2010 Formula One season kicks off with Bahrain Grand Prix [SPOILER ALERT]

AutoBlog: 2010 Formula One season kicks off with Bahrain Grand Prix [SPOILER ALERT]

Formula One Bahrain 2010 And they're off, ladies and gentleman, at the first race of what is undoubtedly one of the most hotly anticipated seasons in Formula One racing history. And it's already living up to its promise.

In the off-season since the culmination of last year's championship, one former Ferrari world champion left the sport, and another returned. One major automaker acquired the reigning championship team, while another two pulled out of the sport entirely. Several new teams joined the grid, and some pivotal new technical regulations were put in place. That's quite a build-up, and it all comes down to this, the first grand prix of the year. Follow the link after the jump to read how it unfolded..

While previous seasons have seen one or two teams start off as the favorite, this year's saw the emergence of several at the front of the grid. In one corner sat Ferrari, the winningest team in all of motorsport, eager to recuperate from a dismal last season and regain its winning form, with two top drivers – a recovered Felipe Massa and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso – taking the wheel.

In another corner sat arch-rival McLaren, which fought a valiant campaign last season and which arrived on the grid this season with a dream team of the two reigning world champions, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Meanwhile the Brawn GP team that eclipsed all others with both titles last season was acquired by Mercedes-Benz, erstwhile and longtime partner of McLaren, bringing Michael Schumacher – the most successful driver in the sport's history – back out of retirement to partner with the rising young talent of Nico Rosberg in an effort to defend its titles.

Those are some formidable adversaries, but even amidst such stiff competition, Red Bull – which has progressed steadily since its formation in 2005 and which posed the only serious threat to the Brawn/Mercedes domination last season – was identified for this season as a force to be reckoned with as young gun Sebastian Vettel and veteran Mark Webber taking the reins.

Read full review here.. http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/14/2010-formula-one-season-kicks-off-with-bahrain-grand-prix-spoil/