This is a thread for 2012 F1 precdictions. Just post whatever predictions of things you think will happen in the 2012 F1 season.
Mods, feel free to delete this thread if it is too early.
The 2012 predictions thread.
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The 2012 predictions thread.
by eurobrun » 23 Jan 2012, 15:43
Wizzie wrote:He's from a family of used cars salesmen... which might as well be the mafia EurobrunMe wrote:I have no idea why I always think Tony D'Alberto is a mafia member
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by solarcold » 23 Jan 2012, 16:29
I think you've done it just in time, don't know though what do mods think.
What do I predict? Kinda like this:
RED BULL will get slightly less strong but will still be the best.
FERRARI and MCLAREN will be totally equal this time and will be slightly closer to Bulls.
LOTUS will start this season ahead of MERCEDES, then Mercedes will gain back.
FORCE INDIA will be faster than TORO ROSSO, at least at the start of the season.
SAUBER slightly faster than FI.
WILLIAMS and CATERHAM will normally battle with FI and TR, along with saubers.
HRT will start the season dramatically behind Marussias, but will improve steadily and beat them again in the middle of the season.
MARUSSIA willl have another season to actually fail.
As for racers: Schumacher will gain and look equal with Rosberg. Webber will get better (still failing starts though) but will be weaker than Vettel still. Massa will get better and has chances to win.
What do I predict? Kinda like this:
RED BULL will get slightly less strong but will still be the best.
FERRARI and MCLAREN will be totally equal this time and will be slightly closer to Bulls.
LOTUS will start this season ahead of MERCEDES, then Mercedes will gain back.
FORCE INDIA will be faster than TORO ROSSO, at least at the start of the season.
SAUBER slightly faster than FI.
WILLIAMS and CATERHAM will normally battle with FI and TR, along with saubers.
HRT will start the season dramatically behind Marussias, but will improve steadily and beat them again in the middle of the season.
MARUSSIA willl have another season to actually fail.
As for racers: Schumacher will gain and look equal with Rosberg. Webber will get better (still failing starts though) but will be weaker than Vettel still. Massa will get better and has chances to win.
"Here's your car. Go nuts."
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Phoenix » 23 Jan 2012, 19:24
OK, my predictions, starting from the tail end of the grid:
-Marussia will already be looking to 2013 and, as a result, this will be a wasted year. Timo Glock's patience will be tested again, but he'll probably fare better than last year regardless. Charles Pic is going to be every bit as anonymous as Lucas di Grassi and Jerome d'Ambrosio were.
-HRT will improve a bit (but only a bit) from their 2011 form. They have the potential to finish ahead of Marussia again. Pedro de la Rosa will do a solid job and bring the car home, if nothing else. He's likely not going to be noticed during the season and you'll wonder whether HRT has only fielded one car. The pay driver will likely be Giedo van der Garde, but they might as well pull a suprise and sign HWNSNBM (if only...).
-Caterham is finally going to eventuate their promised jump to the midfield and score their first points (not a bunch of them, up to 5-10, but fair enough). Heikki Kovalainen should be even more motivated than last year and be the spearhead of his team's efforts. Jarno Trulli, on the other hand, will need to regain some of his yesteryear spark, but it's likely he'll only score points if he gets lucky.
-Williams has a dangerous year ahead. Their car last season was a cucumber, and this year they don't have a Rubens Barrichello with them to give a helping hand in that regard. They are risking falling even behind Caterham unless drastic things happen. Pastor Maldonado has forged a reputation for himself as a hot-headed driver that's not always fast. He'll need to calm down to be as much of a help for his beleaguered team as possible. Expect more Monaco heroics though. Bruno Senna will no doubt have nostalgics salivating, especially if next year the team keeps this year's livery, but, like Maldonado, he also has a reputation as a loose cannon. This is the year in which he should show the world he can at least manage not to embarrass the Senna surname, which he can, but cracking races are hardly expected.
-Toro Rosso proved last year they can make a good chassis on their own. If this year they manage to produce another good car, it will no doubt alleviate the fact they have two rookie drivers with them. Likely to be the 8th-9th best team. Daniel Ricciardo proved last year in his outings with HRT he could be someone to watch out for in the future. He must, if he wants to have a future in F1. As for Jean-Éric Vergne, he has talent and will no doubt catch the eye occasionally, but mistakes are also expected of him.
-Sauber needs not only to produce a car with more latent speed, but also to be not so staid in the strategy stakes. More midfield beckons, I believe. Kamui Kobayashi has been a bit thwarted by strategy last year, since it didn't really play to his forte, which was to overtake people on track. If Sauber doesn't throw all their eggs in tyre conservation, we can see the return of the Kobayashi '10. Sergio Pérez is another keen overtaker and has a lot of potential. Next year he'll improve a lot and can score the occasional serious result.
-Force India needs to watch out. They managed to improve dramatically last season as the year wore on, but that's not a fait accompli this season, especially having two sophomores, and it wouldn't be good if the chassis missed the mark from the outset. Sauber could well jump them. Paul di Resta has proven himself last year. If the car is competitive, more solid points, even perhaps unrejectification, is not out of the question. Nico Hülkenberg will not be the polesitter in Brazil, but he'll be eager to prove his worth once and for all nevertheless.
-Lotus, I believe, will come up with a nice and good-looking car. They won't be world-beaters, but they're likely to end up 5th best again. The big question marks are centered on the drivers. Kimi Räikkönen is, or should be, back in black (and gold) in F1 not just to eat Magnum ice creams, but to keep thrilling the crowds, not with his PR skills, but with performances worthy of a World Champion. I wouldn't dare predicting how he'll fare. Romain Grosjean is another man on a mission. He's very talented and his form during the past two years was amazing. If he keeps up this form, other people should better watch out. Outside chance for a crash at Singapore's turn 17.
-Mercedes should better get their act together, and quick. With so much head hunting, they should finally come up with a truly wonderful car capable of fighting for the championship, and I will believe in them, but are the drivers up to the task? Michael Schumacher doesn't really have the same speed as years ago, but his racecraft is still untouched. May finally take a win or two, but he's unlikely going to fight for the cahmpionship. Nico Rosberg really has to begin asserting himself as a frontrunner. If the car is good, he has to prove he's a winner, not just a solid operator. Can take wins too, but I doubt he'll be consistently at top level form to be a serious threat for the championship.
-Ferrari promises revolution. Will the car in front be a Ferrari? Could well be... Fernando Alonso is a very serious contender, while Felipe Massa will bounce back if, only if, the car is good, but he'll play second fiddle to Alonso before making way to someone else.
-McLaren too is in the frame, sure, but the might be edged by Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton will be more focussed than last year, especially now that Nicole Scherzinger is out of his life. The rest of the field better watch out, because I feel the Lewis Hamilton of 2007 is back in full flight. That might not be good news for Jenson Button. Sure he's in good form, and will take a couple wins, but he's well and truly at the risk of being left behind by Hamilton.
-Red Bull will have an advantage during the early part of the season, but I pretty much see McLaren and especially Ferrari catching up and dethroning them by mid-season. Sebastian Vettel will be faced to a lot of wheel-to-wheel action, in which he tended to crack from time to time, but he's a complete package. He'll give one hell of a good fight. Mark Webber looks worrying all around. With him not being a spring chicken anymore, and being shaded by Vettel's aura, he might crack once and for all if the Red Bull stops being dominating. Expect some podiums; victories would be unlikely.
-Marussia will already be looking to 2013 and, as a result, this will be a wasted year. Timo Glock's patience will be tested again, but he'll probably fare better than last year regardless. Charles Pic is going to be every bit as anonymous as Lucas di Grassi and Jerome d'Ambrosio were.
-HRT will improve a bit (but only a bit) from their 2011 form. They have the potential to finish ahead of Marussia again. Pedro de la Rosa will do a solid job and bring the car home, if nothing else. He's likely not going to be noticed during the season and you'll wonder whether HRT has only fielded one car. The pay driver will likely be Giedo van der Garde, but they might as well pull a suprise and sign HWNSNBM (if only...).
-Caterham is finally going to eventuate their promised jump to the midfield and score their first points (not a bunch of them, up to 5-10, but fair enough). Heikki Kovalainen should be even more motivated than last year and be the spearhead of his team's efforts. Jarno Trulli, on the other hand, will need to regain some of his yesteryear spark, but it's likely he'll only score points if he gets lucky.
-Williams has a dangerous year ahead. Their car last season was a cucumber, and this year they don't have a Rubens Barrichello with them to give a helping hand in that regard. They are risking falling even behind Caterham unless drastic things happen. Pastor Maldonado has forged a reputation for himself as a hot-headed driver that's not always fast. He'll need to calm down to be as much of a help for his beleaguered team as possible. Expect more Monaco heroics though. Bruno Senna will no doubt have nostalgics salivating, especially if next year the team keeps this year's livery, but, like Maldonado, he also has a reputation as a loose cannon. This is the year in which he should show the world he can at least manage not to embarrass the Senna surname, which he can, but cracking races are hardly expected.
-Toro Rosso proved last year they can make a good chassis on their own. If this year they manage to produce another good car, it will no doubt alleviate the fact they have two rookie drivers with them. Likely to be the 8th-9th best team. Daniel Ricciardo proved last year in his outings with HRT he could be someone to watch out for in the future. He must, if he wants to have a future in F1. As for Jean-Éric Vergne, he has talent and will no doubt catch the eye occasionally, but mistakes are also expected of him.
-Sauber needs not only to produce a car with more latent speed, but also to be not so staid in the strategy stakes. More midfield beckons, I believe. Kamui Kobayashi has been a bit thwarted by strategy last year, since it didn't really play to his forte, which was to overtake people on track. If Sauber doesn't throw all their eggs in tyre conservation, we can see the return of the Kobayashi '10. Sergio Pérez is another keen overtaker and has a lot of potential. Next year he'll improve a lot and can score the occasional serious result.
-Force India needs to watch out. They managed to improve dramatically last season as the year wore on, but that's not a fait accompli this season, especially having two sophomores, and it wouldn't be good if the chassis missed the mark from the outset. Sauber could well jump them. Paul di Resta has proven himself last year. If the car is competitive, more solid points, even perhaps unrejectification, is not out of the question. Nico Hülkenberg will not be the polesitter in Brazil, but he'll be eager to prove his worth once and for all nevertheless.
-Lotus, I believe, will come up with a nice and good-looking car. They won't be world-beaters, but they're likely to end up 5th best again. The big question marks are centered on the drivers. Kimi Räikkönen is, or should be, back in black (and gold) in F1 not just to eat Magnum ice creams, but to keep thrilling the crowds, not with his PR skills, but with performances worthy of a World Champion. I wouldn't dare predicting how he'll fare. Romain Grosjean is another man on a mission. He's very talented and his form during the past two years was amazing. If he keeps up this form, other people should better watch out. Outside chance for a crash at Singapore's turn 17.
-Mercedes should better get their act together, and quick. With so much head hunting, they should finally come up with a truly wonderful car capable of fighting for the championship, and I will believe in them, but are the drivers up to the task? Michael Schumacher doesn't really have the same speed as years ago, but his racecraft is still untouched. May finally take a win or two, but he's unlikely going to fight for the cahmpionship. Nico Rosberg really has to begin asserting himself as a frontrunner. If the car is good, he has to prove he's a winner, not just a solid operator. Can take wins too, but I doubt he'll be consistently at top level form to be a serious threat for the championship.
-Ferrari promises revolution. Will the car in front be a Ferrari? Could well be... Fernando Alonso is a very serious contender, while Felipe Massa will bounce back if, only if, the car is good, but he'll play second fiddle to Alonso before making way to someone else.
-McLaren too is in the frame, sure, but the might be edged by Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton will be more focussed than last year, especially now that Nicole Scherzinger is out of his life. The rest of the field better watch out, because I feel the Lewis Hamilton of 2007 is back in full flight. That might not be good news for Jenson Button. Sure he's in good form, and will take a couple wins, but he's well and truly at the risk of being left behind by Hamilton.
-Red Bull will have an advantage during the early part of the season, but I pretty much see McLaren and especially Ferrari catching up and dethroning them by mid-season. Sebastian Vettel will be faced to a lot of wheel-to-wheel action, in which he tended to crack from time to time, but he's a complete package. He'll give one hell of a good fight. Mark Webber looks worrying all around. With him not being a spring chicken anymore, and being shaded by Vettel's aura, he might crack once and for all if the Red Bull stops being dominating. Expect some podiums; victories would be unlikely.
Y O S O Y C O L C H O N E R O
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Aerond » 23 Jan 2012, 20:00
Close this thread, Phoenix said it all!!!
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by CoopsII » 23 Jan 2012, 22:07
Raikkonen will win a race.
There.
There.
JAMES HUNT - 29TH AUGUST 1947 - 15TH JUNE 1993
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by golic_2004 » 23 Jan 2012, 22:14
Mark Webber's theory will prove true, Vettel sabotaged him. Vettel gets caught at China and is banned while Buemi comes in as replacement, embarasses Webber, and dominates the season thus winning the championship! 
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the fan who was killed by the lightning storms over at Pocono Raceway on August 5, 2012. #RIPRaceFan
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Pointrox » 24 Jan 2012, 01:15
Red Bull: BATHPLUGGING DOMINANT in the first half of the season, to become the top three runner in the latter part. They might win one of the championships, but not both. Mark Webber once again will be severely Barrichello'ed in favor of The Finger.
Ferrari: Their disgustingly ugly design will be very competitive - enough to keep RB's and McLaren's pace, but not enough to battle for the win. Massa will try to do his best to save his seat, but with Alonso being the better one he will have to do the 'Chello numerous times.
McLaren: Messing around with Ferraris and (hopefully) Red Bulls. Possibly more in-team battling and this time Jense will also win, but with little margin over Lewis.
Mercedes: They will lose some fat and get closer to the top three. Not closely enough to win, but a handful of P2s and P3s are in their range.
Force India: Keeping the midfield pace.
Sauber: Keeping up with Mercs and Forces, with a pinch of kamikaze driving from Kobayashi.
Lotus: Possible finishes in the top 5, or even winning. In-team battling for being the number one resulting.
Toro Rosso: If in-team fighting is sure to result in Red Bull seat, then you must fight! Marko said that, and I'd say he knows a little bit more about team management than you do, pal.
Caterham: First points scored by Heikki. Jarno still further in the back. Nuff said.
Williams: Their reunion with Renault will result in resurrecting the former legend. They better be fast or they will fade to ridiculity and go out of business. The Reverend will have numerous chances to score but will either fail or someone will take him out. Bruno will have to prove his worth over money or he will fade away with Frank's team.
HRT: Although being torn between Germany and Spain, they will constantly keep ahead of Marussia and hopefully closing on the guys in front.
Marussia: Ambitious, but rubbish! Hilarity ensues, and another young talent will be wasted.
Ferrari: Their disgustingly ugly design will be very competitive - enough to keep RB's and McLaren's pace, but not enough to battle for the win. Massa will try to do his best to save his seat, but with Alonso being the better one he will have to do the 'Chello numerous times.
McLaren: Messing around with Ferraris and (hopefully) Red Bulls. Possibly more in-team battling and this time Jense will also win, but with little margin over Lewis.
Mercedes: They will lose some fat and get closer to the top three. Not closely enough to win, but a handful of P2s and P3s are in their range.
Force India: Keeping the midfield pace.
Sauber: Keeping up with Mercs and Forces, with a pinch of kamikaze driving from Kobayashi.
Lotus: Possible finishes in the top 5, or even winning. In-team battling for being the number one resulting.
Toro Rosso: If in-team fighting is sure to result in Red Bull seat, then you must fight! Marko said that, and I'd say he knows a little bit more about team management than you do, pal.
Caterham: First points scored by Heikki. Jarno still further in the back. Nuff said.
Williams: Their reunion with Renault will result in resurrecting the former legend. They better be fast or they will fade to ridiculity and go out of business. The Reverend will have numerous chances to score but will either fail or someone will take him out. Bruno will have to prove his worth over money or he will fade away with Frank's team.
HRT: Although being torn between Germany and Spain, they will constantly keep ahead of Marussia and hopefully closing on the guys in front.
Marussia: Ambitious, but rubbish! Hilarity ensues, and another young talent will be wasted.
Last edited by Pointrox on 24 Jan 2012, 04:50, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Stramala » 24 Jan 2012, 03:36
RED BULL RACING (Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber)
Equal best car in the field. Vettel heads into the final race locked in a championship battle with a to-be-named-later driver, bottles it and crashes. Webber still nowhere, finally gives up and retires.
MCLAREN (Jenson Button/Lewis Hamilton)
Slightly behind. Third best. Hamilton still as destructive as ever but blindingly fast on occasions, Button still scores more thanks to consistency.
FERRARI (Fernando Alonso/Felipe Massa)
Fernando Alonso is world champion at the wheel of the ugly duckling Ferrari. Felipe Massa is still crap.
MERCEDES (Nico Rosberg/Michael Schumacher)
They have a good car at the start of the season, and Rosberg wins in Malaysia. But it all goes downhill from there, slipping back in to the midfield. Schumacher is still nowhere and retires at the end of the year.
LOTUS (Kimi Raikkonen/Romain Grosjean)
Kimi Raikkonen beats the sh*t out of GRRRRSSSJJJNNNN but still only manages 2 or 3 podiums all season.
SAHARA FORCE INDIA (Paul di Resta/Nico Hulkenberg)
The budget limited team leaves their drivers hamstrung with an average car. They both drive the wheels off it however and edge Sauber and Lotus in the constructors thanks to a large haul of double points finishes throughout the season.
SAUBER (Kamui Kobayashi/Sergio Perez)
The car still isn't terrific, but Kobayashi manages a podium finish during the season. Perez however is more consistent and just edges Kobayashi on points at the end of the year.
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO (Daniel Ricciardo/Jean-Eric Vergne)
Backwards. The drivers are crash prone and slow. Only the woeful HRT and Marussia stop them coming last. They are to 2012 what Williams were to 2011. Vergne is so woefully inept they bench him for a few races in favour of Buemi, which also comes to nothing.
WILLIAMS (Bruno Senna/Pastor Maldonado)
The whole team sucks. The car is a joke, the drivers are a joke, the management are a joke, everything is a mess. They finish ahead of STR by actually finishing a decent amount of races, albeit not that high in the order.
CATERHAM (Heikki Kovalainen/Vitaly Petrov)
Petrov eventually secures the second seat over Trulli, and contributes a couple of points over the season. However, the excellent Kovalainen hauls the Caterham beyond STR and Williams in the constructors.
HRT (Pedro de la Rosa/Giedo van der Garde)
The status quo really. Two new drivers, same old results. Zero progress on track, another year spent building for the following season.
MARUSSIA (Timo Glock/Charles Pic)
Another team following the status quo. Has far more potential than HRT but fails to deliver and comes last again.
Equal best car in the field. Vettel heads into the final race locked in a championship battle with a to-be-named-later driver, bottles it and crashes. Webber still nowhere, finally gives up and retires.
MCLAREN (Jenson Button/Lewis Hamilton)
Slightly behind. Third best. Hamilton still as destructive as ever but blindingly fast on occasions, Button still scores more thanks to consistency.
FERRARI (Fernando Alonso/Felipe Massa)
Fernando Alonso is world champion at the wheel of the ugly duckling Ferrari. Felipe Massa is still crap.
MERCEDES (Nico Rosberg/Michael Schumacher)
They have a good car at the start of the season, and Rosberg wins in Malaysia. But it all goes downhill from there, slipping back in to the midfield. Schumacher is still nowhere and retires at the end of the year.
LOTUS (Kimi Raikkonen/Romain Grosjean)
Kimi Raikkonen beats the sh*t out of GRRRRSSSJJJNNNN but still only manages 2 or 3 podiums all season.
SAHARA FORCE INDIA (Paul di Resta/Nico Hulkenberg)
The budget limited team leaves their drivers hamstrung with an average car. They both drive the wheels off it however and edge Sauber and Lotus in the constructors thanks to a large haul of double points finishes throughout the season.
SAUBER (Kamui Kobayashi/Sergio Perez)
The car still isn't terrific, but Kobayashi manages a podium finish during the season. Perez however is more consistent and just edges Kobayashi on points at the end of the year.
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO (Daniel Ricciardo/Jean-Eric Vergne)
Backwards. The drivers are crash prone and slow. Only the woeful HRT and Marussia stop them coming last. They are to 2012 what Williams were to 2011. Vergne is so woefully inept they bench him for a few races in favour of Buemi, which also comes to nothing.
WILLIAMS (Bruno Senna/Pastor Maldonado)
The whole team sucks. The car is a joke, the drivers are a joke, the management are a joke, everything is a mess. They finish ahead of STR by actually finishing a decent amount of races, albeit not that high in the order.
CATERHAM (Heikki Kovalainen/Vitaly Petrov)
Petrov eventually secures the second seat over Trulli, and contributes a couple of points over the season. However, the excellent Kovalainen hauls the Caterham beyond STR and Williams in the constructors.
HRT (Pedro de la Rosa/Giedo van der Garde)
The status quo really. Two new drivers, same old results. Zero progress on track, another year spent building for the following season.
MARUSSIA (Timo Glock/Charles Pic)
Another team following the status quo. Has far more potential than HRT but fails to deliver and comes last again.
Last edited by Stramala on 24 Jan 2012, 03:38, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Ataxia » 24 Jan 2012, 03:37
Red Bull: They start well, Newey pens the RB8 as a development of last year's car, and Vettel picks up a couple of wins. However, the car is overtaken by McLaren and Ferrari in terms of pace midseason, and Webber outshines Vettel in the second half of the season. As he announces his retirement, Webber picks up a win at Brazil as one last hurrah.
McLaren: Starting off on a par with Ferrari, McLaren manage some wins and keep their car pushing Red Bull. Hamilton and Alonso duke it out for the championship, but some rain-affected races in midseason allows Button to creep in the mix.
Ferrari: Ferrari have a vastly improved car, and Alonso is easily fighting McLaren and Red Bull at the sharp end. However, this still isn't enough for Domenicali, who insists that the design team 'sort it out' and allows Ferrari to steal a march on their rivals. Massa is outscored by Nico Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen and leaves at the end of the season.
Mercedes: Mercedes are still fourth best, but Rosberg picks up a surprise win on home turf. Schumacher starts brightly, but tails off after Silverstone and calls it a day after Brazil. Ross Brawn is impressed with his new technical team who have something radical bubbling away for 2013.
Lotus: Raikkonen looks like he hasn't been away, and consistently scores points for the team. Grosjean starts off slow, but confidence builds after he hooks up some points finishes.
Force India: The young line-up prove quick and manage to outdo last year's total of points, albeit still finishing 6th. Di Resta gets the lion's share and is prized away by Mercedes. Hulkenberg is also impressive and is linked with Ferrari, but stays one more year.
Sauber: Kobayashi gets over his second-season syndrome and starts brightly again. Perez keeps him in check, but ultimately loses out on points. Although the car's development falls away as the season progresses, Kobayashi makes some progress and gets the car to where it shouldn't really be. Domenicali is impressed and gives him a drive at Ferrari.
Toro Rosso: Slow start, outraced by Caterham and Williams as Ricciardo and Vergne get to grips with the new car. Helmut Marko shouts a bit, and the drivers fare a little better. Only pushing the 20 point mark, though.
Williams: The Renault engine is easier for the technical team to work with, and the car is much more successful than in 2011. Senna easily beats Maldonado, who manages to score only 4 points. Senna manages over 20, and the technical team deem him 'a joy to work with'
Caterham: Kovalainen drives exceptionally, and manages to outscore both Toro Rosso drivers. Trulli complains about the power-steering again, and by Hungary Tony Fernandes has had enough. Petrov replaces him and ends the season on a high.
HRT: Don't score. Jan Charouz and Giedo van der Garde shootout for the second seat, but the car is just dreadful. de la Rosa wants out after Canada.
Marussia: Well, they get some minor points in a race of attrition through Glock. Pic is anonymous, he picks up a 10th place somewhere but generally goes the way of D'Ambrosio and Di Grassi.
There, most of it is what I want to happen rather than what is likely...but hey-ho.
McLaren: Starting off on a par with Ferrari, McLaren manage some wins and keep their car pushing Red Bull. Hamilton and Alonso duke it out for the championship, but some rain-affected races in midseason allows Button to creep in the mix.
Ferrari: Ferrari have a vastly improved car, and Alonso is easily fighting McLaren and Red Bull at the sharp end. However, this still isn't enough for Domenicali, who insists that the design team 'sort it out' and allows Ferrari to steal a march on their rivals. Massa is outscored by Nico Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen and leaves at the end of the season.
Mercedes: Mercedes are still fourth best, but Rosberg picks up a surprise win on home turf. Schumacher starts brightly, but tails off after Silverstone and calls it a day after Brazil. Ross Brawn is impressed with his new technical team who have something radical bubbling away for 2013.
Lotus: Raikkonen looks like he hasn't been away, and consistently scores points for the team. Grosjean starts off slow, but confidence builds after he hooks up some points finishes.
Force India: The young line-up prove quick and manage to outdo last year's total of points, albeit still finishing 6th. Di Resta gets the lion's share and is prized away by Mercedes. Hulkenberg is also impressive and is linked with Ferrari, but stays one more year.
Sauber: Kobayashi gets over his second-season syndrome and starts brightly again. Perez keeps him in check, but ultimately loses out on points. Although the car's development falls away as the season progresses, Kobayashi makes some progress and gets the car to where it shouldn't really be. Domenicali is impressed and gives him a drive at Ferrari.
Toro Rosso: Slow start, outraced by Caterham and Williams as Ricciardo and Vergne get to grips with the new car. Helmut Marko shouts a bit, and the drivers fare a little better. Only pushing the 20 point mark, though.
Williams: The Renault engine is easier for the technical team to work with, and the car is much more successful than in 2011. Senna easily beats Maldonado, who manages to score only 4 points. Senna manages over 20, and the technical team deem him 'a joy to work with'
Caterham: Kovalainen drives exceptionally, and manages to outscore both Toro Rosso drivers. Trulli complains about the power-steering again, and by Hungary Tony Fernandes has had enough. Petrov replaces him and ends the season on a high.
HRT: Don't score. Jan Charouz and Giedo van der Garde shootout for the second seat, but the car is just dreadful. de la Rosa wants out after Canada.
Marussia: Well, they get some minor points in a race of attrition through Glock. Pic is anonymous, he picks up a 10th place somewhere but generally goes the way of D'Ambrosio and Di Grassi.
There, most of it is what I want to happen rather than what is likely...but hey-ho.
F1RDS - Bringing fresh blood to RWRS since 2015
mario wrote:Jocke1 wrote:Don't poo poo one whole metre, UgncreativeUsergname.
Do you know how long that is for an ant. Or snail (Chilton).
It's almost the same diameter as Christian Horner's swollen ego...
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Ataxia - Posts: 2592
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by BlindCaveSalamander » 24 Jan 2012, 04:41
Red Bull: Favourites for both titles again, but will be under significantly more pressure. Vettel will be leading the charge, with Webber having a stronger season but will not be a threat.
McLaren: Both drivers will come out of the box strong, though one of them will assert themselves as the team's unofficial lead driver. A close fight with Red Bull for the Constructors' will ensue.
Ferrari: Alonso will turn out a brilliant season, dragging a car that is probably only 3rd-best on most weekends into championship contention. He will be Vettel's biggest threat in the Drivers' Championship, but Massa will have another hopeless year and may even be axed with a couple races to go as Ferrari give Kubica a shot to prove himself.
Mercedes: There will be the occasional flash of brilliance, but not much in the way of actual progress, as the team builds towards 2013. Neither Schumacher nor Rosberg look like the lead driver Mercedes need, and Schumacher will be replaced by di Resta for 2013, while Rosberg is given one last chance to prove he belongs at the top.
Lotus: On his day, Kimi will be mighty. His day will not come very often, though. Grosjean will be a solid points gatherer, and will prove he belongs in F1 with a couple of fine drives. The car will improve over the year, and the team will nip at the heels of Mercedes towards the end of the season.
Force India: Di Resta will continue to mature and grow as a racing driver, and will be rewarded with a Mercedes drive for 2013. Hulkenberg will be solid as well, but is ultimately beaten by di Resta. Nevertheless, he does well enough to stay and will be joined by Alguersuari for 2013.
Sauber: They will be in a season-long battle with Force India and Toro Rosso, but their success will depend on how aggressive they are with the car and strategies. If they play into Kobayashi's hands, then Force India need to watch out, as will Perez's Ferrari hopes. If not, then they will still put up a good fight, but one they cannot win.
Toro Rosso: The Toro Rosso will match up well against the Sauber and Force India, but the question is the drivers. Their success will depend on how well they both acclimatise, but I expect Ricciardo will be the team leader more often than not.
Williams: Atrocious and beyond hope.
Caterham: To no-one's surprise, Trulli is replaced by Petrov, who is beaten by Kovalainen, but not by much. There will be much celebration for them as their hard work pays off and they easily best the floundering Williams, occasionally mixing it with the Force India/Sauber/Toro Rosso tier.
HRT: The team starts to look like it might actually move forward. Though the car will still be arguably the worst, they will benefit from Pedro de la Rosa's experience, and things will actually look (relatively) bright for 2013. Giedo van der Garde will take the second seat and be very reminiscent of Karthikeyan - an obvious pay driver, but not embarassingly bad.
Marussia: The car will have some horrible teething problems, but there will finally be signs that they are on the right track. Timo Glock looks more hopeful, but Pic will be another seat-filler, and will be replaced for 2013 or even before then by Robert Wickens.
McLaren: Both drivers will come out of the box strong, though one of them will assert themselves as the team's unofficial lead driver. A close fight with Red Bull for the Constructors' will ensue.
Ferrari: Alonso will turn out a brilliant season, dragging a car that is probably only 3rd-best on most weekends into championship contention. He will be Vettel's biggest threat in the Drivers' Championship, but Massa will have another hopeless year and may even be axed with a couple races to go as Ferrari give Kubica a shot to prove himself.
Mercedes: There will be the occasional flash of brilliance, but not much in the way of actual progress, as the team builds towards 2013. Neither Schumacher nor Rosberg look like the lead driver Mercedes need, and Schumacher will be replaced by di Resta for 2013, while Rosberg is given one last chance to prove he belongs at the top.
Lotus: On his day, Kimi will be mighty. His day will not come very often, though. Grosjean will be a solid points gatherer, and will prove he belongs in F1 with a couple of fine drives. The car will improve over the year, and the team will nip at the heels of Mercedes towards the end of the season.
Force India: Di Resta will continue to mature and grow as a racing driver, and will be rewarded with a Mercedes drive for 2013. Hulkenberg will be solid as well, but is ultimately beaten by di Resta. Nevertheless, he does well enough to stay and will be joined by Alguersuari for 2013.
Sauber: They will be in a season-long battle with Force India and Toro Rosso, but their success will depend on how aggressive they are with the car and strategies. If they play into Kobayashi's hands, then Force India need to watch out, as will Perez's Ferrari hopes. If not, then they will still put up a good fight, but one they cannot win.
Toro Rosso: The Toro Rosso will match up well against the Sauber and Force India, but the question is the drivers. Their success will depend on how well they both acclimatise, but I expect Ricciardo will be the team leader more often than not.
Williams: Atrocious and beyond hope.
Caterham: To no-one's surprise, Trulli is replaced by Petrov, who is beaten by Kovalainen, but not by much. There will be much celebration for them as their hard work pays off and they easily best the floundering Williams, occasionally mixing it with the Force India/Sauber/Toro Rosso tier.
HRT: The team starts to look like it might actually move forward. Though the car will still be arguably the worst, they will benefit from Pedro de la Rosa's experience, and things will actually look (relatively) bright for 2013. Giedo van der Garde will take the second seat and be very reminiscent of Karthikeyan - an obvious pay driver, but not embarassingly bad.
Marussia: The car will have some horrible teething problems, but there will finally be signs that they are on the right track. Timo Glock looks more hopeful, but Pic will be another seat-filler, and will be replaced for 2013 or even before then by Robert Wickens.
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BlindCaveSalamander - Posts: 5219
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by JeremyMcClean » 24 Jan 2012, 11:46
Just thinking of making a thread like this.
Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren will be in the top three
Merc, Force India, Sauber and maybe Lotus/Renault behind them
Toro Rosso, Williams, Caterham/Lotus, HRT and Marussia are all at the back, in that order
Quick predictions:
Red Bull: At their top of their game, Webber retires
Ferrari: Alonso takes Massa to the dry cleaners, Massa gets sacked after this season
McLaren: No different from last season
Merc: See above
Force India: Improves, still no podium
Sauber: Improves from last year, maybe Kobayashi and Perez will be better, who knows
Lotus/Renault: Grosjean turns out to be rather good, Raikkonen obviously not quick to figure out Pirellis. Spins out frequently.
Toro Rosso: Finds out firing your best drivers wasn't a good idea
Williams: Hungarian investors buy into Williams stocks mid-season and the team magically improves, still finishes behind TR but in a good way because...
Caterham/Lotus: This team becomes shite, Kovalainen leaves, Trulli retires, and good laughs are had by all.
HRT: No different from last season
Marussia: See above
I will do more in-depth predictions when I have the time.
Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren will be in the top three
Merc, Force India, Sauber and maybe Lotus/Renault behind them
Toro Rosso, Williams, Caterham/Lotus, HRT and Marussia are all at the back, in that order
Quick predictions:
Red Bull: At their top of their game, Webber retires
Ferrari: Alonso takes Massa to the dry cleaners, Massa gets sacked after this season
McLaren: No different from last season
Merc: See above
Force India: Improves, still no podium
Sauber: Improves from last year, maybe Kobayashi and Perez will be better, who knows
Lotus/Renault: Grosjean turns out to be rather good, Raikkonen obviously not quick to figure out Pirellis. Spins out frequently.
Toro Rosso: Finds out firing your best drivers wasn't a good idea
Williams: Hungarian investors buy into Williams stocks mid-season and the team magically improves, still finishes behind TR but in a good way because...
Caterham/Lotus: This team becomes shite, Kovalainen leaves, Trulli retires, and good laughs are had by all.
HRT: No different from last season
Marussia: See above
I will do more in-depth predictions when I have the time.
dinizintheoven wrote:I've got one: "Reject Moments That Actually Never Happened, As Opposed To Those That Did And Which End With 'Oh, Wait!'" by the users of the F1 Rejects forum.
Trulli bad puns...
#TakiToFerrari
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JeremyMcClean - Posts: 3925
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Shizuka » 24 Jan 2012, 17:56
JeremyMcClean wrote:Williams: Hungarian investors buy into Williams stocks mid-season and the team magically improves, still finishes behind TR but in a good way because...
Who?
Stramala [kostas22] wrote:Giedo van der Garde - We expected crap from him, he has delivered crap so far. Well done on matching our expectations lad.
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Shizuka - Posts: 3286
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by solarcold » 24 Jan 2012, 18:32
Shizuka wrote:JeremyMcClean wrote:Williams: Hungarian investors buy into Williams stocks mid-season and the team magically improves, still finishes behind TR but in a good way because...
Who?
Investors, whose names should not be mentioned
"Here's your car. Go nuts."
Dallara, 2010
Dallara, 2010
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solarcold - Posts: 319
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by QuickYoda41 » 24 Jan 2012, 21:24
First of all, more improbable results, than last year. We'll see even a surprise in 4th place at one race or two. 
I expect also:
- A McLaren-driver winning the championship (they have the best line-up IMO)
- Both Force India-drivers getting out of reject status
- Sauber improving on tactics, scoring some great results
- Massa being replaced mid-season
- Lo... Caterham scoring points (I also wrote that last year, I hope I don't jinx it)
- Williams losing out to HRT or Marussia at at least one Q1
- Toro Rosso finishing the highest in WCC since 2008
- Marussia finishing ahead of HRT - both without points, though
- Raikkonen scoring some excellent qualifying results (second row, maybe once even first)
I expect also:
- A McLaren-driver winning the championship (they have the best line-up IMO)
- Both Force India-drivers getting out of reject status
- Sauber improving on tactics, scoring some great results
- Massa being replaced mid-season
- Lo... Caterham scoring points (I also wrote that last year, I hope I don't jinx it)
- Williams losing out to HRT or Marussia at at least one Q1
- Toro Rosso finishing the highest in WCC since 2008
- Marussia finishing ahead of HRT - both without points, though
- Raikkonen scoring some excellent qualifying results (second row, maybe once even first)
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QuickYoda41 - Posts: 1038
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010, 06:22
Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by mario » 24 Jan 2012, 22:03
Some interesting comments here I must say - for what it is worth, I'll chip in as well.
I definitely agree that, on paper at least, Red Bull look like the clear favourites, especially when their car is placed in the hands of Vettel - Newey has indicated that the new car will be an evolution of the RB7 (which is part of a string of successful cars), and although a number of changes have been made to the regulations that are likely to cut into their advantage (not just diffuser blowing, but also restrictions on engine maps, clutch control and small changes to the aero tests), the team have matured considerably and Newey is quite inventive. The only weak spot, though, is their management of driver strategies; their inherent speed advantage has saved them a number of times, but if the field were closer to them then you suspect that Red Bull might well have thrown away a few easy wins through careless decisions. Assuming that the field does close up on them a little next year, I suspect that Red Bull, though they've improved in that area, might well still find themselves throwing away points with poor decisions, and in a tighter championship that could cost them dearly.
McLaren, you have to assume, will be reasonably competitive, provided they can overcome their recent trend of a slightly weak start to the season and having to develop their way into the frame. I wouldn't be surprised if the team does have something slightly unusual up its sleeve next year, albeit a little less radical than some of their more recent inventions, and both drivers look like they will be strong performers next year (Button has been driving superbly last year whilst Hamilton seems to be overcoming his personal issues); whether they can maximise that potential is another matter.
Ferrari are possibly one of the bigger conundrums for this season - the rumours that have been coming forth from Piola recently are very interesting, and suggest that Ferrari have actually delivered on their promise of a much more radical car for 2012 (there is talk of major changes to the suspension layout, sidepod configuration, cooling systems and modifications to the floor). If they do manage to deliver, Alonso may well prove to be the strongest competitor for the title this year - hell, last year he managed to take podium finishes at places like Suzuka in a car that hadn't been developed since Hungary, and if the car is close enough Alonso could well be the victor this year. It's certainly the case that the recent rule changes are going to help Ferrari the most since they had a quite strong car last year despite not using the EBD extensively.
As for Massa, this is going to be a critical year for him - Domenicali has made it clear that Massa is driving for his career next year as the team are running out of patience, especially off the back of a fairly lacklustre 2011 (even allowing for Hamilton running into him on multiple occasions, Massa was at one point under threat from Rosberg in the WDC last year when frankly Massa should have been much further ahead of Rosberg).
Mercedes are probably going to be closer to the rest, but given their slightly more limited budget compared to the above three it is hard to see them making significant in roads. If the top teams slip up at any point they might sneak the occasional podium finish, and like Ferrari the rule changes should play to their advantage, but it's hard to see much changing nevertheless. As for the drivers, it'll probably be similar to this year; Rosberg being the better in qualifying but Schumacher making some of that back on strategy and race craft, with the difference between the drivers narrowing.
Depending on how much effort Lotus put into their ride height adjustment mechanism, their performance this year could oscillate quite a bit; the defection of a number of their designers to other teams is likely to hurt their development progress. It might well be another case of the team starting out fairly well, only to slide back down the grid as the cars are developed; if so, we might see Kimi becoming increasingly frustrated as the season goes on. As for Grosjean, I expect that he'll put in a better performance this year compared to his first attempt, but it may take him some time to settle in before he starts performing at his best.
Force India have some pretty aggressive targets this year, whilst the cash injection from Sahara seems to be resulting in an expansion of their facilities (they are thought to be working on a new wind tunnel at the moment, although they are waiting on planning permission). Di Resta seems to have calmed his driving down a little after a slightly ragged performance, whilst Hulkenberg will be eager to prove that Williams made a mistake in sacking him; overall, Force India does have enough potential for them to pressurise Lotus and Mercedes I reckon, though the inexperience of their drivers might mean that they aren't able to do that on a regular basis.
Sauber will probably have another fairly steady season this year given that there have been few changes to the team in the past 12 months; probably behind Force India more often than not, but probably ahead of Toro Rosso more often than not. Perez will be hoping to build on the solid performances he put in during 2011, perhaps with an eye on Massa's seat at Ferrari if things go well, whilst Kobayashi should hopefully be given more flexibility on his strategies and not hamstrung by being forced to stay out for so long.
I kind of expect Toro Rosso to fall back this year, like most posters; Ricciardo drove well on the whole last year, but in a much more competitive environment he could find things tougher, whilst Vergne's inexperience could see him making a few silly mistakes in the earlier part of the season. The influence of Red Bull - especially Marko and to a lesser extent Horner - could also be disruptive, given that Horner has already talked about how he wants to see the two drivers fighting each other; that doesn't sound like a particularly good recipe for strong inter team relationships. Red Bull are also thought to have helped themselves to a number of Toro Rosso's more skilled staff in recent years; that sort of policy may well start hurting the team in the longer term, especially if Red Bull keep on concentrating their resources and investment on the main team.
Sadly, I can't see Williams doing a great deal better this season - yes, the team have finally made the changes to their technical staff that they should have a number of years ago, and they have learned a lot from their mistakes this year, but it is a lot easier to fall back down the grid than to make your way back up it, especially given the changes and investment other teams have made in recent years. Hopefully Maldonado might not be quite so hot headed as he was on occasion in 2011, Bruno Senna may prove to be a blessing in disguise and the deal with Renault should lead to some improvements, but there are far too many fearing a slide and collapse rather reminiscent of the original Team Lotus or Tyrrell teams.
Caterham have a number of promising aspects for 2012 - the changes in regulations should bring them closer to the pack, their budget looks increasingly robust with sponsors flocking to their team and Heikki is performing very well (even if, somewhat ironically, it was Trulli who finished ahead of Heikki in the standings last year). The team probably will still be towards the tail end of the midfield next year, and more often than not out in the first part of qualifying, but occasional trips into Q2 on merit are possible; reliability has to be improved, though, because all their hard work could be undone if HRT or Marussia get a fluke high finish in a race of attrition. As for points, Caterham might be in a position to get close to the points occasionally but could come up just short (though I wouldn't mind being proved wrong on this prediction).
HRT are likely to treat 2012 as just another year they need to survive through, to be honest - the restructuring of the team has come at a particularly awkward time, the team hasn't really been able to invest all that much as loan repayments to Banco Popular and Carabantes seem to have swallowed up most of their budget last year, and they are still searching for a permanent base following the departure of Kolles and his staff (which also seems to suggest the team will have a shortage of designers to develop their car).
As for Marussia, I expect that 2012 may offer a small improvement but nothing too surprising. Symonds has revealed that their 2012 car is relatively conservative since the team want a reliable, solid car that they can clock up as much mileage on in pre-season testing as possible, so although it is likely to be fairly different to the MVR-02 it probably won't be especially striking or quick, but probably more reliable if nothing else. Glock is probably going to be fairly quiet as a result, and somewhat wasted on the team, whilst Pic may well make as much of an impression as the last two pay drivers the team has employed in the past; I suspect, though, that the team may well be ahead of HRT simply because they have suffered from less disruption in recent months.
I definitely agree that, on paper at least, Red Bull look like the clear favourites, especially when their car is placed in the hands of Vettel - Newey has indicated that the new car will be an evolution of the RB7 (which is part of a string of successful cars), and although a number of changes have been made to the regulations that are likely to cut into their advantage (not just diffuser blowing, but also restrictions on engine maps, clutch control and small changes to the aero tests), the team have matured considerably and Newey is quite inventive. The only weak spot, though, is their management of driver strategies; their inherent speed advantage has saved them a number of times, but if the field were closer to them then you suspect that Red Bull might well have thrown away a few easy wins through careless decisions. Assuming that the field does close up on them a little next year, I suspect that Red Bull, though they've improved in that area, might well still find themselves throwing away points with poor decisions, and in a tighter championship that could cost them dearly.
McLaren, you have to assume, will be reasonably competitive, provided they can overcome their recent trend of a slightly weak start to the season and having to develop their way into the frame. I wouldn't be surprised if the team does have something slightly unusual up its sleeve next year, albeit a little less radical than some of their more recent inventions, and both drivers look like they will be strong performers next year (Button has been driving superbly last year whilst Hamilton seems to be overcoming his personal issues); whether they can maximise that potential is another matter.
Ferrari are possibly one of the bigger conundrums for this season - the rumours that have been coming forth from Piola recently are very interesting, and suggest that Ferrari have actually delivered on their promise of a much more radical car for 2012 (there is talk of major changes to the suspension layout, sidepod configuration, cooling systems and modifications to the floor). If they do manage to deliver, Alonso may well prove to be the strongest competitor for the title this year - hell, last year he managed to take podium finishes at places like Suzuka in a car that hadn't been developed since Hungary, and if the car is close enough Alonso could well be the victor this year. It's certainly the case that the recent rule changes are going to help Ferrari the most since they had a quite strong car last year despite not using the EBD extensively.
As for Massa, this is going to be a critical year for him - Domenicali has made it clear that Massa is driving for his career next year as the team are running out of patience, especially off the back of a fairly lacklustre 2011 (even allowing for Hamilton running into him on multiple occasions, Massa was at one point under threat from Rosberg in the WDC last year when frankly Massa should have been much further ahead of Rosberg).
Mercedes are probably going to be closer to the rest, but given their slightly more limited budget compared to the above three it is hard to see them making significant in roads. If the top teams slip up at any point they might sneak the occasional podium finish, and like Ferrari the rule changes should play to their advantage, but it's hard to see much changing nevertheless. As for the drivers, it'll probably be similar to this year; Rosberg being the better in qualifying but Schumacher making some of that back on strategy and race craft, with the difference between the drivers narrowing.
Depending on how much effort Lotus put into their ride height adjustment mechanism, their performance this year could oscillate quite a bit; the defection of a number of their designers to other teams is likely to hurt their development progress. It might well be another case of the team starting out fairly well, only to slide back down the grid as the cars are developed; if so, we might see Kimi becoming increasingly frustrated as the season goes on. As for Grosjean, I expect that he'll put in a better performance this year compared to his first attempt, but it may take him some time to settle in before he starts performing at his best.
Force India have some pretty aggressive targets this year, whilst the cash injection from Sahara seems to be resulting in an expansion of their facilities (they are thought to be working on a new wind tunnel at the moment, although they are waiting on planning permission). Di Resta seems to have calmed his driving down a little after a slightly ragged performance, whilst Hulkenberg will be eager to prove that Williams made a mistake in sacking him; overall, Force India does have enough potential for them to pressurise Lotus and Mercedes I reckon, though the inexperience of their drivers might mean that they aren't able to do that on a regular basis.
Sauber will probably have another fairly steady season this year given that there have been few changes to the team in the past 12 months; probably behind Force India more often than not, but probably ahead of Toro Rosso more often than not. Perez will be hoping to build on the solid performances he put in during 2011, perhaps with an eye on Massa's seat at Ferrari if things go well, whilst Kobayashi should hopefully be given more flexibility on his strategies and not hamstrung by being forced to stay out for so long.
I kind of expect Toro Rosso to fall back this year, like most posters; Ricciardo drove well on the whole last year, but in a much more competitive environment he could find things tougher, whilst Vergne's inexperience could see him making a few silly mistakes in the earlier part of the season. The influence of Red Bull - especially Marko and to a lesser extent Horner - could also be disruptive, given that Horner has already talked about how he wants to see the two drivers fighting each other; that doesn't sound like a particularly good recipe for strong inter team relationships. Red Bull are also thought to have helped themselves to a number of Toro Rosso's more skilled staff in recent years; that sort of policy may well start hurting the team in the longer term, especially if Red Bull keep on concentrating their resources and investment on the main team.
Sadly, I can't see Williams doing a great deal better this season - yes, the team have finally made the changes to their technical staff that they should have a number of years ago, and they have learned a lot from their mistakes this year, but it is a lot easier to fall back down the grid than to make your way back up it, especially given the changes and investment other teams have made in recent years. Hopefully Maldonado might not be quite so hot headed as he was on occasion in 2011, Bruno Senna may prove to be a blessing in disguise and the deal with Renault should lead to some improvements, but there are far too many fearing a slide and collapse rather reminiscent of the original Team Lotus or Tyrrell teams.
Caterham have a number of promising aspects for 2012 - the changes in regulations should bring them closer to the pack, their budget looks increasingly robust with sponsors flocking to their team and Heikki is performing very well (even if, somewhat ironically, it was Trulli who finished ahead of Heikki in the standings last year). The team probably will still be towards the tail end of the midfield next year, and more often than not out in the first part of qualifying, but occasional trips into Q2 on merit are possible; reliability has to be improved, though, because all their hard work could be undone if HRT or Marussia get a fluke high finish in a race of attrition. As for points, Caterham might be in a position to get close to the points occasionally but could come up just short (though I wouldn't mind being proved wrong on this prediction).
HRT are likely to treat 2012 as just another year they need to survive through, to be honest - the restructuring of the team has come at a particularly awkward time, the team hasn't really been able to invest all that much as loan repayments to Banco Popular and Carabantes seem to have swallowed up most of their budget last year, and they are still searching for a permanent base following the departure of Kolles and his staff (which also seems to suggest the team will have a shortage of designers to develop their car).
As for Marussia, I expect that 2012 may offer a small improvement but nothing too surprising. Symonds has revealed that their 2012 car is relatively conservative since the team want a reliable, solid car that they can clock up as much mileage on in pre-season testing as possible, so although it is likely to be fairly different to the MVR-02 it probably won't be especially striking or quick, but probably more reliable if nothing else. Glock is probably going to be fairly quiet as a result, and somewhat wasted on the team, whilst Pic may well make as much of an impression as the last two pay drivers the team has employed in the past; I suspect, though, that the team may well be ahead of HRT simply because they have suffered from less disruption in recent months.
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning:
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
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mario - Moderator
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by AdrianSutil » 25 Jan 2012, 16:51
Another fantastic post from Mario. I could read what you write all day. I'll put mine up when I get the time.
For explanation on recent inactivity, please read 2nd post on 2nd page of 'just nipping out' thread. Thank you.
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AdrianSutil - Posts: 3226
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Wizzie » 25 Jan 2012, 17:09
I predict that P-Zero Brown will be phased out before the season ends
Martin Brundle, at the 2005 San Marino GP wrote:You can sort of imagine in four or five years time talking about these guys we've got on the front two rows of the grid today, can't you? They're very much the future of Grand Prix Racing.
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Wizzie - Posts: 11974
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by DanielPT » 25 Jan 2012, 22:16
Predictions? Scrap that! This is what will happen.
Usual order in the first tests with RBR, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Lotus, FI, Sauber,Williams, Toro Rosso, Caterham, Marussia, HRT. Boring really. And the FIA finds it boring too and as such it starts in a banning spree from which the likes of it have never been seen before. This makes the gizmos used by top teams useless and their cars, specially built for these, even more useless. The tradicional pecking order for the season is now in shambles.
Raikkonen emerges then as a world champion for the second time. He battles all season long with a super driver, a fusion between Perez and Kobayashi which Ferrari invented to find a space for Bianchi in Sauber. Bianchi turns out to be disappointing. This Sergio Kobayashi, an amazing qualifier possessing a peerless racecraft, ends up a very close second. Although Bianchi is bad, Grrrrjjjjnnnn is worse gifting Sauber its first WCC. He is replaced mid-season by Heidfeld who proceeds to be slightly boring but solid. Nevertheless Lotus ends up a disappointing second which doesn't prevent Bahar from partying until he dies from an undocumented case of extreme megalomania.
The third force is Williams, who, already not having a single one of those banned gadgets before the bans, end up with a surprisingly good car. Senna wins three races and Maldonado one, Monaco, in fantastic drive. Shame that he is absolute rubbish in every other circuit. He also spins in half the pit lane exits. They will edge a rejuvenated Schumacher who leads Mercedes to a battling fourth, with the help of Rosberg. Schumacher nails a surprise win in Germany and Rosberg snatches podiums here and there but still not that elusive win.
Fifth spot is a straight fight between Force India and Red Bull. The RB8 is a slick car although it doesn't work without a blown diffuser. Even so, RBR makes it fifth just one point in from of FI. Although it should have been much better because being stuck in the midfield desperated Vettel who crashed into Hamilton a third of the races. But there is still life in the old war horse, Mark Webber, as he leads the FI younglings and gives them a teaching. A word of praise for VJ Mallya who puts Karthikayan and Chandhok driving for him in the Indian GP. He got balls since FI finished scoreless that race. Oh what could have been?
In seventh comes a lone Caterham led by a magical Kovalainen. Magical is the word since, without ever appearing in a single GP footage/feed, he manages to put Caterham in high points finishes. Trulli complains at the end of a disastrous first race that even his vinyards could work better as an accelerator cable than whatever Caterham comes up with. He is promptly sacked and replace by a surprised Luiz Razia. Razia becomes some sort of a cult in this forum specially after seeing his super licence revoked half way the season. Since Heidfeld was already taken by Lotus at this point, Fernandes appointed some blond bearded bloke who looks much like the real Heidfeld and calls him Quick Heidfeld. A long court battle between Caterham and Lotus follows.
Eight and Ninth came McLaren and Toro Rosso respectively. The MP4-27 is a car with potential although the Battering ram they install in the car backfires badly due to some small miscalculations of weight. Since it belongs to the chassis they cannot remove it and write the season off as early as March. Hamilton has his fun though wrecking Vettel in a third of the races, Massa in a second third and still manages two 7ths and an 8th in the final third of the races where he manages to not DNF. Button never reaches the dazzling highs of 7th but still beats Hamilton due to his absurd consistency. He finishes 10th in every... single... race. Even at Monaco where there are only 7 classified finishes. As for Toro Rosso they got Buem... sorry Ricciardo who gets three low points finishes but is not enough to beat Alguersu... Vergne who shows flashes of brilliance amid erratic driving.
10th comes the last points scorer of this season... Marussia! Glock grabs his ninth spot at Monaco. His motivation is never questionned again. Pic is Di Grassi anonymous. Pat Symonds is proven right when he said there was untapped potential in previous cars. Potential enough for a ninth in a high attriction race and 10th place in general classification. Whoa!
11th is Ferrari. Pointless. It's sums their season and the amount of amassed points. Alonso, reaching final pre-season testing and having already puked twice previously due to the sheer uglyness of the car, gives up and donates his seat to Badoer following a failed facebook petition to put Luca on the HRT second seat. Badoer still outclassifies Massa in most of the races because Felipe is too busy crashing against Hamilton or being generally rubbish.
Finally, in last comes HRT. De La Rosa does a respectable job, but is unable to develop the car. It's decided to field a monkey in the second seat because, let's face it, it was impossible for anyone else to do better with the go-kart they fielded all season...
There. Let's see how many I get right...
Usual order in the first tests with RBR, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Lotus, FI, Sauber,Williams, Toro Rosso, Caterham, Marussia, HRT. Boring really. And the FIA finds it boring too and as such it starts in a banning spree from which the likes of it have never been seen before. This makes the gizmos used by top teams useless and their cars, specially built for these, even more useless. The tradicional pecking order for the season is now in shambles.
Raikkonen emerges then as a world champion for the second time. He battles all season long with a super driver, a fusion between Perez and Kobayashi which Ferrari invented to find a space for Bianchi in Sauber. Bianchi turns out to be disappointing. This Sergio Kobayashi, an amazing qualifier possessing a peerless racecraft, ends up a very close second. Although Bianchi is bad, Grrrrjjjjnnnn is worse gifting Sauber its first WCC. He is replaced mid-season by Heidfeld who proceeds to be slightly boring but solid. Nevertheless Lotus ends up a disappointing second which doesn't prevent Bahar from partying until he dies from an undocumented case of extreme megalomania.
The third force is Williams, who, already not having a single one of those banned gadgets before the bans, end up with a surprisingly good car. Senna wins three races and Maldonado one, Monaco, in fantastic drive. Shame that he is absolute rubbish in every other circuit. He also spins in half the pit lane exits. They will edge a rejuvenated Schumacher who leads Mercedes to a battling fourth, with the help of Rosberg. Schumacher nails a surprise win in Germany and Rosberg snatches podiums here and there but still not that elusive win.
Fifth spot is a straight fight between Force India and Red Bull. The RB8 is a slick car although it doesn't work without a blown diffuser. Even so, RBR makes it fifth just one point in from of FI. Although it should have been much better because being stuck in the midfield desperated Vettel who crashed into Hamilton a third of the races. But there is still life in the old war horse, Mark Webber, as he leads the FI younglings and gives them a teaching. A word of praise for VJ Mallya who puts Karthikayan and Chandhok driving for him in the Indian GP. He got balls since FI finished scoreless that race. Oh what could have been?
In seventh comes a lone Caterham led by a magical Kovalainen. Magical is the word since, without ever appearing in a single GP footage/feed, he manages to put Caterham in high points finishes. Trulli complains at the end of a disastrous first race that even his vinyards could work better as an accelerator cable than whatever Caterham comes up with. He is promptly sacked and replace by a surprised Luiz Razia. Razia becomes some sort of a cult in this forum specially after seeing his super licence revoked half way the season. Since Heidfeld was already taken by Lotus at this point, Fernandes appointed some blond bearded bloke who looks much like the real Heidfeld and calls him Quick Heidfeld. A long court battle between Caterham and Lotus follows.
Eight and Ninth came McLaren and Toro Rosso respectively. The MP4-27 is a car with potential although the Battering ram they install in the car backfires badly due to some small miscalculations of weight. Since it belongs to the chassis they cannot remove it and write the season off as early as March. Hamilton has his fun though wrecking Vettel in a third of the races, Massa in a second third and still manages two 7ths and an 8th in the final third of the races where he manages to not DNF. Button never reaches the dazzling highs of 7th but still beats Hamilton due to his absurd consistency. He finishes 10th in every... single... race. Even at Monaco where there are only 7 classified finishes. As for Toro Rosso they got Buem... sorry Ricciardo who gets three low points finishes but is not enough to beat Alguersu... Vergne who shows flashes of brilliance amid erratic driving.
10th comes the last points scorer of this season... Marussia! Glock grabs his ninth spot at Monaco. His motivation is never questionned again. Pic is Di Grassi anonymous. Pat Symonds is proven right when he said there was untapped potential in previous cars. Potential enough for a ninth in a high attriction race and 10th place in general classification. Whoa!
11th is Ferrari. Pointless. It's sums their season and the amount of amassed points. Alonso, reaching final pre-season testing and having already puked twice previously due to the sheer uglyness of the car, gives up and donates his seat to Badoer following a failed facebook petition to put Luca on the HRT second seat. Badoer still outclassifies Massa in most of the races because Felipe is too busy crashing against Hamilton or being generally rubbish.
Finally, in last comes HRT. De La Rosa does a respectable job, but is unable to develop the car. It's decided to field a monkey in the second seat because, let's face it, it was impossible for anyone else to do better with the go-kart they fielded all season...
There. Let's see how many I get right...
Last edited by DanielPT on 26 Jan 2012, 20:51, edited 2 times in total.
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by James1978 » 25 Jan 2012, 22:21
Can't say much that others haven't already but me and a mate always have a bet at the start of the year, we pick a driver each and bet on which of them will finish higher in the standings (except we bar each other from picking the defending champion). Last year he had first choice on a coin-toss, he picked Button, I picked Webber and I thought I was going to walk it. 
He always sticks with his winners but I'm going to chnage to Alonso (meaning I'll probably hopefully jinx him).
He always sticks with his winners but I'm going to chnage to Alonso (meaning I'll probably hopefully jinx him).
"If you don't stop pointing your finger at me, I'll snap it off and shove it up your arse". 
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by razta » 26 Jan 2012, 13:54
I'm going to be Proper Generic..
A Team will win the WCC
A Driver will win the WDC
A Team will out develop everyone else during the season
Some races will be spectacular
Some races will be dull and boring
A Team will win the WCC
A Driver will win the WDC
A Team will out develop everyone else during the season
Some races will be spectacular
Some races will be dull and boring
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Wizzie » 26 Jan 2012, 15:06
razta wrote:I'm going to be Proper Generic..
A Team will win the WCC
A Driver will win the WDC
A Team will out develop everyone else during the season
Canada will be spectacular
Valencia will be dull and boring
Fixed
Martin Brundle, at the 2005 San Marino GP wrote:You can sort of imagine in four or five years time talking about these guys we've got on the front two rows of the grid today, can't you? They're very much the future of Grand Prix Racing.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by razta » 26 Jan 2012, 15:36
Wizzie wrote:razta wrote:I'm going to be Proper Generic..
A Team will win the WCC
A Driver will win the WDC
A Team will out develop everyone else during the season
Canada will be spectacular
Valencia will be dull and boring
Fixed
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by mario » 26 Jan 2012, 19:28
DanielPT wrote:[...]There. Let's see how many I get right...
You may unintentionally have stumbled upon a few plausible theories there - that Lotus replace on of their drivers mid season (it is something they have done twice in the past three years), Caterham replace Trulli with Razia during the season after they are criticised once too often by Trulli (the fact that they have reputedly been offering his seat to other drivers suggests relations between him and the team are a little strained), and De La Rosa probably will do a respectable enough job for HRT but a lack of resources may well mean that he can't develop the car all that much.
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning:
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Klon » 26 Jan 2012, 19:39
Left-field theory out of nowhere!
I predict that the Valencia Grand Prix will be quite exciting!
I predict that the Valencia Grand Prix will be quite exciting!
Bruno Spengler does not approve of your tomfoolery.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by razta » 26 Jan 2012, 20:07
Klon wrote:Left-field theory out of nowhere!
I predict that the Valencia Grand Prix will be quite exciting!
With Rain!
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by AdrianSutil » 26 Jan 2012, 20:16
razta wrote:Klon wrote:Left-field theory out of nowhere!
I predict that the Valencia Grand Prix will be quite exciting!
With Rain!
And no bloody safety car start
For explanation on recent inactivity, please read 2nd post on 2nd page of 'just nipping out' thread. Thank you.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by DanielPT » 26 Jan 2012, 21:01
mario wrote:DanielPT wrote:[...]There. Let's see how many I get right...
You may unintentionally have stumbled upon a few plausible theories there - that Lotus replace on of their drivers mid season (it is something they have done twice in the past three years), Caterham replace Trulli with Razia during the season after they are criticised once too often by Trulli (the fact that they have reputedly been offering his seat to other drivers suggests relations between him and the team are a little strained), and De La Rosa probably will do a respectable enough job for HRT but a lack of resources may well mean that he can't develop the car all that much.
When I was writing it I thought that a few things might become true. And I kept throwing a few real predictions here and there. The ones you mentioned and then Schumacher winning (again), Rosberg failing to win, Grrrrrrjjjjjjnnnnnnn and Maldonado being crap, Heidfeld replacing someone (although very unlikely), Caterham in high points finishes (yes, I could go with that despite the ugliness of the car), Button beating Hamilton again, Massa being disappointing, Marussia scoring points (it can be a good prediction, just ask AndreaModa
) and both young Toro Rosso drivers ending up doing nothing much. See? Not everything is from an alternate universe! Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by dinizintheoven » 27 Jan 2012, 09:16
Whatever happens this coming year, I like DanielPT's version of events far more than I'm going to like the real thing.
Join the campaign to bring to the world of F1 Rejects racing, the unpleasant log laid by British Leyland after communism crept, like an itchy red blanket, over the shop floor. MORRIS MARINA FOR THE REECCS!
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Jeroen Krautmeir » 27 Jan 2012, 11:32
Let's see...
Somewhat possible...
Caterham will score at least 1 point.
Felipe Massa will win a race.
Williams will surprise everyone, in one way or another.
HRT will finish ahead of Marussia.
Vettel will crash out on his own accord at least once.
There will be no driver changes.
*runs away*
Somewhat possible...
Caterham will score at least 1 point.
Felipe Massa will win a race.
Williams will surprise everyone, in one way or another.
HRT will finish ahead of Marussia.
Vettel will crash out on his own accord at least once.
There will be no driver changes.
*runs away*
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"When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting".
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by AdrianSutil » 27 Jan 2012, 13:47
Red Bull: Sadly, another near-dominant season for Vettel again. RB8 proves to be a decent RB7-upgrade. With it, Vettel wins at least 10 races on the way to his third title. Webber begins the season strongly, before Vettel pulls away and Red Bull team-orders prevent Webber from attempting a half-decent title fight. Webber fails to Qin a race and retires at end of the year.
McLaren: With Button in the form of his life and Hamilton finally over his personal problems, both drivers take the fight to Red Bull, winning the Constructors title. Sadly, neither driver can challenge Vettle hard enough, but both pick up 3 wins each. Car proves to be blindingly quick on the faster circuits, taking a 1-2 at Monza.
Ferrari: Alonso and Massa fail badly. Car proves to be a dog and neither driver wins a race. Massa fails to score a podium all year yet again and is sacked at the end of the year. Domenicalli is also sensationally out of a job at seasons end, having taken full blame for Ferrari scoring less than 150 points.
Mercedes: Mercedes have an excellent year. Both drivers pick up a win, with Schumacher's coming at a wet Monaco or Spa. The car remains the most competitive in the field, with only 2 retirements for Schumacher. The team finish an easy 3rd, scoring nearly 300 points.
I'll do the rest tomorrow.
McLaren: With Button in the form of his life and Hamilton finally over his personal problems, both drivers take the fight to Red Bull, winning the Constructors title. Sadly, neither driver can challenge Vettle hard enough, but both pick up 3 wins each. Car proves to be blindingly quick on the faster circuits, taking a 1-2 at Monza.
Ferrari: Alonso and Massa fail badly. Car proves to be a dog and neither driver wins a race. Massa fails to score a podium all year yet again and is sacked at the end of the year. Domenicalli is also sensationally out of a job at seasons end, having taken full blame for Ferrari scoring less than 150 points.
Mercedes: Mercedes have an excellent year. Both drivers pick up a win, with Schumacher's coming at a wet Monaco or Spa. The car remains the most competitive in the field, with only 2 retirements for Schumacher. The team finish an easy 3rd, scoring nearly 300 points.
I'll do the rest tomorrow.
For explanation on recent inactivity, please read 2nd post on 2nd page of 'just nipping out' thread. Thank you.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by whatisdeletrazdoing » 27 Jan 2012, 23:34
The season gets cancelled halfway through because everyone goes blind looking at the ugly noses of the cars.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmaokoen/ Lego F1 Cars
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by East Londoner » 30 Jan 2012, 21:26
Gerhard Berger is predicting that this will be Schumi's last season.
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12472/7464117/Berger-Schumi-will-retire
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12472/7464117/Berger-Schumi-will-retire
The 1990s were better. Fact. And you bloody well know it.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by DanielPT » 30 Jan 2012, 21:38
East Londoner wrote:Gerhard Berger is predicting that this will be Schumi's last season.
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12472/7464117/Berger-Schumi-will-retire
That is really a brave prediction from Berger. There is nothing that indicates this except perhaps his pace, his age and his contract. In other words, not much.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Pointrox » 30 Jan 2012, 21:41
East Londoner wrote:Gerhard Berger is predicting that this will be Schumi's last season.
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12472/7464117/Berger-Schumi-will-retire
And he's right.
Unless he will manage to do better than finishing in the midfield (mind you that his best result so far is 4th in a couple of races), MSC won't last in F1 for long.
People say that he doesn't have to prove anything but he definitely won't stay with Mercedes if they won't make any progress in their third year.
"Not even Deletraz knows, why Deletraz does what Deletraz does"
Ayuda HRT!
Ayuda HRT!
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by FMecha » 30 Jan 2012, 22:29
Pointrox wrote:East Londoner wrote:Gerhard Berger is predicting that this will be Schumi's last season.
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12472/7464117/Berger-Schumi-will-retire
And he's right.
Unless he will manage to do better than finishing in the midfield (mind you that his best result so far is 4th in a couple of races), MSC won't last in F1 for long.
People say that he doesn't have to prove anything but he definitely won't stay with Mercedes if they won't make any progress in their third year.
Can we now nominate 'hang up the keys' now for Schumi?
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by S951 » 31 Jan 2012, 09:48
Rubens to get desperate signs for hrt scores point in first race nick heidfeld returns in some capacity to the dismay of the many
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by AdrianSutil » 31 Jan 2012, 11:09
Team Lotus:
I'm expecting a Slow start for both Raikkonen and Grosjean, until
both come up to full speed. Grosjean has a lot to prove, especially after his poor 09'. The car will be one of the quickest in a straight line but will again struggle on twisty tracks. Raikkonen to score a lucky podium at somewhere like Monaco or Singapore, whilst Grosjean picks up several minor placings. Another 5th place in Constructors beckons, especially after the team decide to halt progress after Monza.
Sahara Force India:
A line-up consisting of two drivers with just two years experience between them will show. Di Resta may get a 'second-season blues' whilst Hulkenberg struggles at first. They predicted 3rd but will end up 6th again. No podiums, although Di Resta unrejectifies himself by mid-season. Not expecting much change to last year, but will push Lotus hard for 5th.
Sauber:
Sauber will do two things: Either play the conservative role or let their fiesty drivers race hard. If it's the former, expect several minor placings and a quiet year from Kobayashi. If it's the latter, expect to see Kobayashi and Perez prove their worth in F1. Either way, both drivers impress with their overall pace and maturity. Car is also one of the most reliable and are a clear 7th.
ToroRosso:
The signing of Ricciardo and Vergne will prove to be the worst pairing since the 'pay-driver' era, as inexperience shows immediately. Silly spins, big crashes and lack of overall pace from the car keeps ToroRosso at the back of the 'established' teams. It's not until mid-season that points start to appear, a 9th from Ricciardo and a 10th from Vergne by round 11 give the team a much-needed boost. But they end the season 10th, and Helmut Marko finally regrets dumping Alguersuari and Buemi.
Williams:
Well, 2012 can't be any worse than 2011. The nostalgics soon stop banging on about Senna in a Williams long enough to give him some support, and he proves his doubters wrong with some early-season maturity, scoring a small handful of points by round 6. Maldonado too, proves he's improved a little, coring a couple of points by Silverstone. The team are short on money, sponsors and speed, but are reliable. 8th place is a good enough result on which to build on for next year.
Caterham:
Two years of progress finally pay off. Kovalainen continues his excellent performances in the back half of 2011 to spearhead Caterham's charge into the points. Car proves quick, but unreliable, and many times both Kovalainen and Trulli retire whilst running in 8th and 9th. It stays together long enough for Caterham to score a dozen points, and move about ToroRosso into 9th, a fantastic achievement.
HRT:
Pedro De La Rosa keeps a cool head, finishing most races and helping the development throughout the year. Unless there's another 'Canada 2011' HRT won't score any points, but overall improvement sees the team claim yet another 11th place.
Marussia:
Takeover proves nothing. Timo Glock proves he's finally had enough. Charles Pic proves to be crap. Car proves to be too slow, too unreliable and too aerodynamically indifferent. Bad first season for Marussia, the only way is up.
I'm expecting a Slow start for both Raikkonen and Grosjean, until
both come up to full speed. Grosjean has a lot to prove, especially after his poor 09'. The car will be one of the quickest in a straight line but will again struggle on twisty tracks. Raikkonen to score a lucky podium at somewhere like Monaco or Singapore, whilst Grosjean picks up several minor placings. Another 5th place in Constructors beckons, especially after the team decide to halt progress after Monza.
Sahara Force India:
A line-up consisting of two drivers with just two years experience between them will show. Di Resta may get a 'second-season blues' whilst Hulkenberg struggles at first. They predicted 3rd but will end up 6th again. No podiums, although Di Resta unrejectifies himself by mid-season. Not expecting much change to last year, but will push Lotus hard for 5th.
Sauber:
Sauber will do two things: Either play the conservative role or let their fiesty drivers race hard. If it's the former, expect several minor placings and a quiet year from Kobayashi. If it's the latter, expect to see Kobayashi and Perez prove their worth in F1. Either way, both drivers impress with their overall pace and maturity. Car is also one of the most reliable and are a clear 7th.
ToroRosso:
The signing of Ricciardo and Vergne will prove to be the worst pairing since the 'pay-driver' era, as inexperience shows immediately. Silly spins, big crashes and lack of overall pace from the car keeps ToroRosso at the back of the 'established' teams. It's not until mid-season that points start to appear, a 9th from Ricciardo and a 10th from Vergne by round 11 give the team a much-needed boost. But they end the season 10th, and Helmut Marko finally regrets dumping Alguersuari and Buemi.
Williams:
Well, 2012 can't be any worse than 2011. The nostalgics soon stop banging on about Senna in a Williams long enough to give him some support, and he proves his doubters wrong with some early-season maturity, scoring a small handful of points by round 6. Maldonado too, proves he's improved a little, coring a couple of points by Silverstone. The team are short on money, sponsors and speed, but are reliable. 8th place is a good enough result on which to build on for next year.
Caterham:
Two years of progress finally pay off. Kovalainen continues his excellent performances in the back half of 2011 to spearhead Caterham's charge into the points. Car proves quick, but unreliable, and many times both Kovalainen and Trulli retire whilst running in 8th and 9th. It stays together long enough for Caterham to score a dozen points, and move about ToroRosso into 9th, a fantastic achievement.
HRT:
Pedro De La Rosa keeps a cool head, finishing most races and helping the development throughout the year. Unless there's another 'Canada 2011' HRT won't score any points, but overall improvement sees the team claim yet another 11th place.
Marussia:
Takeover proves nothing. Timo Glock proves he's finally had enough. Charles Pic proves to be crap. Car proves to be too slow, too unreliable and too aerodynamically indifferent. Bad first season for Marussia, the only way is up.
For explanation on recent inactivity, please read 2nd post on 2nd page of 'just nipping out' thread. Thank you.
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Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by dr-baker » 01 Feb 2012, 05:02
Bruno Senna will score more points for Williams Renault (under any points system since the 1960s) than his uncle Ayrton did.
And he will NOT get any injuries whatsoever.
And he will NOT get any injuries whatsoever.
As hardcore as a peach...
West Cliff Results 2015
F1RM WEC: 1st (drivers)/2nd (teams)
F3RWRS: 3rd (drivers)/3rd (teams)
Whoop whoop.
West Cliff Results 2015
F1RM WEC: 1st (drivers)/2nd (teams)
F3RWRS: 3rd (drivers)/3rd (teams)
Whoop whoop.
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dr-baker - Posts: 8398
- Joined: 30 Mar 2009, 03:30
- Location: at my laptop
Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Klon » 01 Feb 2012, 06:29
dr-baker wrote:Bruno Senna will score more points for Williams Renault (under any points system since the 1960s) than his uncle Ayrton did.
That statement is both evil and tasteless ... I love it.
Bruno Spengler does not approve of your tomfoolery.
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Klon - Posts: 4205
- Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 03:07
- Location: Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein
Re: The 2012 predictions thread.
by Row Man Gross-Gene » 01 Feb 2012, 07:56
I predict that a GRRRRJJJJJNNNNNN restrospective of the type given to HWNSNBM will be necessary at the end of this season. Whether it will be because of a sterling performance or a terrible one, I can not say.
It's just unbelievable...that Formula 1 could be such a ridiculous melange of idiots.
-Jamie McGregor
Check out my colo(u)ring pages website: http://sites.google.com/site/carcoloringpages/
-Jamie McGregor
Check out my colo(u)ring pages website: http://sites.google.com/site/carcoloringpages/
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Row Man Gross-Gene - Posts: 367
- Joined: 04 Jan 2010, 04:48
- Location: Minnesota, USA
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