Half the teams going for gold next season?

Assuming ten teams on the grid next season, who will be going for gold, and who will be content to race in the middle of the grid?

Well, with BMW buying Sauber, they won't be expecting to win this season - they'll expect this to happen in a couple of year's time. Williams too, could be crippled by losing title sponsor HP, and they'll be working with a new engine supplier (Cosworth), so they'll probably be hoping for points through consistency (no doubt hoping for the same reliability that Red Bull experienced in 2005 from Cosworth).

Midland are patently just in it for the money, while Red Bull have only been in F1 for a season, so they'll be fighting Williams and BMW. Of course, Squadra Toro Rosso could end up beating all the mid-field with their V10s, but it's more likely that the FIA will restrict the engines further before any racing commences, even if that happens as late as Friday practise before the first race, so they'll most likely be battling with Midland again.

So, this leaves Honda, Toyota, Ferrari, Renault, and McLaren leading the front of the field, and all of these teams by contrast, will be striving to satisfy their manufacturer board's expectations of a win.

Honda has invested in Barrichello and thinks it has a top team for 2006. Additionally, they feel they were robbed of the chance of a win in 2005, convinced as they were of their engine's superiority. Toyota is hoping to steal a march on rivals by developing the V8 package early, giving them a chance to refine it before the start of the season.

Renault and McLaren's desire is self-explanatory, while Ferrari definitely let down Schumacher who was increasingly frustrated towards the end of the season - will they be able to fight the other four main contenders in 2006?