Fast forward

The season could start off where it left off with Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull in the lead or it could be volte-face. It has happened before with Williams, Ferrari and even McLaren. What are the chances of Red Bull faltering? With Adrian Newey and Sebastian Vettel, very unlikely. But I think things are going to be different. My predictions and hopes for the year ahead are laid out:
 
The fight back
You can’t keep a good driver like Fernando Alonso down. If there’s 1 per cent chance of winning he will multiply that by ten. Ferrari will be back and so will McLaren. This season, the fight for the driver and constructor titles will be between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. The mid-grid could provide a shake-up as well with Renault powering the Williams and Lotus Renault teams, Mercedes powering its own team as well as Force India and Ferrari delivering the horses for Toro Rosso. Virgin, with the boffins from McLaren for support, could also present an upset. On the whole it’s going to be tight. Drivers aren’t just competing to win the top prize, but to win every point, to gain that ten-thousandth of a second over the competition. Irrespective of the teams they drive for, it will be game on right from the word go. In the past, whoever won in Albert Park, Melbourne (the season opener), has gone on to win the championship. So the first race isn’t a warm up, it is a dress rehearsal for the rest of the season.

Dancing chairs
With most drivers already lined up, the top teams will continue to be piloted by the same drivers as in 2011. However,there are chances that a few drivers will move up and down the ladder. Kimi Räikkönen might return and Nico Hulkenberg might replace Adrian Sutil at Force India. There are also seats up for grabs at Team Lotus, HRT and Virgin Racing. Hopefuls will include rookies, those making a comeback and GP2 graduates.

Key rule amendments
The hope is that the teams are in favour of delaying the introduction of the 1.6 litre fourcylinder units, which will replace the current 2.4 litre V8s in 2014. Formula One is the pinnacle of sport and we need to see teams use engines capable of 18,000 rpm and be able to deliver that punch most motor sport fans love to hear, to feel, and to see.
• Winter testing will return in 2012
• Blown diffusers will be banned
• Pirelli will continue to be the sole tyre supplier
 
Fast fact
• The issue of drivers forgoing a run in Q3 to save tyres for the race is being looked into. This practice has turned the crucial part of qualifying into a bore for the spectators. Hopefully an agreement will be reached soon between the teams and Pirelli, with approval from the FIA, with regard to the number of tyre sets with different compounds (super soft, soft, medium and hard) made available for the qualifiers and the race.

Ali Akbar’s top five all-time F1 drivers
1. Gilles Villeneuve (the daredevil driver)
2. Kimi Raikkonen (the ‘I don’t give rat’s a**’ driver)
3. Ayrton Senna (the ‘I only race to win’ driver)
4. Graham Hill (the ‘is there anything I can’t race?’ driver)
5. Sebastian Vettel (the kid driver who makes the
competition feel like they are racing in their mama’s Fords)

Formula One racing calendar 2012
Mark these dateson your events calendar
01 Australia (Melbourne) Mar 15-18
02 Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) Mar 23-25
03 China (Shanghai) Apr 13-15
04 Bahrain (Sakhir) Apr 20-22
05 Spain (Catalunya) May 11-13
06 Monaco (Monte Carlo) May 24-27
07 Canada (Montreal) Jun 08-10
08 Europe (Valencia) Jun 22-24
09 Great Britain (Silverstone) Jul 06-08
10 Germany (Hockenheim) Jul 20-22
11 Hungary (Budapest) Jul 27-29
12 Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps) Aug 31-Sep 02
13 Italy (Monza) Sep 07-09
14 Singapore (Singapore) Sep 21-23
15 Japan (Suzuka) Oct 05-07
16 Korea (Yeongam) Oct 12-14
17 India (New Delhi) Oct 26-28
18 Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina Circuit) Nov 02-04
19 United States (Austin) Nov 16-18
20 Brazil (Sao Paulo) Nov 23-25