As F1 2011 speeds towards its home straight with the sole remaining European outing at Monza and the final six 'flyaway' races, attentions are being increasingly divided between this year's title fight and next year's likely driver line-up – but in an ideal world, who would you like to see racing where in F1 2012?

With no change at Red Bull Racing – and probably not at McLaren-Mercedes, Ferrari or Mercedes Grand Prix either – the chief source of intrigue now is what happens at Lotus Renault GP, with the team palpably keen to see the convalescing Robert Kubica return, and Vitaly Petrov, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean all ostensibly vying for the second seat.

Sauber has reconfirmed both Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez for a second consecutive campaign, but there is uncertainty at many of the other midfield contenders. What we really want to know, though – and purely for a bit of fun – is who you would like to see racing where in 2012? Here is our choice,


Red Bull Racing:

Sebastian Vettel – Young, successful, personable and dynamic; the perfect Red Bull fit
Nico Rosberg – Deserves a better car than he has; a multiple race-winner in the right machinery


McLaren-Mercedes:

Jenson Button – The happiest he has ever been in F1, the 2009 world champion is in the form of his life at Woking
Kamui Kobayashi – A swashbuckling hard-charger in the truest old-fashioned style; the ideal Hamilton substitute


Ferrari:

Fernando Alonso – An archetypal Ferrari driver; if he perseveres with the Scuderia, success will follow
Lewis Hamilton – Unlikely ever to happen, but wouldn't seconds-out, round two between this pair be great?


Mercedes Grand Prix:

Michael Schumacher – May not always fully justify it, but deserves to see out his contract, hopefully in style
Paul di Resta – Mercedes' golden boy, has impressed many during his debut campaign in the top flight


Lotus Renault GP:

Robert Kubica – To finish the job that he started
Heikki Kovalainen – The perfect foil to Kubica; fast, experienced and has worked miracles at Team Lotus


Sauber:

Timo Glock – Deserves to vault back up the grid again; at Virgin, his career is in danger of fatal stagnation
Sergio Pérez – To build upon an encouraging rookie season thus far


Force India F1:

Felipe Massa – His time at the top may have come to an end, but would still be an asset to a midfield outfit
Vitaly Petrov – A solid competitor, but probably not a race-winner in-waiting; a good match for Massa


Scuderia Toro Rosso:

Daniel Ricciardo – To fully learn the ropes in a semi-competitive car; this boy has a bright future
Jean-Eric Vergne – Another Red Bull protégé demonstrating heaps of promise


Williams:

Mark Webber – His no-nonsense approach would help to drive Williams back up the grid
Nico Hülkenberg – Should never have been dropped in the first place; sadly, money talks


Team Lotus:

Rubens Barrichello – For his career swansong, to enjoy one last hurrah by moving Lotus up the pecking order
Bruno Senna – To learn from the old master, and to establish himself as an F1 regular at a team synonymous with the Senna name


Hispania Racing:

Jaime Alguersuari – Clinging onto a race seat by the skin of his teeth; his speed would help HRT to progress
Sébastien Buemi – Much-of-a-muchness with Alguersuari, to be honest; a solid pairing for F1's tailender


Virgin Racing:

Adrian Sutil – Virgin lose one fast German, but gain another; the experienced team leader
Romain Grosjean – A low-key return to see whether or not the Frenchman can cut it second time around