The new year is in it's infancy, and here at Badger we cannot wait for the season to begin. There is so much to look forward to when Australia comes around in March - until then, we're putting together our wishlist.  

Have a read and let us know some of your wishes in the comments.

 Mercedes produce a competitive car

It's been a tough past two seasons for the former Brawn outfit. 2010 was their honeymoon after the joys of both titles, and some podiums were a decent return, but 2011 was a step backward. Now, they have a workforce of technical directors, so surely they can put together a car that could make McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari tremble?

We want a good Silver Arrow for several reasons, but the main ones are for their drivers to answer some of their critics. Nico Rosberg is the current grid's "nearly" man, on the cusp of becoming a great driver in the sport but never having the car underneath him to realise his talent. And then there's the grizzled Michael Schumacher, starting the third - and final - year of his contract with not much to show for it. A little glory for both will put a smile on all of our faces.

 Felipe Massa stands up for himself

Last year was a tough year for Felipe, but it's now been one minor disaster after another for the Brazilian since he crossed the line at Interlagos and was technically 2008 World Champion for less than a one minute.

Since that fateful race, his star has been in decline. The 2009 Ferrari was a dog to say the least, but Kimi still managed to haul a victory out of it. Then there was the accident at the Hungaroring that may have used up all of Felipe's luck - but he bounced back to seem to be OK in 2010. OK enough to bag a few podiums and lead the championship in the early rounds, don't forget.

But, since the start of last season, he's had Fernando Alonso across from him in the garage, and that's where the problem lies. The Spaniard comes with big backing from Santander, and knows the political game inside out. This was Felipe's team. And thanks to Germany 2010, we all know who's wearing the Prancing Horse trousers.

What we want is for a little passion from the little guy. When the next radio order comes in to move aside, just say "no" Felipe. We'll love you forever.

All the FOTA issues are resolved

No one likes an argument, but that's exactly what the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) has broken down into. HRT walked away, and no eyelids were batted, yet just a few weeks ago, Ferrari and Red Bull did the same with Sauber doing exactly the same soon after (probably due to their Italian engines, no less).

From an outsider's point of view, it looks like the teams are split - one side with Force India, McLaren, Lotus, Caterham, Mercedes, Williams, Marussia and Toro Rosso (although, the Italians may jump ship too, seeing as they have Red Bull backing and Ferrari powerplants), the other side Ferrari, Red Bull, Sauber and HRT. And this is where the problems arise.

If there is a deciding issue for the teams to make a group decision on, what happens? Bahrain is a good subject for this - it is back on the calendar, but what if FOTA boycott the race on political grounds? That would mean the four teams outside the organisation could ultimately race, and, hypothetically, HRT could score points (we are, of course, speaking hypothetically).

The whole mess just needs resolving pronto.

 We see the Kimi Raikkonen of old

We love Kimi Raikkonen - there's a large photo of him on the wall in the Sett - and his return to F1 is something we're going to have a keen eye on as soon as testing starts. His first stint was full of ballsy driving (like his Days of Thunder moment through the smoke at Spa), but there was a hint of dry humour in there that we all hope comes back. Not know what we mean? Check out the following video;

Robert Kubica steps back into an F1 car

Another driver hanging on the wall of the Sett is our beloved Bobby K, who is still sadly missed on the F1 circuit. Remember Petrov and Heidfeld on the podiums early in 2011? We still think it would've been the Pole on the top step....but that's a whole other article in itself!

All we wish for Robert is that 2012 is the season it all comes back together for him. It's been 12 months since the horrific rally crash and he still isn't 100%, but the moment it's even close to being ready for F1 again you know he'll be in a car in a heartbeat. Whether it be in a Lotus (doubtful, seeing as that bridge has been burnt) or, dare we say it, a Ferrari, we want Bobby back as soon as possible. The grid just doesn't seem the same without him.

Sky delivers on every single level

Every single Formula One fan has an opinion on the Sky deal negotiated from the BBC, but whether you love it or hate it, we'll all be in agreement on one thing - it has to be good.

There's going to be more money thrown at it than we can count, a channel dedicated to the sport from Friday to Sunday, and, fingers crossed, some excellent content from both Steve Rider with legends and Martin Brundle on the technical side. It's just too good to be true for those willing to pay. But then it has to be. We all paying extra than we have done before, so we expect the best that money can buy.

Sky TV - you have a task on your hands. Good luck, we'll be watching.

Don't forget to let us know and share your F1 2012 wishes in the comments below - now enabled with Facebook and Twitter login, seamless.