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BAHRAIN'S young pretender Hamad Al Fardan is backing Ferrari hero and former McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen to follow up his stunning first Formula One title success with victory again this year.
The eyes of the motoring world are on Hamad - who has registered 19 podiums in the three race series he has competed in over the past 12 months - as he motors towards his ambition of becoming the Middle East's first F1 driver.
He is currently learning his craft in the Asian Formula Three Series until April which offers the series champion a dream opportunity to test drive with Formula One team Force India.
And Hamad, 20, is as much a race fan as he is a driver and cannot wait for the new F1 season to start. He said: "I think it's going to be a close thing and we don't know what Renault will be offering with Alonso. But I think Kimi Raikkonen will put on a great show and will win a lot of praise.
"If I had to pick one then I would have to say Kimi. It's all about experience and after winning last year he will come back strong and confident."
Raikkonen - with Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa who took the Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One race last year - stepped into the shoes of retired seven-time champion Michael Schumacher and won more races than anyone else.
Those who suspected Ferrari and F1 would go into decline following the departure of Schumacher were wrong.
Lewis Hamilton, the first mixed race Formula One driver, made sure Schumacher was not missed. The British youngster opened his career with an unprecedented rookie performance of nine podiums in a row and four wins.
Like Tiger Woods in golf before him, Hamilton showed a composure and maturity that made his talent the talking point rather than his ethnicity.
He led the championship from the third race to the last, his success reflected in his relationship with Alonso - who also had some electrifying races - becoming increasingly tense.
Never before in 58 years of the championship had a driver come as close as Hamilton did to winning the title at the first attempt. He still beat Alonso overall, despite finishing level on points.
The bad blood between the Spaniard and his team became another major talking point, with the two sides barely speaking to each other.
In a championship last year that was as thrilling and competitive on the track as it was bad-tempered and scandal-ridden off it, McLaren attracted controversy just as easily as their 22-year-old stepped into the limelight.
Spying revelations, a record $100-million fine, in-fighting, feuds, points deductions and appeals meant the Mercedes-powered team were in the thick of it from start to finish.
They could have won everything. Instead, they went from one drama to another and a great team with one of the proudest records in the sport ended up beaten, humiliated and forced into an abject apology.
While Ferrari celebrated Kimi's first title, McLaren parted company with double world champion Alonso who headed back to a future with his first love Renault.
Nobody outside McLaren and Ferrari stood on top of the podium, with former champions Renault falling back down the pecking order while BMW Sauber emerged as a third force with Germany's Nick Heidfeld and Poland's Robert Kubica.
Needless to say the first month of 2008 already looks set to be a busy one as the teams gear up for the opening round of the new season in Australia. Already several have confirmed plans to launch their new cars in January.
Toyota kick off proceedings on January 10, when the wraps come off the TF108 in Cologne, Germany. Munich in Germany is the venue for BMW Sauber's launch on January 14, while Honda also stays close to home, with plans to reveal the RA108 in Brackley on January 29. And Renault has chosen French capital Paris as the backdrop for their new car's official unveiling on January 31.
There will also be plenty of testing activity following the mid-winter break, with most teams expected to track debut their 2007 machines in mid to late January.
Hamad added: "Hamilton is also looking great for this year too and do not forget Massa. I think this year F1 is going to be better and more exciting than the last and for sure Ferrari will be strong."
As for his personal dream, GulfWeekly put the young Bahraini ace on the spot - if you could drive one of the F1 cars which would it be?
He said: "My favourite car and the one that I would love to drive is the McLaren because of the feel of it. The car is so beautiful.
"It is so consistent and 30 per cent owned by Bahrain so it's a pride and national thing in the end."
