F1 2012 Championship Thread

[MacLeod]

Well as the 2011 Championship is open, we might as well have one for 2012. So with that in mind we might as well start with the teams and drivers

1.>Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Racing
2.>Mark Webber - Red Bull Racing
3.>Jenson Button - Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes
4.>Lewis Hamilton - Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes
5.>Fernando Alosno - Scuderia Ferrari
6.>Felipe Massa - Scuderia Ferrari
7.>Michael Schumacher - Mercdes AMG Petronas F1 Team
8.>Nico Rosberg - Mercdes AMG Petronas F1 Team
9.>Kimi Raikkonen - Lotus F1 Team
10.>Romain Grosjean - Lotus F1 Team
11.>TBA - Sahara Force India F1 Team (Likely Paul di Resta)
12.>TBA - Sahara Force India F1 Team (Likely Nico Hulenberg)
14.>Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber F1 Team
15.>Sergio Pérez - Sauber F1 Team
16.>TBA - Scuderia Toro Rosso
17.>TBA - Scuderia Toro Rosso
18.>Pastor Maldonado - AT&T Williams
19.>TBA - AT&T Williams
20.>Heikki Kovalainen - Caterham F1 Team
21.>Jarno Trulli - Caterham F1 Team
22.>Petro de La Rosa - HRT F1 Team
23.>TBA - HRT F1 Team
24.>Timo Glock - Maurssia F1 Team
25.>Charles Pic - Maurssia F1 Tea,

As for the races themselves, the Calander as it stands Dates are in format dd-mm

1.>Australia (18-03)
2.>Malaysia (25-03)
3.>Chinese (15-04)
4.>Bahrain (22-04)
5.>Spanish (13-05)
6.>Monaco (27-05)
7.>Canadian (10-06)
8.>European (24-06)
9.>British (08-07)
10.>German (22-07)
11.>Hungarian (29-07)
12.Belgian (02-09)
13.>Italain (09-09)
14.>Singapore 23-09
15.>Japanese 07-10
16.>Korean 14-10
17.>Indian 28-10
18.>Abu Dhabi 04-11
19.>United States 18-11
20.>Brazilian 25-11

[Mr Pointy Ears]

hmmm,be interesting to see how the iceman does aftering being away from f1 for a few yaers,think he will do better then schumacher.

[MacLeod]

That might depend on how good the car is. After all not every driver can average car into a good car. Though I suspect it'll be the same story next year as it was this year.

Top Flight> McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes

Mid Pack> Renault, Force India, Toro Rosso and Sauber

Tail Enders> Williams, Carterham, HRT, Maurssia

[MacLeod]

Well Toro Rosso ahve named their driver line up.

Daniel Ricciardo
Jean-Eric Vergne

[MacLeod]

Well the grid is almost complete for the 2012 season, with Force India confirming Di Resta and Hulkenberg as their two drivers for next year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/form...e/16222284.stm

[MacLeod]

In latest F1 news, The European GP is in doubt as they are asking a reduction in the race fee.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/form...e/16442297.stm

Can't say I'll miss the European GP, it has no place on the calender. Give the slot to another country. They can host the Spanish GP at Valenica if thehey want to.

And the rule about moving to defend has been clarifed. Basically you can not move back onto the racing line if you have moved off it to defend and you can not crowd a car off the track. like Schumacher did to Hamilton at the Italian GP.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/form...e/16416932.stm

Funny how this time a rule is clarifed at the end of the season, whilst another rule was clarifed and applied retroactively at the Belgium GP in 07. Where Hamilton was penalised after allowing Kimi back in front after overtaking him by going off the track only to overtake him legally at the next corner. My problem is that as the rule stood at the begining of the race it would appear that Hamilton obeyed the rule. i.e he let Kimi overtake him because he had illegally got ahead of him. Had it been clear that he had to allow one corner to pass before attempting an overtake, I think Lewis would have done so.

[Elmer]

Hi Maclead,
Strange to found my favorite Michael Schumacher in 7th place and no wonder best performance can keep you on the victory stand and on top ranking. Wish Michael will give better performance ahead to claim his title again.

[MacLeod]

Part of the reason why Michael might not be as dominat as he was orignally is that he no longer driving a car which is dominat. The last couple of years have seen the gap a lot closer between different constructors. With Mercedes being the 4th best car. The top being Red Bull then McLaren and Ferrari.

But if we go by history Red Bull will only stay at the top for a while. Williams Dominated the early 90's, then McLaren the Mid 90's, Ferrari the late 90's into the 00's. Then McLaren again and so on.

[BRG]

Have you seen most of the early 2012 cars with that odd stepped-nose, bloody hell they are ugly beasts this year!
Of the first launches, only the McLaren has the normal looking sleek nose.

BRG

[MacLeod]

Yikes, it looks like someone has broken the nose of Ferrari. At least the McLaren's looks smooth.

And did you catch this a peice of tech which has been banned that was on the Ferrari and Lotus, that controlled ride hide.

Just over 6 weeks to go.

[MacLeod]

Well it seems as if Trulli is gone.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17042953

[MacLeod]

Well it's just under a fortnight until the F1 circus begins it's world tour, and with pre-season testing over. It looks like it might be a close season, though the question is were the teams masking their true pace in testing so as to throw off the competition.

And I can't say I care for the nose design most of the constructors have taken, when comapred agains the McLaren's smooth nose.

[Geckothan]

6 and a half days until the first FP1 of the season! Next week is just going to drag on forever...

[Lonemagpie]

Geckothan wrote:

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6 and a half days until the first FP1 of the season! Next week is just going to drag on forever...

A fucking month till I get to see one live, since I refuse to pay for Sky Sports

Still don't know for sure how much of the race BBC will show - they say "extended highlights" but in a two-hour lot, which means they *could* show the whole race after the fact. But they aren't saying that!

[Geckothan]

Lonemagpie wrote:

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A fucking month till I get to see one live, since I refuse to pay for Sky Sports

Still don't know for sure how much of the race BBC will show - they say "extended highlights" but in a two-hour lot, which means they *could* show the whole race after the fact. But they aren't saying that!

Find somebody with Sky Sports and beg them to let you use their Sky Go account