Now is the time for forecasts for the sporting year ahead from so-called pundits like myself, boldly — some would argue foolishly — opening up on our specialists subjects.
Mine, if it had escaped you, is motorsport, Formula One in particular, and after a grand prix season of ups and downs, drivers blitzing each other on and off the track and action that highlighted the genius of Sebastian Vettel, the fighting spirit of Jenson Button and the shortcomings of Lewis Hamilton, the time has come to look ahead.
And here I must feature Flying Scotsman Paul di Resta.
He is blessed with a name you can't forget — and a talent to make sure you don't. He is, in my humble opinion, a driver going places... fast. Very fast.
The 25-year-old has pedigree. He regularly used to beat wonderboy and twice-champion Vettel in their junior class clashes three years ago. And after his debut F1 season he has been overwhelmingly voted Rookie of the Year.
He scored title points in his first two GPs, with a sixth place in Singapore, only his 14th outing in the top flight, and had the top teams earmarking him for the future.
And that's why fast-rising Force India, owned by billionaire tycoon Vijay Mallya and based at Silverstone, the scene of the British Grand Prix, have rushed to give him another chance to overshadow Red Bull number one Vettel.
He dreams of following legends Jim Clark and Sir Jackie Stewart as the third celtic crown holder in the F1 championship chase.
"I am proud of what we Scots have achieved in F1 given what a small country Scotland is," he says.
What about his old foe, the youngest-ever champion, 24-year-old Vettel? "We were teammates in Formula 3 in 2006 and we had the same equipment.
"Fortunately I came out on top that year and we had a great battle that went right down to the wire. I would like to be racing him at the front of Formula One.
"I have a lot of respect for what he has done. You can't take away what he has achieved this year — and I don't want to diminish his success — but he has been in the best car," said the upcoming ace dubbed Mr Cool.
Monaco-based Di Resta hails from a racing background. His father was a racer and his cousin is superfast Dario Franchitti, IndyCar champ four times and twice the winner of the Indy 500 in the US.
He hopes he can catch the eye of Red Bull talent-spotter and boss Christian Horner for another tie-up with Vettel, but says: "I don't care which driver I have as a teammate just as long as I am beating them."
Coulthard, a winner 13 times, three times third and once runner-up in the final reckonings and now a BBC TV pundit, hails his fellow Scot: "I like what I see and I think he can make a serious progress next year. He is a very strong talent. He did a fantastic job in his debut season. And there's a lot more to come from him."
I could not agree more. Watch this space.
The author is a motorsport expert based in England
