Predicting 2012 - how did we do?

[Mr Jack]

Now the seasons done it's time to look back at our pathetic predictions of how it would pan out before it started. The thread of predictions is here: 2012 Predictions.

I'll start, here's mine:

I don't think Red Bull will have such an advantage next year but I think it would take a brave man to bet against them taking another championship.

As such, I predict Red Bull will win the Constructors, and Vettel will take a third consecutive title. Hamilton will take second, and it will be decided with a race to go. Ferrari's money will let them cling on to third faced with a resurgent Mercedes. Back down the grid, Kimi's return to F1 will do nothing to restore William's flagging fortunes and Force India will take another step forward. Lotus will finally manage to mix it with the back of the longer standing teams. Kova will be spoken of in connection with a seat at a top team having restored his tarnished reputation by repeatedly putting that Lotus above its natural position.

Kubica will return to a Renault seat but it will not be the triumphant return we all hope for. A combination of physical and mental damage will stop him performing to his former standards. In the other seat, Senna will grow into a very good young driver indeed.

And, updated following testing:

Changes in team names/driver lineups aside I'm reasonably happy with the general gist of it.

I'm rather more optimistic that we'll see a genuine fight for the title now, McLaren appear to be more of a match for Red Bull than I expected. Kubica hasn't made it back, sadly, and Lotus (=Renault) are looking hotter than I expected, with Kimi meaning they have genuine talent in one of the seats again. Williams look doomed, to be honest.

Well, Vettel won and RBR took the constructors. Not too far wrong then! Hamilton's season didn't live up to the early pace of the McLaren and Ferrari/Alonso did better than I predicted. Mercedes were toasted by Lotus and Kimi drove a blinder.

I was pretty much completely wrong about Williams - not a bad season for them at all - and, sadly, Kova's pretty much out of F1 for good I think.

So, overall, not too shabby but it wasn't like I was predicting anything outlandish.

 

[Tute]

I'd like to see it a lot closer like it was in 2010 but my head says it'll be more of the same.

It was a lot closer, i'm happy with that. At the end of the day though, we do get the same (albeit deserving) winner that we've had for the past two years as well.

For that reason, I was rooting for Alonso. Next year I still think it'll be Vettel, for me the only combination that could have challenged was Hamilton in the McLaren (without the pit stop and reliability issues) but that's out the window.

 

[Jono8]

I thought Hamilton would win it this year but i underestimated just how bad his luck could get.

 

[Skeeter]

Reading back through that thread is quite lol.

I did predict Vettel would win, but will admit I had then totally written him off until Singapore. I thought Alonso had this one.

My comments about Merc needing to get serious and drop Schumacher for someone young and fast turned out to be on track. Just a shame it turned out to be Hamilton

Toro Rosso seemed to listen to me too

 

[sunama]

I went with:
Red Bull
Ferrari
Mclaren

Vettel
Alonso
Hamilton/Button

The only name that I got wrong in there was Kimi. I never knew he would come back as strong as he did.

 

[Glaucus]

Mm got RBR on top, I wasn't very committed.

I still think you will be on top.
The question is what will mclaren do.
I can only hope that they have a decent car to begin with, something tells me this won't be the case.
Ferrari I think will be the same, linger between 2nd and 3rd fastest through the season, but with a a win or two on the back of alonsos driving ability.
Mercedes to be solid 4th maybe just maybe pushing for 3rd in some races, but that's a big if.

There's not huge rule changes and we saw who lost out with otbd at silverstone .

 

[JeditOjanen]

I predicted that Vettel would be a ******. I demand neither prize nor acclaim, though, as it was pretty much a given.

Overall it was a very unpredictable season. I like seasons like that. I'm only irritated that Vettel won because he's such a child - none of the individual races or performances leading up to him taking the title were less than entertaining. And when you look back at a season and have to admit to yourself that Valencia and Abu Dhabi didn't suck, you know it was a good year.

 

[dannyjo22]

Red Bull
Ferrari
Mclaren

Vettel
Alonso
Hamilton

Job done.

I wasn't a million miles away and I was the only one mid season who said Alonso wasn't in a quick enough car, Mclaren would take points away from him and Vettel would win the title.

Sadly, I didn't put my money where my mouth was

I don't get how it's Alonso's to lose. The last races showed the car is no where near fast enough in normal running conditions. A red bull drivers/Hamilton should still take the title, because most of the time they will have track position on Alonso.

It will all come down to how fast they eat into that Ferrari lead and how many wet races their are. I think it's far from over and will take continued **** ups from the others for him to win.

Red Bull and Mclaren are still faster but can they make it count, I think they will in the 2nd half.

 

[Irish_Tom]

Dannyjo was definitely the closest!

I'd like it to be close like 2010 but I'm going to go with RB>McLaren>Ferrari>Merc.

I hadn't accounted for McLaren doing everything in their power to throw it away and I thought Mercedes would improve rather than go backwards.

I also didn't expect for Lotus-Renault to go from 73 points in 2011 to 303.

 

[GravyMonster]

- WDC: Alonso. Will win by less than 25 points, Vettel 2nd.
- WCC: Red Bull
- Team Lotus/Caterham will break into the mid-field with consistent 10th-15th finishes, plus score their first points.
- Massa to have a poor start and be replaced mid-season.

Got the right WDC protagonists, but wrong order.
Got WCC right.
Very disappointed with Caterham. I thought they would at least start to show some form of progress now. Happy they got 10th place back again though.
Was right about Massa... apart from him finding some form again from Japan onwards.

 

[Nismo]

I remember someone repeatedly saying Alonso/Ferrari would be fighting for the championship even after their awful winter testing when everyone was mocking them and saying they were nowhere.