Formula One sees several new faces this season, and, with all the young talent, there could very well be a future superstar in the mix.

Although it might not reflect 2001, when Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya were rookies, the class of young drivers this year boasts some promising names. Paul di Resta finished very strong for Force India last season, and he'll be pushed to perform by incoming teammate Nico Hulkenberg.

Meanwhile, youngsters such as Sergio Perez, Charles Pic, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will look to impress immediately, as the shelf life in Formula One often has proved to be very brief for those who do not perform.

Red Bull Racing

Car: RB8
Engine: Renault
Team principal: Christian Horner
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel (Germany), Mark Webber (Australia)

A second straight championship for Vettel means he is without a doubt the favorite entering this season despite five other former champions on the grid. His two titles have come under considerably different circumstances, with last year proving to be one of the most dominant displays in recent memory. A single-season record 15 poles helped Vettel pace the field for more than 65 percent of the laps run, and Vettel had five race wins before a third of the season was even completed.

Although former champions should provide ample competition this season, teammate Webber also should be considered a realistic title hopeful. Fresh off a win in Brazil, Webber no doubt will be looking to improve on consecutive third-place finishes in the standings. Consistency has been the key for Red Bull, as Webber and Vettel are the only drivers to finish the season among the top four in each of the past three years.

The new RB8 has been up and down in testing, but there is still much to be seen. So far, there is no reason to believe this squad will not be the team to beat yet again.

Preseason grade: A

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Car: MP4-27
Engine: Mercedes
Team principal: Martin Whitmarsh
Drivers: Jenson Button (Great Britain), Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain)

Last season saw Hamilton take somewhat of a backseat to teammate Button. Button finished a distant second in the championship, but he won three races and finished ahead of Hamilton in seven of the final nine events. Hamilton could use a quick start this season, but only two of his 17 career victories have come in March and April, and he generally does not heat up until the summer months.

McLaren did improve last year, but the dominance of Red Bull overshadowed much of that. The team earned 497 points last season, up from 454 a year prior. In fact, last year's total was just one point shy of Red Bull's 2010 championship effort. McLaren made the bold decision to avoid using a stepped nose, but Hamilton does not seemed bothered, as he detailed to reporters during testing, "I think the car's strong. It's stronger than it was last year at this point, and, with the fuel loads we've been running, I think we are relatively strong compared to the others. I'm not necessarily saying we're the fastest, but we'll find out when we get to Melbourne. But I definitely feel like we have a competitive car where we should be fighting for a podium finish, for sure."

Preseason grade: A-

Scuderia Ferrari

Car: F2012
Engine: Ferrari
Team principal: Stefano Domenicali
Drivers: Fernando Alonso (Spain), Felipe Massa (Brazil)

The season has yet to begin, and already Ferrari finds itself answering lingering questions about the F2012. That's not good news for Alonso and especially not for Massa, who likely is in his final season with the prancing horse. In 2010, the most successful team in F1 history earned just one win, and it came in Great Britain at the expense of Vettel, who had a very slow pit stop midrace.

A third world championship for Alonso seems a distant dream at this point, considering Ferrari earned just 57.7 percent of leader Red Bull's points last season. Only two poles in the past three seasons means this team has struggled to find the speed of the leaders, and that trend looks to continue in 2012. Simply put, this team has far more questions to answer than leaders Red Bull and McLaren.

Preseason grade: C+

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

Car: F1 W03
Engine: Mercedes
Team principal: Ross Brawn
Drivers: Nico Rosberg (Germany), Michael Schumacher (Germany)

For the second straight season, the top five in the team standings remained the same, with Mercedes checking in fourth. Thus far in his career, Rosberg has been nothing if not consistent, finishing seventh in the title race in each of the past three seasons. Teammate Schumacher displayed some improvement, but this team remains on the verge of competing up front.

Which driver has the edge entering 2012? Much depends on the car, but an early tip of the cap goes Rosberg's way, as he finished better than his teammate on 12 of 19 occasions last season.

This is the first time Mercedes has participated in F1 for three straight seasons, having previously competed only in 1954 and 1955. In those early years, the W196 stormed onto the scene and immediately began winning races. The sport is, understandably, completely different now, and victories take time as well as significant resources. Under the eye of Brawn, the team certainly has the personnel it takes to win, but the car needs to take that next step forward for that to happen soon.

Preseason grade: B-

Lotus F1 Team

Car: E20
Engine: Renault
Team principal: Eric Boullier
Drivers: Romain Grosjean (France), Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)

The former Renault team was the highest-finishing squad to swap drivers for this coming season, with Raikkonen's return making a big splash in the headlines. Raikkonen is a significant signing for Lotus, considering he's a former world champion. In addition, his 16 victories between 2005 and 2009 were second only to Alonso's 20. A two-year absence from the sport certainly could hurt his chances at victory this season, but he capped a tumultuous preseason for Lotus by looking strong in the final stages of testing.

In 2011, Lotus collected 30 points in the initial two races but then scored just 43 the rest of the season, an average of 2.5 points per race in the last 17 races. Vitaly Petrov struggled, especially from late June on. In the last 12 events of the season, Petrov finished on the lead lap just three times. Therefore, Grosjean occupies the second seat at Lotus this year.

Preseason grade: C+

Sahara Force India F1 Team

Car: VJM05
Engine: Mercedes
Team principal: Vijay Mallya
Drivers: Paul di Resta (Great Britain), Nico Hulkenberg (Germany)

Force India could very realistically find itself in fifth place in the constructors' championship at the end of the year, and, with a pair of young drivers, that likely would be a dream first step in regard to long-term planning. The organization must be brimming with confidence, as di Resta is fresh off a solid rookie season in which he suffered only one listed retirement. Before di Resta, no rookie had one or fewer retirements in a full season since Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen in 2007.

Hulkenberg will return to the fold as the second driver for the team after a year's absence, meaning this squad has an exciting pair of youngsters.

Preseason grade: C+

Sauber F1 Team

Car: C31
Engine: Ferrari
Team principal: Peter Sauber
Drivers: Kamui Kobayashi (Japan), Sergio Perez (Mexico)

"They've done a great job, and they've got reliability. So it's good to see some smaller teams are competitive; we just hope they're not too competitive." Those are the words Button used to describe Sauber to reporters after preseason tests, and it is no doubt high praise for the midpack team. Both Kobayashi and Perez are returning, meaning this team should be expecting significant improvement for 2012.

Through Canada last season, Kobayashi had 25 points and was just a single point behind both Mercedes drivers. He had accomplished this despite a disqualification in Australia that would have awarded him additional points, so things certainly were looking up. The rest of the season, however, did not go as planned, and this could very well be a pivotal season for one of the most exciting drivers on the grid.

Preseason grade: B-

Scuderia Toro Rosso

Car: STR7
Engine: Ferrari
Team principal: Franz Tost
Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia), Jean-Eric Vergne (France)

Toro Rosso displayed significant improvement in its sixth season, notching 41 points after just 13 the year before. That still wasn't enough for Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi to retain their seats, however, and in for this year are Ricciardo and Vergne. The team has never cracked the top five in the constructors' championship, and that could be a tall order with Lotus, Force India and Sauber looking stronger for this season. Ricciardo is a Red Bull driver and has been tabbed for this seat for some time. For him or Vergne, a top-end goal this season would be a top-10 finish in the drivers' standings, something only one Toro Rosso driver has done (Vettel, 2008).

Preseason grade: B-

Williams F1 Team

Car: FW34
Engine: Renault
Team principal: Frank Williams
Drivers: Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela), Bruno Senna (Brazil)

The once-proud Williams team has fallen on seemingly unimaginable hard times, collecting just five points last season. Change has been swift, however. Gone is F1 ironman Rubens Barrichello, with Senna serving as his replacement. In addition, the team has reunited with Renault as its engine supplier, the same supplier Williams won five constructors' titles with between 1989 and 1997. Although championships are a very far cry at this point, the renewed partnership could help vault the team back into the midpack fold. Quite simply, this year will be pivotal for Maldonado and Senna.

Preseason grade: C

Caterham F1 Team

Car: CT01
Engine: Renault
Team principal: Tony Fernandes
Drivers: Heikki Kovalainen (Finland), Vitaly Petrov (Russia)

This could be the year the Caterham squad scores its first point. For now, the team should be focused squarely on more Q2 qualifying efforts, as a solid qualifying sets the team up for possible points if a few cars in front fail to finish. Returning is Kovalainen, but he'll have a new teammate in Petrov. Formerly run under the Lotus banner, Caterham has posted competitive times in testing, especially in the late stages. With the experience of Kovalainen, this team has an outside chance at finishing ninth in the championship, especially if Williams suffers another down season.

Preseason grade: C

HRT F1 Team

Car: F112
Engine: Cosworth
Team principal: Luis Perez-Sala
Drivers: Pedro De La Rosa (Spain), Narain Karthikeyan (India)

HRT finds itself in a familiar position again this season; after a very late car reveal, the squad must hurry to ensure the team does not again fail to qualify in the opening race of the season. Last year, Australia spelled disaster for HRT, as the 107 percent rule meant that the cars were not quick enough to make the starting grid. In 2012, HRT was the last team to reveal its challenger, and, because of the late launch, the F112 missed all of preseason testing. The delay is sure to hurt the team's ability to compete with Caterham and possibly Marussia, and that could affect finances toward season's end.

The differences in year-end prize money can be significant, even toward the rear end of the field, so HRT needs to improve its position in the constructors' championship. The possibility of that occurring seems rather distant at this point.

Preseason grade: F

Marussia F1 Team

Car: MR01
Engine: Cosworth
Team principal: John Booth
Drivers: Timo Glock (Germany), Charles Pic (France)

The arrival of Pic means three French drivers will participate this season, which hadn't happened in a single year in any capacity since 1999. He'll be partnered alongside Glock under the freshly renamed Marussia banner. Much like HRT, Marussia has gotten off to a late start this year, and that could hurt its early progress. The reveal showed that the car does not feature a stepped nose, which is not surprising considering the partnership with McLaren. However, too little is known at this point as to whether any progress has been made over last season.

Preseason grade: F

During Formula One's dormant season, it's anyone's guess as to how the upcoming year will play out. But if history has any influence, it will be a memorable year, for better or worse. The years 1982, 1992 and 2002 all delivered notable performances, which begs the question, will 2012 follow suit?

Ten years ago, Michael Schumacher clinched the championship with a remarkable six races left on the schedule, capping one of the most dominant seasons the sport has ever known. He never finished off the podium and won a then-record 11 races. There was also significant controversy in Austria, as Schumacher overtook Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello in the final seconds to claim the victory. Team orders were clearly visible as Barrichello slowed to allow his teammate to overtake, but the resulting $1 million fine by the FIA was attributed to the violation of podium procedures after the event. Nevertheless, it cast a dark shadow on the sport.

The 1992 season saw Nigel Mansell and Williams display a similar level of dominance. Mansell cruised to his first world championship thanks to a combination of great skill and superior equipment, earning nearly double the points of runner-up and teammate Riccardo Patrese. It was also the season in which Schumacher scored the first of his record 91 wins.

Although 1982 was very different from the previous seasons mentioned, it is still very much a highlight in the history books, statistically speaking. There arguably never was a more even playing field, as a record 11 drivers claimed victory. That season also saw a chaotic Monaco: Alain Prost crashed while leading with only a few laps remaining, allowing Patrese to inherit the lead. Patrese then spun, as well, allowing Didier Pironi to take over first. But Pironi quickly came to a stop in the tunnel, meaning Andrea de Cesaris was due to overtake. However, de Cesaris suffered a similar fate, and, in the end, Patrese crossed the line first despite that late spin.

Keke Rosberg wound up as the world champion by a slim margin, his only title.

The promise of a new season brings with it significant uncertainty, and 2012 certainly could reflect the seasons of 10, 20 or 30 years prior. Last year saw incredible dominance, but the year before witnessed great balance. Much depends on innovations made by each team, as well as the ability of drivers to become comfortable with a challenging mix of tire compounds.

Ferrari is one of those teams that must adapt quickly this season or risk falling far behind. Felipe Massa is suffering from a 47-race winless streak, by far the longest of his career with the team. Fernando Alonso is also struggling, relatively speaking, as his 10-race winless streak is tied for his longest since joining Ferrari in 2010.

Both undoubtedly are skilled drivers, but, without truly competitive equipment, neither can hope for more than the occasional victory. Ferrari has suffered through a one-win season in two of the past three years, a phenomenon that had occurred just once in the 13 previous seasons, and it will be very interesting to see whether the squad can rebound in the coming year and compete consistently with the likes of Red Bull and McLaren.

Among the most prominent questions this offseason is whether McLaren can close the gap with Red Bull, and whether that can be done sooner rather than later.

The team clad in silver suffered from a slow start last year, and it ended up allowing Red Bull to run away with both championships. But the German Grand Prix in late July saw the beginning of a turnaround for the team, as Lewis Hamilton put together a stunning drive to lead the field to the final flag. While teammate Jenson Button was forced to retire, the larger backstory was that Sebastian Vettel had finished off the podium for the first time in 2011.

In the final 10 races, McLaren won four grands prix while Red Bull claimed six, a much more even tally compared to the first nine events, when Red Bull claimed six to McLaren's two.

Button was a considerable force behind that second-half push; since Hungary, Vettel scored 176 points to finish out the season, while Button notched 161. If McLaren can avoid preseason struggles this year, the MP4-27 will likely be a car that can give Red Bull a significant challenge.

While the front-running squads will be sticking with their current drivers, many other teams, such as Toro Rosso, have announced a completely fresh driver lineup for 2012.

Out are Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi, in are Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne. Both have been primed for a seat with Red Bull for some time now, and the two have shown immense promise. It's a difficult break for the two exiting drivers, but Toro Rosso's primary purpose is to groom young stars for Red Bull.

That's been quite evident recently, as Ricciardo and Vergne will become the seventh and eighth drivers to compete for Toro Rosso since 2007. In that same span, Red Bull has had three.

Force India will also feature two young drivers next season, as Nico Hulkenberg returns to a primary seat alongside Paul di Resta. Both had impressive rookie seasons; Hulkenberg earned 22 points with Williams in 2010 while di Resta collected 27 with Force India this year. Hulkenberg, however, will have the added challenge of mastering the Pirelli tires this season.

Both also caught fire in the second half of their rookie years after understandably cool starts. In 2010, Hulkenberg had two points and three retirements through 11 events. In the final eight, he scored 20 points and failed to finish only once. That's a similar pattern to di Resta, who had two points through 10 events this year. In the final nine, di Resta outscored teammate Adrian Sutil by amassing 25 points.

Looking to 2012, there are several notable milestones that may very well be reached. With another win, Fernando Alonso will claim his 28th career victory, moving him ahead of Jackie Stewart for sole possession of fifth on the all-time list. Only Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell would be in front of him.

A victory would also extend Ferrari's mark of 18 straight seasons with a win, longest in the sport's history.

Meanwhile, if Vettel is able to match his 11 victories this year, which could prove difficult but can't be ruled out, there would likely be just three drivers with more career F1 wins than him. That's a scary proposition considering he will be just 25 years old at the end of next season.

Schumacher is also primed to make his 300th grand prix start midway through the year. He'd join former teammate Rubens Barrichello as the only drivers to reach that mark.

It was a sight that fans witnessed four times last season, but a Mark Webber victory had proved elusive in 2011.

That was until Sunday, when he capitalized on Sebastian Vettel's ailing RB7 to capture his seventh career F1 win. The victory looked fairly similar to his most recent win prior, which came over a year ago in Hungary.

Much like Brazil, Webber qualified second to Vettel at Hungary but took advantage of his teammate's in-race misfortune. Sunday, it was a gearbox issue for Vettel; in Hungary, Vettel was forced to serve a penalty for an infringement under the safety car.

While team orders are a very gray area at this point, it was clear Vettel yielded to Webber midway through the grand prix at Brazil.

That should not detract from Webber's drive, however, which was stellar. He won by nearly 17 seconds and notched the fastest lap of the race on the final lap. It was Webber's second victory in Brazil, the only Formula One venue where he has posted multiple wins.

He also led 41 laps, more than double his total from the rest of the season. It's a victory with lasting implications, as Webber enters the offseason with growing momentum.

Next season, he'll continue his pursuit of his first F1 championship, but the grid is already due to gain another former champion with the return of Kimi Raikkonen.

The 18-time winner will be paired up with Lotus Renault for the next two years as Robert Kubica continues to recover. Raikkonen had repeatedly denied interest in returning to F1 over the last few seasons, but following the announcement, he told reporters, "I can't deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming. It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP as I have been impressed by the scope of the team's ambition. Now I'm looking forward to playing an important role in pushing the team to the very front of the grid."

That grid will feature a record six world champions at the opening race in Australia, and every champion from 2000 onward will be represented. Raikkonen adds yet another element to the 2012 season, and it should be thrilling to see how much he can get out of his car.

He joins a list of several notable names to make comebacks in the sport, including Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost, among others. Lotus Renault showed flashes of promise this year despite a trying season, and with a semi-competitive car next year, a podium finish is not out of the question.

The 2011 season saw a dominant performance from Red Bull and Vettel, but it also featured several classics, including China, Canada and Monaco. Race lengths ranged anywhere from an hour and 20 minutes (Italy) to over four hours (Canada), and there was no shortage of great fights mid-pack in just about every race, aided by KERS and adjustable rear wings.

If McLaren and Ferrari can become more competitive next season, those battles may just shift to the front.

If Red Bull can continue to dominate, then several records set this year may be in jeopardy next season.

Vettel recorded season records in poles (15) and laps led (739) and tied Nigel Mansell's mark of nine wins from pole in a year. Including 2010, he also extended his streak of podiums to 11 straight races and earned points in 19 consecutive events. Both of those runs eventually ended, and while they were not records, they were incredible accomplishments.

Brazil marks the final race of the Formula One season, and while last year's event brought with it considerably more prerace drama, 2011 has the potential for some intriguing storylines as well.

Even before the race begins, fans may witness the fall of a significant record. Sebastian Vettel is seeking a record 15th pole of the year, which would eclipse the mark set by Nigel Mansell in 1992. Of course, Mansell accomplished the feat in only 16 events, while this year's calendar consists of 19 races. It's no certainty that Vettel will even claim pole, as the Interlagos circuit has been home to some chaos in qualifying due to inclement weather.

Last year, Jenson Button felt its full effect, failing to make it out of Q2. That session also saw former Williams driver Nico Hulkenberg storm to a shocking pole on a rapidly drying circuit. The year prior, rain also was a significant factor. Button, Vettel and Lewis Hamilton all started 14th or worse on the grid after rains ruined their efforts. Vettel and Hamilton failed to advance past Q1, while Button again did not make it out of Q2.

If weather is again a factor this weekend, fans could witness some of the top drivers having to battle from the middle of the pack at the start, which would no doubt add some considerable intrigue.

Brazil is the latest F1 event in a calendar year since 1963, when a late December date took place in South Africa. In fact, only three races have ever occurred later in the season than this year's grand prix at Interlagos. But as the calendar continues to grow in the coming years, events in late November and early December may become a common occurrence.

The circuit first appeared on the schedule in 1973, and at just 4.31 kilometers, it's the second-shortest venue on the schedule ahead of only Monaco. But a quick lap time does not come easy, as Virgin's Timo Glock described to reporters recently, "Even though it's not a very long lap, it is one of the most demanding challenges on the F1 calendar, with some great corners -- for example, Turn 6, an uphill double right-hander, which is fast and blind. The car has to be stable through the twisty middle section as well as being quick on the straights, so a good balance will be key. It's a really fun track to drive, and I would say it's one of the best circuits of the year in terms of the atmosphere."

Brazilians Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna will all be looking to end on a high note in front of the home crowd, and a good finish by any of the three would be a welcomed result. While Senna is still very early on in his career, veterans Barrichello and Massa have 28 combined seasons of F1 experience, and it's been a very trying year for both.

Massa has really struggled this season, as teammate Fernando Alonso has scored more than twice as many points. He has not finished better than fifth this season, and if he fails to do so in Brazil, it would be the first season without a fourth-place finish or better since his rookie campaign in 2002 with Sauber.

This week, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "Let's hope he can finish the season with a good result in Brazil; we expect great things from him in 2012 and then we'll decide how to proceed. Let's say he'll have to prove himself next season."

A clear warning shot has been fired, and barring an incredible 2012 season, next year likely will be Massa's final in Ferrari red.

As for Barrichello, he has not scored a point in 11 straight races, the fourth-longest single-season streak of his career, which has spanned a record 19 seasons.

The headaches of a Formula One season must at times feel overwhelming for drivers, especially when the wins seem to be more elusive than ever. But victory has the ability to wash much of the concern away, and, to some degree, Lewis Hamilton must have felt relief when he crossed the line first after the sun had set in Abu Dhabi.

The victory was set up by mere bad luck for pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel, who -- for once this season -- looked mortal. Mere moments into the event, Vettel suffered a tire puncture and slid off the circuit, ending his race after just a lap. Hamilton then vaulted into the lead and rarely relinquished it, putting on a true show in F1's penultimate event. It ended a seven-race winless streak for Hamilton, the second-longest in-season streak of his career, and it gave McLaren a sixth win of the season, one more than last year's total.

It also gave the team at least a moment of bragging rights over its rivals. Since 2007, Hamilton's first year in the sport, McLaren has 27 victories, one more than Red Bull in that same span.

With Jenson Button finishing third, McLaren received a significant boost as F1 begins to wind down for the year. And although Red Bull has been dominant in 2011, McLaren has certainly had a respectable season, as well. Button and Hamilton have combined for 17 podium finishes, the team's highest output since 2007, when its stable boasted Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Alonso finished a distant second Sunday but was consistent throughout the race. A relatively slow final pit stop was his ultimate undoing, as he spent nearly two full seconds more on pit road than Hamilton did on his last stop of the evening.

A two-stop strategy was the order of the day, and it left the pits relatively quiet, with only 42 total stops. It was the fewest stops since Monza, and it marked the fourth consecutive race in which total stops have decreased, beginning with Singapore.

As for Vettel, the retirement provides a lone blemish on his otherwise incredible 2011 season. It was his first such result in more than a year, and it broke a streak of 19 straight races finishing with points. With one race still to go this season, he has another chance at adding to his accolades, and a 12th win would put him one shy of the single-season record. As to where he'll land on the list of the most dominant seasons, that's certainly up for debate, but no doubt he's in the discussion. In the meantime, Hamilton's win only furthers the argument that fans could be in for many future years of legendary battles.

Abu Dhabi was not kind to all competitors, one being Toro Rosso, but the team's poor result belies its strong season. A distant ninth in the constructors' championship in 2010, the Ferrari-powered outfit has tallied more than three times as many points this season and has earned 15 more points than Renault over the past six events.

The squad stuck with Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi for this season, and the two have truly improved. Alguersuari has flourished the most, earning points in seven of the past 12 races. In fact, his 26-point tally since Canada matches that of Force India's Adrian Sutil. He's ending the season on a very positive note, and it might do wonders to help continue his F1 career.

With only two races remaining in the 2011 Formula One season, much of the news will pertain to next year and beyond.

That's been the case this week as rumors have swirled that Kimi Raikkonen might be returning to the sport next season, possibly leaving veteran Rubens Barrichello without a seat.

If true, it would provide a big boost to F1, as Raikkonen ranks among the best drivers in recent memory. He collected 18 race wins in his career spanning 2001 through 2009, trailing only Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso in that time, and he claimed the 2007 world championship with Ferrari.

A versatile driver, he won at 13 Formula One venues, the same figure as legendary Lotus driver Jim Clark.

Raikkonen's tally of 62 podium finishes with McLaren and Ferrari also ranks among the top 10 in F1 history, and, although there's no doubt he's a supreme talent, any stint with Williams could prove trying, as the team is in the midst of a nightmare season.

Toro Rosso and Sauber have each earned more than eight times as many points this season as Williams, and neither Barrichello nor Pastor Maldonado has finished better than ninth for Williams in any event this year.

Also making news recently is that American star Alexander Rossi will have the opportunity to test with Lotus in Abu Dhabi.

He likely represents the most realistic scenario in which an American could occupy an F1 cockpit in the near future, and with two grands prix scheduled for the United States in the coming years, now is certainly the time for an American driver to return to F1.

The last U.S. champion was of course Mario Andretti in 1978, with the only other American title coming in 1961 (Phil Hill). From 1950 through that last championship in 1978, drivers from the United States won more than 20 events outside of Indianapolis.

Since then, however, no American has claimed victory. In the first half of F1's history, the country was represented by names such as Hill, Andretti and Dan Gurney. In the latter half, there has been little to no representation.

Elsewhere, all of Formula One is now preparing for a third trip to Abu Dhabi. The Yas Marina circuit does not lack stunning scenery, but the event itself has failed to produce compelling battles up front.

Last year's event was dramatic solely for championship implications, but Sebastian Vettel ended up running away with the race victory, winning by more than 10 seconds. The year before, he cleared the field by more than 17 seconds.

What makes Abu Dhabi different from most is that it is one of only five circuits on this year's calendar to run fully counterclockwise. At the three that already have hosted races this year (Turkey, Singapore and Korea), Vettel has -- to no one's surprise -- dominated, winning all three while leading all but three laps.

The track is one of the most forgiving on the schedule, with ample runoff areas, as Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen described to reporters in the week leading up to the race.

"Abu Dhabi's not a hugely challenging circuit to race on, but the timing of the sessions and the fact we are running as the light's fading on Sunday makes it pretty cool for the fans and on TV," he said. "The first sector is reasonably quick -- if you see the cars turn in to T1 after the start/finish straight, you can get an idea of just how fast an F1 car can change direction, and from there you pick up pace through Turns 2 and 3, pushing the aero performance of the cars.

"After that, it's a bit stop/start until the long straight down to T8 where there is the first clear overtaking opportunity. T11 is the next place you can pass people, and then it all gets a bit fiddly as you go around the hotel."

A record-tying 14th pole of the season for Vettel is probable, as is a sixth victory in the past seven races.

While the on-track battles were certainly lacking, India's Formula One debut left a lasting impression on both drivers and fans.

Many had very trying weekends -- including Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado and Lewis Hamilton -- but overall, many drivers deemed the debut a success, including Nico Rosberg. The 26-year-old German told reporters midway through the weekend, "The new track here in India is awesome. It has some very interesting corners, and that's why it takes a bit longer to get used to the layout than at some of the other new circuits."

Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice president Norbert Haug shared similar sentiments: "Congratulations and compliments to the Indian Grand Prix organizers for building this state-of-the-art racetrack, which certainly does not need to hide behind the best ones in Europe. It is a pleasure for Formula One to be here in India."

Despite the new locale, it was business as usual for Sebastian Vettel, who secured the 31st pole for Red Bull in the past two years. Remarkably, no other constructor has more than two in that same span, and it's a testament to Red Bull's consistently quick pace at just about every track.

Vettel's 13th pole of the year means he now has 28 in his career, and he's only six shy of moving into sole possession of third on F1's all-time list. It's staggering to imagine that Vettel could realistically be third on that list before his 25th birthday. He still has a long way to go to match Michael Schumacher's record of 68, but at his current pace, that record certainly cannot be considered safe.

A two-time champion, Vettel cruised to victory Sunday, again setting the fastest lap of the race on the final trip around. It meant he earned his first career grand slam (won from pole, led every lap and ran fastest lap), becoming just the third driver since 2000 to do so (Schumacher, Fernando Alonso). He also became the first driver to ever pace the field for 700 laps or more in a single year.

Hamilton was thought to be a serious contender to Vettel's title pursuit this year, but that simply has not been the case. While another collision with Massa was not Hamilton's fault, he was also tagged with a three-place grid penalty for disregarding yellow flags in practice. India continued his nightmare season, as he ended up seventh overall, and his career has taken a different turn since his first two seasons in 2007 and 2008. In those years, Hamilton won nine times in 35 starts (25.7 winning percentage) and had 22 podium finishes. He also claimed a championship after losing out by the narrowest of margins the year prior.

In three seasons since, Hamilton has not finished better than fourth in the standings and has seven wins in 53 starts (13.2 winning percentage) along with 19 podiums. While Hamilton is certainly one of the top drivers in the sport, he's not immune to significant slumps -- and while it was hard to imagine at the start of the season, he's looking like the No. 2 driver in the McLaren stable right now.

Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi is also mired in a slump. India continued his streak of seven races without a point earned, and he has just two points in his past 10 events. Even Nick Heidfeld, who hasn't competed since July, has more points in that span. That's also a stark contrast to the beginning of this season, when Kobayashi had 25 points through seven races and failed to score points only once (finished in points but disqualified in Australia). The lack of production has not stemmed from Sauber as a team, however, as Sergio Perez has 12 points in his past nine grands prix.

Looking back, the 2004 season was a defining year in Formula One's history, in more ways than one.

Not only did it mark the final season of Michael Schumacher's dominant run, it ushered in a completely new era of F1, one which witnessed new venues appearing throughout the calendar.

From 1998 through 2003, Malaysia was the lone new venue added to the calendar, not including tracks such as Indianapolis, which had previously hosted F1 events.

But since 2004, fans have seen nine new locales added through 2012, with more scheduled in the coming seasons. Indeed, on next year's calendar alone, five of the final seven races did not exist prior to 2008.

With the announcement of an F1 event planned for northern New Jersey in 2013, the United States presumably received another large boost, considering Austin is set to debut next year.

It is also a clear indication that F1 is committed to continuously adding new venues worldwide.

India this weekend is one of those new circuits, and due to its late completion, many teams are left guessing in a few areas.

Jenson Button, who sits second in the drivers' championship, described the new track to reporters.

"The track itself has quite a nice mix of corners," he said. "The start of the lap is pretty stop-start, there are a couple of long straights mixed with tight hairpins, but it's the end of the lap that's more interesting; there are some pretty high-speed changes of direction through the esses and some gradient change.

"One of the things that looks really interesting is the double-apex banked corner at the back of the circuit -- that's pretty unusual. It's sort of a mix between Turn 13 at China and Korea's Turn 11."

On the 23rd anniversary to the day of Ayrton Senna's first world title, fans in India could be in store for a few milestones. Not only does Sebastian Vettel have a good chance of eclipsing Nigel Mansell's single-season laps led record (set in 1992), but he also may tie Mansell's record of nine wins from pole in a year.

Chances are Vettel will be on pole this weekend, as he claimed the top spot in qualifying last year in Korea's inaugural grand prix.

Remarkably, that event was the last time Vettel failed to score points, meaning he's collected points in 18 straight races. If he notches points in India, it would move him into second on the list of longest streaks in F1 history, behind only Schumacher's run of 24 between 2001 and 2003.

Vettel's season has understandably overshadowed the rest of the F1 community, but several other top drivers in the sport have arguably improved over last year at this point.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has seen his wins total drop significantly, but through 16 events, he has earned more points than last season. Both McLaren drivers, Button and Lewis Hamilton, have a higher points total through 16 races compared with 2010.

Of the three, Button has shown the most improvement this year. In his sophomore season with McLaren, his three victories are the second most he's ever earned in a single season, and his nine podiums match that of his 2009 title run.

With one more podium finish, he'll match his career best of 10, set back with BAR in 2004. Since Hungary, he's earned 113 points while Vettel has put up 133. No other driver has more than 82 in that span.

Clearly, Button has been Vettel's biggest challenger recently, and could very well play that role again Sunday.

Soon after celebrations in Korea concluded, the open-wheel world mourned the loss of former IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon in a terrible accident in Las Vegas. It was a sobering reminder of the inherent dangers in motorsports, even today, and it provided time for reflection and remembrance of a truly great driver.

Racing can provide unimaginable highs and lows; less than six months prior, Wheldon had won the Indianapolis 500 in the most dramatic fashion. He grew up racing against Jenson Button, and provided inspiration to Lewis Hamilton and others. It's an enormous loss to IndyCar and the motorsports community.

Just hours before, 24 Formula One drivers had taken to the grid at Korea for the second time in as many years. The first practices yielded little information, as rain concealed any truly quick lap times. Qualifying, however, delivered a surprise, as Hamilton claimed the pole. It signified the end of a 16-race run in which Red Bull was on the pole, the third-longest streak in F1 history.

Hamilton's tough season continued, however, just moments after the red lights went out Sunday, as Vettel quickly jumped into first. The Red Bull ace went on to clinch the fastest lap on the final trip around en route to his 10th win of the season, only the second time this season in which he's posted the quickest lap of a race. That's a stark contrast to the two other 10-plus win years in F1, when Michael Schumacher notched 10 fastest laps in 2004 and seven in 2002.

A third-place result by Mark Webber also helped to clinch the constructors' title for Red Bull for the second year in a row. Legends Ferrari, Williams and McLaren are the only constructors to win three straight titles, so Red Bull has the opportunity to join a very exclusive list in 2012. Additionally, no team has ever claimed its first three titles in consecutive fashion.

While McLaren has not won a constructors' championship since 1998, the team had reason to celebrate Sunday, as Korea marked the squad's 700th grand prix. On display at the McLaren Technology Centre this week were cars from each of the milestone races in the team's history (100th through 600th), and the excitement spilled over into the race when Hamilton and Webber fought wheel to wheel immediately after their second pit stops. Hamilton's ability to keep Webber at bay and take the second spot on the podium was likely a big boost for his confidence, considering he's experiencing a relative low point in his career.

Just a year ago, Korea marked a significant expansion of Formula One, and next week the sport will see another key chapter begin in the form of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. The Buddh International Circuit is located in northern India outside of New Delhi, and it marks F1's entry into a nation that over 1 billion people call home.

The circuit promises to be a unique one; the three very slow turns in the first sector likely will yield some excellent overtaking opportunities, and the constant elevation changes make for an additional challenge. It's a clockwise layout that features a very long right-hand bend with multiple apexes in Turns 10 and 11, and with any luck, this race could provide some of the most exciting battles fans have seen all season. Car setup will be crucial, but that's likely a very tough task for a circuit that has nearly every feature. Hermann Tilke's designs have not always been a favorite among drivers and fans, but this may very well be an exception.

India may also see a significant record fall. With three races still to go, Vettel is within 50 laps led of the most in a single season, set by Nigel Mansell in his dominant 1992 campaign. It's very possible for the mark to fall, as the event is scheduled for 60 laps. If he leads the field after at least 49 laps, Vettel will become the first man in F1 history to have led 700 laps in a season.

A few drivers also will be celebrating some milestone starts. Felipe Massa will be starting his 150th grand prix, despite Ferrari believing that South Korea marked the occasion. In truth, he has two no-starts (2005 United States and 2009 Hungary), and one of those was apparently counted in his total entering Korea. Lotus pilot Jarno Trulli will be making his 250th career start, a mark only three drivers have previously reached.