Fernando Alonso is a hell of a driver. Everbody knows that. Sebastian Vettel is also a hell of a driver. Together, it appears they will out-right dominate the 2010 F1 Championship. Just my opinion, but I doubt I'm the only one who thinks so.

Now then, that being said, which car is better, the Red Bull RB6 or the Ferrari F10? Difficult to tell. In case you missed it (which I can't understand; what could possibly be better than F1 at 7:30 Sunday morning?! What, sleep??! Sleep when you're dead, Loser!) Sebastian Vettel absolutely dominated the opening stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix, first race of the 2010 Championship. Dominated. Then, as the laps wound down (49 laps this year, compared to last year's 56; more on that later) Vettel's Renault-powered land-missile began to lose time to the pursuing Alonso. Huge, fatty chunks of time. Alonso gained a full five seconds on one lap. Not good for Vettel or Red Bull. Eventually Alonso executed the finisher, drafting up to and then slicing around Vettel as if he were standing still. This lead to the first 1-2 finish for Ferrari in the opening race of season since 2004. Fillipe Massa made short work of Vettel, who also fell to Lewis Hamilton's McLaren before ending the race an embarrassing fourth position. So, "Whaa Happund?!"

Other topics discussed inside: Shui's return, the new teams, and my unholy disappointment in USF1 . . .

Man, Ferrari is an Italian company? Really?! You would never know it based on the complete lack of class they like to display on their blog "The Horse Whisperer" (GAY!). They have made it their business to post a blog that basically eviscerates the four new teams, labeling them everything from soon-to-be 'loyal-vassals' (Campos) to 'Serbian Vultures' which refers to the 5th team, Stefan GP. Youch.

Ferrari, if you have the stones to post this rant, then the 'Shopper will just have to reprint it. Good thing the last paragraph is very astute . ..

Re-fueling ban appears to have leveled the competition;

USF1 is in dire straits;

and Chad Hurley is a ship-jumpin' punk and a half . . .

Aww geez, JD's Christmas wasn't in December. No, JD gets most excited (gnashing teeth, sweating bullets-excited,) right around the middle of March. The boiling point will be reached on March 12th, 2010: first day of practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Bahrain GP grid will contain a renewed, Maylasian-flavored Lotus, Richard Branson and John Booth's Virgin/Manor Racing garage-project, Adrian Campos-GP2 owner turned F1 owner, and (covered exhaustively by the 'Shopper Blog) the first American-manufactured F1 car since Dan Gurney's Eagles pounded European pavement in the late Sixties.

As of Friday, January 29th two teams have held public launches of their 2010 contenders; not surprisingly, Ferrari and McLaren are the first out of the gates. Venture inside yon post for all of the angular, massive winged car-stag . . .

USF1 is determined to prove that they are capable of building a proper Grand Prix car. They'll utilize any excuse to produce videos demonstrating the Type 1's progress. Consequently, the 'Shopper will use any excuse to cram these videos down your throat!

Inside the post: Wiring the USF1 Type One Grand Prix car . . .

So, USF1 has named their first driver, Argentina's Jose Maria Lopez. Former Renault F1 test driver and GP2 stand-out, Lopez has dominated Argentinian saloon racing for several years, whatever that's worth.

Hope for an American driver piloting the American grand prix car in 2010 is all but lost; Speedtv is reporting that British driver James Rossiter is a shoe-in for the second seat at USF1. Press release from USF1's website inside the post . . .

Here it is, boys and grrls, although it's still a glorified CAD drawing. None the less there are several interesting things going on here, and the livery will NOT be the stars and stripes barfed up all over the Type 1's sinewy flanks. Details inside yonder post . . .

You gotta love it when "the man" takes one on the chin. In this case, "the man" is Bernie Ecclestone and the Euro-racing elite. Ecclestone has been very open about his feelings regarding the four new teams entering F1 in the 2010 season. Specifically, he doesn't believe some of the teams will make it to the grid; more specifically, he does not believe USF1 will make it to the grid.

Well, how's that crow taste Bernie? Not only is USF1 the obvious leader as far as the new teams are concerned, they appear to be one of the most well prepared teams, period! First, we go over the new "Sporting Regs" and how they will affect the look of the car, then we will update you on each new team on the grid . . . assuming there is anything to update .. .

Politics, finance, lawyering, and F1, all business full of dirty, cheating scumbags. Industries rife with parasites, teeming with socio-economic disease. Foul people, doing underhanded work, making a gazillion dollars by holding down the little guy. Most unfortunately, without the work of these money-grubbing societal denizens, the world would cease to spin on its axis. Economies would collapse, professional atheletes would actually go to jail, and my Sundays would not be filled with carbonfiber-dressed, 3g-pulling, techno-overload. Filthy, filthy occupations, yet absolutely necessary. Now where's that phone book, I am going to contest every single one of these jay-walking tickets . . .

Yesterday the 'Shopper reported on the possiblity of Michael Schumacher returning to F1, under the MecedesGP Petronas (formerly 'Brawn GP', a mouthful, I know!) banner. Well, this morning (for Germans anyway, we were all still asleep), Schumacher made the announcement we have all known was coming: He is returning to the Formula One grid in 2010.

Inside the post you will find extended quotes from the central parties involved: Schumacher, Ross Brawn, and Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Sporting Director. Welcome back, Michael!