Blind Projections for 2014

If Chilton keeps up his record of finishing every race, he may actually get points in the early part of the season.

Well, I'm putting £10 on Button for the championship...

All depends on the car, stranger things have happened however He is a points hover...

We have no idea what's going on and what will happen. However, I'm going to go with Alonso's long-time, constant, honored appreciation:

1. Ferrariopponentsthatmatter

4. Ferrari

Whoever said that Mercedes engines may have an edge and Renault engine be behind others, may have a point based on first two testing days. After all, this state of game were vaguely rumoured before tests already.

However, I think the big difference is whether we are predicting early season pecking order or end-season WCC standings.

My 5 cents is that even though Red Bull-Renault could struggle early on with engine issues and they may indeed be 4th or 5th like some predict, I would still put them comfortably into WCC top 3 by the end of the season. By the end of the year things will get back to "normal" as will Renault catch up better with other engines. Of course, if they award double points for the last three races, it will help RBR even more and the early season stuff barely counts as we speak...

Edited by sopa, 29 January 2014 - 21:04.

Whoever said that Mercedes engines may have an edge and Renault engine be behind others, may have a point based on first two testing days. After all, this state of game were vaguely rumoured before tests already.

 

However, I think the big difference is whether we are predicting early season pecking order or end-season WCC standings.

My 5 cents is that even though Red Bull-Renault could struggle early on with engine issues and they may indeed be 4th or 5th like some predict, I would still put them comfortably into WCC top 3 by the end of the season. By the end of the year things will get back to "normal" as will Renault catch up better with other engines. Of course, if they award double points for the last three races, it will help RBR even more and the early season stuff barely counts as we speak...

They will only gain ground back if they have a performance edge and great reliability... If the engine is down on the Mercedes, they are going to have to push the limits to make up the difference which could turn the car into a bomb all year long. 

My predictions

1, Ferrari. Not as quick as Mercedes, but drivers making the difference.

2. Mercedes. Quickest, but driver lineup not as good as Ferrari. Driver champ between Alonso and Hamilton.

3. McLaren. Merc engines best but drivers not as good as Ferrari or Mercedes.

4. Red Bull.Will start the year badly, but be best or near to best by the end of the year.

5. Williams. Merc engines and Pat combine to create the best of the rest.

6. Force India. Hulk makes the difference in midfield battle.

7, Sauber. Could be higher if not for such a lacklustre pay driver lineup.

8. Lotus. Renault causing problems, in addition to poor driver lineup.

9. Torro Rosso. Renault causing problems.

10. Murussia. Bianchi will once again make the difference.

11. Caterham. Renault problems combined with driver problems.

See below

Edited by Jimisgod, 03 March 2014 - 12:45.

All depends on the car, stranger things have happened however He is a points hover...

For the most part, it has always depended on the car. It is more just apparent when regulations change...

1. Mercedes
2. Ferrari
3. Red Bull
4. McLaren

1. Hamilton
2. Alonso
3. Räikkönen
4. Vettel
5. Rosberg

By the end of the year things will get back to "normal" as will Renault catch up better with other engines.

Except, engines will be freezed after the winter tests, so that won't be possible.

March 16: Australia - Hamilton
March 30: Malaysia - Alonso
April 6: Bahrain - Raikkonen
April 20: China - Rosberg
May 11: Spain - Alonso
May 25: Monaco - Hamilton
June 8: Canada - Hamilton
June 22: Austria - Rosberg
July 6: Great Britain - Alonso
July 20: Germany - Raikkonen
July 27: Hungary - Rosberg
August 24: Belgium - Raikkonen
September 7: Italy - Button
September 21: Singapore - Alonso
October 5: Japan - Vettel
October 12: Russia - Alonso
November 2: USA - Hamilton
November 9: Brazil - Magnussen
November 23: Abu Dhabi - Hamilton

 

1. Alonso - 5 wins

2. Hamilton - 5 wins

3. Raikkonen - 3 wins

4. Rosberg - 3 wins

5. Button - 1 win

6. Hulkenberg

7. Magnussen - 1 win

8. Vettel - 1 win

9. Perez

10. Massa

I'd have those two swapped. Rosberg has proven in the last two years to be mighty around Monaco and Hamilton, well. As long as the car is not a donkey he is a god around Hungary (in fact he has proven he is still a god when the car is a donkey 2009, 2013)

March 16: Australia - Hamilton
March 30: Malaysia - Alonso
April 6: Bahrain - Raikkonen
April 20: China - Rosberg
May 11: Spain - Alonso
May 25: Monaco - Hamilton
June 8: Canada - Hamilton
June 22: Austria - Rosberg
July 6: Great Britain - Alonso
July 20: Germany - Raikkonen
July 27: Hungary - Rosberg
August 24: Belgium - Raikkonen
September 7: Italy - Button
September 21: Singapore - Alonso
October 5: Japan - Vettel
October 12: Russia - Alonso
November 2: USA - Hamilton
November 9: Brazil - Magnussen
November 23: Abu Dhabi - Hamilton

 

1. Alonso - 5 wins

2. Hamilton - 5 wins

3. Raikkonen - 3 wins

4. Rosberg - 3 wins

5. Button - 1 win

6. Hulkenberg

7. Magnussen - 1 win

8. Vettel - 1 win

9. Perez

10. Massa

Dare I say Rosberg is better on the street circuits than Hamilton/Alonso

Except, engines will be freezed after the winter tests, so that won't be possible.

That's not entirely true, they can still develop for installation, cost and reliability reasons. The engines will be frozen gradually, see Appendix 4 to the Technical Regulations:

http://www.fia.com/s... 2013-12-09.pdf

"blind suggestions"

Ant eater 

Penis

Ant eater 2

Phallus

Mosquito nose

Phallus two

1. Ferrari

2. Mercedes

3. McLaren

4. Williams

5. Red Bull

6. Force India

7. Sauber

8. Lotus

9. Marussia

10. Toro Rosso

11. Caterham

Wow, rmpugh, I see we are not that far apart from each other:

Edited by aditya-now, 08 February 2014 - 14:39.

Dare I say Rosberg is better on the street circuits than Hamilton/Alonso

Agreed.

Lewis is also mega at Hungary. Other than that not a bad list from jimisgod

Agreed.

 

Lewis is also mega at Hungary. Other than that not a bad list from jimisgod

I think each driver has tracks where they really excel at, for Seb it's hard to choose from but I'd say Suzuka, Abu Dhabi also for Lewis, Jenson for Australia, Nando seems to do well in Spain, 

I doubt Vettel will only win one race this year (according to Jimisgood's list).

I am actually really hoping for a Hamilton vs Rosberg showdown. That would be epic considering they are mates.

Right, so testing is now done and our predictions are no longer quite so blind, so perhaps it is time to update them, and maybe we can revisit this thread at the end of the season to see how stupid we all look when Red Bull romp to their fifth title on the trot. Anyhow, mine...

Mercedes.

McLaren.

Ferrari.

Red Bull

Force India

Williams

Sauber

Lotus

Torro Rosso

Caterham

Marussia

Testing is not done, there's still one week to go, but I don't expect major changes in that week. My guesses atm would be:

1. Mercedes

2. McLaren

3. Ferrari

4. Williams

5. Force India

6. Red Bull

7. Lotus

8. Sauber

9. Toro Rosso

10. Marussia

11. Caterham

With the changes in Sprint Cup rules, I can't see anyone else than Johnson winning the cup this year. Incidentally, due to F1 rule changes I'm more excited about Nascar than about F1.

March 16: Australia - Hamilton
March 30: Malaysia - Alonso
April 6: Bahrain - Raikkonen
April 20: China - Rosberg
May 11: Spain - Alonso
May 25: Monaco - Hamilton
June 8: Canada - Hamilton
June 22: Austria - Rosberg
July 6: Great Britain - Alonso
July 20: Germany - Raikkonen
July 27: Hungary - Rosberg
August 24: Belgium - Raikkonen
September 7: Italy - Button
September 21: Singapore - Alonso
October 5: Japan - Vettel
October 12: Russia - Alonso
November 2: USA - Hamilton
November 9: Brazil - Magnussen
November 23: Abu Dhabi - Hamilton

 

1. Alonso - 5 wins

2. Hamilton - 5 wins

3. Raikkonen - 3 wins

4. Rosberg - 3 wins

5. Button - 1 win

6. Hulkenberg

7. Magnussen - 1 win

8. Vettel - 1 win

9. Perez

10. Massa

I'd switch those two. Otherwise, not a bad prediction and I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be fairly accurate.

Edited by Kingshark, 22 February 2014 - 15:43.

Edited by mistareno, 22 February 2014 - 15:57.

I am really glad we have Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes. If it turns out that Merc are indeed dominating the field, he should still be able to fight Lewis and produce a good spectacle for the WDC, unlike Red Bull in 2011 and 2013.

Watching pre-season interviews it's also nice to finally see him as one of the most possible title winners, not just a midfield driver that has no chance to grab the trophy as I used to receive him previous seasons. I also hope his career goes up from this point on.

Well if Merc are streets ahead I wonder if they've made it harder for themselves by having two top drivers that will be taking points off each other, the only other top team in the same position is Ferrari.

If they're streets ahead, it won't be a problem.

It might be a problem if they will find themselves with a slight advantage over a team that is focused around one driver.

If they're streets ahead, it won't be a problem.

It might be a problem if they will find themselves with a slight advantage over a team that is focused around one driver.

Which is only Red Bull really, so no worries for Mercedes at the moment.

Edited by Tsarwash, 03 March 2014 - 20:30.

Why does everyone think Massa will fade and Bottas being much faster?? This is bases on absolutely nothing. If any, based on testing times, the only benchmark we have so far, Massa is the faster of the two.

Why does everyone think Massa will fade and Bottas being much faster?? This is bases on absolutely nothing. If any, based on testing times, the only benchmark we have so far, Massa is the faster of the two.

They were around the same considering the fact Bottas has done his best time on softs, not supersofts.

You seem to get very outraged each time somebody places Bottas above Massa. But you should be aware that it's understandable to believe that a driver who was below 50% of his team-mate's points for 3 years in row is not going to set the world on fire.

I predict that the only car to finish the Australian Grand prix will be the safety car...

1. Mercedes

    Ferrari

    McLaren

The title challengers.

2. Red Bull

    Force India

    Williams

Fighting for wins

3. Lotus

    Toro Rosso

Regular points finishers

4. Sauber

    Marussia

    Caterham

Will score a couple of points throughout the season

So testing is now over, and what do we see ? Well as many of us predicted, Merc seem to be the Top Dog amongst the manufacturers, Williams have pulled something magic out of the hat and have posted the second quickest times with good reliability, and of course Red Bull are having a nightmare. I'm sure that they shall pull it back eventually, but so much ground will be lost by then. I think that Massa will start well, but fade towards the middle of the season when it is clear thast Bottas is much faster then him, allowing Ferrari to steal second place in the WCC. Merc will romp home to win with a healthy margin. The title is theirs to lose.
In past years Ferrari have won championships because of driver number one preference, but with Kimi on board, I just don't see this happening, certainly not to the extent that Massa was treated, so if they are a bit slower then Merc and Williams it might be a bit harder for them to gain ground in that way.

WCC;
Mercedes
Ferrari
Williams
McLaren
Force India
Red Bull
Sauber
Caterham
Torro Rosso
Marussia

WDC.
Hamilton
Rosberg
Alonso
Bottas
Kimi
Magnussen
Vettel
Massa
Button
Hulkenburg
Grojean
Riccardo
Maldonado
Sutil
Gutierrez
Kobyashi
Vergne
Ericsson
Bianchi
Kvyat
Chilton

You forgot about Perez.

I think the first couple of races will be tremendous spectacles, even if it is because cars are breaking down left, right and centre.

After that, I think people may start to tire of races being too much of a lottery, fuel saving being too extreme and labelling F1 boring.

Then by the early stages of the European season, the leading teams will be right on top of fuel economy and tyres and a clear pecking order will emerge, with quality and speed winning each time over reliability and fuel miscalculations etc.

Can't wait.

Now that testing is over, I'll use my brain rather than a random number generator to decide my pecking order.

1. Mercedes
2. Ferrari
3. Williams
4. Red Bull
5. McLaren
6. Force India
7. Lotus
9. Sauber
10. Toro Rosso
11. Caterham
12. Marussia

Mercedes looks extremely mighty which I think everyone can agree on.
Ferrari says they're not where they want to be, but they're still always up there.
Williams is a wild card, but everything seems to be going their way for 2014.
Red Bull I think will be experience their worst start to a season since prior to Vettel joining.
The rest? I'm going to suspect that they'll be about the same as last year, with McLaren and Force India fighting for the "best of the rest" outside of the top four.

Edited by UPRC, 03 March 2014 - 11:09.

I think AUS will be an anticlimax. Mercedes will blow the opposition away (similar to how Mclaren did in 1998). Ferrari's situation will turn out to be worse than anticipated, and they will get outqualified by Red Bull.

Hamilton vs. Massa revival?

I'll cheat and modify my list:

March 16: Australia - Hamilton
March 30: Malaysia - Bottas
April 6: Bahrain - Hamilton
April 20: China - Rosberg
May 11: Spain - Alonso
May 25: Monaco - Rosberg
June 8: Canada - Hamilton
June 22: Austria - Rosberg
July 6: Great Britain - Alonso
July 20: Germany - Hamilton
July 27: Hungary - Hamilton
August 24: Belgium - Raikkonen
September 7: Italy - Button
September 21: Singapore - Alonso
October 5: Japan - Button
October 12: Russia - Alonso
November 2: USA - Rosberg
November 9: Brazil - Magnussen
November 23: Abu Dhabi - Hamilton

1. Hamilton - 6 wins

2. Alonso - 4 wins

3. Rosberg - 4 wins

4. Button - 2 wins

5. Raikkonen - 1 win

6. Magnussen - 1 win

7. Hulkenberg

8. Bottas - 1 win

9. Massa

10. Vettel

Edited by Jimisgod, 03 March 2014 - 12:45.

You forgot about Perez.

November 2: USA - Rosberg

 

 

Good list in general, but this one made me scratch my head. Lewis was stunning at Austin in 2012, and pretty good in 2013. I would say in equal machinery, he holds an edge over Nico at that track.

Edited by sennafan24, 04 March 2014 - 02:20.

My blind prediction is this.

For the WDC my head is firmly in 3 minds. I see a decent argument for Lewis and Nico, but I also find it hard to totally discount Vettel/RB. My heart is firmly hoping Lewis pulls it together and secures his long awaited 2nd WDC.

I will go with my heart, and say Lewis win be WDC, as there is no fun is sitting on the fence all the time.

WCC? I will go with Mercedes, as 2 of their drivers make up the 3 drivers I think have the best chance of becoming WDC.

Mercedes

Ferrari

McLaren

RBR

FI

Williams

Sauber

STR

Marussia

Caterham

So here are my predictions for the 1st race finishing order.

1 Mercedes

2 Ferrari

3 McLaren

4 Williams

5 Force India

6 Red Bull
7 Sauber
8 Lotus
9 Marussia

10 Torro Rosso

11 Caterham