Michael Schumacher is the surprise exclusion in the Castrol EDGE Grand Prix Predictor?s selection for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Toro Rosso?s Jaime Alguersuari effectively replacing the seven-time champion in the top ten.
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Schumacher failed to finish last year?s finale at Yas Marina, being spun into the path of Vitantonio Liuzzi on the first lap, with both drivers retiring as a consequence. The Predictor sees little reason to suggest his fortunes will turn this year, omitting Schumacher entirely from its top 10 forecast. The seven-time world champion?s woe is compounded by the fact that his team-mate Nico Rosberg is expected to score strongly, with The Predictor selecting him for sixth.
Ahead of Rosberg, the usual suspects dominate the sharp end of The Predictor?s selections, with Sebastian Vettel an obvious candidate for victory. The German has won at Yas Marina in 2009 and 2010, making him the only man to ascend the F1 top step heading into this weekend?s third instalment of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Vettel has also won five of the last six grands prix, statistics that suggest selecting anyone other than Vettel for victory would be backing the wrong horse. If his reign is to be broken however Jenson Button has the credentials to justify his selection for second by The Predictor.
The Briton has outscored every driver but Vettel over the past seven races, and also deprived him of victory at Suzuka largely thanks to his precise management of the Pirelli rubber.
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Lewis Hamilton?s form remains something of a gamble, although the Briton has carried McLaren?s charge in qualifying in recent grands prix, even depriving Vettel of pole position in Korea. The Predictor sees him finishing fourth however, behind Button and the second Red Bull of Mark Webber. Force India is backed to do well in Abu Dhabi, with Adrian Sutil nominated for seventh and Paul di Resta for ninth.
Splitting them is the Ferrari of Felipe Massa, who has shown improved pace of late but also an ability to find and battle with Lewis Hamilton wherever the pair may qualify.
Jaime Alguersuari is the final name in The Predictor?s top 10, rewarding the Spaniard and the Toro Rosso outfit, whose recent update package has led to a distinct upturn in performance.
The Castrol EDGE Rankings is based on drivers' measurable performance over the last 12 months, including everything from their grid position to fastest laps. For further information on how the Castrol Rankings scores are calculated, click here.
