F1 2009 Season Opener

As I have made many a convert to hockey - the greatest sport there is - I too have become a convert in other disciplines.

Last year Rybot started using his projector to host F1 nights, as he'd get a copy of the races shortly after broadcast. With a new season starting, there's been some changes. The projector now has a 10 foot 16:9 screen to blast the images on. Race coverage is now on the BBC, which eliminates the commercials that used to steal chunks of the action. And the changes to the cars and rules! There are some things that I'm still not clear on, but one of the coolest modifications is the KERS system, which gathers the dispersed energy from braking and stores it in a battery, which can give the driver limited bursts of extra horsepower each lap.

My real interest (and why it kills NASCAR for more than just the obvious speed and skill reasons) is the international competition and standing rivalries. Last year young British phenom Lewis Hamilton won the championship in the final race, stealing victory from Brazilian Felipe Massa. It also determined the Constructor's (team) winner, which went to Ferrari. This year, they and McLaren Mercedes will be duking it out using Hamilton and Massa. Adding to the mix is disgruntled former Hamilton McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso and general badass Kimi Räikkönen - both are past champions. Adding freshness this year is up and coming Sebastian Vettel, and the last minute addition of team Brawn GP, who's owner used to be Ferarri's chief during their very successful Michael Schumacher era.

You can check out the recaps below, but they will not do F1 justice.