The Great Big F1 Preview: Can Hamilton 'Bat' Away the Competition?

When I first got into a kart at the age of 7, my father told me something that has resided with me to this day: Lad, remember, you're all just a bunch of kids pedalling the same piece of junk. Pedal fastest, and you'll win.

He was right, of course. And now, as we approach the start of the 2009 F1 season, those words come flooding back to me—a harsh word shower bathed in truth and lathered in to-the-point-ness.

The cars this year are going to be a lot closer, my inside sources say. I don't want to get too technical, but it's all because of the rule changes. Now that the rules have changed, cars can be built by designers to fit these rules. This is where it gets complicated.

Suffice to say, they'll remind me, as I'm sure they will you, of a bunch of kids pedalling the same pieces of junk. But you can substitute kids for fully-grown car-drivers with Super Licences.

And pieces of junk? Please. They spend lots of money on flux capacitors and radio control these days.

So, will it be Lewis? I don't rule it out, you know. What a champion. So young and so many race wins already. Is it for certain? Of course, nothing is for certain, apart from that he'll give it his all.

You can never write off the Ferraris, though, can you? What a proud history they have. Felipe Massa nearly won it last year—and then there's Kimi Raikkonen, and he did win it in 2007. That's why those two will be amongst my favourites.

If you're talking about former champions, though, then you have to talk about Fernando Alonso—because he won it. Not last year, not the year before that, but the year before that. And the year before that?

Fernando again. He's proven himself to be great at driving a car fast, and I can't wait to see him drive a car fast this year - and I expect to see him up there challenging for the title in his Renault.

If you believe the talk, though, the Brawn GP team have a fast car, and wouldn't it be great for Britain if Jenson Button could deliver some race wins?

I'll not say too much just yet, but he'd be a dark horse for the title this year, as would his teammate, the evergreen and often fleshy-toned Rubens Barrichello. Brawn GP look ready, and their car is legal, apparently, just like the Toyota and Williams.

Punditry can be a tricky business, but I'll not say anything against those two cars, and the four drivers who'll drive those cars around tracks as fast as they can. If Jarno Trulli delivers Italy the World Championship, or Timo Glock, Nico Rosberg, or Nick Heidfeld, don't say I didn't tell you they would do it.

One thing is for certain - it's going to be a season of Formula One in lots of countries across the world, and I can't wait. And if you need a tip for Australia—wow—what a tough call—I'll say that he'll be driving a car, which narrows it down from around six billion humans to a mere 20.

No matter how much Max and Bernie tinker with the engines of those cars, a man at a brisk run will never be able to keep up. Especially if it's for two hours.

Gene will be commentating on the Australian GP in Sydney for ITV Sports, and has a crumpled piece of paper to prove it.