F1 2010 alternate

- A new era dawned on Formula One, with 6 new teams

- This saw the return of Pre-Qualifying, the 6 new teams required to partake in a Thursday session, where 6 drivers would proceed to the weekend whilst the other 6 had to pack their bags and go home early

- This also saw a massive influx of drivers, with 9 rookies at the start of the season.

- Di Resta joined McLaren to replace Kovalinen, who went to the new Prodrive outfit, also Mercedes powered

- Helio Castroneves replaced Rosberg, also going to Prodrive

- Malaysian driver Fauzy patnered Davide Valsecchi at the reborn Lotus team

- Jose Maria Lopez joined the new American team, USF1, patnered by American Danica Patrick

- This would see a greater audience in America, a country where F1 has traditionally struggled on, although the North American races would be cut to 1, an all new "North American Grand Prix" would rotate between the Circuito Rodriguez and Circuit Gilles Villenueve, the latter hosting the 2010 race.

- Jerome D'Ambrosio and Vitaly Petrov joined the Russian team Marussia

- And finally, Lucas Di Grassi found a place at Stefan GP, a Serbian Team using Toyota engines.

- Rule changes would effectivley ban double diffusers a year early, but teams could use last years chassis and retain the double diffuser, if their car had it.

- However, components would be frozen, meaning that, although the teams would have an advantage at the start of the year, they could risk falling behind due to other teams developing their cars.

- Teams which would use last years chassis included Brawn Honda, Williams, Toyota and BMW.

- And at the start of the season, double diffuser cars dominated, taking 7 of the 9 podium spots in the first 3 races.

- Champion Button won the first 2 races and got a podium in the first 4, dominating the opening rounds.

- But as expected, other teams, paticularly Red Bull, powered by Audi for the first time, caught up, and the double diffuser teams could do nothing about it.

- As it turned out, Kubica's Spanish win proved to be the last win of the double diffuser, barring a miracle, as teams would still be allowed double diffusers for 2011.

- Two retirments for Button in Israel and China saw his championship lead slip away

- And it was Alonso who snatched it, his second win in Singapore making him look very hot for the title

- But other teams would catch up to Red Bull as well, McLaren with Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari with Felipe Massa putting pressure on the Austrian team.

- What of Michael Schumacher then, the 7 time champion's first full season since 2006. Well, it was a troubled campaign, marred by collisions in the first few races, but, as it turned out, the German would turn out to be a very valuable asset for the team in red.

- Alonso's teammate Webber, gained two wins in Monaco and Japan, being in contention right till the end.

- This helped Red Bull get their first constructors title, as well as Audi's first.

- However, come Italy, Alonso's challenge looked to be unsalvageable, following a soaking wet race in Belgium and due to a certain Lewis Hamilton

- The British driver, once again excelling in the wet, destroyed the opposition in a crazy race, and, with a second place in Italy, looked very likely to snatch a 2nd championship

- Until, in another twist, the cameras pointed towards Lewis in the gravel trap at turn 1 in Valencia, the Spanish crowd exstatic as their home hero took the win, and somehow ended up in the lead of the championship once more.

- But it wasn't over for the other three, and even Jenson Button, although a dissapointing 10th place in Abu Dhabi brought his challenge to a shuddering halt

- Massa took the win in this important race, Hamilton in second, Alonso a solid P3 and Webber a P5, which setup a 4 way title fight coming into the last race at the new South Korea circuit

- The race had been delayed to late November due to construction difficulties, so cold conditions would challenge the drivers.

- And it was too challenging for both the Red Bull drivers, both title challenges ending up in a wall.

- And now it was time for the sequel of 2008, Hamilton v Massa, Hamilton, needing a familiar P5 to overtake Massa, who was in a comfortable P2, too far away from race leader Kristensen, putting on a senstational display, and far enough away from P3 Senna.

- So it was down to Hamilton, but, he had to overtake the Red Baron himself, Michael Schumacher

- He had done it before accros the pond in Japan, but this time, Michael would make it harder

- A desperate lunge at the final lap ended it for Hamilton, running wide and allowing Michael back through

- So Massa finally got the title he came so close to in 2008, despite only scoring 2 points in the first 4 races, a testament to Ferrari's car development over the second half of the season.

- But for 2011, would new challengers emerge? Audi buying out Force India to make a works team, with 2 wins in the last 4 races, two sensational drivers in Vettel and Kristensen, was this the team to beat next year

- Or perhaps maybe Prodrive, the best of the new teams, even gaining a podium in that soaked Belgian race, would be powered by Ford for the next year.