill BMW Sauber's second cockpit for 2010, the bits and pieces for what will be arguably the most unpredictable Formula 1 season are slowly falling into place. But, with precisely eight weeks remaining before engines are fired up in anger for the first time this year, numerous doubts still surround the state of the sport.

Understandably so, for it was just 12 months ago that the concept of a two-tier $40m budget cap was just a sly thought in the mind of the FIA's then-president Max Mosley, paddock pundits were tipping BMW and Toyota for championship honours, and Jenson Button did not have a seat let alone a hope of a title shot.

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