final drive - Mundo Motorizado

Daniel Ricciardo v Jean-Eric Vergne (F1)
Year two at Scuderia Toro Rosso
is critical for any driver. Just ask
Scott Speed and Sebastien Bourdais
– neither got to the end of their
second seasons with the Red Bull
junior squad, while Vitantonio
Liuzzi was not retained for a third
year. Sebastien Buemi and Jaime
Alguersuari fared slightly better:
both got a third campaign with
the squad, after which neither was
considered up to the job.
Triple world champion Sebastian
NASCAR: It’s all about duels!
NASCAR is a team sport. All the
heroics a driver can perform behind
the wheel can be erased in the drop
of a lug nut in a pitstop. For once,
the Jimmie Johnson/Chad Knaus/
Hendrick Motorsport team
dropped the ball. And, for once, a
Penske driver was there to pounce.
By delivering Penske’s maiden
NASCAR Cup, Brad Keselowski
was catapulted into the big time.
He’s a no-nonsense character
who’s knocked a few noses out
of joint, but there was a mutual
Bowyer (15) and
Gordon have form
Vettel remains STR’s only success
story, and it’s his promotion to
Red Bull’s senior team that must
spur on Ricciardo and Vergne this
year. It was hard for either to shine
in a car that seemed more Minardi
than Red Bull at times in 2012, but
with Formula Renault 3.5 title
favourite Antonio Felix da Costa
waiting in the wings (no pun
intended), Ricciardo and Vergne
are heading into an ‘every man
for himself’ scrap to stay in F1.
It’s a crucial year
for the STR boys
respect between him and Johnson,
which could become the defining
rivalry of this generation.
However, the headlines are likely
to be grabbed by Johnson’s car
owner and four-time champ Jeff
Gordon and his bitter rival Clint
Bowyer. Gordon’s frustration
with Bowyer’s “elbows out” style
boiled over at Phoenix, Gordon
deliberately wrecking Bowyer’s car
and slim title hopes. The finale was
incident-free – almost certainly
on NASCAR’s orders – but don’t
expect that to last long this year!
analysis
duels to watch
Will Power v Dario Franchitti (IndyCar)
It feels strange to leave out reigning champion Ryan
Hunter-Reay and Scott Dixon, arguably the fastest
guy in the IndyCar Series, from this equation.
But if Will ‘bridesmaid’ Power and Dario ‘four-time’
Franchitti can rekindle their rivalry of seasons past,
then we’re in for a treat. Their 2010-11 title duels were
as intense a rivalry as you could find; there’s gunpowder
between them that doesn’t take much to ignite.
Watch out for Power
(l) and Franchitti
James Calado v Felipe Nasr (GP2)
James Calado and Felipe Nasr were two star rookies of
the 2012 GP2 field, and, naturally, the fact that both
have stayed on means they’ll be expected to be title
contenders in year two. Calado laid better foundations
for that in year one at ART, while Nasr’s switch from
DAMS to his old F3 team Carlin should raise his game.
Calado v Nasr
for GP2 glory?
Jason Plato v Honda (BTCC)
Honda is on a roll in the BTCC, having taken the
past two titles, and now Gordon Shedden has joined
team-mate Matt Neal as a champion. On the other
hand, Jason Plato and Triple Eight now have a year of
development under their belts with the MG6. As always
in the BTCC, there should be fireworks.
JP is out to topple
title holder Honda
Xxxxxruary January 31 2 2013 2012 autosport.com 55
pic: Bloxham, coates, eBrey, etherington/lat, staley/gp2, Fox, trotman, pennington/getty