At last the wait is over. The 2010 Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend and after pre-season posturing it all comes down to 49 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit to see which teams worked the hardest over the winter break.

Alpinestars.com gives a brief summary of the protagonists in this year’s high octane drama.

Mercedes GP
Building on the resounding success of the Brawn GP effort last year, Mercedes GP is looking to relive the glory days of the ‘Silver Arrows’. Many expect the tried and true Brawn/Schumacher pairing to return to winning ways and NICO Rosberg finally gets to show his true potential by taking the wheel of a front running car. Will the blend of Mercedes, Brawn, Rosberg and Schumacher be the winning formula this year?

Ferrari
A revitalized two-time world champion Fernando Alonso joins a Ferrari team that started development on the F10 early last year, after rarely threatening in a disappointing display last season. Felipe Massa has recovered after his dreadful accident in Hungary last year and will be looking to assert himself immediately against his teammate.

McLaren
Success for McLaren this year may come down to how well their two champion drivers work together. Jenson Button’s smooth style may be an advantage this year where tire preservation will be vital. After ending the season strongly last season, Lewis Hamilton is motivated as ever and has confessed he is looking forward to banging wheels with Michael Schumacher.

Red Bull Racing
So close yet so far away is perhaps the best way to sum up 2009 for Red Bull. Second place in the drivers and constructors championship was a wonderful result though the team will be pushing hard to go one better with a fully fit Mark Webber and the precocious Sebastian Vettel leading the charge in the RB6.

Force India
2009 was a watershed year for Force India; a first pole position, podium finish and fastest lap truly marked their arrival as a force in F1. Impressive in testing so far, both Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi have expressed their excitement at the performance of the VJM03 and can’t wait to take it to the track with the goal of consistently finishing in the points.

Renault
Renault has kept a comparatively low profile over the winter after selling a majority stake of its operation last November. With a change in management and a new driver line-up of Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, Renault will be going back to basics and trying to build momentum as the season progresses and looking to snag the odd podium along the way.

Sauber
Peter Sauber returns as team owner and has enlisted proven performer Pedro de la Rosa and a spirited up-and-comer in Kamui Kobayashi for his driving lineup. Showing decent pace and reliability in testing and showing a good ability to preserve its Bridgestone tires, the C29 may spring some surprises and score podium places this year.

Williams
Williams have two new drivers for 2010; incumbent GP2 champion Nico Hulkenberg and F1 stalwart Rubens Barrichello in a good mix of youth and experience. Hulkenberg has adapted well to the FW32 and with the venerable Barrichello as a reference point the team as a whole should develop well throughout the season.

Toro Rosso
Due to rule changes, Toro Rosso has had to construct their own chassis for the first time this season. Retaining their driver lineup of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, the team will work hard to ensure they finish in front of the new teams entering the championship this year.

Lotus F1
The born-again Lotus F1 teams hopes of invoking the spirit of its hey-day rests with Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen. Much will depend on technical director Mike Gascoyne’s ability to synthesize his driver’s feedback to develop the car during the season.

Virgin Racing
Pioneering a new approach through the sole use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in its design, Virgin are confident their gamble will pay off by the end of the season. Timo Glock and Lucas Di Grassi will be hoping the VR-01 goes as fast as it looks.

Hispania Racing Team
Emerging from the Campos cocoon; HRT has set itself the task of consistently finishing races with the aim of scoring points towards the end of the season. The introduction of Bruno Senna to the F1 paddock is a story in itself, while Karun Chandhok becomes just the second Indian driver to grace the F1 paddock.