By Dirk Gibson

The 2009 season in Formula One has been nothing less than stunning. The reason? The days of domination by McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari appear to be over. Or are they? The FIA will decide that very issue on April 14 when it takes on and rules on the diffuser issue.

The 2009 Formula One season has been revolutionary because of massive rule changes made to contain costs. Faced with a major economic downturn, the FIA sought to pass rules and regulations that would keep costs to a minimum. This, of course, basically returned all of the teams to the same starting point when it came to car design. While Ferrari and McLaren concentrated their resources on winning the 2008 season constructor and drivers championships, less competitive teams had the opportunity to start working on the 2009 regulations early.

Honda is the classic example of this situation. The team began working on the 2009 car at the outset of 2008. It was a case of their 2008 car being so horribly bad that there was really no reason to spend even a dollar trying to make it any better. This effectively gave the team a one-year head start over teams like Ferrari and McLaren. It also gave the team extra time to consider the finer points of the rules, loopholes in those rules, and how they could be used to their advantage.

After two races in the 2009 championship, we can see how this early development period is playing out. The normally competitive Ferrari and McLaren teams are riding around at the back of the pack. The Honda team, now called Brawn GP, is not only finally competitive but actually is completely dominant. In addition to Brawn GP, we see teams like Toyota and Williams also being much more competitive than they normally would be.

One area that is being highlighted as a cause for the difference between the teams is the diffuser found at the bottom rear end of the car. Brawn, Toyota and Williams all have very unique designs when it comes to the diffuser at the back of the car. Many of the larger teams feel that these unique designs violate the spirit of the rules on diffuser design. What is entirely clear is that the diffusers definitely make the three cars much faster. The FIA will make a ruling on April 14th in regard to the legality of the new diffuser designs.

The FIA ruling on the diffuser issue is going to be a major turning point in the 2009 season. If the FIA decides the diffusers are legal, then it seems as though Ferrari and McLaren will have no chance of making a comeback in 2009. They will simply be too far behind. Even if they attempt to design their own unique diffusers, they will be so far behind in points that equaling the competitiveness of Brawn will make no difference. On the other hand, if the FIA rules the diffusers are illegal, then we have complete and total chaos. If Brawn, Toyota and Williams must go to a more traditional diffuser design, it would appear that the leading team in the pack is not Ferrari or McLaren, but Red Bull.

The 2009 Formula One season has been given credit for revitalizing the sport. If the FIA rules the diffusers in question are legal on April 14, the revitalization will continue. If not, it could be a big setback for the sport. All and all, I believe it is better to let the smaller teams be allowed to be creative with the dollars they have rather than just have another season with Ferrari and McLaren dominating the proceedings. Hopefully the FIA will agree.

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.