final drive - Mundo Motorizado

Sergio Perez (F1)
So what’s it going to be,
Checo? Are you the next
Mika Hakkinen, or the
next Heikki Kovalainen?
His move to McLaren is second only
to the Hamilton-to-Mercedes F1 2013
narrative. Perez’s charging drives in
Australia, Malaysia, Canada, Germany
and Italy for Sauber last year will be
demanded every time he starts a race
– no room for spasmodic swallows in
McLaren’s summer – and that wobbly
end of season form won’t be tolerated.
Career-defining seasons don’t get
bigger than this and the young Mexican
must gel with the team, solidify his
scratchy qualifying form and prove
his worth as a top-liner on a week-in,
week-out basis.
Paul di Resta (F1)
After spending much of 2012
trading blows with the highly
rated Nico Hulkenberg at
Force India, Paul di Resta’s
stock took a slide in the eyes of some
with a troubled end to the campaign.
Hulkenberg then signed for Sauber,
while rumours of a move to a big team
(and talks with McLaren) faltered for
di Resta. A third season with the
Silverstone squad awaits, but with the
long-term futures of Mark Webber and
Felipe Massa always up in the air, the
door is open for di Resta to prove his
leadership skills and land himself the
drive further up the grid that he craves.
Carlos Sainz Jr (GP3)
He has phenomenal natural
talent, but Sainz’s F3 season
in 2012 was underwhelming
– except in the wet, when he
was sensational. In theory, GP3 –
with a higher power-to-grip ratio than
F3 – should better suit the Spaniard’s
instinctive style, as should qualifying
on a ‘green’ track first thing on Saturday
mornings. What is crucial is that he
beats Arden team-mate and fellow
Red Bull junior Daniil Kvyat.
WHO DELIVERED (& WHO DIDn’t) In 2012?
which of the drivers, teams and series that autosport said needed a strong season at the start of last year actually delivered?
Lewis HamiLton
Bounced back after a troubled 2011
to be one of the stars of 2012. Only
McLaren unreliability kept him out
of the title hunt and he left for
Mercedes on his own terms.
Hamilton had
a strong 2012
52 autosport.com Xxxxuary January 31 XX 2013 200X
WRC
There are fears the sleeping giant may be
unconscious. Luckily for rally fans, smelling
salts and a big slap around the face with a
wet fish are right around the corner.
Whichever way you chop it, the WRC is
down, but it’s not out. And this year, it has
to find its way back. A liquidated promoter
ruined last season, but now it’s a new dawn.
The WRC has a solid and very sensible
investor behind it – Red Bull Media House,
no less – and a new manufacturer in
Volkswagen. The German influence will
steady the ship and build quality into
what’s already a very racy product.
Formula 3
British F3’s future is on a tightrope,
with a slimline four-round calendar
that is a last-ditch effort to save its
title; Italian F3 is officially dead after a
49-year run; and German F3 has just
radically changed its calendar to
include just one round abroad.
What’s more, the Masters at
Zandvoort doesn’t have a date and is
in doubt due to the FIA European F3
series’ sporting regulations, and
no-one seems to know what the engine
mark webber
After being trounced by Sebastian
Vettel in 2011, Webber looked much
more comfortable with the RB8 and
its more conventional exhaust system.
He fell away as the car improved, but
again retained his seat.
stefano DomenicaLi
Before the season it looked like the
Ferrari team principal’s head might
roll, but the genius of Fernando Alonso
saved his bacon. His faith in tech chief
rules are going to be for Macau.
It’s a shambles, but amid all this
uncertainly at least the FIA’s flagship
series is looking ultra-strong and,
whatever the motivations of the
behind-the-scenes politicking, that
is definitely what the category needs.
Only a classic season here would
justify the gloom elsewhere.
Also, European F3 Open – with spec
Dallara-Toyotas – is doing well, with
competitors flocking to the category’s
well-promoted, low-budget alternative.
Pat Fry increasingly paid of, and
he impressively turned Felipe Massa
from flouderer to frontrunner.
Jean toDt
The Frenchman’s under-the-radar
approach to the FIA president’s
role means it’s hard to quantify how
useless/successful he’s been.
However, under his watch the WRC
almost sank, and F1 is heading
straight for a financially choppy
ride. More storms are expected.
Sebastien Loeb’s decision not to win a
10th world title means the series’ silverware
will actually be up for grabs this year –
and the WRC must make the most of the
reinvigorated competition.
M-Sport (WRC)
Malcolm Wilson’s riding his luck this year.
The canny Cumbrian bagged some bunce
from Qatar and then got his drivers to chip
in as well. The result is a workable budget
for 2013 so the Christian Loriaux-penned
Fiesta will remain at the sharp end, but can
Wilson’s boys – Mads Ostberg, Thierry
Neuville and Evgeny Novikov – do the job?
This is a crucial
season for F3
mikko Hirvonen
The Finn did precisely the job he was
asked to do when he joined Citroen. He
didn’t/couldn’t trouble Loeb yet helped
return the manufacturers’ title to Paris.
If anything, with Loeb gone, 2013’s
the real deal for Mikko.
mini
Prodrive certainly did enough to
produce a rally-winning and potentially
world-beating John Cooper Works WRC.
Unfortunately, the BMW deal didn’t