Hamilton in race against expectations.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Formula One is a sport dominated by expectations; they can be both a terrible burden and a spur to greatness.
Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was expected to pick up Michael Schumacher's legacy and ensure the prancing horse dominated in 2007. However, three drivers lined up in last year's final race with a chance of winning the championship, with the Finn eventually grabbing the checkered flag to pip McLaren's odd couple team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by a point.

Raikkonen fought back from a 17-point deficit with two races remaining to claim the title and end the rookie Hamilton's dream run.

The Briton's spectacular debut has seen high hopes turn to a wave of expectation this season.

For double world champion Alonso the close of 2007 marked the finale of a nightmarish year at McLaren where he and Hamilton traded barbed insults in the media before doing their best to pretend the other did not exist.

He has returned to Renault this year hoping to relive past glories while Heikki Kovalainen, who drove for the French team last season, will partner Hamilton at McLaren expecting to drive a much more reliable car.

McLaren, meanwhile, will want to draw a line under their post season troubles which saw them lose their constructors' championship points after being found guilty of pirating Ferrari data and being fined a record $100m by the world governing body, the FIA.

To complicate matters further Ron Dennis, the team's principal for 27 years, is expected to announce his retirement soon.

Despite all of this, McLaren are still the team most likely to loosen Ferrari's grip on the driver and constructors' championships. Hamilton has been flying in testing in Barcelona and says Raikkonen will not have it all his own way while attempting to win back-to-back titles.

However, any comparison between the teams is difficult after the Scuderia finished their preparations away from prying eyes in Bahrain.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa believes McLaren and Hamilton pose the greatest threat.

"McLaren is a team which seems to be better. If I had to choose now, it would be Ferrari and McLaren (to win)," the Brazilian told reporters before traveling to Australia for the season opener on March 16.

Hamilton has remained typically relaxed in the lead-up to Melbourne, saying there is less pressure on him second time round. Unfortunately, that is probably far from the case.

The young Briton is now a global sporting phenomenon with proportionate expectations and demands on his time. He has admitted that the amount of time he has for training is down half on 2007, with media and promotional commitments filling his diary.

He is also now McLaren's de facto lead driver. His team-mate Kovalainen is fast but between them they have raced only 34 grands prix compared to Raikkonen and Massa's 210. Ferrari are also the most settled team in the competition, providing them with a distinct edge.

Elsewhere, Alonso will need to be at his best to coax the most out of Renault's car. The team had a tough year in 2007 failing to come to terms with the move to Bridgestone tyres.

With Giancarlo Fisichella departing for Force India and Kovalainen joining McLaren, Alonso will be partnered by Nelson Piquet Jr who steps up from much success in GP2. The team's prospects remain somewhat of an enigma, with Alonso playing down their chances in recent interviews.

BMW Sauber will be hopeful of emulating their success in 2007, which saw them finish second in the constructors' championship after McLaren's disqualification. They have two fine drivers in Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld and a program that has been been making steady gains.

Williams are also likely to provide some surprises, with reports they've built a quick car. Lead driver Nico Rosberg was regularly in the points at the end of 2007 and will feature in the top eight.

Red Bull, meanwhile, need to find more consistency from their cars to score more often while Honda's Jenson Button, whose sole win came at Hungary in 2006, and Rubens Barrichello will be hoping to turn around a poor 2007 and build some momentum leading into next season.


For the other syndicates it is likely to be a tough year toward the back of the grid, though young talent like Super Aguri's Anthony Davidson and Force India's Adrian Sutil could provide some highlights.

All drivers will have to lift their performance to deal with rule changes that have seen the removal of aids such as traction control and engine braking systems, leaving the cars more in the hands of their pilot.

The changes should see the drivers' approach to low-speed corners tempered, with a gentler application of the throttle.

The removal of EBS affects the stability of the cars under heavy braking, meaning drivers will have to go easier to avoid locking up the wheels.

Massa believes the rule changes will benefit the best drivers.

"It's a radical change, especially in low-speed curves. The race start is more human. The driver has greater influence and can win positions."

The teams also have two new circuits to tackle, with the inclusion of grands prix in Valencia and Singapore. Both will use street circuits, Valencia's course taking in its famed architecture while Singapore's dramatic setting will be further spiced by the move to night racing.

The 2007 season was full of thrills but 2008 promises to be even tighter as the drivers come to terms with the new tracks, changes to the cars and, for some, the weight of greater expectation.