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With the 2013 grid taking shape, there are, in my view, some interesting battles between teammates to look forward to. Feel free to share and discuss the teammate battles you most look toward to next year!

2013 Teammate battles I am excited for:

McLaren: Jenson Button vs Sergio Perez

Why: McLaren's number one faces off against their new young gun. Jenson will be keen to stamp his authority while Sergio will work hard to show his quality. I expect Jenson to be better initially but Sergio will catch up,I believe.

Mercedes: Nico Rosberg vs Lewis Hamilton

Why:A defining year for both. Many have yet to make up their minds on how good Nico is, and how he does against arguably the fastest driver on the grid will make things clearer. As for Lewis, he will be keen to get on with the job of leading Mercedes to the front, but to do that,he must overcome Nico first.I expect Lewis to ultimately win this one.

Williams: Pastor Maldonado vs Valterri Bottas

Why:Pastor is good, no doubt.Valterri is much-vaunted. It will be key for Pastor to be less error-prone and for Valterri to get up to speed quickly. Either way, I have hope for both of them and think it will end up being tight.

Toro Rosso: Jean-Eric Vergne vs Daniel Ricciardo


Why: F1's two baby Red Bull drivers did well to be retained at the notoriously tough Toro Rosso team. Dani qualified better, JEV scored more points. Bring on round 2.

Hamilton vs Rosberg will be the most exciting pair top observe.

I just hope Massa has got his mojo back to take on Alonso.

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minus Vettel

Jenson vs Perez

the most experienced driver coming up against a solid, young newcomer. Jenson has already proved his quality but if he loses this one out it will be costly mainly because at his age everyone is looking for the next best thing. Perez will want to show he is not just a spectator and this will be his best chance to start winning and do a Vettel. I am rooting for Jenson

Webber vs Vettel

Webber is solid and a match for Vettel, for about half a season. maybe he can go one better. I am rooting for Webbo here

Hamilton vs Rosberg

by far the most interesting one, both have qualy pace. We know Lewis is to tier, but where is Rosberg? i think Rosberg has most to lose on this one and will be looking to show why he is WDC material. We are the winners of this matchup just to know how good Rosberg really is, a part of me thinks he is better than most think

Vergne vs Ricciardo

both highly rated youngsters and will both be aiming for Webber's seat having got their rookie year behind them.

Most interesting for me: Button-Perez and Hamilton-Rosberg
Than, can Massa be on top from the start of the season? He proved that he can be equally or faster than Alonso.

From the midfield, Maldonado-Bottas and Di Resta - Mister X.

I wonder why no one has mentioned Raikkonen & Grosjean? Personally, I find that battle most interesting because IMO Lotus, having done probably better than they expected themselves in 2012, will try to provide a better car. Raikkonen IMO will do even better now that he is settled back in F1 while we know that Grosjean can be very good from the second lap onwards.

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Vettel / Raikkonen / Button

I agree, i forgot about this one. I think this is even more interesting than Hamilton vs Rosberg for me.

I like both Kimi and RoGro and will be rooting for Ro

Hamilton vs. Rosberg

Massa vs. Alonso

Perez vs. Button

Maldonado vs. Bottas

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Supporter of:

Fernando Alonso
Pastor Maldonado
Sergio Perez
Michael Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton

Almost all of them really.

JEV and Dani - will they be so even this year? will one pull ahead? will they both get better?

Kimi and RoGro - Kimi can only get better, will RoGro improve his race craft and capitalize on all that speed?

Pasta and #BOTTAS - I think by the european races Bottas will be killing Pasta, but where on the grid that puts him depends on the car

Pic and Mystery Driver #1 - Will Charlpeek look any better in a Caterham than he did in the Marussia?

Paul and Mystery Driver #2 - Can Paul have a really strong and consistent year to validate the hype and put down his nay sayers?

Fernando and Felipe - Can Felipe carry on his end of 2012 form? Will Fernando be defeated from another lost title? Will Ferrari have improved the car's dry performance? Will it maintain its reliability?

Lewis and Nico - Obvious.

Max and Glocktower - How good IS max? I don't have high hopes, but I also think Timo doesn't try very hard.

JB and Sergio - Will JB be given a run for his money? Will either or both improve quali form?

Seb and Mahk - Same old.

Hulk and Gutierrez - Nico to continue from 2012 high? How good is the rookie? How will they do as two new guys to the team?

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Two most exciting for me will be Ferrari's and Mercedes'.

Hamilton and Rosberg will personally give me some idea of how well MSC actually was performing in his comeback years.

I will be very much interested in Ferrari as well, mostly because it's my team, but also because i hope we'll see a Massa on form.... to see where Massa actually is compared to Alonso.

I hope Webber beats Vettel next year

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Disagree about Hamilton and Rosberg....all things being equal Hamilton will trounce him in quali.

Looking forward to seeing if Massas renaissance continues personally. And Grosjean v Raikkonnen. Grosjean has the pace.

Another Lewia will trounce someone post.. Can't his fans have some humility and stay a bit low key? Lets see what happens because we've been here before where he'll "bury" someone and it didn't work out so the jury is still out

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Multi 21 or Catch 22?!

It ain't hating just 'cause it's not love

I was going to say Hamilton vs Rosberg, but the out come of that battle is a no brainer.

For me, it's Alonso vs Massa, but that could get uninteresting after just 3 races (if Massa's improved form doesn't pass over to 2013, and normal service [getting his ass handed to him by Alonso] resumes).

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PLAY A RECORD KARL COS I'M GUNNA KNOCK YOU OUT!!!

Vettel vs Webber
Could be exciting, could be a Vettel-fest. I'm predicting the former - Webber was ahead of Vettel in 2012, but once Vettel got going, there was no stopping him, and Webber completely faded into the background. If Webber can bounce back to his early-2012 form, we could see the two battle it out. Still, Vettel is the only favourite here, and I'm not too excited at this point.

Alonso vs Massa
Everything depends on the first races. If Massa can keep up with Alonso, we can at least see who really is faster before Fernando is faster than Felipe. I don't think there's too much doubt about the outcome though.

Button vs Pérez
One of the most anticipated battles, two drivers with a similar style of driving go head-to-head in the McLaren. The McLaren was the fastest car for quite a while in 2012, even though reliability issues once again were a major downfall for the team. Button is known as a driver who likes a certain set-up, and McLaren should have a good time designing it in 2013, because not only does Button appear to get a status of number one, but Pérez drives in a similar manner to Button, so what benefits one could very well benefit the other. Button is a world champion and can be very fast, but Pérez, even though he had his fair share of errors last year, produced a couple of good drives. I expect Button to come out on top with a reasonable margin (not too much though) but Pérez can definitely challenge in races and I can see him as a race winner in 2013.

Räikkönen vs Grosjean
Räikkönen has returned in full punch, and Grosjean really needs to step up his game and keep on track to be able to challenge. He probably has what it takes to challenge, but he needs to show it or it could be bye-bye in the middle of the season even. If he does show it, expect Lotus to really mix it up in the WDC and Grosjean remaining Lotus' future-champion driver. I won't make many predictions, but Grosjean knows he's on a third chance by now and knows what he has to do - I'd think he can improve from 2012, possibly quite a bit. This is a battle I'm going to watch with excitement, even though Räikkönen currently appears stronger in nearly every respect. One should never rule out Grosjean though - he has the one-lap pace, and if he can convert it into race pace (which he quite simply didn't do in 2012), he could very well be a driver to watch closely for better reasons than in 2012.

Hamilton vs Rosberg
The battle many people anticipate the most, it definitely is an exciting one. Rosberg will get to show his speed against a provenly quick driver, whereas Hamilton will have to show what he can do with the Mercedes. Rosberg is familiar with the team, but Hamilton should be quicker than him. It could be quite even here, but as Hamilton gains experience at Mercedes, he should do well. This battle will be too early to call until we're at least 15 races in. Keep in mind that Rosberg won a race and subsequently finished on the podium, Schumacher got a podium as well, and then Mercedes was absolutely nowhere for the remainder of the season. If that happens again, Hamilton vs Rosberg will get a completely new dimension.

Hülkenberg vs Gutiérrez
The midfield driver who upped his game the most in the second half of 2012 goes up against the rookie who has looked all right in the lower series. Hülkenberg looks like the clear favourite, because he was really fast in late 2012. Gutiérrez is more of a question mark - definitely not the worst rookie of 2013, but just how well can he do it? I'll be watching closely.

---Force India's lineup not announced.---

Maldonado vs Bottas
Grab your popcorn, everyone! Maldonado, who appears to be quite like a certain Montoya and has proven his speed several times during 2012 gets a challenge from a rookie, who still is a familiar face around the paddock by now. He's been praised by many, and even though FP1 isn't a very reliable indicator for speed, he has appeared to be able to hold his own against Maldonado, who not only was Williams' full-time race driver, but also got a race victory and showed his very good speed multiple times over the season. Maldonado should do better in the first races, but the European races' results should be telling. I won't go around predicting the outcome here, but it's going to be exciting.

Vergne vs Ricciardo
Ah, the STR duo. I personally rate both drivers and will be delighted to watch them battle it out in 2013, because 2012 pretty much left the battle for Webber's seat (it's no secret both drivers want it!) completely open. Ricciardo consistently outpaced Vergne in qualifying, but Vergne seems to have a very quick racer in him that just waits to burst out - we saw glimpses of it last year, and he put in some impressive race performances. On the other hand, if Ricciardo can keep up his speed over all laps of a race, he could prove himself to be a very good driver as well. Both drivers have their strengths and weaknesses, and if either of them can up their game in their weak area, he's going to be a driver to remember for many years to come. Because points are given on Sunday I'd give Vergne an ever-so-slight advantage, but in reality, this battle is pretty much 50-50 and I'm going to grab a huge bucket of popcorn to enjoy watching it unfold.

---Caterham's full lineup not announced.---

Glock vs Chilton
Timo Glock has been solid in the Marussia, whereas Chilton really hasn't impressed in the lower series. Yes, he was fourth in GP2 last year, but it was his third year in GP2, and he hasn't really looked too impressive before that. Maybe the fourth place in GP2 will spark a racing lightning-strike in him, but it looks like Glock is going to do everything he can to get Marussia up from the dreaded 11th place in the WCC, whereas Chilton will do his best to follow. On the other hand, Pic's pace against Glock was quite good and Caterham picked Pic up for 2013 (and that looks like a step upwards from Marussia!), but Chilton looks quite a bit weaker than Pic.

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So there you have it. I'm most excited about the battles at McLaren, Lotus, Mercedes, Williams and STR in no particular order.

Hamilton vs Rosberg
We all saw in China what Rosberg was capable of given the right equipment. But one stellar performance isn't enough to judge how good he really is. I think going up against Lewis in the same car will do just that. I'm rooting for Rosberg on this one.

Jenson vs. Perez
Jenson will expect the whole team to be behind him but having a younger team mate with clear potential will surely serve as a threat. If Perez wins a race first, that'll be a big blow to his ego and confidence.

Fernando vs. Felipe . . . ?
The last few races we saw Felipe get back his old form and outshine his team mate. The question is, would Ferrari let him do it again? Will Fernando allow it?

Ferrari - Alonso will most likely beat Massa. Felipe should be much closer if he can continue his late 2012 form though, close enough to win the odd race and help Ferrari to a WCC at the least.

McLaren - Button should beat Perez. However I do feel Checo will surprise Button a few times next season.

Red Bull - Vettel will win that one. Webber will probably be looking at his last season anyway.

Mercedes - Hamilton to trounce Rosberg IMO. I'm no Hamilton fan but I simplt do not rate Rosberg as being on the same level as the top 3 of Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso.

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Lotus could be interesting.

Kimi has a year back under his belt. RoGo gas shown he has speed if he stops the first lap BS it could be a fun match up.

Both guys have the capability to show improvement this year.

Of course the Macca. Both guys have been wanting to mark their territory. Sergio will want to get out of the blocks fast to stop Button claiming the senior driver spot.

And Merc. I don't think Rosberg will be the walk over some think. He's shown over the last three years that when the car has worked he could mix it at the top.

The rest I can't think of any that should throw up fireworks unless Massa grows a set over the winter break.

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Disclaimer: The above post maybe tongue in cheek.

"I thought I'd get your theories, mock them, then embrace my own. The usual."

Vettel and Webber
If i were in charge i would curtail Webers talk just a little, it's the team that matters above all and i feel he says some things like the time he praised Newey recently just to let people know that it's not all Vettel.We could see the two battle it out but i doubt it, Vettel is the best driver at the moment for me.

Button and Pérez
These two seem quite similar in driving style and the McLaren was the fastest car for quite a while last year but Button was nowhere most of the time too. I can't help thinking McLaren have two number two drivers but i hope i'm wrong!

Alonso and Massa
Everything depends Alonso in this team. Ferrari will not let Massa get in the way of (ie in front of Alonso at all, despite what they say because it will mean Mr moody monobrow has a tantrum ((Great) Manc accent over the radio: Fernando is faster than you....)

Räikkönen and Grosjean
Räikkönen is a breath of fresh air, i like to watch him drive, he seems 100% commited and pleased to be back. I'm also pleased he is back. He is, i hope a real contender in 2013.
Grosjean needs to mature, i think he could be a world champion but he just needs to put a little more thought into it

Hamilton and Rosberg
This really could be a battle, it looks like it might be the most exiting partnership in F1 for years.Hamilton is imho one of the quickest threeand Rosberg will need to have his act together from the word go, if of course the car is any good! If it isn't then the fighting may become a battle of words and the whole thing may end up worse than ever for Mercedes. Hamilton can i feel, on past experience act like a spoilt brat and maybe Rosberg will just lose interest.

Hülkenberg and Gutiérrez
Hulkenberg was the better in the team last year and for 2013 he seems the same. Gutiérrez is an unknown to me, how well will he do? i dunno!

Maldonado and Bottas
Maldonado, can be quick and he can be quite dangerous, 2013 will probably prove to be make or break for him. Bottas is quick too, depending on the maturity of the two drivers we could have the best partnershiop for the spectacle here.

Well i think its always exciting to see new pairings so drivers can be reavaluated, so seeing the likes of Alonso and Vettel beating their teammates once again is somewhat predictible and boring,

So in order of excitement:-

Hamilton and Rosberg, the added element to this is the tie in to Schumacher to see just how much Schumacher had deteriorated or perhaps Rosberg is really very good.

Button and Perez, Button is a top line performer, can Perez match him or even beat him, if he can do either it shows just how little there is in performance between many of the drivers

Raikkonnen and Grosjean, this could be interesting to see who comes out on top if Grosjean can stop crashing otherwise just another let down.

Maldonado and Bottas, i think Senna was a bit poor last season so expect Bottas to be closer in performance, it will still be hard to fully evaluate Maldonado against a rookie though

Hulkenburg and Gueterizze (spelling?), if Hulkenburg is as good as he seems to be he should dominate the rookie

Ricciardo and Vergne, hard to evaluate either in the grand scheme of things but interesting to see who might end up on top, Vergne needs to up his qualifying there should be no excuses for him this coming season

Glock and Chilton, Glock up against yet another rookie, he has to come out on top again

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

Current Standing: 16th

I think all the inter-team battles should be quite intresting but the ones I'll be keeping an eye on especially are:

Alonso vs Massa
If Massa can start in Australia with the form he had in the last few races in 2012, then this has the potential to be intresting. This of course also assumes Ferrari will allow both drivers to be title contenders at the begining of the season.

Button vs Pérez
I am intrested to see how these two get on. On paper, Button knows the team and has greater experience, but Perez has shown flashes of brilliance, although somewhat irractically. I think Perez does have a steap learning curve to settle in to McLaren, and I can see this being a close fight towards the end

Räikkönen vs Grosjean
Räikkönen had a better than expected come-back year, and certainly his wheel-to-wheel racing is as good as ever. Grosjean had clear speed advantages most Saturday's especially at the begining of the season, but he is very erractic. He was clearly under pressure towards the end of the season, but his sucess at the RoC and being resigned will hopefully give him his confidence back. If Grosjean can tame his erractic driving, then I can see him being a challange for Räikkönen, but I ultimately expect Räikkönen's experience and wheel-to-wheel skills to give him the edge.

Hamilton vs Rosberg
This is the really intresting battle of course. Hamilton is one of the quickest drivers on the grid, but Rosberg is now slouch, and has the advantage of being familar with the team. I really think this will be a pairing that will very, very close, and should throw up some brilliant battles.

Maldonado vs Bottas
Maldonardo has show he has real pace and fire, and Bottas is very highly rated, and showed in his FP1 sessions he has raw speed as well. This one will be really intresting to see which of the two can come out on top. Maldonardo has track experience which gives him some advantage, but I can see Bottas having the measure of him. Will be good fun.

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The two most powerful warriors are patience and time…so remember: great achievements take time, there is no overnight success.

Button/Perez at McLaren is the natural battle to watch for me... its the great contrast of proven veteran and talented young driver. I think that will make natural competition between the 2, and I'm quite sure Perez did not go to McLaren to be a #2 even if he will be that at least for next year IMO.

Alonso/Massa at Ferrari is also very interesting to me because Massa made such a recovery from a poor start that I think many had him out the door at Ferrari, and finished well, probably finishing even stronger had definite team orders been established after his poor start to the year and Alonso's strong start. I'd still favor Alonso to get the best of Massa as I think he's a superior driver, but I think the difference between the two could be much closer this year.

I really don't find Raikkonen vs. Grosjean that interesting as to me its more Grosjean 2013 vs. Grosjean 2012. His greatest competition is himself and learning from his mistakes and translating speed into a driver who can use that speed in race conditions. If he conquers 2012 Grosjean it will be a very successful campaign IMO regardless of whether or not Kimi would end up dominating him.

Also Di Resta vs. whomever at Force India. There was another article on GPToday about him being motivated by being 'snubbed' for a better seat this year. At this point, whoever gets that other seat he better beat him by a significant margin in 2013 or that confidence in himself isn't confidence... it's over-inflated confidence that doesn't mirror his results. You don't make a point of stating how you are deserving of one of those top seats and just break even with your teammate or less. There may be lots of excuses but it still comes down to getting the better results when they're keeping score.

Overall, Rosberg and Hamilton is the one i'm really looking forward to. If Rosberg beats Hamilton over the year on merit, then I am also looking forward to all the excuses people will come up with!

Hamilton & Rosberg can be very exciting. If the car is good, it will be the strongest driver pairing , and will be a treat for the other teams

Alonso & Massa if Massa can carry over his form from the last few GPs, and if he is alllowed to challenge Alonso

Button & Perez depends on the car. Can also be very dull.
Crucial for McLaren is to get the set up right, because if they lose their way they will be lost

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"Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso

You don't even have to wait. You can start coming up with excuses now. Here's the best: it was his first year away from McLaren, he hasn't gotten used to a new team yet.

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Button v Perez
Maldonado v Bottas
Kimi v Grosjean

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#10

I guess it might be how you define being beaten, Button nearly beat Hamilton this last season for instance

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

Current Standing: 16th

Don't really see in the hype in Hamilton vs. Rosberg and JB vs. Perez...

JB (should) hammer Checo due to his experience and knowing the team, Perez has some moments where he looked good last year but also some where he looked weak.

Lewis will SMASH Rosberg in quali (as he does with every teammate) and should be able to use that as a springboard to beat him in the races.

Anyone is free to write this down, take a picture and send it to me IF I'm wrong.

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"Where are all the good men dead, in the heart or in the head?"

Give 'em hell Dani!

British Driver Supporter (and Daniel Ricciardo)

Obviously Rosberg/Hamilton and Button/Perez will be the main ones to look at.

Hamilton is obviously a quick driver so Rosberg has a chance to finally prove himself. An old Schumi wasn't really a good indicator though he did impress me with his dominating pole and held it with a win in China. Who knows we could have a diamond in the rough if Rosberg can do a good job against Hamilton. I know Perez had a tough end to the year but I think hes a a very good driver and Mclaren did not make a bad choice. He will win races but I think Button will have better consistency as Perez is still young and still lacking consistency. Should be very interesting.

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Räikkönen - Vettel - Rosberg - Bottas

Button/Perez will be interesting as Checo is the first new driver to enter a top team for a while and Button needs to asert his experience if he dosnt want to be undermined in the future a la Coulthard. Hamilton/Rosberg. This will show if Rosberg is actually better than we think or just average, anyone who can compete with Hamilton is very good indeed. Maldonado/Bottas- Bottas is very hyped but Maldonado has proven to be a good qualfier and fast driver so Bottas will have a challenge on his hand but from watching a few GP3 races on Youtube I have high expectations.

Massa / Alonso.

I have a feeling that Alonso is gonna get served his own 2008 season

I'm most looking forward to the following:

Hamilton vs. Rosberg
Very Excited.
Two of my favourite drivers going up against one another, and the perfect chance for Rosberg to show he really is better than people give him credit for. He defeated Schumi over three years, yet he still has doubters, so I'm hoping he does well against Lewis. The trouble for me is, I like both drivers and want them both to do well. Its not like Ham vs. Button for me where I always wanted Lewis to win, I actually want Rosberg to win as well. Tough times ahead.

Grosjean vs. Kimi
Excited.
For this one, I'm hoping Romain comes good and destroys Kimi. Basically thats all I'm hoping for there, but I'd be a moron to not realise that Kimi is going to be excellent next year. It should be an interesting matchup, with two talented drivers, one with incredible consistency, one with a need to learn consistency.

Button vs. Perez
Sorta Excited.
I always rooted for Hamilton to defeat Button, but going into 2013, I'm rooting for Button to pound Perez into the ground and wipe the floor with him. If Perez gets the upper hand, I won't be able to remain even a partial McLaren fan. Button's flying the flag for me.

Nando vs. Felipe
Potential Excitement.
I really hope Felipe carries the later 2012 form through into 2013 and gives Alonso a run for his money. I have no doubts that Alonso will come out on top at the end of the year, but I'd love to see Felipe back on form and challenging at the front, pushing Alonso all the way.

Hulk vs. Mexico #2
Excitement.
Gutierrez I don't like, whereas Hulkenberg I like a lot, so for me, I'm hoping Hulk does to Gutierrez what I want Button to do to Perez. I don't have a problem with Mexicans, just don't like the two in F1. Esteban looks like a guy I knew from school who was very very weird, so I don't like him.

Pasta vs. RoBot-Ass
Mild Excitement.
Interested to see how Bottas fairs in F1 after all the hype around him. I think this could be a very very interesting pairing next year, so looking forward to seeing them both. Pastor needs to step up a level to be considered top level, he needs to find some consistency. Bottas has a lot of expectation, so hopefully he won't struggle, hopefully he gets up to speed fast.

Toro Rosso
Really Not Excited.
Couldn't care less.

Vet vs. Webbo
Not Excited.
I'd love to see Webbo take it to Vettel over the course of a season, but I just can't see it happening, Seb's too good.

Di Resta vs. Whoever
Not Excited.
Not a fan of Di Resta, think he's boring and overrated, and wouldn't be surprised if he's beaten for a third straight season. But I don't know who his partner is going to be, so can't speculate too much. If it's Sutil, not a big fan of him either so... I'll just hope the Force India goes to the back of the grid and competes with the HRT's ghost. If it's Bianchi, then I don't know much about him except that he's supposed to be pretty good. If it's Alguersuari (doubtful) then I hope the Spaniard does well.

Other teams
Not Excited.
No preference, no one to really support at Marussia, and Pic I just want to beat his teammate, I kinda like the kid. Otherwise, not fussed.

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Hamilton Vs Rosberg and Maldonado Vs Bottas are the 2 intriguing ones. To a certain extent Alonso Vs Massa especially if he can continue his form.
Fully expect vettel and button to come out on top and for kimi to thrash grosjean.

I'm not so sure about Hamilton smashing Rosberg in qualifying, i read a piece on here a few days ago that when they were teammates in karting for 2 years speedwise they were very similar but Hamilton beat Rosberg due to being more aggressive in the races.

Apart from his rookie season Rosberg has shown himself to be one of the best qualifiers in F1, this was shown to good effect against Schumacher, so i feel one area the two of them will be close is in qualifying.

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Current Standing: 16th

Can't wait to see Button beat Perez, I don't get all the Perez hype. His second half of the season was awful. Perez might have the edge in quali, but I can see Button dominating him in the races.

Hamilton/Rosberg, could be close, but I just don't think Rosberg will be able to put up that much of a fight. Hamilton coming off a very strong year and Rosberg coming off a somewhat alright year.. Could be a surprise result in the end. I still expect Hamilton to show how good he really is though.

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Button vs Perez: Unlike most of all, I see Perez having a slight edge over Button, specially second part of the season, and really can´t wait for the Melbourne circuit, where both drivers are excellent, really can´t tell who will win the teammate battle there!
Hamilton vs Rosberg: Hamilton should perform better in a regular basis, but who knows, Rosberg might give us a surprise and result better than expected, giving Hamilton a hard time
Alonso vs Massa: Looking at the end of 2012 season, I can´t wait to see if Massa can show again that form!

For me the Hamilton-Rosberg one will be the most informative. Has Nico slowed a bit or become demotivated during 2012 because of the off-pace, tyre-chewing Mercedes? Michael certainly got very close to his performances in 2012.

Next; Kimi and Romain; what an exciting pair; just hope the Lotus-Renault is good enough in 2013.

The driver I envy least for 2013 is Jenson B. Good chance that a younger, enthusiastic driver like Perez could be very competitive. Jody Scheckter had this situation in 1979 with Gilles Villeneuve; the older driver just has to keep his head down, use all his knowledge and experience, and maintain self-belief. As Lauda did in 1984 against Prost, good-naturedly referring to Alain as 'that French pain in the arse." for his sheer speed. They actually got on very well.

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IMo Button has to deliver the title 2013, anything else would be a big dissappointment.
Expectations are high after he put himself at Nr1 pos at McLaren ,and McLaren had the fastest car the last GPs , and will have it at the start of next season, too.

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"Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso

I'm open to being wrong, I just think extracting one lap pace from a car is a skill Lewis has really honed over the years, I can see it maybe being 15-5 in his favour.

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"Where are all the good men dead, in the heart or in the head?"

Give 'em hell Dani!

British Driver Supporter (and Daniel Ricciardo)