2012 Season Preview - Mercedes GP

Now we come to the business end of the grid and the first of our top 4 teams, Mercedes GP.

Ever since winning the championship under their previous name Brawn GP, this team have been trying to get back to the top. Blessed with a first class engine, the brains of Ross Brawn, the might of a huge manufacturer and one of the greatest ever drivers in the history of the sport (according to others), this team really should be on the podium regularly. Last season they failed to get a podium and spent the season fighting off rumours that Michael Schumacher is about to leave. Prior to last season pundits said they'd get on the podium and yet again this season people are saying the same. What am I saying though? That's of course the most important thing (kidding, of course, there are many people far more in tune with F1 than me).

It's unarguable that they have a great driver line up in Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. It's also a dead cert that they have a great team of background staff, both engineers and managerial. However, as so many football teams have found out in the past, you have to make the team gel in order to gain success. So far this team haven't gelled well enough to make the podium. There have been flashes of brilliance, I'm specifically remembering Nico Rosberg in China and Michael Schumacher in Canada.

2012 will be Schumacher's final year of his current contract and unless he tastes success again, I can't see him extending that further. He was the driver who made the most overtakes in 2011, whether that was down to skill or a mixture if DRS and poor qualifying, we don't know. I'll be honest and say that I couldn't stand Schumacher in his first career, I hated the aggressive style of driving that often put people in danger, I got really annoyed with his arrogance. Since his return he has mellowed out somewhat and interviewers have found a more pleasant man to deal with. He's been less aggressive on the track, if you put the Barrichello incident to one side for a minute. Nico Rosberg has been the better driver in the last two seasons, that is without a doubt in my humble opinion. I think he will be the better driver in 2012 too, this will make it even more difficult for Schumacher to stay. He will hate being second best to a team mate.

Mercedes will get on the podium this year, I believe they'll get it together and finally challenge again at the front of the pack. They had a great top speed last season and that is likely to roll over into this season. Couple that with a car that has been two seasons in the making (by that I mean trying to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together, not literally building it for two years) and they'll not be far off. Mercedes at the front will make this season even more exciting as Red Bull are unlikely to run away with it. The main challengers for Mercedes this year will be Ferrari, I think it'll be a very close run thing between the two teams right up until the end of the season. Unfortunately for Mercedes, I think that Ferrari will win that battle.....just. Why do I think that? Well, I think a couple of wins during the season for Alonso will be the difference between the two teams.

2011 Position - 4th
2012 Predicted Position - 4th

Conclusion - despite my prediction placing them in exactly the same position as last season, I think they will finally gel as a team and start to get podiums. I can see a maiden win for them under the name Mercedes, but as I said before, it'll be a couple of Alonso wins that'll keep them outside the top 3. Will Michael Schumacher win again? Possibly, but I wouldn't bet my house on it. It may well be a bittersweet win, perhaps following an announcement that he is retiring........again. The outstanding Ross Brawn will look back at 2012 and see it as the beginning of the road to another championship.