With the rising cost of fuel and the call for green living, people are in the market for economical cars. Automakers know this and they have been glad to oblige. Most manufacturers are coming out with their own versions of fuel saving cars and most of them are quite good.

The most economical of them, the hybrids, are a bit pricey, but you will recover your money soon by saving on gas. The best way to keep payments down on one of these is to put down a large deposit. You can save up a deposit by going to a price comparison site such as moneysupermarket and choosing a savings account.

Most of these economy cars get gas mileage in the 40 mpg range. Good choices include the Toyota Camry LE, the Honda Insight, the Lexus CT200h, the Toyota Prius v and the Honda Civic Hybrid. Most of these are rather small vehicles, but some, such as the Prius v, are a little larger and can easily transport a family.

The following automobiles get more than 40 mpg and some considerably more:

The Toyota Prius

This one gets just over 50 mpg in the city and 48 on the highway. The Prius was the first automobile to get as much as 50 mpg. It is the world’s bestselling hybrid. To make sure you save money on gas, it has an app to help you find the cheapest fuel near you.

The Chevrolet Volt

The Volt gets around 58 mpg in the city and 62 on the highway. Using both gasoline and electricity, it gets about 37 mpg and up to 96 on a pure EV range. While most of these types of vehicles are very limited in their range, the Volt can go almost 400 miles before it is depleted of power.

The Nissan Leaf

Nissan turned over a new leaf with this pure electric vehicle that gets over 100 mpg in the city and over 90 on the highway. It has a real-world range of 70 miles and has a special charger that gives it an 80-percent charge in only 30 minutes.

The Mitsubishi i

This interesting looking car becomes even more interesting when you learn that it gets 126 mpg in the city and 99 on the highway. It is also called the the i or i-MiEV, which means Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle. Many years ago, people used to make loving fun of the Volkswagen by saying it looked like a pregnant roller skate. The Mitsubishi i fits that description even more. It looks tiny from the outside, but on the inside, it is surprising more spacious than you might think and it has plenty of cargo space in the back.

If you are in the market for a new car, or if you are just sick of paying the high price of gasoline, consider one of these vehicles. In a time when it can cost nearly a day’s worth of work to fill up a gas tank, these economical cars are a great relief for the bank account.

This article was written by Katie, Katie advises people on how to manage their money via pages such as http://www.moneysupermarket.com/savings/

It is estimated that in a single year a set of wiper blades will make more than one million wipes; cleaning enough windscreen to cover more than forty football pitches. For this reason it is advised that drivers replace their wipers blades on an annual basis. Here are the top five signs your wiper blades might need replaced:

1. Marks on the Windscreen

There is a lot of grime slung at your car’s windshield throughout a journey. Grit, dust, bugs and bird droppings all affect the performance of your cars wiper blades and will result in streaky unpleasant marks that have the potential to obscure your vision, making driving unsafe. Normally using your windscreen washers in conjunction with you blades will remove any unappealing substances from your windscreen and wipers but, over time, substances such as bird poo, which contain corrosive chemicals, will damage your wiper blades permanently. This causes the blades to leave streaks more consistently and even risks permanent scratches.

2. Ineffectiveness in bad weather

This is the most dangerous consequence of having dilapidated wipers. If your wiper blades are unable to lift sufficient water from your windscreen during a downpour then they must be replaced. Heavy rain won’t wait for you to get off the motorway or pull over somewhere safe so you have to know that, should the heavens open, your blades are up to the job.

3. Noise

Everyone is familiar with that juddering sound window wipers can make as they screech across a windscreen. Many people mistakenly believe that this is due to the rubber part of the blade being to large but it is in fact the opposite that causes this. Weak, worn out blades cannot support the weight of the arm that holds them in place and the increased weight from the arm causes the rubber to make the noise it does. This is an audible sign that your wiper blades need replaced.

4. Wind Lift

If the wind is lifting your wiper blades off the windscreen, even whilst driving at high speed, then they do not fit properly. Again this can be hazardous if it happens during adverse weather conditions.

5. Aesthetics

Ill-fitting wiper blades look bad. Most car owners like to take pride in their automobile and allowing a part as cheap and easily replaceable as a wiper blade ruin its appearance is frankly ridiculous.

Dealer Finance Packages

A lot of car dealers will offer monthly pay up deals on their cars; these deals are particularly prevalent among nifty little hatchbacks like the Seat Ibiza, Hyundai i30 and the new VW Polo. A quick Google search can find these deals coming in at around £150 per month but it may be worth asking your local dealer about any price you find online as they may be willing to price-match or even offer a better deal.

Secured Loan

There are many finance companies out there just dying to offer you money but always check the interest rates. Secured loans from reputable providers tend to be the best options, rates usually starting at around 9.5% APR, but these loans often require collateral. If your parents trust your financial acumen, don’t laugh – it can happen, they may consider a homeowner loan where their property is used as collateral for the loan; so long as you keep up the repayments everything is grand… though it may take your dad some convincing.

Car Finance by Proxy

There are a few companies out there who will offer finance on a car that a dealer will not. So, say you have your eye on a beauty of a motor at your local garage but the owner is of the old school cash-up-front mentality, these companies will pay for the car then you pay it back through their finance package. As with secured loans the interest rates can fluctuate wildly from provider to provider; so shop around to get the best deal.

Loans to Avoid

Borrowing from friends is never a good idea. You know how much of a hassle owing a mate £10 from the last time you were short at KFC can be – imagine how much of pain they’ll be if you owe them closer to a grand?

Payday loans are also no solution when it comes to this sort of financing. I won’t debate the morality of loans than can reach 2000%APR here but, suffice to say, missing your payments on a decent amount of cash at these sorts of rates has the potential leave you in deep trouble.

If you had to choose a car that’s stood the test of time, it must be the Toyota Corolla . One of the most eponymous vehicles on the road, the Corolla has been Toyota’s best-selling D-segment sedan, in fact its best-selling vehicle, since 1966. So what’s new for the Corolla this year?

If you believe Wikipedia, the Corolla beat out the VW Bug just before the turn of the millennium to become the best-selling car in the world, when it passed 40 million sales. Since the car was launched, one Corolla car has been sold every 40 seconds!

Why? The Corolla began as an economy coupe or hatchback that was reliable and easy to drive with a sprightly suspension and rear-wheel drive layout. Most importantly, they were cheap and students and first-time drivers could afford them. When car enthusiasts started modifying them, adding turbos and developing the engines, car companies obliged and manufactured a ready supply of parts for the cars that were popular anyway.

Fast forward to 2006 and the tenth gen Corolla was released under the Axio in Japan and the Altis elsewhere. Although the style has aged somewhat (perhaps gracefully?) and the Corolla has become a bit of old-hat in markets around the world, the same old features appeal i.e. it’s reliable, compact and cheap.

Toyota is keeping the 2013 Corolla under wraps but there’s speculation that it has changed the Corolla’s headlights to resemble the new Camry, flanking a V-grille and a Lexus CT-inspired front-spoiler as well. Slimmer and a little racier (with new chic taillights) than in the past, the Corolla’s interiors are reported to be wood-furnished and upgraded with automatic climate control, LCD display, navigation and multifunction steering.

While it’s all speculation from bloggers who’ve spied the car out during testing, the sharpened design is confirmation of an earlier promise from Toyota to upgrade models that have perhaps begun to look staid (the Yaris and the Camry in particular). No details on the powertrain, but some expect to see a version of the Peugeot-Citroen 1.6-litre diesel engine that powers the Mini Cooper D.

Love it or hate it, the Toyota Corolla is here to stay and it looks like it’s getting a facelift for the coming year. Despite the speculation, however, it is doubtful Toyota will venture too far away from a good thing in the new Corolla.

The luxury sport coupe that isn’t quite a sports car and isn’t quite an upmarket sedan has gained popularity recently. While cars like the M and AMG have earned their weight in cash in European markets and Lexus has long enjoyed a monopoly across the Atlantic with the F-Sport, the Infiniti G37, representing Japanese automakers, is finally rising to the challenge.

The first vehicle released as part of Infiniti’s Performance Line, the G37 took a definitive step for Nissan’s luxury arm, emphasising performance to deliver what has been called an “upscale midsize car” or perhaps less succinctly: rear-wheel biased power and refinement wrapped up in a manageable price tag.

The 2012 Infiniti Coupe manages to hit a sweet spot between the Nissan 370Z (the platform on which it’s built) and the G sedan, from which it borrows a host of appointments. Comfortable seating, bold leather and aluminium interiors and plenty of gadgetry make it not just a small sedan dressed up as a sports car, but something truly in-between.

More fun to drive and better looking than the sedan, the G37 still has the leather seats and the gizmos and can fit four people inside its (slightly cramped) interior. It’s intended for a particular kind of driver who appreciates the handling and the interiors but who doesn’t necessarily need the oomph of the 3 Series or the prestige of the C-Class. Overall, critics report that this coupe offers a good balance between naughty and nice and its lower price tag makes it an attractive buy in the upscale midsize market.

Under the hood it’s got a 3.7-litre V6 that puts out 329 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, matched with electronically controlled 7-speed automatic transmission. The sharp handling is a result of sport tuned independent suspension and strong brakes. Another attractive feature is the host of standard high-tech features (many of them brought across from the G sedan), including a multi-function trip computer and controller with 7-inch display.

Downsides exist only if you’re not the target market i.e. if you need more space than a coupe can give. Testers report that the sloping roof line means taller passengers struggle in the rear seat although there’s enough room in the boot for bags and coats. Obviously it’s not a carpool car but a sporty, intelligently designed coupe that’s well-priced for what you get.

The car industry has a family tree more convoluted than the crowned heads of Europe. Quintessentially British brands like Rolls-Royce, Mini and Bentley are now owned and controlled by Germans, MG is run from Shanghai, and Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover are currently in Indian hands after a spell as American brands.

And it’s not just British names that have succumbed to foreign suitors: Volvo’s solid saloons and estates may still be sensibly Swedish but the company is now effectively a Chinese concern, having been American owned for a time. Flamboyant Italian sports car maker Lamborghini is German-held, sitting alongside Spanish Seat and Czech Skoda in the giant Volkswagen group.

France’s Renault is so closely aligned with Japan’s Nissan that the two share a common chief executive, while the Romanian Dacia brand adorns Renault’s budget offerings. French duo Citroen and Peugeot have been part of the same company since 1976, while Italian Fiat and American Chrysler are expected to merge soon.

Most buyers remain blissfully unaware of the complex web of partnerships, alliances and acquisitions that might lie behind a familiar automotive nameplate. And that’s partly because the big carmakers spend millions to reinforce consistent and distinct branding, making buyers comfortable about spending more on a Volkswagen than a Skoda, for example.

The truth is a different kettle of crustaceans, and buyers looking for the best new car deals would be wise to understand what’s what. That’s because it’s not just nameplates at issue. Significant pieces of engineering are bought, sold, traded and shared as well – up to and including entire cars. Fiat and Chrysler haven’t yet tied the knot but they are already busy putting their own badges on each others’ cars.

This year we will see a stark example of the different values associated with the badge on the bonnet. Three small city cars will go on sale – the Volkswagen Up, Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo – that are by many measures exactly the same car. They will be built by the same workers on the same production lines in the same Slovakian factory, using largely the same parts.

Euro NCAP, the organisation that crashes cars to assess their safety, hasn’t bothered to smash up a single Citigo or Mii because it knows that the results will be the same as for the Up. The three cars are structurally identical with the same airbags and common electronic safety systems.

It’s only when it comes to pricing that any really substantial differences emerge. The cheapest VW Up costs £7,995, which is £150 more than the cheapest Seat Mii, and £365 more than the cheapest Skoda Citigo. Indeed, you can order a five-door Citigo for less than the price of a three-door Up. And at this entry level, the cars are all equally Spartan. You can hunt for something to justify the Up’s 4.8% premium over Skoda and you won’t find much except a saucer-sized VW roundel on the nose.

Few people buy bare, entry-level cars, of course. But choosing sensible enhancements like alloy wheels, air conditioning and remote central locking will simply bump up the difference between the Up and Citigo to £710, or about eight percent.

If you’re in the market for a new car – of any size, not just tiny cars like the Up – it’s worth doing a little digging to discover which apparently different cars are very close relations under the skin. You might find a car that’s much the same as your first choice, but which saves you a considerable pile of cash.

Mercedes-Benz has recorded its best-ever quarterly sales figures in the United Kingdom. The German automaker sold 25,348 cars in the first quarter of 2012, which represents a rise of 12.7%. Mercedes-Benz controls now 4.5% of the British car market.

In March alone, 16,166 new Mercedes were taken to the road making it the most successful month ever for the manufacturer. The March sales figures represent an increase of 10.2% over the same month in 2011.

Quarterly highlights included strong performances for the C-Class Coupé with 2571 new registrations; the SLK Roadster with 1597 new cars; E-Class Saloon with 3543 new cars, an increase of 8.1%, and the new B-Class registered 1190 new cars. AMG sales saw an increase of 57%.

“The achievement of our entire UK team is remarkable – this isn’t just a record first quarter for passenger cars; it’s the best-ever quarterly result in our history. This is a testament to the fact that UK customers, whether private purchases, or fleets buying for businesses, are deciding that a new Mercedes-Benz is the right choice for them,” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, president and chief executive officer for Mercedes-Benz UK.

The German carmaker has seen record sales all over the world. Since the start of the year, a total of 313,902 vehicles were sold, an increase of 11.9%. In March alone when 131,334 unites were delivered to customers. Mercedes-Benz has never sold as many vehicles in a month before.

“Following up on our record sales last year, we are also off to a highly successful start in 2012. To date, we have recorded a new sales record in every month of this year and with 313,902 Mercedes-Benz passenger cars sold, we have set a new high for the first quarter. March was even the strongest month of the company’s history,” added Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz.

In the United States, Mercedes Benz sold 61,513 units in the first quarter of 2012, followed closely by Germany with 56,552 cars. In China, 51,328 customers purchased a new Mercedes-Benz vehicle from January to March.

The premium car manufacturer has registered record sales across its entire model range. The C-Class segment saw a strong increase of 27.0% to 99,660 units. The S-Class sedan also enjoys high demand with 21,507 cars being sold, an increase of 27.5%. The new B-Class sold 35,000 times since its market launch last November. Sales of the A-Class increased by 17% to 20,772 units and Mercedes-Benz SUVs saw 59,116 vehicles being sold.

Statistically, the biggest increase in sales delivered the compact smart fortwo in China, which saw an increase of 105.1%. The number of smarts delivered since January has doubled to 4,795 units. In total, 26,974 smart cars were sold on the global market.

Mobility scooters are increasingly used by able-bodied people as they are cheaper to run than cars, claims Labour MP Alison Seabeck. Therefore, the Department for Transport has started an investigation into the misuse of the electric motorised vehicles.

The scooters are cheap to run as they don’t require tax, insurance or the owner to hold a driving licence. The bad economy and soaring costs of fuel in the UK are seen as factors for growing interest in them.

“Because of the high cost of motoring you can see why it would be quite tempting to have one,” said Seabeck. However, “we also need to be aware that younger, able-bodied people are buying mobility scooters. Recently, one was seen cruising along the seafront at a Devon resort – the young man driving it had his golf clubs on the back. We see young women who appear to be able-bodied when they get on and off their scooters using them to do the shopping,” added the MP.

Mobility scooters are intended for disabled people only and the increasing use of the vehicles by the able-bodied is “very worrying”.

The scooters are cheap to run because they are part of the Motability Scheme. It’s a government-funded charity dedicated to providing mobility solutions for disabled people in the UK. It enables them to lease a car, a powered wheelchair or a scooter in exchange for their Disability Living Allowance or War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement. It aims to give housebound people the freedom and independence that comes with easy-access transportation.

The initiative was set up in 1977 by the UK government and provides currently almost 600,000 disabled people with vehicles every year.

Numerous automakers and premium car brands are partners of the Scheme. They have many mobility cars available to suit every taste and budget. Mercedes-Benz, for example, offers a great range of cars from the compact and versatile A-Class to the spacious and stylish B-Class. Any adaptations can be made to meet the disability needs and get the people safely and comfortably on the road.

Vauxhall runs its compact cars and SUVs on the programme. Big vehicles are especially convenient for families as parents or carers of disabled children aged three years and upwards can apply for the Scheme.

The French car manufacturer Peugeot is also participating in the initiative and so are MINI and Nissan. The latest to join the Motability network is MG. It will offer the MG6 GT from April.

The misuse of the scheme, such as the scooters, can lead to tougher laws that make it more challenging for disabled people to acquire a car. Just last year, the government introduced changes to the Motability Scheme that limited advance payments on cars to £2,000 and the maximum price to £25,000. Before the price cap, the advance payment was unlimited and recipients of the Disability Living Allowance could acquire cars worth up to £37,000. Drivers under the age of 25 can now only use cars with a power output of 115 bhp or less whereas there was no restriction before.

The Future Of Motoring

With the spiralling costs associated with motoring, many people are starting to consider what the future of the industry will be. The first public refuelling station was opened in Swindon this year for those who get around in hydrogen vehicles while Nissan have just unveiled new technology which the manufacturer hopes will be able to power homes.

There is so much talk about how motoring will look in the future, and how we will be able to fit renewable energy into this. Currently, energy that is renewable by definition is unreliable in terms of using it for our constant power source but there’s no doubt that the drive for a greener planet will see an increase in different technology.

That said, it’s not time to be writing off your current cars or stop searching the market for the best used cars. In fact, it may even be more of a reason to, because a shift in preference lends itself to a whole world of opportunity for the collector. Enough small talk, let’s have a look at the future motoring possibilities.

Nissan Leaf technology
We’ll start topically, with the latest far-fetched sounding idea. Electric cars have been produced by nearly every manufacturer in the last decade but it’s still unknown how it will work in the future. This technology is more inventive than you could ever imagine, with the Japanese company hoping that this car could do our washing or boil our kettles.

With many companies hoping for consumers to step away from using the main grid system and look for smarter ways to provide their homes with energy, this can be plugged into the house for that very reason.

It is believed that the 24kW per hour battery that the Nissan Leaf would have, can power the home for two days – that’s all the appliances like the fridge, television, fan and lights covered. Thousands of these cars have already been sold, and the box that will allow this energy usage goes on sale in March – although it is priced at more than £4,000.

Is this the end for electric and hydrogen concepts?
Of course not. The futuristic concepts of the motor industry have been around for many years, and all of these styles will be able to work alongside each other on the market. They all have their uses, and will make for a cleaner world in the long term.

One thing to consider is that electric cars still have a long way to go – they currently struggle to do more than 60 miles at a time, and while hydrogen cars are as easy to run as petrol or diesel they still struggle to build up a market share.

This article has been written by Mark Martin; a keen Motorsport and automotive industry enthusiast who currently works in the marketing department for MoneySupermarket

In terms of the fight for the championship, 2011 was not a classic year for Formula One. However the on-track action was probably the best that it has been for many years thanks to the introduction of the DRS overtaking aid and the new Pirelli tyres which have added another strategic element to the sport.

Vettel’s domination also doesn’t accurately reflect the strength in depth of the driving talent this season; with five World Champions and eleven race winning drivers all competing to be classed as the best of the best. But taking into account the performance differential between the cars, who is really deserving of this title?

10.Adrian Sutil

Season highlight: Stunning charge to 6^th in season ending Brazilian Grand Prix with knowledge that his career was on the line.

Season lowlight: Being generally outpaced by rookie team-mate Di Resta in first half of season

The fact that Sutil looks likely to lose his seat at Force India for 2012 is more a reflection of the wealth of driving talent Force India has on its books than indicating any below par performances on Sutil’s behalf.

Admittedly the first half of the season was somewhat patchy, but Sutil’s form in the 2^nd half was almost impeccable as he became the teams’ top points’ scorer. Indeed, the German seems to have thrived under the pressure of potentially losing his seat to produce some of the best performances of his career and seems to have tamed his once wild side. His drives in Germany and Brazil were particularly impressive, but he doesn’t seem to have out-performed rookie team-mate Di Resta by enough to warrant a contract extension with Force India next year.

9. Sergio Perez

Season highlight: Brilliant drive to 7^th in debut race in Australia prior to Sauber exclusion

Season lowlight: Embarrassing rookie error to collide with Sutil in China.

Perez wasn’t a stand-out performer in the junior categories like Hamilton. This combined with his limited pre-season testing programme meant that expectations were low for the Mexican rookie, which perhaps made it easier for him to impress.

However, this shouldn’t take away from the fact that Perez seemed to master the Pirelli tyres earlier than any of his rivals; producing a stunning drive to 7^th at his debut race in Australia prior to Sauber’s disqualification for an insignificant technical infringement. The Mexican also stood out on circuits or in conditions where driver skills are most tested. In particular, his performance over the Monaco weekend was superb prior to a heavy accident which took him up to nine weeks to recover from fully.

Ferrari has enough faith in his developing abilities to have signed him up to their young driver academy and offered him a test on their private facilities in the summer. Many insiders are tipping Perez as Massa’s replacement at the team for 2013.

8. Michael Schumacher

Season highlight: Fastest man during the most challenge period of the wet Canadian Grand Prix.

Season lowlight: Normally between 0.5-1 second behind team-mate Rosberg in qualifying

While Perez benefitted from low expectations, Michael Schumacher has suffered from the opposite problem since his return to the sport last season. Three years away from competition and the ban on in-season testing has left the German legend a shadow of his former self.

Nevertheless, there were clear signs of progress in 2011 with Schumacher often outpacing his highly rated young team-mate Rosberg in the races; particularly in the second half of the year. This bodes well for 2012, but Schumacher must first overcome his inability to extract the maximum from his tyres in qualifying trim; an affliction that has often left him close to a second adrift of Rosberg over one-lap. Is this due to a reduced lack of feel for the car resulting from Schumacher’s age or do the tyres simply not suit his driving style? This is a question which should be answered in 2012 once Schumacher has had the winter to analyse his technique and work on improvements.

7. Mark Webber

Season highlight: Brilliant move to pass Alonso through notorious Eau Rouge corner in Belgium

Season lowlight: Failing to match Vettel for pace 17 out of 19 times

Qualifying was also the bane of Webber’s 2011 season; with the Australian being out-qualified by team-mate Vettel on 16 occasions over the course of the year. This left the Australian losing time by battling it out with the Ferrari’s and McLaren’s rather than pulling away from the chasing pack like the German.

This has resulted in critics claiming that Webber has lost his form. However, this ignores the fact that Webber set more fastest race laps than any other driver in 2011. Like with Schumacher, if Webber can manage to overcome his inability to extract pace from the Pirelli tyres in qualifying then he will be far more competitive in 2012.

6. Heikki Kovalainen

Season highlight: Punching above his weight to finish above midfield runners in China, Singapore, Korea, India and Brazil

Season lowlight: Meaningless crash in Spain

It might seem to be a confusing move to place a man who hasn’t finished higher than 13^th in a race for the past two years to be classed as being the 6^th best driver of the season. However, this can be justified by comparing him to his race winning team-mate Jarno Trulli who is a renowned qualifying master. Kovalainen managed to out-qualify him 16-2 and was the only one of the two who proved to be a consistent headache for the midfield teams; putting his Team Lotus car into positions that it had absolutely no right to be in.

Beating both Sauber’s in a straight fight in Korea and Renault’s Vitaly Petrov in Singapore were particularly highlights, and makes one question why Kovalainen failed to shine alongside Hamilton at McLaren. The Finnish racer is putting this down to confidence; claiming that the atmosphere within his new team is allowing him to extract the best from himself as he now has more faith in his own abilities.

Despite offers from bigger teams, Kovalainen looks set to stay with Team Lotus (soon to renamed Team Caterham) for 2012; positioning himself as the man who this very promising team is developing themselves around. Expect them to make huge strides and take their first points with Kovalainen next season. Let’s just hope Kovalainen doesn’t turn out to be another Giancarlo Fisichella; a man who shone in uncompetitive machinery only to lose his head when in a front running team.

5. Nico Rosberg

Season highlight: Best of the rest behind the Red Bull’s in Turkish qualifying session

Season lowlight: Being inexplicably off the pace of Schumacher all weekend in Malaysia.

Rosberg became the first man ever to beat Schumacher over the course of a season in the same machinery in 2010; revitalising his reputation and establishing himself as Mercedes team leader.

Much was expected of him in 2011, particularly after the promising final pre-season test. However, Rosberg himself admits being disappointed with the pace of his machinery upon arriving for the first race and he completed the season 50 points down on his 2010 points total without even a single podium to his name. He still outperformed Schumacher, but not quite as convincingly as the year before.

This has raised many question marks about Rosberg’s ultimately potential; but Mercedes has shown sufficient trust in his abilities to sign him up until the end of 2014 in a big money deal. Let’s hope that he can finally get himself onto the winners step in 2012.

4. Lewis Hamilton

Season highlight: Scintillating victory in Germany; battling wheel to wheel with Webber and passing Alonso around the outside.

Season lowlight: The disaster that was Monaco

Say what you like about Lewis Hamilton, but no one can dispute the fact that he does bring a lot of drama to the sport; both off the track and on it. Just like Nigel Mansell or Ayrton Senna in days gone by, Hamilton is a constant draw of the television cameras attention regardless of whether he is battling for the lead or for 10^th place.

However, this year it was largely for all the wrong reasons, with the British driver becoming involved in numerous clumsy accidents with other drivers; colliding with Massa five times alone. Nevertheless, these incidents were as ever interspersed with some remarkable performances. His victories in China and Germany were particularly impressive with overtaking moves on Webber, Alonso and Vettel while fighting for the lead showing that Hamilton had lost none of his ability.

He ultimately finished the season lower down the points table than his team-mate for the first time in his career. Hamilton laid blame for this on being in a “bad place” mentally, with personal problems affecting his on-track form. He claims that his victory in the penultimate race in Abu Dhabi is proof that he is back on the right track. Let’s hope he is right, because if a man of Hamilton’s talent were to leave the sport with only one title to his name it would be a tragedy.

3. Fernando Alonso

Season highlight: Brilliantly in control victory at wet Silverstone

Season lowlight: Poor showing all weekend in China

Fernando Alonso has every right to feel upset about his career being at an apparent standstill. At the end of 2006, he headed to McLaren as the sports youngest ever double world champion; and with the retirement of Michael Schumacher he became recognised as the sports top performer. However, the subsequent emergence of Hamilton and Vettel, the fall-out at McLaren, some below par Renault’s and a poor strategy call in the final race of 2010 have resulted in Alonso failing to add to his championship tally.

This is no reflection on the Spaniard’s abilities, and in many ways he performed better than ever before in 2011. Managing to win a race in the F60 Italia and finishing 4^th in the championship race overall was no mean achievement. With a more ‘adventurous’ attitude being employed in the Ferrari design department and with the wind tunnel correlation issues which afflicted their 2011 car having been amended, expect to see Alonso back where he belongs challenging for the title once more in 2012.

2. Jenson Button

Season highlight: Stunning drive from last to 1^st in just 17 laps in Canada

Season lowlight: Colliding with Hamilton on the way to that victory

Button might not have won the title in 2011, but it was without doubt his best overall season in the sport; better even than his title winning year in 2009. He seems to have accepted that he doesn’t have the raw pace of team-mate Hamilton and has therefore been exploiting his tactical nous and unmatchable tyre management techniques to get the best result possible from each weekend. This is the kind of mature attitude which can only come with age and experience.

The British driver is also establishing himself as the new rain-master of F1; taking stunning victories in the wet Canadian and Hungarian grand prix’s; with the Montreal race being perhaps one of the greatest victories of all time as Button tore through the field from last to 1^st in the final 17 laps following collisions with both Alonso and Hamilton to take a famous victory.

Button has already done the unthinkable by displacing Hamilton as McLaren team leader. With this new mature attitude and the promise of a more competitive 2012 McLaren, it would be no longer be a surprise to see him claim a second title.

1. Sebastian Vettel

Season highlight: Any one of those 11 victories and 15 pole positions

Season lowlight: under par performance on home soil in Germany

There simply could be no other victor. 15 pole positions and 11 race wins from 19 starts marked one of the most successful campaigns of all time and established Vettel as the youngest ever double world champion. At the age of just 24, Vettel seems to have inexplicably managed to combine Ayrton Senna’s qualifying abilities with Michael Schumacher’s race management techniques to become a devastatingly dominant force. Baring a catastrophe in the Red Bull design department, there is absolutely no reason why Vettel won’t become the youngest ever triple champion in 2012.

The only aspect of Vettel’s abilities which have been in question in the past has been his overtaking skills and ability to fight his way up the field from the back like Button, Hamilton or Alonso. Despite spending the majority of the season up front, the German also seems to have addressed these criticisms in 2011; employing some remarkable overtaking manoeuvres over the course of the season when it has been required. His move on Alonso for the lead in Monza for instance was incredibly brave; as he kept his foot planted to the floor despite the Spaniard forcing hom to put one wheel on the grass at over 200 mph.

Sebastian Vettel’s remarkably dominant form in what is one of the sports most competitive eras surely marks him out as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time.