Head-to-head predictions

[watka]

I know there are a couple of over prediction threads around but I want to ask a specific question; who will win the intra-team battles? Here's my predictions:

Red Bull: Vettel - by winning the championship last year, the team is going to back him and I think he's a slightly better driver than Webber
McLaren: Hamilton - he had the beating of Jenson last year. The 2 drivers have very different driving styles and I think the team would rather tailor the car to Lewis than to Jenson
Ferrari: Alonso - he is undisputed no. 1 in the team, although I expect Felipe to do better this year (I think he can challenge Button for 5th in the championship)
Mercedes: Rosberg - he was impressive last year and seemed to drive well in pretty much every race, Schumacher was far more unpredictable
Renault: Heidfeld - he's reliable and will make the most of his opportunity
Williams: Barrichello - he's still got it, and I'm not sure Maldonado will get to grips with F1 particularly quickly after so many years in GP2
Force India: Sutil - di Resta is completely unproven at this level, Sutil proved last year that he was relatively reliable (at last!)
Sauber: Perez - I KNOW I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT. I think Perez has lots of potential and will at least give Kobayashi a run for his money
Toro Rosso: 50/50 - very difficult to call. Alguersuari is maturing and I expect him to match Buemi this year
Lotus: Kovalainen - simply because he seems to be the more motivated of the 2 drivers
HRT: Liuzzi - he'd never live it down if he lost to Karthikeyan
Virgin: Glock - can't see D'Ambrosio being much better than di Grassi.

[dr-baker]

I know there are a couple of over prediction threads around but I want to ask a specific question; who will win the intra-team battles? Here's my predictions:

Red Bull: Vettel - by winning the championship last year, the team is going to back him and I think he's a slightly better driver than Webber
McLaren: Hamilton - he had the beating of Jenson last year. The 2 drivers have very different driving styles and I think the team would rather tailor the car to Lewis than to Jenson
Ferrari: Alonso - he is undisputed no. 1 in the team, although I expect Felipe to do better this year (I think he can challenge Button for 5th in the championship)
Mercedes: Rosberg - he was impressive last year and seemed to drive well in pretty much every race, Schumacher was far more unpredictable
Renault: Heidfeld - he's reliable and will make the most of his opportunity
Williams: Barrichello - he's still got it, and I'm not sure Maldonado will get to grips with F1 particularly quickly after so many years in GP2
Force India: Sutil - di Resta is completely unproven at this level, Sutil proved last year that he was relatively reliable (at last!)
Sauber: Perez - I KNOW I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT. I think Perez has lots of potential and will at least give Kobayashi a run for his money
Toro Rosso: 50/50 - very difficult to call. Alguersuari is maturing and I expect him to match Buemi this year
Lotus: Kovalainen - simply because he seems to be the more motivated of the 2 drivers
HRT: Liuzzi - he'd never live it down if he lost to Karthikeyan
Virgin: Glock - can't see D'Ambrosio being much better than di Grassi.

Apart from the Sauber nomination, I would actually agree with all of these. Even though I prefer Jenson to Lewis at McLaren.

[P_Friesacher]

Red Bull: Vettel - He might be the less consistent of the two finishing-races-wise, but he is more consistently quick
McLaren: Button - I like Hamiltons aggressive driving style and might be one of his few fans on this forum. But I think Button will be able to handle the tricky new tires better
Ferrari: Alonso - probably the quicker one of the two, regardless of Massa's form. (Much as I wish for a comeback by Felipe - the only part (including Semdley) of Ferrari I find genuinely likeable)
Mercedes: - Rosberg, in the end. Although it will be much closer than last season.
Renault: - Petrov underrated last year, might beat Heidfeld if he can repeat the form he showed in Budapest and Abu Dhabi last season.
Williams: - Barrichello is still quick, but I think Maldonado might surprise everyone with a few very good races, especially in Monaco, Valencia and Budapest.
Force India: Sutil - the less overrated of their two drivers.
Sauber: - could go either way, as Kobayashi has shown to be a good driver and Perez should also be quick. But in the end I'd guess Kobayashi an experience.
Toro Rosso: - Alguersaurus
Lotus: Kovalainen, since I'm not sure Trulli is still that much interested in it all
HRT: - If Karthikeyan can't find his British F3-form, it should be a clear win for Liuzzi
Virgin: - Glock, who is still a seriously quick and surprisingly motivated driver. That, and D'Ambrosio was extremely unimpressive in testing.

[Shizuka]

Red Bull: Vettel - He's prefered as reigning World Champion at start, but Webber might get a look-in which could be his final season.
McLaren: Hamilton - His fifth season out of five at McLaren. Do I need to say any more?
Ferrari: Alonso - aka Dick Dastardly, with Massa as Muttley without that infamous snickering.
Mercedes: Rosberg - But Schumacher WILL pick up the pace of him, but not enough to catch Nico in the end.
Renault: Heidfeld - Petrov might be faster out the box, but there's the P-Factor (Yes, P) of throwing his car into the wall. Meanwhile Heidfeld will be constantly bringing valuable points home, and could be surprising in rain. Malaysia 2009. Silverstone 2008.
Williams: Barrichello - If you give Rubens a car, he WILL be able to give informative feedback on it. Maldonado cannot really do that now. Williams need someone who can improve the car over the year and Rubens did so last season.
Force India: Sutil - Pianoman will be constantly sniffing around Q3 in a season which is the 5th consecutive for him at the team, but di Resta might catch up.
Sauber: Kobayashi - He's proving himself as a brave overtaker, capable of clinching points from even the back of the grid. Now if he gets a RELIABLE car from the outset, you might see him doing Q3s. A LOT. Perez will need time to settle in.
Toro Rosso: Alguersuari - Last season he could have had at least 10 points if he had better luck. The DJ guy will raise the tempo for sure this season and I think Buemi might end up being replaced mid-season...
Lotus: Kovalainen - Fireman with renewed motivations which seems to be a team-leader role. T128 with a better rear which is a definite plus. Trulli might be a better qualifier, but Heikki is going to show the team the way.
HRT: Karthikeyan in qualifications, Liuzzi in races - Narain will be topping Tonio over the qualify sessions, but he will hit back with better race pace.
Virgin: Glock - He's another team-leader driver, who should get a better seat later.

[TomWazzleshaw]

Glock - He's another team-leader driver, who should get a better seat later.

Glock to replace Schumacher at Mercedes. You heard it here first.

[Phoenix]

Virgin - Timo Glock, a no-brainer. d'Ambrosio is going to be utterly forgettable.
HRT - Vitantonio Liuzzi. He's not great, but he's not that bad to lose out to Karthikeyan...I guess.
Lotus - Heikki Kovalainen. He's younger, he's more motivated, and equally as good as Trulli.
Toro Rosso - Jaime Alguersuari. He's no slouch and last season proved he can have the measure of Buemi. Now he only needs to stop doing silly mistakes from time to time.
Sauber - Kamui Kobayashi. He's fast, wild, fearless and talented. Everyone loves him, and Pérez is a rookie, so it would be natural that Kamui had the upper hand.
Force India - Adrian Sutil. di Resta is a rookie, and Sutil is now pretty much part of Force India's furniture, having spent the last 5 seasons (or, in other words, his entire career) with the team. And last year was his turning point as a reliable and solid driver, and he's no slow either.
Williams - Rubens Barrichello. Maldonado may turn out to be good, but Rubens is the most experienced guy in the grid.
Renault - Nick Heidfeld. I expect Petrov to calm down this year to improve his finishing record, and Nick can be quick at times and will bring home a swag of points with his ability to finish races.
Mercedes - Nico Rosberg. Schumacher will be more motivated this time since it seems the Pirelli tyres suit his driving style better. However, these changes will also benefit Nico, and he's already a mature and fairly complete driver.
Ferrari - Fernando Alonso. He's better than Massa, and his ruthlessness will prevail yet again. However, I think Massa will be closer to Fernando this time.
McLaren - Lewis Hamilton. He's better than Button and that'll show, especially if the car is not very competitive at the first races.
Red Bull - Sebastian Vettel. I don't know how Webber will react to the fact he lost the title to Sebastian last year, but still I believe it'll be a close one. I choose Sebastian because he has the majority of his team's support and if his car doesn't break down he'll bring in the results.

[Ed24]

Red Bull: VETTEL - Webber showed at Bahrain, Australia, Korea and Abu Dhabi last year that he can't quite handle the big pressure moments, and I think that will be enough to put Vettel over the line.
McLaren: HAMILTON - Just like last year, I expect Hamilton to have a big raw pace advantage over Button, but Button will pull it back through his good temperament and less mistakes.
Ferrari: MASSA - There has been a bit of a curse on Ferrari's lead (numbered) driver since Schumacher left, and I think it might continue. Massa's due some good luck, and I think Alonso might lose his bundle if it doesn't go his way.
Mercedes GP: SCHUMACHER - This could be the closest battle of them all. The new tyre rules seem to help Schumacher, particularly giving him the oversteer tendency he craves. I think that he has been building up for 2011 for most of last year.
Renault: HEIDFELD - I think Heidfeld will, as usual, just continue to accumulate points throughout the year, without showing much out and out raw pace. Petrov showed some early signs in testing that he is still too erratic.
Williams: BARRICHELLO - Quite an easy choice, Barrichello's experience and racecraft will beat the erratic Maldonado over the season.
Force India: SUTIL - I think Di Resta will struggle for a while to get to grips with F1 racing after time in DTM. Sutil will probably be the least worst then, as I expect a poor year for Force India.
Sauber: KOBAYASHI - He has already proved he can drive to a strategy, which will be very useful in 2011. The only problem is the curse of the Japanese driver's second year. Perez will be rookie of the year.
Toro Rosso: BUEMI - Alguersuari looked good late last year, but I think Buemi is probably the better driver and will bounce back. It should be competitive, as both drivers are potentially fighting for a spot alongside Vettel in 2012.
Lotus: KOVALAINEN - I think Trulli will outqualify Kovalainen again, but I don't think he quite has the motivation any more.
HRT: LIUZZI - Liuzzi isn't quite as bad as some people think, and I think without some of the pressure, and being a team leader, will help him. Also, Karthikeyan will probably DNS quite a few races when he falls off the pitwall.
Virgin: GLOCK - I think D'Ambrosio will do better than Di Grassi, but Glock is a very strong driver.

[Cynon]

Red Bull: Vettel - As the reigning World Champion in a team that would rather him win than Webber... expect a lot of 1-2 finishes from Red Bull, but knowing how the team works, Webber's pit stops will just be that much slower.
McLewis: Hamilton - As much I like Jenson, the car is made for Lewis Hamilton rather than for Jenson Button and they are clearly not equal within the team...
Ferrari: Alonso - Massa won't be allowed to beat Alonso unless safety car shenanigans happen.
Mercedes: Rosberg - The car is made for Schumacher, and so are the tires, but Rosberg will beat Schumacher again.
Renault: Even Money - Heidfeld will probably have the edge over Petrov at first, but by the end of the year, Petrov, as the #2 driver, will beat Heidfeld. Despite this, the team will slowly slide back through the field.
Force India: di Resta -
Sauber: Even Money - Kobayashi is brave but inconsistent... but Perez will be no pushover. Will not be surprised if, by season's end, they're less than 5 points apart in the standings.
Toro Rosso: Alguersuari - Buemi is crap.
Fondmetal Team Malaysia: Kovy. No contest.
Hilarious Racing Team: Liuzzi. If he doesn't steamroll Indian Rain it will become so much easier to lampoon F1's talent pool as being worse off then NASCAR's truck series. Anyone who's watched that recently knows that NASCAR trucks have a field so weak it would have made the IRL in around 1999 look bad.
Virgin: Glock. Supporting the ex-Champ Car driver because D'Ambrosio looks like reject material. Here's to hoping D'Ambrosio brings us more entertainment than a thousand Deletrazes and a thousand Ides.

[Ferrim]

Red Bull: Vettel >> Webber
McLaren: Hamilton >> Button
Ferrari: Alonso >>> Massa
Mercedes: Rosberg > Schumacher
Renault: Heidfeld >> Petrov
Williams: Barrichello >> Maldonado
Force India: Sutil >> Di Resta
Sauber: Kobayashi > Pérez
Toro Rosso: Alguersuari >> Buemi
Lotus: Kovalainen > Trulli
HRT: Liuzzi > Karthikeyan
Virgin: Glock >> D'Ambrosio

[Dan B]

Red Bull: Vettel - He's the champion, and Webber screwed himself royally at Korea. Yes, Vettel might be too opportunistic at times (see Spa, Turkey), but getting to be champion isn't easy.
McLaren: Hamilton - Although I think this one will be close, considering Button protects the tires better. I'm going with Hamilton simply because he is a faster driver.
Ferrari: Alonso - Despite the pace Massa was setting in testing, Alonso and Ferrari made it clear he is the number one driver at that team. The only time Massa might win is either due to Safety Cars or if Alonso somehow DNFs.
Mercedes: Too close - The team is building the car around Schumacher, and the tires may fit Schumacher's driving than Rosberg. However, Schumacher has been woefully inconsistent last year, so who knows.
Renault: Heidfeld - He is the model of driver reliability. Sure he might not be fast, but he will gain points.
Williams: Barrichello - Maldonado is a rookie, and Barrichello is a very fast driver despite his age. I think this will simply be down to experience.
Force India: Sutil - See Williams. Sutil isn't a slouch, though it will depend on how the VJM04 handles.
Sauber: Too close - Kobayashi might have experience, and is not afraid to pass people in unconventional areas. Perez though is quick, and Kobayashi has done quite a few mistakes last year. I might give this one to Kobayashi, but not by much.
Toro Rosso: Too close - Alguersuari has matured quite a bit, and Buemi is becoming stagnant. I wouldn't be surprised to see Buemi sacked midseason, if he doesn't keep his pace up.
Lotus: Kovalainen - More motivated, and in general, a faster driver. The tires too might suit Kovalainen more than Trulli, considering the amount of bickering Trulli has said about the tires.
HRT: Liuzzi - If Karthikeyan beats him I'll laugh my head off.
Virgin: Glock - d'Ambrosio MIGHT be a better driver than Di Grassi, but Glock is a very strong driver and dependable team leader.

[Aerospeed]

Red Bull: Vettel - Webber will not have a good 2011.
McLaren: Hamilton, by five points.
Ferrari: Alonso - How many people other than Brazilians think Massa can win the championship? How likely is it for Massa to pull over to Alonso when he's in the lead?
Mercedes: Rosberg - When your teammate is old enough for the senior pension plans, I think the other driver looks better.
Renault: Petrov, but only because of Kubica coming in mid-season.
Williams: Barrichello - Maldonado's only a rookie, for crying out loud!
Force India: Sutil - See Williams, but for di Resta
Sauber: Kobayashi - See Williams, but for Perez Creative, I know.
Toro Rosso: Buemi, by two points. It won't matter anyways.
Lotus: Kovalainen - The first time I predicted Kovie beating his teammate! But it doesn't help when Lewis Hamilton has been your teammate for two years...
Virgin: Glock - He'd be fired if he lost to d'Ambrosio, and besides, you should see Williams for my reasoning against d'Ambrosio
HRT: Karthikeyan - I wouldn't be surprised if Liuzzi got fired/quit in the middle of the season!

[mario]

Red Bull: Vettel - he will be more confident now he is champion, whilst Horner has already said that the team will be structured around Vettel for the longer term. Webber has taken a step up recently, but Vettel can really pull out impressive laps in qualifying, and his weakness in close quarter racing might not be so much of a problem if the RB7 is as dominant as everybody expects.

McLaren: I think this will be close, because Hamilton will probably qualify better and have a slight initial pace advantage, but Button seems to be a better tactician and is generally much happier with the tyres. I think that Hamilton may just edge Button out, but it could be closer than some think.

Ferrari: Alonso - He is much more consistent, normally faster and has shown that he can manage his tyres well, which will be important this year. Coupled to the support he will get from the team, and Massa will have a big mountain to climb.

Mercedes: Rosberg - Schumacher seems to be much happier with the car this year, and with the way that testing has gone, has had more practise time with the latest upgrades. However, Rosberg has the advantage of youth on his side, whilst still being fairly experienced, and he seems happy with the car too. It'll probably be closer, but I think Rosberg will probably still be ahead this year.

Renault: Assuming no mid season changes, Heidfeld - Petrov is improving, but needs to work hard on his feedback and set up work. Heidfeld, by comparison, is much more at ease in that area, and having racked up some test mileage he should be up to speed.

Williams: Barrichello - he has been going through something of a renaissance, and is getting on very well at Williams. Maldonado might have plenty of experience in lower series, but you'd expect Rubens's experience to easily trump that.

Force India: Sutil - whilst Di Resta has had a reasonable amount of time in the cockpit for practise sessions last year, it'll be another thing to replicate that form in a race. Sutil is, it seems, calming down a little, so as long as he can keep it clean, as the incumbent he should have the upper hand.

Sauber: Kobayashi - again, being the incumbent and expected team leader should work in his favour, although there is the risk that the pressure of leading the team might be a bit too much for him. Still, he seems happy enough with the car, although Perez will probably push him hard during the season.

Toro Rosso: Alguersuari is improving, and pulled off some good moves last year, but Buemi managed to score more points nevertheless last season. There is probably little in it, although the possibility of moving up to Red Bull Racing, along with the threat of replacement by Ricciardo, might make both drivers push harder. I'm inclined to suggest Alguersuari, mainly because you sense that Buemi has perhaps taken it a little too easy at times in 2010, and may pay for it.

Lotus: Kovalainen - after taking a hammering at McLaren, he is refocussing and is bouncing back with enthusiasm. Trulli is not a bad driver, and can still pull out some very good qualifying laps, but Heikki seemed to be gaining the upper hand last year in the races, and you suspect that will continue into this year.

Virgin: Glock - He is more experienced, and a pretty good driver (the fact that Renault contacted him in the past shows that there are those who rate him out there), so d'Ambrosio won't easily beat him.

HRT: It should be Liuzzi, since Karthikeyan has been out of F1 for so long. However, with a conspicuous lack of sponsors, and concerns over the continuing financial viability of the team, Liuzzi is still vulnerable to being replaced by a pay driver unless Karthikeyan was utterly hopeless. Still, assuming that he lasts the season, you'd expect Liuzzi should beat Karthikeyan.

[IdeFan]

Red Bull - Vettel. I sat here for a while trying to come up with a compelling reason to write Webber, but its clear where the team's allegiances lie.
McLaren - Hamilton. Again, I'd like to see Button edge it but Hamilton has shown he can wring the best out of a mediocre car, whereas Button seems to suffer more than most when the car is not quite right.
Ferrari - Alonso. I'd be surprised if it wasn't in his contract.
Mercedes - Rosberg. As great as Schumacher was, he is past it now, Nico has lots of potential and shouldn't have much trouble dispatching old man Schumie for a second time.
Renault - Petrov. If he can keep it out of the wall, I think Petrov will have the edge, Heidfeld is mr consistent but if that were enough he'd have gotten a race drive without being a last minute replacement.
Williams - Barrichello. Unlike Michael, Rubens is showing few signs of slowing down, none of the GP2 graduates have really caught my attention this year, the Pastor spent four years in GP2 and was soundly beaten by Hulkenberg in the same team in 2009.
Force India - Sutil. I've never rated Sutil that highly but as Hulkenberg showed last year it is very difficult to jump into F1 and perform as a rookie, so i'd expect Sutil to edge it on experience.
Sauber - Kobayashi. Kobayashi's speed combined with Perez's lack of experience should make this a foregone conclusion. There are still question marks over Kobayashi's consistency but he did outscore Heidfeld during their time together last year.
Torro Rosso - Buemi. I don't rate either driver but Buemi seemed to have the edge whenever I noticed the Torro Rossos last year.
Lotus - Kovalainen. Trulli looked jaded and past his best 3 years ago, and things havn't got much better, whereas Kovey is a hard charger who still has something to prove.
Virgin - Glock. Glock managed to impress me at Toyota (no mean feat given their anonymity) and he deserves a better drive.
HRT - Liuzzi. He might be reject of the year, but he still has more than enough talent to overcome Karthikeyan, who I don't expect to see out the year.

[Dj_bereta]

Red Bull: Vettel
Mclaren: Hamilton
Ferrari: Massa. 2008-Esque.
Mercedes: Rosberg
Renault: Heidfeld
Williams: Barrichello
Force India: Sutil
Sauber: Kobayashi
STR: very difficult to say, but I go with Buemi.
Lotus: Kovalainen
Hispania: Luizzi
Virgin: Glock

[DanielPT]

Red Bull: Vettel - He is the champion. He is motivated. The next step is to become the team leader. I expect him to do it this year.
Mclaren: Button - Button had the input to this car which I expect to suit him better. Given that tyre management is looking crucial this season and that is Button strongest asset, in the end of the season Button should have the upper hand. Hamilton will still be better in qualifying though!
Ferrari: Alonso. - Massa only win is the Oscar for the best supporting driver.
Mercedes: Schumacher - The car looks like it suits Schumacher better than Rosberg as their press comments support. I think Schumacher will be stronger this year. Enough to beat Rosberg? We will see...
Renault: Heidfeld - You cannot beat your team mate if you keep crashing your car, Petrov.
Williams: Barrichello - Barrichello had the better of Hülkenberg. Maldonado is not better than Hülkenberg...
Force India: Sutil - Sutil experience will prevail this year. But I expect it to be harder than with Liuzzi last year.
Sauber: Kobayashi - Go Kobayashi!
STR: Alguersuari - Alguersuari should keep improving in yet another year while I think Buemi keep standing still. The major doubt is to see if Buemi finishes the season or not.
Lotus: Kovalainen - Trulli unofficially retired last year.
Hispania: Luizzi - Karthikayan is only there because of the money.
Virgin: Glock - D'Ambrosio is a rookie. Glock should win easily.

[FullMetalJack]

I know there are a couple of over prediction threads around but I want to ask a specific question; who will win the intra-team battles? Here's my predictions:

Red Bull: Vettel - by winning the championship last year, the team is going to back him and I think he's a slightly better driver than Webber
McLaren: Hamilton - he had the beating of Jenson last year. The 2 drivers have very different driving styles and I think the team would rather tailor the car to Lewis than to Jenson
Ferrari: Alonso - he is undisputed no. 1 in the team, although I expect Felipe to do better this year (I think he can challenge Button for 5th in the championship)
Mercedes: Rosberg - he was impressive last year and seemed to drive well in pretty much every race, Schumacher was far more unpredictable
Renault: Heidfeld - he's reliable and will make the most of his opportunity
Williams: Barrichello - he's still got it, and I'm not sure Maldonado will get to grips with F1 particularly quickly after so many years in GP2
Force India: Sutil - di Resta is completely unproven at this level, Sutil proved last year that he was relatively reliable (at last!)
Sauber: Perez - I KNOW I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT. I think Perez has lots of potential and will at least give Kobayashi a run for his money
Toro Rosso: 50/50 - very difficult to call. Alguersuari is maturing and I expect him to match Buemi this year
Lotus: Kovalainen - simply because he seems to be the more motivated of the 2 drivers
HRT: Liuzzi - he'd never live it down if he lost to Karthikeyan
Virgin: Glock - can't see D'Ambrosio being much better than di Grassi.

Apart from the Sauber nomination, I would actually agree with all of these. Even though I prefer Jenson to Lewis at McLaren.

What Dr Baker said, I also prefer Jenson to Lewis. But I can't call the Toro Rosso one, they'll be quite even.

[WIDD]

Red Bull: Vettel, I can't see Webber matching him this year unfortunately.

Ferrari: Alonso, I think he destroyed Massa psychologically last year, and I don't think Massa has the mentality to fight back against Alonso, far too strong!

McLaren: Hamilton, but if Button's skills in preserving tyres come into play it could be very close.

Mercedes: This could be really, really close. My heart say Schumacher, and I really, really hope he can beat Nico. Unfortunately, I think Rosberg might just have a little too much, given Schumacher is undoubtedly nowhere near being the force he was 10 years ago.

Williams: Barrichello, Maldonado to struggle and Williams really regretting getting rid of The Hulk.

Torro Rosso: Alguersuari, I think he improved last year and had some impressive drives, and I think he'll better Buemi.

Renault: Heidfeld, hands down. In my opinion very underrated, when he was team mates with Kubica was more or less on par, yet never got the same recognition, although admittedly is far older.

Force India: Sutil, although I hope Di Resta has what it takes, fellow Scot and all!

Sauber: Kobayashi, but I really don't know a lot about Perez.

Lotus: Kovalainen, by a hundred miles, whatever Trulli had was lost long ago.

Virgin: Glock, should be in the higher levels of teams.

HRT: Liuzzi, not that it will make any difference I fear!

[Salamander]

Red Bull: Although I really want to say Webber, I think winning the World Championship[ can only make Vettel mopre confident. I do hope I'm proven wrong, though.
Ferrari: Alonso, Massa was broken last year, he'll only ever be a shadow of his former self now.
McLaren: Depending on how both drivers handle the tyres, it could go either way. right now though, I'd say Hamilton, but I wouldn't bet on it until after Melbourne
Mercedes: Rosberg. He trounced Schumacher last year, which, like Vettel, can only make him more confident. Schumacher will be more competitive, but he won't be able to genuinely match Rosberg on all but his very best of days.
Williams: Barrichello, I see no great talent in Maldonado.
Torro Rosso: Alguersuari, Buemi is stuck in a rut, whilst Alguersuari is showing signs of improvement.
Renault: Really depends on if and when Kubica comes back this year. Assuming no return from Kubica, Heidfeld should have it, but if he does come back, then Petrov should just edge the pair of them, though I'd imagine that the combined Heidfeld/Kubica total would exceed Petrov's.
Force India: Sutil, he's been there forever, but I think Di Resta can give him a run for his money.
Sauber: Kobayashi, again, I see no great talent in Perez.
Lotus: Kovalainen, Trulli is really just making up the numbers now.
Virgin: Glock, it's a travesty he's this far down the grid, and I think he'll prove it this year.
HRT: Karthikeyan, because I can.

[TomWazzleshaw]

Time to have a crack at this:

Red Bull: Vettel. I honestly can't see Webber toppling Vettel this year. The team is gearing around the German and winning last year's title will only make him stronger.

Ferrari: Massa. I know this is a huge gamble considering it's effectively team Fernando but Felipe seems much happier on the Pirellis than he ever did on the Bridgestones so I predict an upset of 2008 proportions.

McLaren: Button, just. This is the most evenly matched driver lineup of the lot but I think Hamilton will end up overcompensating for the car early on while Jenson's smoother driving style will give him an early advantage which he maintain throughout the season.

Mercedes: Rosberg. The Mercedes has improved considerably during the course of the final test and I expect Nico to be leading the challenge ahead of his more illustrious teammate. Infact I predict that Rosberg will be a dark horse for a championship challenge.

Renault: Heidfeld. Fairly self explantory really as I can't help but feel Petrov will have another year giving Eric and co a massive repair bill although Petrov will beat Heidfeld on occasion.

Williams: Barrichello. I don't see Maldonado pulling anything special out of the hat.

Force India: Sutil, Just. Sutil has been part of Force India furniture since the dawn of time but I see Di Resta running him much closer than Tonio ever did.

Sauber: Kobayashi. See Williams

Toro Rosso: Alguersuari. Jaime showed improvement and Heidfeld-like consistancy last season while Buemi seems to have stood still.

Lotus: Kovalainen. To be honest the only seat left for Trulli after this season is one in a retirement home. NASCAR is calling Jarno.

Virgin: Glock. I see D'Ambrosio fast turning into another Lucas Di Grassi. And that's not a good thing.

HRT: Karthikeyan. Just because it'ld be funny as hell if it happens

[Ed24]

So Maldonado, Trulli and D'Ambrosio are the collective nominations for DBTMotY - 0 votes between them.

[Eryx]

Red Bull : its a bit to close to call with these 2 i want Webber to win though, the fact is both show out n out raw pace but at different times Monaco for example for Webber.
Mclaren : Button without a shadow of a doubt hell be able to conserve his tyres more.
Ferrari : Alonso may be a arrogant p***k but he is good none the less.Massa will just lose his confidence again.
Mercedes : Rosberg ...i mean come on...
Renault : Petrov is maturing you cant justify the fact he made mistakes because EVERY driver has made silly mistakes.
Sauber : Kobayashi...
Williams : Barrichello
Force India : Sutil...he may have his bad moments but when hes on form he flies.
Toro Rosso : Alguersuari ...Buemi never capitalised on his moments well enough, whenever jaime got an opportunity he flew. even iffit was to 9th or 10th the car just wasnt quick enough to get further up.
Lotus : Kovalinen, Trulli just seems to be less motivated.
HRT : Liuzzi not that it matters they are both unworthy contenders. ( in my view )
Virgin: Ambrisio may surprise because he was VERY close to Glock whenever he got a chance to do a practice session , however Glock will have the upperhand because...its Glock

[tristan1117]

Red Bull: Vettel
Ferrari: Alonso, Massa hasn't been the same since the accident. He'll still have a good year in win a few races (I hope).
Mclaren: Hamilton
Mercedes: Rosberg, I think Rosberg could win a race this year if he's lucky, Schumi will have a tough time catching him.
Williams: Barrichello, all I can say is, ONE MORE YEAR!
STR: Alguersuari, looking like a quality young driver after his rookie mistakes.
Renault: Heidfeld, Petrov is too inconsistent.
Sauber: Kobayashi, this battle will be evenly matched, but I think Kobayashi will win by a hair.
Force India: Sutil, but Di Resta will definitely beat him on a few occasions.
Lotus: Kovalainen, points anyone?
Virgin: Glock, Glock is very underrated in my opinion and he will easily defeat d'Ambrosio
HRT: Karthikeyan!

[Kobacrashi]

I think the only inter.team battle left to resolve is Mercedes. And after Ross brawns winter reverse pulico-crap I think the Mercedes is the car to beat. So the question of who is the best driver becomes important. I think Schumacher will wipe the floor personally as I can't see rosberg mounting a championship challenge as he is still to win.

I think Schumacher will be 2011 champion. ( I have bet £50 at 12\1 on it).

It all seems so obvious to me and I will justify it later.

[Ferrim]

I think the only inter.team battle left to resolve is Mercedes. And after Ross brawns winter reverse pulico-crap I think the Mercedes is the car to beat. So the question of who is the best driver becomes important. I think Schumacher will wipe the floor personally as I can't see rosberg mounting a championship challenge as he is still to win.

I don't get why do you think that, but your post has made me think when was the last time that a driver who was winless at the start of the season won the championship. Alonso had won a race before 2005, as well as Button before 2009. Häkkinen had won before 1998 -the last race of 1997!-. It has to be Rosberg in 1982 I think (and he nearly managed to finish his championship season and be winless still )

[TomWazzleshaw]

I think the only inter.team battle left to resolve is Mercedes. And after Ross brawns winter reverse pulico-crap I think the Mercedes is the car to beat. So the question of who is the best driver becomes important. I think Schumacher will wipe the floor personally as I can't see rosberg mounting a championship challenge as he is still to win.

I don't get why do you think that, but your post has made me think when was the last time that a driver who was winless at the start of the season won the championship. Alonso had won a race before 2005, as well as Button before 2009. Häkkinen had won before 1998 -the last race of 1997!-. It has to be Rosberg in 1982 I think (and he nearly managed to finish his championship season and be winless still )

Is history destined to repeat itself?

[Phoenix]

I think the only inter.team battle left to resolve is Mercedes. And after Ross brawns winter reverse pulico-crap I think the Mercedes is the car to beat. So the question of who is the best driver becomes important. I think Schumacher will wipe the floor personally as I can't see rosberg mounting a championship challenge as he is still to win.

I don't get why do you think that, but your post has made me think when was the last time that a driver who was winless at the start of the season won the championship. Alonso had won a race before 2005, as well as Button before 2009. Häkkinen had won before 1998 -the last race of 1997!-. It has to be Rosberg in 1982 I think (and he nearly managed to finish his championship season and be winless still )

Jack Brabham, Graham Hill and Denny Hulme were also winless before becoming World Champions, but of course those were other times...

[thehemogoblin]

Red Bull: Vettel
Ferrari: Alonso
McLaren: Hamilton
Mercedes: Rosberg
Williams: Barrichello
STR: Alguersuari
Renault: Heidfeld
Sauber: Kobayashi
Force India: Sutil
Lotus: Kovalainen
Virgin: Glock
HRT: Liuzzi

[Ed24]

but your post has made me think when was the last time that a driver who was winless at the start of the season won the championship

I'll be the smart arse and say Farina

[FullMetalJack]

Red Bull - Vettel
McLaren - Hamilton
Ferrari - Alonso
Mercedes - Don't know
Renault - Heidfeld
Williams - Barrichello
Force India - Sutil (But I could see Di Resta giving him a run for his money)
Sauber - Kobayashi
Toro Rosso - Too close to call
Lotus - Kovalainen (But it will be quite close)
HRT - Who cares?
Virgin - Glock (Obviously)

[golic_2004]

I know there are a couple of over prediction threads around but I want to ask a specific question; who will win the intra-team battles? Here's my predictions:

Red Bull: Vettel - by winning the championship last year, the team is going to back him and I think he's a slightly better driver than Webber
McLaren: Hamilton - he had the beating of Jenson last year. The 2 drivers have very different driving styles and I think the team would rather tailor the car to Lewis than to Jenson
Ferrari: Alonso - he is undisputed no. 1 in the team, although I expect Felipe to do better this year (I think he can challenge Button for 5th in the championship)
Mercedes: Rosberg - he was impressive last year and seemed to drive well in pretty much every race, Schumacher was far more unpredictable
Renault: Heidfeld - he's reliable and will make the most of his opportunity
Williams: Barrichello - he's still got it, and I'm not sure Maldonado will get to grips with F1 particularly quickly after so many years in GP2
Force India: Sutil - di Resta is completely unproven at this level, Sutil proved last year that he was relatively reliable (at last!)
Sauber: Perez - I KNOW I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT. I think Perez has lots of potential and will at least give Kobayashi a run for his money
Toro Rosso: 50/50 - very difficult to call. Alguersuari is maturing and I expect him to match Buemi this year
Lotus: Kovalainen - simply because he seems to be the more motivated of the 2 drivers
HRT: Liuzzi - he'd never live it down if he lost to Karthikeyan
Virgin: Glock - can't see D'Ambrosio being much better than di Grassi.

Apart from the Sauber nomination, I would actually agree with all of these. Even though I prefer Jenson to Lewis at McLaren.

Same here