PH heroes and villains of 2011

PH salutes - with two fingers where appropriate - those who achieved the best and worst this year

Looking back on the last 12 months there are a few people deserving of hero and villain status and a few we still can't quite make our minds up about. Dany Bahar for instance. We'll give him another year perhaps and, by then, it'll probably be obvious which camp he belongs in. As compiled by Dan and Riggers here are a few to single out for special mention but we're sure you've got your suggestions too - let us know!

Heroes:

Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli: Death used to be at the heart of motorsport but, bar events like the TT, is now rare enough in the mainstream to be of huge significance. And the four-wheeled and two-wheeled communities have had to deal with harsh reminders of exactly how high the stakes can still be, the dignified and heartfelt response to the very public deaths of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncellia credit to all in the business.

Andreas Preuninger: The bittersweet sense that this was the end of an era was clear when Porsche GT cars boss Andreas Preuninger talked us round the GT3 RS 4.0. Most pleasing was his shrugged "top speed is just a by-product" summary of what the improvements brought to the 4.0 and the implication that this wasn't a car for those obsessed with vmax bragging rights. Hurrah for that.

McLaren and Ferrari: We all remember the great supercar rivalries - Testarossa versus Countach, F40 versus 959 but 2011 saw the beginning of one that could eclipse them all - 458 Italia and MP4-12C. The ideological differences twixt McLaren and Ferrari have fascinated us on the track for years but now that fight is on the road too. And though the Italia may have taken first blood you can be sure the McLaren will come back stronger and this one is going to run and run. It's going to be great.

Derek Bell: As a man who has won Le Mans five times Derek Bell needs little to cement his 'hero' status. But after meeting him and his Porsche at Goodwood in November, the fact that he's a thoroughly nice bloke, a genuine car guy, and is in possession of a rather fine Porsche 924 Carrera GTS merely confirms what we knew already.

The ACO and the FIA: After a long history of not really working together, the ACO (which regulates Le Mans and its associated series) and the FIA (which, er, regulates most other global motorsport) have finally decided to unite the rules for global sports car racing. The result? Now there will be just two major series - the FIA World Endurance championship and the FIA GT World Championship. And we might just be about to see a new golden era of endurance motor racing. Here's hoping...

Villains:

General Motors: GM succeeded in tragically misunderstanding and mismanaging Saab for more than a decade during its ownership of the quirky Swedish brand. And then even when it had got shot of Saab it caused the axe to fall on the company by blocking its sale to Chinese investors. The loss of Saab and its broad and often-unsung engineering prowess should be a blow to car lovers everywhere. And the responsibility for its demise lies largely at The General's door.

The BBC and Sky: After more than two years of committed and impressive coverage of F1 - possibly the best coverage the sport has ever seen - the BBC backed away from the sport, making a deal with Sky for half the races to be broadcast on the satellite network from 2012 onwards. The result is that you'll no longer be able to watch an entire F1 season without having to pay for the privilege. Shame.

Japanese Ferrari drivers: For doing nothing for the reputation of Ferrari drivers or, indeed, car lovers anywhere the idiots who managed to turn a matey supercar run into an object| of international ridicule. Not to mention for wrecking a load of really nice cars too. Thanks guys.

The Nurburgring management: It's almost a year ago now that we reported on the troubles at the so-called NuroDisney leisure park that was built at the Nurburgring and it seems things aren't getting any better, with the management appealing for a reduction in the lease and job losses threatened. The Nordschleife is still there of course but the magic of the place has been corrupted by greed and incompetence - a sad state of affairs.

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