As a three week break begins, it's time to look at the first three races and see what they point to for 2008. Will BMW stay as the third team in top triangle? Or will Williams find the form they have promised? Has Hamilton gone off the boil?

Let's look at the events and the the pointers. 

Massa finally got the measure of the Ferrari without traction control. It was embarrassing to see him and his oh-so-cool team mate slipping off the track like GP2 drivers. But he's back, and so is Kimi. It looks as though Ferrari have done it again - got to grips with the season's rule changes before everyone else. It is though they have a whole team just working on the new stuff.

McLaren have the speed from time to time - but then they seem to try too hard and lose it in the race. Getting pushed down the grid for blocking is too careless for a season promising to be so closely balanced. Of course that is not the driver's fault, but going that slow on the racing line is just dumb.

Rossberg, Heidfeld and Kubica have all broken the bubble of the two top teams, and that must have been a small shock to both sides.  Then came Bahrain and the first pole position to a third team since China 2006.

So, is 2008 going to be a four-way struggle? Certainly on this form BMW are in for a good chance of the constructors'  championship. Williams is going to be at the party, but not as champions sadly.

...And the drivers' championship? Massa? Kimi? Hamilton? Kovalainen? Kubica?

Barcelona usually sees the first upgrade to the cars. My money is on McLaren getting back on form, but I have to say that Hamilton's genius driving seems to have vanished, hasn't it? Kovalainen shows moments of form, and then falls back again. Barecelona should see Renault coming alive again, a few more places up the finishing places ... and yet more to come later in the season. SO far, I think I would say the drivers' championship is likely to go to a man in Ferrari overalls.

And what about the Giant Killers? Super Aguri have had a terrible winter of desperation, but here we go - Taku and Anthony are both showing great form considering the car beneath them. What can we expect for later in the season? Well, sadly I have to admit that I think we will be hard-pressed to keep Force India behind. Force India have a big wallet and a competent driver in Fisi this year. In equal cars, I know that Taku would beat Fisi over the year. But he needs a car that has raw speed.

Super Aguri has to get on with a lot of things this year - they want to be a constructor in 2009 and that is an enormous distraction ... can we expect any real improvement this year with such a distraction?  Well, hopefully, yes we can. Small incremental improvements more likely due to driver mastery than mechanical changes. Will we get a new chassis mid-season? I doubt it now, but let's see.

I for one will be happy to make it to the end of the season knowing that 2009 will be better for us.

That won't stop me enjoying 2008 though!  We have a three, possibly even four, way fight - and the midfield almost impossible to predict. Good racing ahead? Yes, I hope so.  A classic year? I doubt.