By Ali Brown

Many of us have been asked to write an article at one time or another. Maybe it's a contribution to the company newsletter. Or a promotional article to gain publicity for ourselves or our companies. Some of us write articles regularly for clients.

No matter why you're writing an article, it's your responsibility to make it be interesting - otherwise no one will read it. (Except you.)

So how can you make your article interesting and engage your reader? It's all about the ANGLE. First pick your topic. For example, let's say your topic is something boring ... "car wax." Now, here's where many people start writing.

Stop! You need an angle! What aspect of car wax do you want to write about? Is there anything new or sexy in the world of car wax that people are interested in? Some ideas: how the new generation of car waxes helps protect your paint job for twice as long, OR, an overview of the best five brands of car wax on the market, OR what the best type of wax is for your particular car. Get it? These are all angles. (By the way, I've never even waxed my car, so please take these ideas with a grain of salt!)

Ready to brainstorm your angles? Here are seven article "formulas" to get you started and get your juices flowing! Some elements of each may overlap with each other, but each formula is truly a distinct animal.

1. The How-To

People love how-to articles! They lead the reader step-by-step through how to reach an objective. They also sometimes offer resources the reader can contact for more information.

What expertise do *you* have to share? Turn that subject into an interesting how-to for readers. Examples: "How to Make Your Employees Stick Around Forever," "How to Find the Best Dress for Your Figure," and "How to Promote Your Business for Free."

2. The List

This is one of the most basic formulas and the easiest to write. Give a short one or two paragraph intro, then launch right into your list. Keep each item to a few sentences max. People love numbers, so number your list and give your total number in the title! Examples: "31 Ways to Organize Your Office," "15 Tips for Pain-Free Feet," "Five Reasons Management Won't Be the Same in 2001"

3. The "Straw Man"

Here you set up a premise and knock it down, showing the benefits of your alternative view or approach. This is ideal to use when you're discussing the drawbacks of a new practice or method that's controversial right now. Here's a great example we often see on the covers of health magazines: "Are High Protein Diets the Key to Fast Weight Loss?" You get all excited, thinking you've discovered an amazing dieting revelation. But the article reveals, point by point, that high protein diets are unsafe for the long term, and that of course the only reliable way to lose weight is through diet and exercise. Oh well! Back to the treadmill....

4. The Mini Case Study

Raise a provocative question and then answer it with three or four real-life examples. Example: For an article titled, "Should You Quit Your Job and Go Freelance?" you could begin with a few stats on how today's workforce is leaving the corporate world in search of solo bliss. Then you could feature a few real cases, each with different outcomes to show all sides of the issue.

5. The Interview

Choose a credible expert to interview for your article. For example, if your topic is the latest trends in banking, you could interview a top banking industry analyst. Present it in either a traditional article format or do a Q&A format.

6. The Trend

Trends aren't just for fashion! Whenever a trend sweeps a certain profession, you'll suddenly see dozens of articles covering the topic. From the latest hairstyle to the latest tax shelter, people want to know all about these trends - their origins, benefits, and drawbacks.

7. The Study Finding

These articles report the results of a study or survey. If you do a bit of research, you can probably dig up a recent study on which you can base your article. Examples: "Blue Chip Companies Cutting Marketing Budgets Across the Board," "Armadillos Now Deemed America's Favorite Pet," and "More 20-Somethings Finding Love Online."

By Dirk Gibson

The end of any season in motorsports is all about the celebrations. The pure glory of victory cannot be understated, particularly in Formula One where so much money is spent and the championship is truly run world wide.

While glory is the name of the game as we look back on the 2008 season, we also have to look at the teams that failed to produce. The usual suspects are included, but a surprise or two might be on hand. Any discussion, however, has to start with the fall of Japan.

There was a time when Honda was considered a major player in Formula One. Teaming with Williams, the combination delivered driver and manufacturer championships. Those days, unfortunately, are long gone. The current Honda team is defined by one word - pathetic. It is a complete and utter disaster. The cars are uncompetitive to the point that getting out of the first round of qualifying is considered a major success for the team. How the mighty have fallen!

There is some hope for 2009. The reason is two fold. First, all the teams are more or less starting from scratch with the 2009 car given the massive rule changes. Second, the team admitted it spent much of 2008 trying to get the new car together for 2009. Given the fact Ross Brawn is now running the show, a lengthy development period should make a huge difference. The master of Ferrari does not like to lose, so Honda should start coming around. If Brawn can't change things, Honda's future in F1 is grim at best.

The misery of Honda makes the mediocrity of Toyota seem less problematic in Japan, but there is no mistaking the fact Toyota continues to disappoint year after year. With the largest budget in Formula One, it begs the question of just what is the team spending money on? The last few years have seen some advances and the cars are typically running in the group of cars from fifth to tenth in each race. After all these years of development, that simply is not enough. The Toyota should be competing for wins, but it flails and flails year after year. Does anyone thing 2009 will be any different?

The Williams team is not so much disappointing as just sad. The cost of Formula One has finally become to much for this ultimate privateer. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Sir Frank Williams and his bunch were bringing in driver and manufacturer championships. Sadly, those days are gone and the team is now an also ran. It appears far more likely that the team will fail completely versus make a comeback in the sport, particularly given the economic downturn around the world.

Now for our big surprise - Ferrari. How could this team be considered disappointing when it won the manufacturer's championship? A quick glance suggests the team is indeed strong, but a closer look shows a lot of potential problems. Remember, this team has transitioned away from the Schumacher days and that team of managers. The question is what has it transitioned to and is it a good thing.

The initial answers are troubling. Ferrari was known throughout the Schumacher era for reliability. That obviously is no longer entirely the case as best exemplified by Massa's engine failure that stole victory from defeat in Hungary. The team was also known for excellent strategy, particularly in changing circumstances like a safety car. In 2008, the strategy of the team was horrible more often than not. This cost both Massa and the team points in both championships. If these two trends continue, Ferrari will be moving back to the middle of the pack of teams just like where it was before Schumacher appeared.

There is one other reason to be concerned about Ferrari - Kimi Raikkonen. Coming off a World Championship, the Iceman had a horrible season. The biggest problem was he seemed indifferent at best. Given the troubles, the team did an odd thing by extending his contract through 2010. The question is why? If the team feels it can motivate Raikkonen, then why didn't it do it in 2008. If it feels it cannot, then why resign him for another two years?

All of this is made odder by the fact that Fernando Alonso clearly wants to race for Ferrari. Why would Ferrari not want him? Yes, McLaren was a messy situation, but Alonso is hardly the first driver to have problems there. Could it be that Ferrari things Massa is a number one driver? He is not. There is no comparison between he and Alonso, and the management should realize as much. The fact that it seems not to is troubling and calls into question whether Ferrari has lost its aim. After all, who could better challenge McLaren than Alonso in a Ferrari? It would make the rivalry even hotter and more exciting.

Every year has positive and negative developments. The 2008 season was no different. Can any of these teams turn it around in 2009? I am a believer in Ross Brawn, so I'll put a hand over my eyes and mumble "Honda", but don't hold me to it. The real question will be whether Ferrari heads back to the mountain top or continues to decline.

By Ian Pennington

Biodiesel is one of the latest alternative fuels that are used in different parts of the world. This alternative fuel is such a craze in alternative fuel technology not only because it burns cleaner and renewable, but also because of the very simple biodiesel formula that makes it cheaper and easier to make. With the use of proper equipments, making biodiesel fuel does not need any services of the scientists and experts.

Making biodiesel fuel just involves the separation of the vegetable oil. The separation is done chemically through the process called transesterification. This process separates the pure oil and the by product known as glycerin. The process uses lye and alcohol that are mixed with the oil using the biodiesel formula. The formula needs a ratio of 3% lye and 22% alcohol to mix with 75% oil. This very simple process can be done at home. There is no life-threatening chemical reaction in the process. The only thing that you must be careful of is the handling of the hot oil or lye that can burn your skin. Aside from the fine-lye, you can also use other caustic agents such as methanol and sodium hydroxide.

The home-made biodiesel can be used directly on any diesel powered cars. There is no need for some modifications on the car's engine and other components. The biodiesel works like a real diesel only that it uses natural oils from vegetables and other sources such as used cooking oils. Making biodiesel at home is a long time-consuming process that will take much of your time in filtering the used cooking. The biodiesel formula that you use at home is the same formula that is used by the large fuel companies that make biodiesel. The only difference is that they are producing it in large quantities and they are using machineries and top of the line equipments for mass production.

Biodiesel formula is only given to those who want to try making biodiesel at home. You can use the formula if you want to have some experiments. Of course you are not planning to consume all the vegetables in your home or turn your home into a biodiesel plant. This formula can be modified to give a better performing fuel. If you have discovered a new formula that works better than the others, then you can sell it to some bigger companies for mass production and packaging. The company will test your own formula for biodiesel and if found effective you can sell it. Maybe they can give you a credit on their product by having your name on it or not depending on your settlements with the company.

By Lyle Tarman

Formula One racing began in Europe in the late 1890's. It has long since become a favorite sport across the world. Many countries including Japan, Australia, and Canada all participate in this favorite pastime. The United States is not considered to have a large fan base for this sport though the popularity is rising among the states.

Formula one is considered the highest class of open wheeled racing. The term "Formula" is in reference to the set of regulations that is placed on the participants and the cars conformity. The series of races that help determine the championships are called Grand Prix. They are usually held on circuits intentionally built for the kind of specific racing though in some cases the races are performed on street circuits. One of the most famous street races is the Monaco Grand Prix held in Monte Carlo. The results of all the races are combined to determine two annual World Championships. One is held for the drivers and the other is for the constructors.

Formula One racing has seen many changes over the years. This is to create better racing results along with better safety standards for the drivers. The cars performance is very dependent on aerodynamics, tires, suspension, and electronics. These cars can travel at speeds of 360km/h equivalent to 225mph.

Europe has long been the center for this sport. Over half of the races take place there and most teams are located there as well. Many of the Driver's Champions have been from the United Kingdom as well as many of the Constructors Champions. Though this sport is more popular in Europe races takes place all over the world. Since the fan base is spreading to all parts of the world, about half of all future races have been scheduled outside of Europe. Many races scheduled for the Americas have been dropped and moved to places such as China, Turkey, and, Singapore. One of the first night races is scheduled to take place in Singapore this year. India will be added to the racing list in the year 2010.

The sport has millions of fans watching worldwide for every race. This is the world's most expensive sport and it has a significant effect on the economy. This being the case high investments by sponsors allow for the constructors to work with a very large budget. Formula One is a large merchandising environment, additionally high profile companies and individuals are often offered corporate hospitality packages by the organizers that can cost upwards of ten's of thousands of dollars.

By Jim Dudra

There has been a lot of buzz circulating around lately for waterless car wash products. If you’re not familiar with how they work, let me first explain. Essentially you spray a small panel of your car with a waterless car wash formula, let it sit for a few seconds, and wipe off with a microfiber towel. When I first heard about these products a cheesy infomercial popped into my head. But, in reality I was pleasantly surprised at their effectiveness.

Each waterless formula is unique in regards to its ingredients. The main “active” ingredient is the one which will help to actually clean your car. There are two schools of thought on this as to what type of active ingredient works best.

Some of these waterless products rely on petroleum, silicone, or other type of hydrocarbon to clean the car. When I look at these products, I don’t see much difference between them and a “quick detailer” you could buy at your local auto store. Why? It has been proven these chemicals are a hazard to our health and the environment. If you’re unsure about which products to buy, simply ask the manufacturer for a Material Safety Data Sheet and check it out for yourself.

The second school of thought is to use organic plant-based agents to clean the car. The ones on the market today are non-toxic, biodegradable, and petroleum-free. In actuality I have found little difference between the two types of cleaning agents when looking at lightly – to moderately dirty cars.

The last difference amongst waterless formulas is that some contain carnauba wax. While people may find a one-step product appealing (wash and wax at the same time) I feel that the two should be separate from one another. A high-grade wax applied after a waterless wash will last much longer than a one-step.

Here is the science behind how the whole process works. When sprayed onto a car panel, the soaps, surfactants, and lubrication agents break down dirt particles, the polymers wrap around the particles and bond to the dirt. A microfiber towel is used because of high absorbency and softness, which helps to scoop up these dirt particles. A second microfiber towel is used to help polish any remaining formula.

Compared to traditional bucket and soap washing, the waterless car wash takes significantly less effort and time. I’ve found that average cleaning times (including setup) are about half that of traditional methods. Plus, you no longer have to worry about your waste-water flowing into our waterways untreated.

In all, I would definitely recommend at least trying these waterless products first, and seeing which ones you like best. One of my favorites is:

By Mark Flanighan

It's hard to believe that Renault, the current constructors champion in F1, is or was considering leaving the sport at the end of 2007. The current drivers champion Alonso, has already confirmed a move to Maclaren for 2007, and you can't help feel it is partly to do with the uncertain future of the team.

It must be frustrating to the teams who are formula one through and through and who would never leave the sport unless forced to, then to see a team throw it all away.
However there are now rumbles that team may last into and past 2008. Of course it's a money thing, what value does racing a formula one car, racing around a racetrack give to the manufacturers of cars?

The excuses are that the costs of Formula one are so high now that even a championship winning team does not bring a sufficient return back to the corporate business, especially at a time when car prices are at there lowest in real terms and car manufacturers are feeling the pinch.

What might save the day is the FIA's genuine attempt to reduce costs for all the teams. We have already seen actions in place with the one engine per two-race rule and limited amount of tyres to be used over a race weekend. The question seems to be, what can be done to further reduce costs without spoiling it for the spectators.
It seems quite absurd that measures would take place to slow the cars down, but many of the recent regulations have been done, to do just that. Smaller wings, narrower tyres, V10 engines now down to V8s that have 200 horse power less. Ironically 200 horse power less, has resulted in only fractions of a second time differences from the larger engines raced last season.

But again this has all helped to reduce costs, give the smaller teams a chance to compete and with tobacco advertising no longer in abundance, a life line to survive.

There is another morale issue here and that is the French public themselves. They maybe could understand a poor performing team, slipping out of F1 but a winning one? Renault is a national company part of the French culture and reputation, every time Renault win it brings pride to their country just as Alonso to Spain.

Any decisions will be made in June, when they will measure their success this season and have a clear idea if further cost cutting regulations will make the team cost effective. Alain Dassas has commented that if they can make the savings then they will commit. It's a shame that the Formula One experience has to be based around money, although what sport isn't nowadays. I personally look forward to Renault staying in F1 and showing us how good they are.

By Mesut Felat Ozsoy

The Overtaking Working Group (OWG) made a very detailed study about how to increase the overtaking in Formula one and has came up with some set of modifications to the regulations and FIA used these modifications as a base of their 2009 rule changes. As you can imagine most of the changes are in the aerodynamic area which enables cars can easily follow the car in the front and have a chance to make a move if it's faster than the one in the front. As a result many rule changes are applied for 2009 season and both the appearance and the performance of the cars have changed radically according to the F1 cars before.

Fundamental differences are; wider and lower front wings, higher and narrower rear wings, lower and simple diffusers, slick tires, and KERS. Also the drivers are now allowed to change the front wing setting from their steering wheels and all the winglets on the cars are now banned. So Let's look over the changes in detail if you want;

Front wings: The aim of changing the characteristic of front wing is to enable a car to follow the car in the front more easily. The car is now less effected by the air flow which is generated from the car in the front. Also the driver is now allowed to change the front wing settings twice during a lap. This will help the driver to be able to change the setting without waiting for a pit stop, if he feels the setting is wrong for the track conditions at that time. Also it will help to reduce the drag effect when following a car if he reduces the setting in the straights. But as a result of this change, the front wing is now too wide and it's almost impossible for the driver to see all the front wing from the cockpit. This may cause many front wings related crash's especially in the opening stages of the season as some of the drivers have already mentioned it.

Rear wing and Diffuser: The rear wing is now smaller and higher. This will cause a dramatic decrease in the downforce that rear wing produces. Also the diffusers are now lower and simpler than its predecessors. Because of the changes in the rear of the car, the downforce level at the back of the car is very limited now and this leads the teams to find different solutions. Since most of the teams were able to produce more downforce than they expected in the front of the car, the stability at the rear has became a big problem. It's believed that Ferrari and McLaren have moved their cockpits to the front in order to move the weight distribution closer to the front.

Unlike the other teams Toyota, Williams and Brawn GP produced very different diffusers with evaluating the gray areas in the regulations. Since diffuser is the most important part in producing the downforce, a little difference in the diffuser may cause a bigger difference in the vehicle's performance. Therefore, teams like Ferrari and Renault are likely to protest these teams in the first race of the season. Although these teams are stated that their diffuser designs are completely legal, it's believed that the other teams are most probably waiting FIA's decision to start copying. In addition, it's known that some teams cannot easily adapt these changes because of their car's rear design concept. It's also believed that some teams have already made modifications to their diffuser designs and waiting for FIA's final decision.

The grooved tires were introduced by FIA in 1998 to slow down the cars, but finally FIA changed it's mind and introduced the slick tires, which is the favorite of almost every F1 driver. The only contact of the cars with the surface is their tires and just because of this, the most important part in car's overall grip is its tires. It's believed 50% of the downforce is already lost because of the new aerodynamic restrictions. But some of this performance loss can be recovered through the slick tires. Slick tires offer 18% more surface contact than the grooved tires and this will improve the overall grip. Slick tires, especially in a slow turn provides better grip and hold the car to the surface better. But in the long and fast turns the car becomes slower because of the reduced aerodynamics. As a result, it's expected the teams will reach last year's lap times. In fact they have already improved their fastest lap times at test circuits during the winter season. Another major problem is, the slick tires provide better grip on the front and this causes a huge rear tire wear.

KERS(Kinetic energy recovery system): This system is the most recent and most discussed technology in Formula1 so far. KERS basically recovers the energy generated during braking and uses this energy as an additional horsepower to the engine. The energy recovered from braking is stored on the charge batteries which are mostly located under the fuel tank and transmits this energy to the engine when the driver press the KERS button on the steering wheel. This will provide an additional 80 horsepower for 6.5 seconds. Although the working principle is simple, the system is quite complex by itself and many manufacturers had a very hard time during their development phase of this system. Almost every manufacturer have exceeded their budget set for the production of KERS.

Some teams are already reported that they are not going use the system at the beginning of the season. Some of them are believed to use the system in the middle of the season. Although Ferrari has some difficulties during the development phase, they are now one of the few teams that currently uses the system successfully. The biggest concern over the KERS is definitely safety. Teams made big improvements in this area but it's still not clear whether the teams will face any safety problems during the races. Toyota, Williams, Brawn GP, Force India and Torro Rosso will not use the system at the beginning of the season and BMW is still undecided about their debuts in the first race. So Australia may probably unfold some of the early surprises.

KERS is believed to provide a 0,2-0,5 seconds gain per lap depending on the characteristic of the track. Some of the drivers who already tested the system are very impressed from the extra power provided by the system and they are very curious about how it will work in the races. The system has also some disadvantages. KERS is affecting the weight distribution very badly. Since this system will bring extra weight about 50 kg or more the amount of the ballast that teams are using to balance the car will be very limited especially for the heavier drivers. As a result the heavy drivers will be in a very disadvantaged circumstance because there will be even less ballast to balance the car. Therefore, many drivers tried to lost weight during the season break. Massa and Heidfeld are the lightest drivers, whereas Kubica and Webber are the heaviest ones. BMW already stated that they will decide using KERS on a driver by driver and circuit by circuit basis. The cars that will not use KERS will be in an advantageous state in regard to the ones, that uses KERS, because they will have more freedom to use the ballast in order to balance the car. But they will be in a disadvantageous state especially in the long straights with the other cars using their extra power which is brought by KERS.

Another purpose of these new regulations is to give all the teams a chance for a fresh start to their designs since everyone has to start from a white paper. And obviously it seems like it worked, as we see from the last tests that BRAWN GP was dominating the sessions. Until the last tests Ferrari, BMW and Toyota cars seem to be very competitive, but at the last test Brawn GP showed a wonderful performance which other teams are all set to review their performance closely. Renault and Redbull teams are also seem like they did a good job. But the biggest disappointment is definitely the performance drop of the McLAren team. It's not expected that a Ferrari-McLaren competition will happen this year, at least until the European season gets started.

By Peri Witny

The first race of the season doesn't begin until March but with the implementation of the new rules, which was designed to decrease a team's operational costs as evidenced by Honda's recent decision to put its team up for sale due to the prevailing ills in the economy worldwide, it is estimated that the teams shall be saving a lot of money.

These rules were agreed upon by Federation International Automobile chairperson Max Mosely and the rest of the team representatives during a meeting in December of 2008. I didn't pay attention to what these changes are the first time it was talked about. But after seeing all the cars for this season, it made me browse through the net in search of these new rules. I also noticed that some races were scrapped and others were included.

So below are the changes viewers will notice once Formula One race season starts on March 27.

- Though there are still 17 races in the calendar, the Canadian and French Grand Prix have been dropped. Abu Dhabi is the new race venue.

- Force India shall be using Mercedes engines in their cars this season. The team used Ferrari engines before. But they signed a technical partnership agreement with McLaren Mercedes hence the transfer.

- Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren's chief operating officer replaces Ron Dennis as McLaren Formula 1 racing team's top guy. The two men have been working as a tandem even before Dennis decided to quit McLaren to preside over other projects of the McLaren Group. Dennis will still be watching the races but not as often as before.

- Sebastian Vettel, the Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari driver who won the race at Monza has switched teams and joined Red Bull Racing as a replacement for the now retired David Coulthard.

- The biggest change that the organizers is enforcing is the rule of eliminating all areodynamic features of the car's bodywork and wings. The cars also have a wider front wing and a narrower and higher rear wing. The purpose is to give the driver more chances to overtake during a race by increasing mechanical grip while decreasing downforce created by the leading car's aerodynamics.

- Slick tires make its comeback with groove tires replaced.

- KERS or Kinetic Energy Recovery System may be used optionally in the cars for this season. What a KERS unit does is it stores kinetic energy produced by the heat given off during braking and stores it. The driver can then use the stored energy with a flick of a switch to give the car extra power. The rules though limit the unit to releasing a maximum of 80 horsepower for seven seconds each lap. It should not add up the rpm, which is at 18,000 but may provide the driver the added power when trying to pass a driver or when defending one's position.

- Other rule changes include the ban on testing during the season. All in-season testing shall be performed during the open Friday practice sessions on race day weekends.

- Drivers must use the same engines for three consecutive race weekends, with each driver in a team having eight. To improve an engine's durability, rev limit were reduced to 18,000 from the previous 19,000.

With these changes, each driver is in a level playing field, with their championship hopes resting on the fact that all of the teams have to adjust and adjust fast to these new rules.

By Dirk Gibson

The world of racing goes through ebbs and flows in all types of areas. The two major championships in the world, NASCAR and Formula One, have recently made changes to their standard car specifications that are simply horrific from an appearance point of view.

Growing up, I always thought of race cars as the most dynamic cars. They were either sleek and fast or mean and fast. Who can forget the Dodge Chargers of the 70s in NASCAR or the sleek Lotus six wheeler of F1? The designs were almost always pushing the barriers of the rules in the sport and, it sometimes seemed, space as well.

Over the last few years, we've seen arguably the end of the beautiful car in both NASCAR and F1. Why? Well, the governing bodies for both sports argue for safety and cost effectiveness. This is probably true, but there is no disputing the cars are simply ugly.

In NASCAR, we have the standardize Car of Tomorrow that looks like it was designed by someone who really likes slot cars. Stunted air damn in the front, fat in width and capped off by a cheesy wing in the back, few find the car attractive and it really takes away from the sport. While the car may be safer, it certainly hasn't done anything for the racing. Just look at the championship. Hendrick and Roush cars through and through. So much for the idea of giving the smaller teams a better opportunity to win.

In some ways, NASCAR can be forgiven for the Car of Tomorrow given the cost of racing and the imminent failure or bailout of GM, Ford and Chrysler. But what about Formula One? These teams throw money around like it is toilet paper. Toyota is estimated to have a budget between $400 and $600 million dollars a year for 18 races. Given such budgets, it is little surprise the F1 is the area where massive amounts of technological development happens. At least it was.

Formula One is also trying to cut costs. Part and parcel to this plan is to ban most of the aerodynamics that make the cars such demons going around corners. The stated purpose it to slow down the cars, cut costs and make it easier to pass. The new cars are not out yet, but photos from testing reveal a car that is pug ugly and that it is an insult to pugs. The front wing is nearly wider than the car while the rear wing is so narrow it looks like it should be on a smaller car. Not only is the car ugly, the first reports indicate passing is no easier because of aerodynamic issues.

The end result of all this is that we have two championships that now have cars that are neither sleek nor fierce. These cars were not hit by the ugly stick. The entire tree fell on them. Is a nice car design really too much to ask for? Sheesh.

By Dirk Gibson

With the conclusion of the nail biting Brazilian Grand Prix, the 2008 Formula One Season has come to an end. For the second season in a row, it was an absolute cliff hanger.

The Championships were a mixed bag between the two heated rivals in the sport. McLaren has taken the Driver's Championship through Lewis Hamilton by one point over Felipe Massa of Ferrari. In a flip of sorts, Ferrari prevailed in the Constructor's Championship over McLaren by 21 points. From the expressions of team members, it was clear the Driver's Championship was the big prize.

Both championships were up for grabs going into the final race, which made for exciting racing. The Driver's Championship was considered the more competitive contest and it proved as much as Lewis Hamilton staggered home in 5th to win the title by one point. He will find particular joy in such a narrow win given the fact he lost the 2007 title by one point.

The Constructor's Championship went to Ferrari by a wide margin, primarily due to the serious shortcomings of Heikki Kovalainen, the second driver for McLaren, who failed to not only out point either Ferrari driver, but either BMW driver as well. It has been announced that Kovalainen will return to McLaren next year, but one has to wonder if that decision will be given a second look because he is a definite weak link.

The Return of the King Award clearly goes to Fernando Alonso. Having done serious damage to his reputation given the McLaren fiasco, the little Spaniard re-established his driving reputation by developing a weak Renault car into a competitive car that he not only took to the podium, but won twice with even though the car was clearly weaker than McLaren and Ferrari.

The Future Is Here Driver award goes to Sebastian Vettel. Here is all you need to know. He drives for Toro Rosso. Before being renamed, it was better known as Minardi. Minardi was one of the worst cars in the history of Formula One, always finishing dead last in nearly every race. Notwithstanding all this, Sebastian Vettel gave the big boys a run for their money and even won the Italian Grand Prix at historic Monza. It is only a matter of time before a top team snaps him up and he begins winning championships.

The Woeful Driver of the Year Award is awarded to a clear winner again - Kimi Raikkonen. After winning the Driver's Championship in dramatic fashion in 2007, Kimi was pathetic. His lack of apparent interest was so obvious that many thought he would retire at the end of this season. A contract extension has been announced by Ferrari, but you really have to wonder if something will happen in the offseason. Kimi should be ashamed for disgracing the title of Champion. Yes, he was that bad.

The Worst Team of the Year Awards was uncompetitive, just like the "winner." Honda is our champion and the home office in Japan must wonder why it is spending millions a year on a car that can barely beat fans driving to the races, much less other F1 cars. The cars were consistently slow and twitchy. The team is so bad that despite trying to lure Fernando Alonso with truck loads of money, he has apparently begged off. There is some hope with Ross Brawn, formerly of Ferrari, now running the operation, but one cannot imagine the team being seriously competitive for at least two to three more years.

The Big Four? Formula One has long been dominated by McLaren and Ferrari. Starting in 2009, the big two may become the big four. BMW made major advances this year and won its first race at Canada. The Fernando Alonso and Renault combination was also looking very feisty by the end of the year. With an offseason of development, both could become serious contenders and make the 2009 season even more chaotic.