Welcome to the latest edition of the 3-stop strategy, a fierce weekly debate about the hottest Formula One topics of the moment. This week, under the spotlight is the fight for the 2010 Driver’s Crown, the possible return of Kimi Raikkonen and Lotus Racing’s swich to Renault in 2011.  Resident TGTB&TB author Craig is setting the questions, with Lotus lover philracer, Editor Tom and Ferrari fan Hickley giving us their insights into F1?s burning issues. Enjoy!

1) The 2010 Driver’s Title is one of the closest in recent memory

Andy: GO! Well, yes and no. Clearly, you can’t call a season where five drivers still fancy their chances anything but incredibly close. That said, it’s only logical in the next few grand prix, one or two of the Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso group won’t be able to stay in touch with the leaders – one mistake and they’re out of the title battle. 2007′s incredible finale, with three drivers seperated by just one point, still sticks in my mind as the closest we’ll ever get to see.

Phil: GO! This season’s championship has been one of the most dramatic in recent years and the run to the final races in the season will only continue to raise the profile of the sport and draw in bigger numbers of fans for future races. The battle for the championship should go down to the wire with battles between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari for the drivers and constructors title still raging. The 2010 championship has produced some of the most dramatic moments, particularly when compared to past seasons and the finale in Brazil should produce one of the best races if the championship is still on a knife edge come November.

Tom: GO! The 2010 Formula One season has been a breath of fresh air for the sport and this is illustrated by just how close the Drivers’ Championship is. Lewis Hamilton pipping Felipe Massa in 2008 was good, but this year has been even better. The rivalry between and within has been gripping, with Hamilton, Button, Webber and Vettel all having their share of the limelight. Alonso has been fighting a lone crusade for Ferrari but the Spaniard shouldn’t be written off yet. Given what has gone beforehand, we might just be in for a couple more twists and turns yet!

2) Kimi Raikkonen is the best choice for the second seat at Renault for 2011

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Andy: GO! This all depends on which Kimi Raikkonen they sign: either the barnstormingly quick heir to Schumacher’s throne, or the lethargic ice-cream eater who simply couldn’t be bothered to challenge for another title. I personally can’t see him coming back and being as competitive as the ‘glory days’ at Mclaren, when he deserved a title or two, but Renault are in a good position where it couldn’t hurt to try. Kubica will push him as hard as possible, and of the available drivers out there, there’s no-one who really looks as fast as Raikkonen has been. One thing is for sure – Vitaly Petrov has been very poor, and needs replacing.

Phil: STOP! While there have been various whispers that Raikkonen might return to F1, next year would be too early for the 2007 Champion to return particularly with Renault. While the Finn hasn’t set the world alight in the WRC he has seemed to settle with the Citroen world rally team better than he did with Ferrari in Formula One. Raikkonen will return to Formula One in the future but it will be unlikely that it will be next year, Renault have struggled to get the best out of Vitaly Petrov but several youngsters from GP2 await in the wings for their moment in the spotlight and they will be more likely to fill the second seat with an aspiring youngster.

Tom: STOP! There is no doubting Kimi Raikkonen’s talent as a driver, but if the arrival of the Finn will come at the cost of Petrov then I think Renault should think again. Renault have two very capable drivers in the paddock already. Robert Kubica has been the most impressive driver in Formula One this year in my opinion and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Vitaly Petrov. The Russian was always going to take time to settle, but I think he has improved greatly and that trend would continue if he was given another year behind the wheel.

3) Lotus moving to Renault engines and gearboxes will move them further up the grid next year

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Andy: GO! Whilst you can argue that perhaps Mercedes would’ve been the absolute best choice, this Renault package should be dominating the championship in the hands of the Red Bull drivers. Cosworth can’t be blamed for the shambolic performances of the new teams, but their deal just isn’t competitive enough when you compare their budget size with, well, everything else in F1. The best thing about this deal will be the increased reliability, something that Lotus have really struggled with lately, and hopefully they’ve desigend next years car with the Renault specifications in place. However, Lotus have often shown a lot of style over substance this year, so it’s hard to really tell if they’ll be able to consistently take down the likes of Sauber and Toro Rosso next season. No doubt they’ll tell us they will.

Phil: GO! Lotus have struggled with the Cosworth engine all season and the new deal with Renault should push the team up the grid in 2011, as Red Bull and Renault themselves have proven the 2010 technology has been highly competitive this season. In the capable hands of Mike Gascoyne and the Lotus engineers the team could really progress with a good chassis and constant development through the season. The only issue will be the reliability of the engine and transmission and whether the team can keep the competitive edge over their rivals. Race wins are still a long way off but Lotus might just have an outside chance of points finishes in 2011 depending on their line-up for the new campaign.

Tom: STOP! Lotus moving to Renault engines and gearboxes can only be a good thing for the team, but I can’t see them moving that far up the grid. They are still well and truly in the bottom tier alongside Virgin and Hispania, and although they have been the most impressive of the new teams, they are still some way off challenging the likes of Toro Rosso and Sauber. While the move will be a step forward and an improvement to their cars that is much-needed, I remain unconvinced as to how far this single change will take them, more extensive improvements are needed.

So, there we have it. Although it’s agreed that 2010 is becoming a classic year, the inclusion of The Iceman in 2011 has divided opinion. And, although Lotus has performed well with Cosworth power, next year with Renault will boost their chances of scoring their first World Championship points. What do you think about the three issues discussed here? Have your say in the comments section below and in our Fans Forum and look out for another edition of the 3-Stop Strategy very soon!

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