Now that the season preview segments and tests are well and truly up and running - and with less than 4 weeks until Melbourne - it's time for the predictions thread. Last year in the season preview, I said Vettel would walk away with the title. However, I also said that Petrov would get sacked by mid-season and Williams would be on the podium. So, in 10 months time or so, let's look back and laugh. Ho-hum.

World Champion?
WCC?
Best rookie?
Race winners?
Biggest surprises?
Biggest disappointment?
Any other random predictions?

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Bahrain Grand Prix review

Ferrari don't look like challenging as of now, so this is going to be painful:

World Champion: Sebastian Vettel
WCC: Red Bull
Rookie: Jean-Eric Vergne
Race Winners: Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Rosberg, Schumacher
Biggest Surprises: Improvement of Mercedes GP
Biggest Disappointment: Ferrari struggles yet again
Random Predictions: Michael Schumacher wins in a track he has raced in, in his Ferrari era. Title is decided in Brazil. Mark Webber main contender to Sebastian Vettel. Not a great season overall for Button. Massa struggles again. Vergne beats Ricciardo. Kimi makes the podium once (maybe in Spa). Caterham remains part of bottom 3 as Williams improve to mid-table.

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World Champion: Hamilton
WCC: McLaren
Best rookie: Big John (Grosjean)
Race winners: Hamilton, Button, Vettel, Webber
Biggest surprises: Marussia's pace.
Biggest disappointment: Ferrari
Any other random predictions: More changes at Ferrari. Massa to improve, but get dropped anyway as the car is so bad.

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World Champion - Vettel
WCC - Red Bull
Best rookie - Jean-Eric Vergne
Race winners- Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Alonso
Biggest surprises - FI's pace, Grosjean outperforming Kimi
Biggest disappointment - Ferrari, Kimi
Any other random predictions - it's gonna be a season dominated by Vettel, but with some great races

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World Champion - Sebastian Vettel
WCC - Red Bull
Best rookie - Daniel Ricciardo
Race winners- Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Webber, Schumacher
Biggest surprises - Caterham get their first points. Ferrari is only the 4th best team, behind Mercedes.
Biggest disappointment - Ferrari and HRT
Any other random predictions - I believe Mclaren will be much closer to Red Bull. These 2 teams will fight for the championship, especially Vettel and Hamilton.

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FC BAYERN 7 - BARCELONA 0

World Champion?
- Sebastian Vettel. Fairly comfortably, although Lewis runs him a bit closer than in 2011

WCC?
- I'd like to say McLaren, but probably Red Bull. However, it will be close

Best rookie?
- There's only two, so unless Marussia is hiding something it'll probably be Jean-Eric Vergne. I rate him higher than Ricciardo.

Race winners?
- Vettel, Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Webber. Can't see the order changing drastically. Mercedes will be closer, but unless we get a crazy race I don't think they'll win

Biggest surprises?
- I'm hoping for pleasant surprises, such as Lotus, Force India challenging for the podium on occasion or Williams simply moving forwards

Biggest disappointment?
- Felipe Massa, one of the midfield teams (at this stage, I'd say STR or Sauber) and the continued problems of Marussia & HRT. Difficult to see them moving forwards until the regulation changes in 2014.
Any other random predictions?

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Bahrain Grand Prix review

World Champion: Button
WCC: McLaren
Best rookie: Vergne
Race winners: Alonso, Vettel, Buttton, Hamilton.
Biggest surprises: Webber does not win a race. Williams back to the game.
Biggest disappointment: Ferrari. Felipe Massa.
Any other random predictions:
Great season for Nico Rosberg;
No accidents in monaco ;-)

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322 gps | 14 pp | 11 1st

World Champion? - Vettel.
WCC? - I think it might be closer this season, but I have too, sadly, go for Red Bull again.
Best rookie? - I think Pic will be solid, although the car won't.
Race winners? - Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Button, Alonso.
Biggest surprises? - Webber being stronger than last year. Grosjean performing really well.
Biggest disappointment? - Williams again, I don't think they have a very strong team either.
Any other random predictions? - Hulkenberg and Di Resta both to do well, Force India be strong, Hamilton and Button have a spat at one point. Hamilton doesn't sign a contract if McLaren are not strong.

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World Champion - Vettel
WCC - Red Bull
Best rookie - Grosjean
Race winners- Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Webber, Button, Räikkönen
Biggest surprises - Grosjean
Biggest disappointment - Massa
Any other random predictions - Lotus to finish 4th in WCC

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myF1space

World Champion? Vettel (tho i see Mark is close)
WCC? RBR
Best rookie? Vergene , Ricciardo
Race winners? Button , Hamilton , Webber , Vettel
Biggest surprises? Caterham scoring points lots of it !!! and fighting the Williams and STR in the points
Biggest disappointment? Ferrari's car so far is the biggest disappointment ..
Any other random predictions? Felipe switches with Perez , Webber fighting Vettel during the whole season and be his biggest threat , Mercedes so close to RBR snd McLaren

World Champion? Alonso
WCC? McLaren
Best rookie? Grosjean (I think he's like a neo-rookie)
Race winners? Alonso, Hamilton, Button, Webber, Vettel, Rosberg
Biggest surprises? HRT ends up higher than both Marussia and Caterham, sometimes challenging Williams. (hey, more fun if bets are wild).
Biggest disappointment? Schumacher (hope I'm wrong!).
Any other random predictions? The first three races will be won by three different drivers.

World Champion? Going out on a limb here and saying Jenny Button
WCC? McLaren
Best rookie? Vergne
Race winners? Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Webber, Rosberg
Biggest surprises? Schumacher will get a podium
Biggest disappointment? Williams
Any other random predictions? Texas will actually be a Tilke track we like. Caterham will get at least a point. HRT will not get to the last race.

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http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/

World Champion? Sebastian Vettel
WCC? McLaren
Best rookie? Romain Grosjean (Does he count? )
Race winners? Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso
Biggest surprises? Lotus and Mercedes regularly challenge the frontrunners and score consistent top 5 finishes
Biggest disappointment? How ugly the stepped-nose is.
Any other random predictions? Webber has a string of sub-par finishes, thus handing McLaren the advantage in the Constructors' Championship.

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Ferrariman60

World Champion? Vettel. If not then Button
WCC? McLaren
Best rookie? Vergne
Race winners? Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Rosberg, Alonso
Biggest surprises? Perez, Grosjean gives Kimi tough competition (not really a surprise)
Biggest disappointment? Webber or Massa (though nobody expects anything from Massa)
Any other random predictions? Sauber finishes season in P6. Lotus get couple of podiums (both Kimi and Grosjean) and gets P4 at the end of season