Formula 1 2012
- Thread starter ryushen21
- Start date
PSNELKE
Legend
I could really see one of the McLaren guys winning it this year.
I would like to see Lewis winning it, cause he is the better driver in the team, Button however is more consistent.
I don't think the FIA is going to let them change anything on their design, they simply got something over the others, just like Red Bull last year with the double diffusor which made even a bigger difference.
Seems like they really closed the gap to Red Bull Racing, who had by far the superior car in the previous years.
And I really hope Schuhmacher makes it on the podium at least once this year, as it seems they also have an improved car.
Ferrari will have a VERY difficult year of 2012, they seem even worse than last year to me.
I would like to see Lewis winning it, cause he is the better driver in the team, Button however is more consistent.
I don't think the FIA is going to let them change anything on their design, they simply got something over the others, just like Red Bull last year with the double diffusor which made even a bigger difference.
Seems like they really closed the gap to Red Bull Racing, who had by far the superior car in the previous years.
And I really hope Schuhmacher makes it on the podium at least once this year, as it seems they also have an improved car.
Ferrari will have a VERY difficult year of 2012, they seem even worse than last year to me.
ryushen21
Legend
I think that Hamilton wants it the most. I mean just look at his face on the podium from Australia. He knew that should have been his race.
I'm glad that FIA ruled in favor of Merc's design being legal if for no other reason than it might give Schuey a serious chance at a win. He just has to have another win before he hangs it up for good.
I think that there is just a huge storm around Ferrari. It was a good thing for them that Alonso pulled of 5th place last week but they have got to get it together. I don't want to seem like a bandwaggoner but I think that Massa needs to go because he just has not performed up to anyone's expectations. That team really needs people who will just drive the hell out of the car.
All together though, this should be a really good year.
I'm glad that FIA ruled in favor of Merc's design being legal if for no other reason than it might give Schuey a serious chance at a win. He just has to have another win before he hangs it up for good.
I think that there is just a huge storm around Ferrari. It was a good thing for them that Alonso pulled of 5th place last week but they have got to get it together. I don't want to seem like a bandwaggoner but I think that Massa needs to go because he just has not performed up to anyone's expectations. That team really needs people who will just drive the hell out of the car.
All together though, this should be a really good year.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
I'm not happy - why does McLaren have the nicely contoured nose while all the other teams have the ugly (non-aerodynamic) step down nose? I'm not a conspiracy guy - but something tells me the powers that be really want McLaren to win after Red Bull's dominance. I cannot believe no other team figured out how to get the same measurements without the nasty step down.
I tend to root for Alonso - can't believe Ferrari still can't come up with a decent car. Wouldn't mind seeing Kimi have some good results too.
Also not happy with the price of the 2012 F1.com Timing app for the iPhone. $28.99? How many mansions do you need Bernie?
I tend to root for Alonso - can't believe Ferrari still can't come up with a decent car. Wouldn't mind seeing Kimi have some good results too.
Also not happy with the price of the 2012 F1.com Timing app for the iPhone. $28.99? How many mansions do you need Bernie?
chmee
Professional
Well, leading the championship after two races is not that bad result for a presumably mishappen car. Due to the difficult race conditions today, luck and Alonso's special talent secured him the first place anyway.
I think we are into a season with many contenders for race wins and a close call for the championship in the end. My humble quess would be Button, but I'm actually rooting for Rosberg since I have bet him to beat Schu in total points.
The Red Bull's edge has literally been blown away with their blown diffusor (not double diffusor) being prohibited. McLaren looks very strong, especially in qualifying. So does Mercedes GP, but due to tyre degradation issues their race performance has been disasterous so far. Besides these four teams, Lotus and Sauber seem to me very competitive. Perez could easily have overtaken Alonso today
before the flag had he not been so impatient.
On the other paw we have seen no ordinary race yet this season. Today it was the weather, and Melbourne is rather a special track anyway to allow much conclusions.
As to the noses in this year's design Glock said something like 'the winning car allways is beautiful'. I second that
I think we are into a season with many contenders for race wins and a close call for the championship in the end. My humble quess would be Button, but I'm actually rooting for Rosberg since I have bet him to beat Schu in total points.
The Red Bull's edge has literally been blown away with their blown diffusor (not double diffusor) being prohibited. McLaren looks very strong, especially in qualifying. So does Mercedes GP, but due to tyre degradation issues their race performance has been disasterous so far. Besides these four teams, Lotus and Sauber seem to me very competitive. Perez could easily have overtaken Alonso today
before the flag had he not been so impatient.
On the other paw we have seen no ordinary race yet this season. Today it was the weather, and Melbourne is rather a special track anyway to allow much conclusions.
As to the noses in this year's design Glock said something like 'the winning car allways is beautiful'. I second that
ryushen21
Legend
Good stuff all around.
I was really looking at the McLaren today and I can't figure out how they managed to avoid the repugnantly ugly step down in their design. But like Mercedes' F-Duct, it passed scrutineering so what the heck do I know? I think the more competitive the season the better.
Obviously I think that McLaren are the front runners right now. I think that today's race could have easily gone Hamilton's way if they had pitted him first and the jack man hadn't f'ed up his pit stop. Behind them it's really hard to say.
I think that if Mercedes can keep from eating up their tires on race day then they will have a chance to be serious competitors. Red Bull just seems to be struggling a whole lot to find the groove with their cars right now. Ferrari has chance to pull something together if they could get a decent partner for Alonso and I also really like the Lotus team as well. I don't want to speak too soon on Sauber but I think that things are looking up for them as well.
I'm looking forward to see what developments occur between now and China. I'm just glad that we have a far more exciting season.
Now if COA would just speed things up and release ticket sales I could go ahead and get mine for November!
I was really looking at the McLaren today and I can't figure out how they managed to avoid the repugnantly ugly step down in their design. But like Mercedes' F-Duct, it passed scrutineering so what the heck do I know? I think the more competitive the season the better.
Obviously I think that McLaren are the front runners right now. I think that today's race could have easily gone Hamilton's way if they had pitted him first and the jack man hadn't f'ed up his pit stop. Behind them it's really hard to say.
I think that if Mercedes can keep from eating up their tires on race day then they will have a chance to be serious competitors. Red Bull just seems to be struggling a whole lot to find the groove with their cars right now. Ferrari has chance to pull something together if they could get a decent partner for Alonso and I also really like the Lotus team as well. I don't want to speak too soon on Sauber but I think that things are looking up for them as well.
I'm looking forward to see what developments occur between now and China. I'm just glad that we have a far more exciting season.
Now if COA would just speed things up and release ticket sales I could go ahead and get mine for November!
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
@ryushen21 - +1. Want to go to Austin too.
Rain in KL? Who would have thunk it? Too bad little King Bernie is too greedy to start the race earlier to avoid the afternoon downpours.
Rain in KL? Who would have thunk it? Too bad little King Bernie is too greedy to start the race earlier to avoid the afternoon downpours.
bigant2984
Rookie
i like the way the season has begun so far, way better that last year, its nice to see 2 different drivers win in the first 2 race of the season, i hope lewis can get a win soon after starting on the pole twice, i am also very impressed with kimi in his first 2 starts, he finished good last race even being penalized, alonso got a some luck throw his way last race, alot of the younger drivers are looking better seems there finding there way, i just hope lewis can put a win up so we can bring home another world champion ship for 2012
bigant2984
Rookie
yeah i think mclaren made the right choice not goin with the stepped nose, there are looking really fast
ryushen21
Legend
Lewis will get his wins. I still think that if he had pitted first and hadn't had that bit of bad luck with the jack man, that he would have been in the lead instead of Alonso.
But I can't say that I am really mad about the result because I love the Ferrari history with that team and definitely want to see them have success.
I think that Kimi is a bit of a wildcard and that is definitely something that F1 needed.
I think that the more important question is HOW did McLaren get away with that nose. Considering how much the teams spend on engineering and aerodynamics, It just doesn't exactly match up that only one team out of all of them would figure out how to pull of that type of nose design.
WCA,
I'm looking forward to Austin. I know that I will probably only be able to afford GA tickets but that would be better than nothing. I would love to sit up on the grandstands but I just think that the cost will be too much.
Ash_Smith
Legend
I believe that McLaren already a lower front wing position than the rest of the field last season, so therefore it wasn't a massive stretch for the engineers to find a solution for this season's regulations.
As for Lewis, the pit crew cost him the opportunity to take the win, had the rear jack man been clean, Lewis would have been out in front of Fernando and had the chance to take the win. Fair play to Alonso though, that Ferrari has no business being out in front, it's a real pig by all accounts, but he absolutely drove the wheels off it!
Looking a good season!
Cheers
As for Lewis, the pit crew cost him the opportunity to take the win, had the rear jack man been clean, Lewis would have been out in front of Fernando and had the chance to take the win. Fair play to Alonso though, that Ferrari has no business being out in front, it's a real pig by all accounts, but he absolutely drove the wheels off it!
Looking a good season!
Cheers
ryushen21
Legend
I think that was probably the most impressive thing. Since testing they have been complaining about how bad the car handles and all the other problems plaguing them. But you wouldn't have known it at all by the way he drove that thing.
bigant2984
Rookie
bigant2984
Rookie
ryushen21
Legend
Well it looks like Red Bull is at it again still going after Mercedes and their wing design. Is it just me or does it seem like they are grasping at straws. Merc has not had a good performance regardless of their wing tech and can't keep their cars from eating tires.
I know the Red Bull team is suffering but this just seems petty to me as they have already gone through two appeals and FIA has upheld the design both times.
I know the Red Bull team is suffering but this just seems petty to me as they have already gone through two appeals and FIA has upheld the design both times.
chmee
Professional
Impressive flat out from Nico.
After Malaysia Ross Brawn described their car as a conundrum puzzle, so it is obvious that the team has done a really good job in the past three weeks. The car worked the tyres perfectly. The weather conditions of course were ideal for them, as well as the track layout. Had Schu survived his first pitstop Mercedes could even have made an one-two finish.
Behind Nico it was a close call between McLaren, RB and Lotus, with a slight edge for McLaren. Without his mishappen second pitstop Button would have been much closer to Nico, but I don't think close enough to actually challenge him, since Mercedes' strategy seemed the superior one today.
Allthough RB struggles a lot in qualifying, they are still competitive in the race. The tyre degradation issue seemingly hit Kimi the most as he dropped from the second place outside of top 10 in just 1 1/2 laps short before finish. Thus Lotus together with Sauber were the under performers today, while I think Ferrari made the most of their car under their present configuration.
Heading for Bahrain I hope we won't see any tanks on the circuit:shock:
.After Malaysia Ross Brawn described their car as a conundrum puzzle, so it is obvious that the team has done a really good job in the past three weeks. The car worked the tyres perfectly. The weather conditions of course were ideal for them, as well as the track layout. Had Schu survived his first pitstop Mercedes could even have made an one-two finish.
Behind Nico it was a close call between McLaren, RB and Lotus, with a slight edge for McLaren. Without his mishappen second pitstop Button would have been much closer to Nico, but I don't think close enough to actually challenge him, since Mercedes' strategy seemed the superior one today.
Allthough RB struggles a lot in qualifying, they are still competitive in the race. The tyre degradation issue seemingly hit Kimi the most as he dropped from the second place outside of top 10 in just 1 1/2 laps short before finish. Thus Lotus together with Sauber were the under performers today, while I think Ferrari made the most of their car under their present configuration.
Heading for Bahrain I hope we won't see any tanks on the circuit:shock:
ryushen21
Legend
Impressive flat out from Nico
After Malaysia Ross Brawn described their car as a conundrum puzzle, so it is obvious that the team has done a really good job in the past three weeks. The car worked the tyres perfectly. The weather conditions of course were ideal for them, as well as the track layout. Had Schu survived his first pitstop Mercedes could even have made an one-two finish.
Behind Nico it was a close call between McLaren, RB and Lotus, with a slight edge for McLaren. Without his mishappen second pitstop Button would have been much closer to Nico, but I don't think close enough to actually challenge him, since Mercedes' strategy seemed the superior one today.
Allthough RB struggles a lot in qualifying, they are still competitive in the race. The tyre degradation issue seemingly hit Kimi the most as he dropped from the second place outside of top 10 in just 1 1/2 laps short before finish. Thus Lotus together with Sauber were the under performers today, while I think Ferrari made the most of their car under their present configuration.
Heading for Bahrain I hope we won't see any tanks on the circuit:shock:
I think Schuey is just having flat out bad luck this season. This is the second race he's been out with mechanical failure. Granted this one truly wasn't his fault. I imagine that pit team will have had a rather stern talking to.
RB may end up being the quiet killers this season. At least as far as the constructor's title goes. They are always there. I still think McLaren is going to walk away with it though.
Bahrain will be interesting to say the least.
Seriously! What an amazing end to the race. As great as it was for Nico, everything that was happening with the rest of the field was just outstanding. Challenging, overtaking, teammates battling with each other. I hope all the races can be that lively.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
Great race. A lot of action without rain. This yr's Pirelli's have really made things interesting.
Congrats to Nico on #1. Don't think it will be his last this yr.
Let's all hope Bahrain goes off without any incidents.
Side note: if you haven't already, watch the 'Senna' documentary.
Congrats to Nico on #1. Don't think it will be his last this yr.
Let's all hope Bahrain goes off without any incidents.
Side note: if you haven't already, watch the 'Senna' documentary.
ryushen21
Legend
They definitely are.
I thought it was crazy how dirty the track got as the race wore on. It wasn't even 20 laps in before there was a serious accumulation of marbles outside the main line. I think that kind of discouraged drivers from being more aggressive where they could have been.
I really want Bahrain to go without incident just because it's a great track and should be another good race.
bigant2984
Rookie
great race in china, some of the best racing towards the end of the race, great job nico, my mclaren boys 1,2 in the points,plz lewis lets get a win , kimi is getting better an better,
ryushen21
Legend
Imagine what kind of race it would have been if Lewis hadn't had to take that 5 position penalty...
chmee
Professional
Nico has now as much wins as Keke in his championship year 1982
Besides, Keke is the first ex-champ to actually see his son win a GP, as the late Graham Hill and Giles Villeneuve died far too early to see their offspring win anything.There are now three different winners from three different teams so far. Another three teams are looking able to challenge them, so I think we are into a heck of a season.
Kimi said afterwards that it was exactly those marbles that destroyed his tyres completely as he was defending against Vettel, thus his rapid fall to p 14.
@west coast ace: is there a new Senna documentary coming out?
Last edited:
ryushen21
Legend
I watched Senna last night. A great documentary. I really enjoyed the way that it was put together. Definitely makes you wish Ayrton were still around.
Mercedes looks to be out front again from the first practices. But I think that the heat in Bahrain could be problematic for them in terms of tire maintenance.
Mercedes looks to be out front again from the first practices. But I think that the heat in Bahrain could be problematic for them in terms of tire maintenance.
chmee
Professional
And the fourth winner(&team) of the season has emerged. Great come back from Vettel, who still does not like his car's balance. Also the Lotus team was a strong contender today, so I don't think it will take them long to be the fifth team to win a race this season.
The McLarens were a disappointment, considered where they started. They clearly did not work their tyres well. Then the bad pit stops and the puncture left them with only 4 points today.
The Mercedes made the best of their grid. Schu drove through the field to gather a point, which was quite impressive given how close the most teams are. Nico fighted well after his disasterous start and regained the 5th in the end.
As for the incidents with Hamilton and Alonso I don't think Nico did do anything the former two drivers hadn't done themselves, were they in his defensive position. So the fist pumping from Alonso was quite a childish reaction. Ferrari has got some work to do in the coming tests in Mugello
As for Mugello and Barcelona afterwards I think we might see slight shifts in the now very unpredictable pecking order. So far I think consistency will win this year's championship.
The McLarens were a disappointment, considered where they started. They clearly did not work their tyres well. Then the bad pit stops and the puncture left them with only 4 points today.
The Mercedes made the best of their grid. Schu drove through the field to gather a point, which was quite impressive given how close the most teams are. Nico fighted well after his disasterous start and regained the 5th in the end.
As for the incidents with Hamilton and Alonso I don't think Nico did do anything the former two drivers hadn't done themselves, were they in his defensive position. So the fist pumping from Alonso was quite a childish reaction. Ferrari has got some work to do in the coming tests in Mugello
As for Mugello and Barcelona afterwards I think we might see slight shifts in the now very unpredictable pecking order. So far I think consistency will win this year's championship.
ryushen21
Legend
I was really hoping that Kimi would get up there and take the lead from Vettel but that RB8 is really quick out of the corners. All around it was another really good race.
I really don't know what happened to McLaren this weekend. Their race pace wasn't as good as it had been in the previous three races and the pits were a nightmare. Hamilton could have had a better finish but he had two bad pit stops with the same guy causing the problem both times. Even without that, the cars didn't seem like they had the performance that they had previously. I wonder if they have reconsidered sitting out the mid-season testing.
I was just glad that Schuey finished the race without incident. Really great finish considering where he started. I still think he will win at least one race this season.
There really is no predicting things this season. Every team seems to be having a strong showing at one point or another so they all can be a threat to win. It's making things really great for the fans.
I really don't know what happened to McLaren this weekend. Their race pace wasn't as good as it had been in the previous three races and the pits were a nightmare. Hamilton could have had a better finish but he had two bad pit stops with the same guy causing the problem both times. Even without that, the cars didn't seem like they had the performance that they had previously. I wonder if they have reconsidered sitting out the mid-season testing.
I was just glad that Schuey finished the race without incident. Really great finish considering where he started. I still think he will win at least one race this season.
There really is no predicting things this season. Every team seems to be having a strong showing at one point or another so they all can be a threat to win. It's making things really great for the fans.
Ash_Smith
Legend
It's certainly making things exciting isn't it! Would have loved Kimi to catch Vettel - the Lotus was a really good package all around. Both McLaren drivers commented that they had bad tyre wear on their rears, which you could expect from Lewis, as he isn't exactly the smoothest driver, driving like he's still in a Kart (he is lightning quick with it though). JB though is a much smoother driver usually and quick light on his tyres usually, so it's odd that he was toasting his tyres so badly.
Cheers
Cheers
Bobby Jr
G.O.A.T.
Did you see it on DVD or in theatres? The DVD version is about 45 minutes longer.
Oddly, despite how often he featured, the doco doesn't really get any commentary from Gerhard Berger. I'd have thought, as one of Senna's good friends and ex team-mates, would have been a good go-to person for the doco.
ryushen21
Legend
I watched on netflix streaming so I'm not sure whih version that would be but I would guess it's the shorter one. I will probably pick up the DVD though.
chmee
Professional
Here are the unofficial aggregate test times from Mugello 1.-3. May:
1. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:21.035, 163 Laps
2. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:21.267, 172 Laps
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:21.363, 144 Laps
4. Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber, 1:21.603, 135 Laps
5. Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso, 1:21.604, 139 Laps
6. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:21.997, 78 Laps
7. Sergio Perez, Sauber, 1:22.229, 118 Laps
8. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:22.257, 106 Laps
9. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:22.325, 55 Laps
10. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:22.422, 97 Laps
11. Pastor Maldonado, Williams, 1:22.497, 63 Laps
12. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:22.579, 178 Laps
13. Oliver Turvey, McLaren, 1:22.662, 129 Laps
14. Paul di Resta, Force India, 1:23.002, 48 Laps
15. Heikki Kovalainen, Caterham, 1:23.169, 139 Laps
16. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes, 1:23.404, 149 Laps
17. Timo Glock, Marussia, 1:23.466, 147 Laps
18. Charles Pic, Marussia, 1:23.982, 91 Laps
19. Jerome D’Ambrosio, Lotus, 1:24.048, 40 Laps
20. Vitaly Petrov, Caterham, 1:24.312, 112 Laps
21. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:24.480, 63 Laps
22. Bruno Senna, Williams, 1:24.842, 100 Laps
23. Jules Bianchi, Force India, 1:25.475, 19 Laps
24. Rodolfo Gonzalez, Caterham, 1:27.197, 35 Laps
25. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:29.179, 28 Laps
As much as they are worth something, they seem to hint a upward spin for Lotus and RB like in Bahrain. Ferrari also seems stronger on their home turf, than in the past races. Mercedes clearly worked for their race performance. And McLaren took part after all, if without their star drivers, which makes it difficult to judge their times.
Generally speaking I think there should be more testing, as it is an integrate part of motor sport. It's only the question of balance how much test days under which conditions is allowed for what costs. For instance one could give free the Thursdays before the races, since all teams are allready on the track. This proposal, for whatever reasons, didn't find the majority in the preliminary discussions. As it is now, this was the one and only test during the current season.
Some vintage when the tests were free:
Senna's 1986 Lotus 98T with 1300 hp (photo by myself in an exhibition some 1 1/2 year ago):
1. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:21.035, 163 Laps
2. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:21.267, 172 Laps
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:21.363, 144 Laps
4. Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber, 1:21.603, 135 Laps
5. Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso, 1:21.604, 139 Laps
6. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:21.997, 78 Laps
7. Sergio Perez, Sauber, 1:22.229, 118 Laps
8. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:22.257, 106 Laps
9. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:22.325, 55 Laps
10. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:22.422, 97 Laps
11. Pastor Maldonado, Williams, 1:22.497, 63 Laps
12. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:22.579, 178 Laps
13. Oliver Turvey, McLaren, 1:22.662, 129 Laps
14. Paul di Resta, Force India, 1:23.002, 48 Laps
15. Heikki Kovalainen, Caterham, 1:23.169, 139 Laps
16. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes, 1:23.404, 149 Laps
17. Timo Glock, Marussia, 1:23.466, 147 Laps
18. Charles Pic, Marussia, 1:23.982, 91 Laps
19. Jerome D’Ambrosio, Lotus, 1:24.048, 40 Laps
20. Vitaly Petrov, Caterham, 1:24.312, 112 Laps
21. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:24.480, 63 Laps
22. Bruno Senna, Williams, 1:24.842, 100 Laps
23. Jules Bianchi, Force India, 1:25.475, 19 Laps
24. Rodolfo Gonzalez, Caterham, 1:27.197, 35 Laps
25. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:29.179, 28 Laps
As much as they are worth something, they seem to hint a upward spin for Lotus and RB like in Bahrain. Ferrari also seems stronger on their home turf, than in the past races. Mercedes clearly worked for their race performance. And McLaren took part after all, if without their star drivers, which makes it difficult to judge their times.
Generally speaking I think there should be more testing, as it is an integrate part of motor sport. It's only the question of balance how much test days under which conditions is allowed for what costs. For instance one could give free the Thursdays before the races, since all teams are allready on the track. This proposal, for whatever reasons, didn't find the majority in the preliminary discussions. As it is now, this was the one and only test during the current season.
Some vintage when the tests were free:
Senna's 1986 Lotus 98T with 1300 hp (photo by myself in an exhibition some 1 1/2 year ago):
ryushen21
Legend
Interesting developments out of the McLaren camp. They will be running a higher nose design in Barcelona. It still doesn't look like the stepped noses on the other cars but it is definitely an aerodynamic change. I'm wondering if this will be a permanent change or just for the Barcelona race.
ryushen21
Legend
I think that Whitmarsh was being a bit sly when he focused his comments on how the new wing will adjust airflow towards the back of the car. It seems to me as well that the new wing may very well be introducing a DDRS system for the car. I don't doubt that they are also trying to increase and redirect airflow towards the rear of the car though. I really hope that they get the pits figured out. If it hadn't been for bad stops, Hamilton would have a win and Jenson would have two...
RB has been toying with exhaust and seeing what they can do to try to replicate the blown diffuser effect from the past two years and all of the teams are tweaking their aero specs.
chmee
Professional
Strange qualifying today. Q1&Q2 being a very close call, with even the top shots running on soft tyres in the early stages. And even so one RB and McLaren didn't make it to Q3 at all. The top 10 went then to Q3 with no sets of fresh tyres available, which made the 'final' somewhat disappointing. I do hope that FIA and the teams will be able to adjust the restrictive tyre regulations till Monaco.
Unfortunately Lewis lost his pole due to his car not having sufficient fuel on board after his great last lap to beat Maldonado. So we will see a Williams on the pole, which is an admirable acchievement from their team. The car must have solid aerodynamic qualities to fare so well in Barcelona.
Ferrari's new backwing seems to have put at least Alonso back to the front of the grid (3). So another top contender is back in business. Otherwise I think there had been some dramatical personal changes in the team. Now it's only Massa who may well be fired in the near future.
Mercedes and Red Bull seemed to struggle a bit, but I'm wondering if they were running on a different setup due to the weather forecasts for tomorrow. We shall see...
Unfortunately Lewis lost his pole due to his car not having sufficient fuel on board after his great last lap to beat Maldonado. So we will see a Williams on the pole, which is an admirable acchievement from their team. The car must have solid aerodynamic qualities to fare so well in Barcelona.
Ferrari's new backwing seems to have put at least Alonso back to the front of the grid (3). So another top contender is back in business. Otherwise I think there had been some dramatical personal changes in the team. Now it's only Massa who may well be fired in the near future.
Mercedes and Red Bull seemed to struggle a bit, but I'm wondering if they were running on a different setup due to the weather forecasts for tomorrow. We shall see...
Last edited:
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
Very exciting qualifying. Q2 especially as one car after another ripping better and better times.
Feel a little bad for Hamilton - but the rule is on the books - yellow card for his team not making sure he had enough to make it around.
Feel a little bad for Hamilton - but the rule is on the books - yellow card for his team not making sure he had enough to make it around.
chmee
Professional
< Indeed, great effort (and a nice birthday-present for FW) from the Williams team. Too bad they had an explosion in the garage during the celebrations later on and a fire broke out. 31 people were brought to a local hospital for treatment (mostly for smoke inhalation), but bar 7 have been released allready:shock:
Besides the first Venezuelan GP winner we now have the fifth driver and team to win a GP in the first five races. One more in Monaco and it would be another record in the F1 history. Another impressive drive today was that of Lewis. His two stop strategy brought him P8 from the very back of the grid. So much for them saying his driving style is too hard for the tyres(!). The biggest disappointment was Schu's senseless running into Perez, for which he justfully got handed out a grid penalty for Monaco by the stewards.
The pecking order seems indeed have shifted after the Mugello tests, as now the Williams and Ferrari teams seem to be the strongest, closely haunted by the Renaults. RB, McLaren and Mercedes clearly lacked pace today, whereas Sauber has made a step forwards. But the next race will probably be completely another story.
After one fourth of the season there still are 9 serious candidates for the title:
1 Sebastian Vettel 61
2 Fernando Alonso 61
3 Lewis Hamilton 53
4 Kimi Räikkönen 49
5 Mark Webber 48
6 Jenson Button 45
7 Nico Rosberg 41
8 Romain Grosjean 35
9 Pastor Maldonado 29
I think we should make a poll with these drivers.
Besides the first Venezuelan GP winner we now have the fifth driver and team to win a GP in the first five races. One more in Monaco and it would be another record in the F1 history. Another impressive drive today was that of Lewis. His two stop strategy brought him P8 from the very back of the grid. So much for them saying his driving style is too hard for the tyres(!). The biggest disappointment was Schu's senseless running into Perez, for which he justfully got handed out a grid penalty for Monaco by the stewards.
The pecking order seems indeed have shifted after the Mugello tests, as now the Williams and Ferrari teams seem to be the strongest, closely haunted by the Renaults. RB, McLaren and Mercedes clearly lacked pace today, whereas Sauber has made a step forwards. But the next race will probably be completely another story.
After one fourth of the season there still are 9 serious candidates for the title:
1 Sebastian Vettel 61
2 Fernando Alonso 61
3 Lewis Hamilton 53
4 Kimi Räikkönen 49
5 Mark Webber 48
6 Jenson Button 45
7 Nico Rosberg 41
8 Romain Grosjean 35
9 Pastor Maldonado 29
I think we should make a poll with these drivers.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
Wow! Race had a little of everything.
Alonso is so much better than Massa - Massa's got to be done at the end of the year.
And Button is in a bit of a funk.
Kimi will win one soon.
Alonso is so much better than Massa - Massa's got to be done at the end of the year.
And Button is in a bit of a funk.
Kimi will win one soon.
Bobby Jr
G.O.A.T.
Yep, what a complete clown. He even tried to blame it on Perez by saying, in complete contrast to what the video shows, that he swerved in the braking zone. Nothing new there though, Schumy is just being the same unsporting prat he's always been.
ryushen21
Legend
Gotta love the grandeur and spectacle that goes along with Monaco. Very interesting qualifying runs today but I have to say that it will make for a very interesting race tomorrow.
Looks like McLaren is still running with the higher nose setup and Hamilton has a good starting spot. Provided that they can give him a good run in the pits, this might be his first win of the season. But the starting grid really is too close to put a hard bet on anyone. Rosberg is fast and the Lotus team just won't go away and is always a threat as the race wears on. And Ferrari all of the sudden is starting to seem like they are discovering their form and getting their heads wrapped around that F2012.
Very happy with the excitement that is surrounding this season
Looks like McLaren is still running with the higher nose setup and Hamilton has a good starting spot. Provided that they can give him a good run in the pits, this might be his first win of the season. But the starting grid really is too close to put a hard bet on anyone. Rosberg is fast and the Lotus team just won't go away and is always a threat as the race wears on. And Ferrari all of the sudden is starting to seem like they are discovering their form and getting their heads wrapped around that F2012.
Very happy with the excitement that is surrounding this season
chmee
Professional
Indeed, an amazing circuit full with motorsport history. And then the much criticized Schu snatches the pole position in the very last minute. Now he will be severly punished for his blunder in Barcelona, since the 5p grid penalty costs him a very good chance to win this race.
Given the paramount importance of the qualifying in Monaco, I would predict it will be a matter between Webber, Nico and Lewis tomorrow. I hope the former will sleep the start as usual Overtaking, even in current configuration, will be allmost impossible under normal circumstances.
Given the paramount importance of the qualifying in Monaco, I would predict it will be a matter between Webber, Nico and Lewis tomorrow. I hope the former will sleep the start as usual
Overtaking, even in current configuration, will be allmost impossible under normal circumstances.chrischris
G.O.A.T.
Schumi is great .. cant believe he is back!
Bobby Jr
G.O.A.T.
There is some awesome irony that Schumy, despite posting the fastest quali time, has been bumped down to 6th place. He's done all the hard work only to be bumped for a brain explosion in Spain (which really warranted a much bigger penalty than a five place demotion on this grid).
This year I think we're going to see far more overtaking than usual owing to these tires. They're all over the place.
Also, the Perez qualifying crash.. Wow. I think something seriously went awry with his steering even before he hit the wall. He was turning away from it on the steering-wheel at 90-ish degrees and the wheels were still facing straight ahead basically.
This year I think we're going to see far more overtaking than usual owing to these tires. They're all over the place.
Also, the Perez qualifying crash.. Wow. I think something seriously went awry with his steering even before he hit the wall. He was turning away from it on the steering-wheel at 90-ish degrees and the wheels were still facing straight ahead basically.
chmee
Professional
Quite an unspectacular race for Monaco's standards. Only one safetycar deployed in the beginning. Webber made perhaps the best start in his career, so my hopes for Nico were not fulfilled.
However, the last 20 laps with the top six cars running with 0.5 seconds between them was quite entertaining. I really hoped for the rain to fall down then, rather than right after the ceremonies.
However, the last 20 laps with the top six cars running with 0.5 seconds between them was quite entertaining. I really hoped for the rain to fall down then, rather than right after the ceremonies.
Similar threads
