Midfield teams - your thoughts?

[jens]

Among midfielders we have a very tight fight between Force India, Sauber and STR for P6 in WCC, but among midfielders in terms of performance we can also count Renault and Williams.

So what do you think, which teams among those five have the brightest future in the next couple of years? Perhaps all of them are currently underfunded compared to Top4 teams, some of them are in need of paydrivers as well.

Lotus Renault GP started the season well, but they seem to be in turmoil and are gradually losing performance. Good points from early races have saved them P5 in WCC, but I'm not sure they are able to keep it in subsequent seasons. Arguably some personnel has left too to greener pastures. Where is this team heading to? Is the ownership stable or are we going to see any changes there? What will it all mean to their performance in F1?

Force India is a team I have been very impressed with this season. Despite having lost a lot of key staff in past years, they have managed to escape from their low (late '10, early '11) and start performing really strongly again. On some circuits they have been "best of the rest" behind Top3 teams. They also haven't needed paydrivers, although arguably di Resta brings a discount on Mercedes engines. Can they up their game further or have they reached the ceiling?

Sauber has been sort of opposite to Force India in the last two years. In this sense that in late '10 and early '11 they were really good, but have been struggling a bit lately. But Perez' run in P7 at Monza indicates that the team should still have some fire. The hiring of James Key last year seemed to have a positive effect, but after a good start into the season they have found a bit hard to progress further. In the fight for P6 in WCC those DQ's in Australia are really costly...

Toro Rosso has been gradually improving after having to start to design their own cars since 2010. Recently they have actually come really strong, reminding a bit of their 2008 form - consistent good points and challenging for P6 in WCC, the same position they achieved in 2008. I also have a suspicion that although officially they are designing their own cars, then perhaps some ideas from Newey and RBR are still leaked to Faenza, how else are they progressing so rapidly. : But the team is about to get sold now, so how will this influence their future?

After seemingly very positive winter testing (showboating?), Williams has been a serious failure during the actual season. Renault engines for 2012, but as the performances of Team Lotus indicate, this is no magic solution. Importantly Williams has also made massive changes in technical personnel and Head is going to officially retire after this year. What will all of this mean for the next seasons? Does this team still have some fire to take the fight to the midfield teams above?

[wedge]

With the technical regs as they the cars are so close in performance that it is very difficult to make a prediction.

[ioan]

The only ones I care about are Sauber, the rest are just making up the numbers.

[ioan]

Lotus Renault GP started the season well, but they seem to be in turmoil and are gradually losing performance. Good points from early races have saved them P5 in WCC, but I'm not sure they are able to keep it in subsequent seasons. Arguably some personnel has left too to greener pastures. Where is this team heading to? Is the ownership stable or are we going to see any changes there? What will it all mean to their performance in F1?

It all started in Singapore 2008, the only aspect I don't like is that the sweaty scumbag isn't going down with the team, but they've got a newer, younger, smaller scumbag to go down with the team.

[wedge]

It all started in Singapore 2008, the only aspect I don't like is that the sweaty scumbag isn't going down with the team, but they've got a newer, younger, smaller scumbag to go down with the team.

Not really

In recent years they had a knack of developing a car over season and improving.

the rest are just making up the numbers.

If I were to be harsh I would say the same about Sauber

[DexDexter]

Force India have impressed me, I was sure that they were going backwards after Smith and couple of other key people left. Toro Rosso have impressed me too, although I'm still not sure how much the car is of their design. Williams, very disappointing, last year they were much quicker, there is something seriously wrong in the design office. I think they need a new start and their test driver Valtteri Bottas could bring them new enthusiasm...

[jens]

One comparison. Perhaps the most intriguing battle of the midfield teams.

Last five races:
Renault: 5 pts (1+0+2+2+0)
Force India: 36 pts (8+6+6+4+12)

Five more races to go, Force India is trailing Renault by 22 points. Before Singapore the gap seemed too big, but not any more.

Compared to 2010 Force India is now enduring a different role. Then they lost performance at the end of the season and Williams was catching them rapidly, managing to beat them by a single point in the end. Now it's FI's turn to try to improve position with a strong finish.

[Mekola]

Perhaps it's remarkable that no-one of these teams could fulfill to be the 5th established team of the grid, because it depends to each race and gives almost each of teams mentioned a possibillity to score points.

[steveaki13]

The way Renault are falling away I think the Force India could steal that 5th place with a bit of luck.