Guest blog: F1 new season build-up - what lies ahead in 2015

After the shortest off-season in living memory - just 10 weeks from the final race in Abu Dhabi to the first test in Jerez this Sunday - Formula 1 is ready to start again.

With time so tight to turnaround new cars, no wonder we have been restricted to some "teaser" shots of some of the new cars from Williams and Lotus. This week sees the launch of actual new cars from McLaren, Ferrari, Toro Rosso and Mercedes on Sunday.

There are many interesting storylines to consider this season, lots of changes to look forward to. Over the next couple of days we will consider them and ask you what you are most looking forward to in F1 2015.

To kick us off, here is a guest blog from occasional columnist Ed Gorman, former F1 correspondent for the Times. He watches F1 nowadays as a TV consumer, like many fans on this site, but with the benefit of many years of dealing with the key players and knowing how the behind the scenes intrigues work in this sport. Here is his run down on what he's looking forward to in 2015. Leave your comments below.

Ed Gorman writes: This is a delicious time of year. Just before the first test, so many questions unanswered as yet another year of Formula One theatre unfolds before us (in my case almost entirely on television). So here are a few thoughts on the big questions of 2015 and a comment or two on the sport’s continuing soul-searching about audience decline.

Lewis vs Nico: Part Deux

This is going to be fascinating... at least I hope it is. After last year’s humdinger of a battle between the two Mercedes drivers, it is going to be difficult for them to offer a repeat.

But the team will let them race again and there is no reason why we should not see another season-long struggle for supremacy at the front of the field. I guess my question is whether or not Nico will return with the same hunger. Was last season the peak of his career or merely a taster of more and better things to come? Did the defeat break him or make him?

And for Lewis, the question is more about the desire to do it all over again, to add another world championship to his name and become one of the legends of the sport? I don’t think there is much doubt about his motivation but it’s going to be interesting.

Mercedes vs the others

The change in engine development rules, allowing manufacturers to continue working on certain areas of their engine after the start of the season, offers a chance for Mercedes’ rivals to close the gap a little. But the view in Brackley is basically “we will not be sitting still either.”

Unfortunately – for the wider spectacle – it looks likely that this will be another Mercedes-dominated season, even if matters might be closer than last year. We will see.

Fernando kisses and makes up with Ronald

Having been present on the front line, covering the 2007 season for the Times, I thought I would never see this.

In fact so unlikely was it that the thought of it ever happening never crossed my mind. Fernando’s previous tenure at Woking ended with him leaving seriously disappointed by the team and by Ron. Fernando is a proud man yet he has found enough reasons to sink his serious differences with McLaren to go back. (That is probably more of a commentary on all the alternatives, especially Ferrari, than it is about McLaren).

But Fernando is a complex character and there is unwanted and quite heavy baggage in this new marriage. It will be fascinating to see how things develop when the pressure is on and when results do not go their way. Jenson, one imagines, will be expected by everyone apart from himself to be the support act in this season that he so nearly missed. Is he in a similar role now to Kimi at Ferrari – an experienced former – the stress on former – world champion who can keep the number one honest?

Vettel in red - up for the down slope?

There is a good chance that we may never know whether Sebastian Vettel is past his best. This year’s Ferrari is unlikely to be a championship contender so he will have plenty of excuses for not making the podium on a regular basis.

As I have written here before, my hunch is that the young German superstar may well be on the way down. Once a decline begins with these virtuosi – or prodigies – it is difficult to reverse it. Let’s see what happens but I would not be surprised if he becomes – merely – a top-10 driver. The naysayers will predict a resurgence after the humiliation of being beaten by Daniel Ricciardo but I’m not sure.

Ricciardo is number one

Who could have predicted that Ricciardo would have sent Vettel packing and now occupy the number one berth at Red Bull? An incredible rookie season gives the Australian hot-shot something to live up to this year. The question is whether he will have the car to give him a chance to properly mix it with the Mercedes drivers - Red Bull seem to be saying they doubt it - will it be another season of rounding out the top-three?

Williams are go

They were impressive last year with both Valtteri Bottas and the veteran Brazilian, Felipe Massa, turning in some memorable performances. It was great to see Williams - a sleeping giant of Formula One - back in the mix under Claire Williams after so many years in the doldrums. But they need to push on again this time and let’s hope for their sake that the FW37 is a step in the right direction.

Formula One’s identity crisis

Ron Dennis and Ferrari's Maurizio Arrivabene have been discussing Formula One’s woes of late. There seems to have been a lot of soul-searching going on but little in the way of proposals for decisive change. Here a few thoughts from an interested spectator – someone in the sport’s main target zone (i.e. now watching from the sofa).

Qualifying is boring. The first two sessions are long and tedious and little happens. Most of the time you can skip it and just record the last ten minutes. There’s got to be a more fun and interesting way of ranking the cars hasn’t there?

Races are too long Dare I say this (and that’s part of the problem itself in a business with too many sacred cows) - the races are too long? I would argue that a lot could be gained and not much lost by shortening them a bit. Many races start well – plenty going on – they then get into quite an interesting phase as strategies become clear and drivers fight for position, but then they tend to settle down and the third phase can be relatively dull (note how carefully I am tip-toeing here. Obviously there are plenty of races that do not fit this pattern).

But I don’t mind admitting that long races and tedious qualifying sessions have sent me to sleep. Surely the sport’s traditions and history can be respected while also moving forward in an innovative and exciting way?

For example, how about two races each weekend? A short sprint – 10 laps and then a longer Grand Prix (but shorter than the current length)? Something like that would revolutionise the offer, transform the scoring and shake up the drivers and teams. It would certainly grab my attention.

What do you think of Ed's picks for the things to look out for in 2015? Do you have others you are looking forward to? Let us know in the comments section below

Is the current F1 qualifying format boring?