Casey Stoner is set to add two more wheels to his driving, Holden and Ford joined by Nissan and Mercedes on the V8 Supercars grid and nearly man Will Power’s ongoing quest for an historic IndyCar championship – 2013 looms as a huge year for Australian motorsport.
Two-time MotoGP world champion Stoner may have shocked with his retirement from two-wheeled racing this year but his recent test drive suggests he’s close to forging a new career in V8 Supercars.
It promises to be a momentous year for V8 Supercars after Jamie Whincup’s fourth championship brought down the curtain on the Holden vs Ford duopoly in the championship after two decades.
Next year will feature Nissan’s return to the grid while New Zealand brothers Ross and Jimmy Stone will add the flair of European luxury marque Mercedes to the blue-collar field under the adopted ‘car of the future’ program.
Stoner’s return home doesn’t mean the end of the road for overseas interest however with three-time runner-up Power trying to finally win the American-based IndyCar crown, Marcos Ambrose’s continued adventure in NASCAR and Mark Webber once more trying to overcome world champion teammate Sebastien Vettel in Formula One.
Here’s a look back on 2012 – and forward to 2013:-
FORMULA ONE
Champion: Sebastien Vettel
How the Aussies fared: Mark Webber – 6th, Daniel Ricciardo – 18th
Mark Webber’s hopes of winning the Formula One world championship appear over after teammate Sebastien Vettel sealed his top dog status at the Red Bull team with a third straight title in 2012.
Webber will be 37 next year and, given his habit of only signing one-year contracts, his future will once again be up for discussion next year. If no offer is forthcoming from Red Bull or one of the other top teams don’t expect Webber to step back to a lower-ranked team.
Youngster Daniel Ricciardo completed his first full season in 2012 and his challenge for 2013 will be to continue improving and finish closer to the top 10 at season’s end.
V8 SUPERCARS
Champion: Jamie Whincup
Bathurst winners: Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell
It was the end of an era for V8 Supercars as Jamie Whincup wrapped up his fourth driver’s crown and won the Bathurst 1000 alongside Paul Dumbrell for good measure.
Next year there will be two new manufacturers on the grid in Nissan and Mercedes-Benz, ending over a decade of solely Holden and Ford-based grids. The Kelly Brothers could take it up to Whincup’s powerful Triple Eight outfit, which will be backed by Red Bull next year, thanks to a big budget from their Japanese backers.
Stone Brothers Racing may find it tougher to adapt to their change to Erebus Racing-backed Mercedes but brothers Ross and Jimmy Stone are long-time owners who know how to make it to the top.
There will also be a new stop in the V8s calendar with the championship heading to Austin, Texas for the first race in the United States in May.
MOTO GP
Champion: Jorge Lorenzo
How the Aussie fared: Casey Stoner – 3rd
Casey Stoner’s world title defence ended effectively when he fell off his bike in qualifying for the Indianapolis grand prix, tearing ligaments in his ankle.
The two-time world champion would return to action to win the year-ending Phillip Island Grand Prix for a sixth consecutive time, ending his MotoGP career on a high as he headed off into retirement.
Stoner’s decision to walk away from the sport means there’ll be no Australian representation in motorcycling’s top championship next year with Spanish rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa likely to battle for the title once more in 2013.
INDYCARS
Champion: Ryan Hunter-Reay
How the Aussies fared: Will Power – 2nd, Ryan Briscoe – 6th
Will Power’s agonising wait for an IndyCar championship will extend into 2013 after a last-race crash meant the Toowoomba product finished as runner-up for a third straight year.
Power has all the tools to once again be among the front-runners next year given he remains with the powerful Penske Team and is still near-enough to unbeatable on the road-style circuits.
It’s American-style ovals that the 31-year-old knows he needs to improve on. He still has just one oval win to his name in his IndyCar career and it’s that record that has cost him a championship.
Teammate Ryan Briscoe needs to start running up the front more regularly if he wants to keep his place at Penske. He won one race in 2012 but more will be expected next year.
NASCAR
Champion: Brad Keselowski
How the Aussie fared: Marcos Ambrose – 18th
Former V8 Supercars driver Marcos Ambrose had a mixed year in 2012 and his 18th-place championship finish represents some stagnation in his NASCAR experience.
With his connection to Richard Petty Motorsport extending into a third year in 2013, Ambrose will be keen to push to the next level and break into the championship’s top 10.
To do that he’ll need to start winning more races, having only claimed two Sprint Cup victories in his four years at that elite level, both at New York’s Watkins Glen.
American-style superspeedway ovals are the crux of the NASCAR championship and they’re the circuits where Ambrose will need more results.
RALLY
Champion: Sebastien Loeb
How the Aussie fared: Chris Atkinson – 13th
French great Sebastien Loeb dominated the World Rally Championship in 2012 as he’s been doing for the past nine years and appears likely to win his 10th title in 2013 unless something dramatic happens.
From an Australian viewpoint next year marks something of a redemption for Gold Coast driver Chris Atkinson, who will compete in the championship as a full-time driver for the first time since 2009.
Atkinson, who won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 2012, will compete for the Mini team next year after driving in this year’s last five races for the outfit.