Which F1 team has the best driver line up going into 2013?

[airshifter]

Tough choices. Most of the top teams have very good lead drivers, but they also have second drivers who have at best been inconsistent quite often.

If we look at the good seasons of either Massa or Webber the choice would be easy, but both drivers have also had very poor seasons. I'm inclined to lean towards Mercedes, but overall I'm still not sure Rosberg is really as good as some think he is. I guess only time will tell how he compares to Lewis when in equal cars. Grosjean has potential but needs to settle in and stay out of trouble. With Button becoming the number one driver and Perez moving up, they might find the motivations to become quite a duo if the car is up to par this year, but both of these drivers has also had some less than stunning races.

For me, just to hard to pick a pair of drivers right now.


Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus, Mercedes and McLaren all have potentially very good driver combinations.

[Garry Walker]

The best driver pairings are probably Mercedes and Ferrari. Both have superb lead drivers. Rosberg is quick enough and Massa, when performing like he did at the end of last year (not like at the beginning of the season) is a very very fast driver, a top 5 one. So if Massa can keep up the form of last season's end, then I would rate Ferrari's pairing as the best, then Mercedes.

It is very difficult to rate who is third best. Lotus has the best driver outside Mercedes and Ferrari in Kimi, but Grosjean is not a consistent driver. But when on, he is extremely fast. So I would probably give them an edge over McLaren.

McLaren has Button, who is a very good driver, but not the level of the top 3. Perez, well, he is too hard to rate at the moment. But both are very good drivers obviously.

The other pairings are clearly inferior to the 4 mentioned.

Red Bull should be disqualified from being mentioned anywhere high in his list only based on the fact that Bieber, despite having the by far the best car the last 4 years actually lost 1 title and had two titles go down the wire against a far inferior Ferrari. Just as impressive as a girl with A-cup breasts telling everyone, hey, look at how big breasts I have
Webber makes the joke even bigger, how many drivers spend 4 years in the best car and don't even take nr.2 place in WDC. Complete joke. But of course, I will make an excuse for him in that he obviously is not wanted in that team to win, rather just come 2nd behind Marko's dreamboy.

Hulkenberg was seriously impressive in the 2nd half of last year, if he keeps up this form he will change my opinion about him being very overrated, he was very good. He might just be the 4th best driver in world right now based on last year's form.
Gutierrez is a unproven quality, let's see what he can do. But I guess at least he has not had 4 years in by far the best car and only scored two 3rd places in WDC

Williams probably has a very far pairing, in that Maldonado, when on, he a very very fast driver, but he makes too many mistakes.
Bottas is a rookie, but I have high hopes for him. If he manages to match Maldonado speedwise, then that would be superb.

Mercedes and Red Bull are quite close. Both have exceptional lead drivers

I can understand Mercedes, but Red Bull doesn't have Alonso or Kimi.

[Knock-on]

This ones tricky.

The Bulls will be strong and webber will come good this year IF they are challenged. Glass jaw will make mistakes (crash into everyone)

Merc should be right in there IF the car is as good as I expect.

Lotus will be solid but...

Ferrari will be very strong IF Massa pulls his weight.

Lots of IF's but IF is F1 backwards

[airshifter]

This ones tricky.

The Bulls will be strong and webber will come good this year IF they are challenged. Glass jaw will make mistakes (crash into everyone)

Merc should be right in there IF the car is as good as I expect.

Lotus will be solid but...

Ferrari will be very strong IF Massa pulls his weight.

Lots of IF's but IF is F1 backwards

But much like me... no vote cast yet. I'm leaning towards one team farther and farther now... it's just that I'm not yet sure enough to vote!

[Natalie.S]

Red Bull and Ferrari with solid #2 drivers/race winners
After that McLaren, Mercedes and Lotus have solid but partly unproven line-ups

[The Black Knight]

I honestly feel that Merc have the strongest driver line up. My belief is because I feel that Rosberg is vastly underrated in general and my belief that since Hamilton was incredible last year that he will carry that momentum with him. It's definitely the most exciting pairing on the grid and I can't wait to see how Hamilton and Rosberg square up. I don't think Hamilton is going to have it all his own way but I do feel he'll edge it in the end.

[henners88]

I tend to agree Black Knight. Whether they will have the car to enable them to be regular race winners this season is anybody's guess. As far as talent goes side by side, Rosberg and Hamilton are without doubt the strongest pairing IMO.

[A FONDO]

Alonso is the best driver out there, Hamilton is close behind him. And I think Massa is still better than Rosberg, so Ferrari is my choice, Merc second. Third should be Lotus.

[The Black Knight]

Ferrari would be my second choice mainly because Alonso can bring so much and since Massa has been sleeping for 3 seasons it's very hard for me to rate him higher than Rosberg.

[steveaki13]

I think Mercedes are moving in the right direction. They have only been here as constructors 3 seasons which isnt long. I know they took over the Champion team, but changes were made and Brawns development in 2009 showed it wasnt going to stay a front runner for ever.

Anyway, I think their Cars have been decent in 2010 & 2011, last year it took a step forward early in the year. Seeming like the fastest car for a few qualifying sessions and of course their first win. They folded towards the end, but the next step has been to get in a currant top driver which they have done. If Lewis can win a couple of Races or challenge in some races, then I think its steady progress.

Hopefully their new car hits a sweet spot and they can build for next season.