The Driver's (and Constructor's) Championship could be decided in Brazil, but chances are it won't be over until the final race in Abu Dhabi. Although you may be cheering on one of the three teams in contention - make sure you double the fun by getting behind one of the new three teams as well.
The three new teams have lagged behind the rest, but by doing so they have effectively formed a second division, and only one of the new three can take the coveted tenth spot in the Constructors Championship and secure the prize money that comes with it.
But who exactly are these new kids on the block? And why should you cheer them on...?
LOTUS:
Who are they?:
The team with the most lucrative name in the F1 2nd division; "Lotus" - attracts press attention and sponsorship money. They are currently at the top of the league but simply having the historic marque "Lotus" on the car doesn't automatically make it fast - Mike Gascoyne does that! Mike is a respected (and some would say feared) car designer and it is hoped that his management of the team will get them finishing further up the field over the next few seasons.
Reason to support them:
It's Lotus! The same name on the cars which brought us world champions such as Jim Clark and Graham Hill when F1 cars looked like canoes with wheels. It's also the name on the most iconic F1 livery car ever seen - the John Player Special! Okay, admittedly they are now a Malaysian Team arguing over the Lotus brand - but they're still (kind of) Lotus!
VIRGIN RACING
Who are they?:
Although Virgin Racing are a new name on the grid, Manor Racing (the technical bods behind the car) are no strangers to racing. They are a small outfit who have racked up impressive results in single seater racing - Lewis Hamilton won a 2003 Formula Renault championship with them, and he's not done bad for himself since. With extensive sponsorship from Virgin (hence the change of team name) this will hopefully be a team to stick around. Despite a major glitch at the start of the season when it was discovered that the fuel tank was too small to fuel the car properly to the end of the race, the team have secured a few double finishes and form the strongest competition to Lotus.
Reason to support them:
VR may as well stand for Vitual Reality here - Virgin's 2010 car is the first ever to be designed completely using computer software rather than traditional models and wind-tunnels, they are the TRON of the sports world! Virgin seem to ooze cool too and the car decal is simply beautiful - the front wing print is a work of art. For me though, the ultimate reason to support Virgin Racing is because they're from chuffing Yorkshire!
HRT
Who are they?:
Hispania Racing Team have the brains of Campos Motorpsport behind them, a fairly successful racing team in Formula 3. Unfortunately the venture into F1 hasn't seen the team achieve anything other than a mystery element to race weekends as we guess who'll be behind the wheel - (why is Karun Chandhok not in the driver seat!?) They only just got the car ready before the first race of the season, they nearly didn't make it to the grid.
Reason to support them:
They are the underdogs. F1 teams make many adjustments to the car and apply significant upgrades throughout the season, but HRT haven't - they are like the poor old guy you sometimes see when you're driving through town, no matter what the weather, he always wears exactly the same clothes and the fact he makes it out of the house is a minor cause for celebration. And then there's the name ..."HRT"; the most unfortunate acronym since the Teenage Wakefield Amateur Theatre group was formed. If you have enough money in the bank, there's a good chance you could jump in the cockpit and tackle the curves of Abu-Dhabi in a couple of weeks driving alongside Bruno Senna. In short - HRT get the sympathy vote.
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