On January 16, 2009, McLaren Formula 1 chief Ron Dennis announced he is stepping down and handing the reins to Martin Whitmarsh. The reason given was for Dennis to have more time to focus on product development. In the meantime McLaren unveils the new MP4-24 car on which they pin their hopes for the 2009 season.

Engines will still be supplied by Mercedes Benz. The new car represents the next step forward in KERS technology which enables the car to recover energy under braking, store the energy for a lap and release it when the driver presses a button on the steering wheel. McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton won the drivers championship last year while the team finished a close second to Ferrari for the Constructor’s Championship.

Ferrari has taken the wraps off of its new 2009 Formula 1 entry, the F60. The 60 represents the 60 years of Ferrari participation in Formula One. According to Ferrari, the car began life as a clean sheet of white paper. The car exploits loopholes in Formula 1 rules to gain a small aerodynamic advantage.

Now the big question! Who goes into the Formula 1 season better prepared? As of this writing it appears McLaren may have a slight advantage in chassis development while Ferrari has an edge in power.

Who knows how world economic events might skew the focus of a manufacturer? Might budgetary concerns arise during the season? Honda has already bailed! Mercedes Benz, McLaren’s partner, has deeper pockets than Ferrari/Fiat. But the level of commitment to Formula 1 of Ferrari trumps all of it’s competitors.

Despite the fact that these arch rivals are nearly equal in technology, look for Ferrari to not only run away with the Constructor’s Championship but expect driver Filipe Massa to win the Driver’s Championship as well.

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