Mark Hughes' 2012 driver preview

F1 expert Mark Hughes talks Hamilton, Vettel, Ferrari and Senna in part two of his driver preview.

Ahead of what promises to be a defining season for a number of the grid's leading drivers, we sat down with Sky Sports F1's Commentary Expert Mark Hughes for an extensive chat about the years ahead for F1's big names. After talking Nico Rosberg, Michael Schumacher and Paul di Resta in part one, Mark turns his attention to some of the drivers likely to be competing for the very top honours in 2012... You're a big fan of Robert Kubica. How likely is it that he will return?
MH: It would be one of the all-time sporting stories if he came back and was successful. And his return is most likely to be with Ferrari?
MH: I think they will try to get him in an old car during the second half of the year and see how it goes. If it goes well, I'd expect to see him in a Ferrari next year. And then the million-dollar question: what does the future hold for Lewis when his contract with McLaren expires at the end of the year?
MH: My gut feeling is that Lewis still has his heart set on Red Bull. Really? But because of what happened with Alonso during their year together at McLaren, would Red Bull take him?
MH: Nobody is questioning his talent; it's a maintenance issue. My impression is that Red Bull suspect that Lewis might be slightly quicker than Sebastian but not by enough to make it worth all the baggage and they believe Sebastian, as an overall package, to still be the better driver. So that route is blocked off for Lewis then?
MH: Not necessarily because it's not the racing team's decision. It's the owner's decision and if you think of it from a marketing perspective then it's the ultimate choice: Sebastian v Lewis, Germany v England, the two fastest drivers in F1 in the same car. It would be a marketing dream. What chance of Sebastian joining Mercedes though?
MH: They would love to get together with Seb - which team wouldn't? - but he would be very reluctant to move away from Adrian Newey. The trick would be convincing Adrian to move with him - and that would be a very hard sell. The hardest! But what has Sebastian got left to prove at Red Bull? Surely the possibility of 'doing a Schumacher' at Ferrari must appeal to him?
MH: He is very much aware of his place in the record books. This seems to be his challenge at the moment - he seems very intent on breaking records. He's a very bright guy, and he can see his route to those numbers, numbers that might even challenge those of his friend Michael Schumacher in years to come. His key to those numbers is Adrian. So, after two successive championships, does he deserve to be regarded as the best driver in F1?
MH: As an all-round package...very possibly. He was certainly the best last year. And Fernando?
MH He is - and was - fantastic He was stymied by a car that struggled to get heat into his tyres and couldn't drive it the way he is capable of driv-ing it. Seb didn't have those problems, but Seb also absolutely delivered with what he was given. Sometimes circumstances don't allow you access to your best stuff and so there's often a distinction to be made between 'the best' driver and the driver that performed to the highest level. Just why does the Ferrari perennially struggle to put heat into