Formula 1 2012

[24 Grams]

Great qualy lap by Hamilton. Amazing times in each session. I just hope their setup doesn't fall apart in the rain (about a 100% chance, last I read).

Ferrari seem to be the best when it rains, Alonso won Malaysia (I think) when it rained and the two poles he got were on wet tracks.

I also hope that Lewis gets off the line well and remembers to avoid, avoid, AVOID Maldonado when he's lapping him during the race!

To be fair, EVERYONE needs to avoid Maldonado...

Say, does anyone else suspect that the FIA (Ferrari International Assistance) is just now coming down so hard on Red Bull because Vettel is probably the only driver with a car that has a chance of grabbing the title from Alonso and Ferrari? I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but this is Ferrari and the FIA we're talking about.

It's only a conspiracy theory if they can some how control the weather. However, most teams complained to the FIA (I particularly remember Ross Brawn doing so) ,also the bickering from McLaren (after Vettel overtook Button) cost Vettel 20 secs and a second place finish.

 

[TheAdmiral]

Hamilton takes the top spot in Hungary and Lotus takes a double podium!

 

[Rey C.]

One hell of a brilliant drive by Hamilton - he managed his tires perfectly (not bad for a "stupid" guy, eh? :moon. And also a great job by Kimi and the entire Lotus team. They're definitely in the game now. Unlike McLaren and Ferrari, Lotus seems to be able to run a great race for both their cars. I'm not a big fan of this track, but this race had more suspense than most any race I can remember. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 20 laps or so.

 

[TheAdmiral]

Pirelli has selected the compounds for Spa through Singapore...

Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps) - hard, medium
Italy (Monza) - hard, medium
Singapore (Singapore) - soft, super-soft

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/7/13670.html

 

[TheAdmiral]

Havent done one of these in awhile....

 

[TheAdmiral]

 

[TheAdmiral]

 

[Rey C.]

Is Ferrari cheating? They say no... but then again, who ever admits that they are cheating???

Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has not only denied his team ever made changes to its car's set-up by hand - but he has also questioned why his team aroused suspicion because he claimed Ferrari had run an identical design.

 

[TheAdmiral]

 

[TheAdmiral]

 

[TheAdmiral]

Info for Belgium:

Circuit Length: 7.004 km
Laps: 44
Race Distance: 308.052 km
Lap Record: Sebastian Vettel (2009, 1:47.263)

Number of corners: 19 (10 left, 9 right)
Maximum speed (No DRS): 315 kph
Minimum speed: 75 kph
Corners below 100 kph (race): 3
Corners above 250 kph (race): 5
Average lap speed per race: 222 kph
Distance from pole to apex of T1: 265 m
Braking events: 8, 2 heavy
Total straights for DRS use (practice/qualifying only): 2200 m (31% of lap)
Pit lane length under speed-limit control: 387 m
Pit lane time at 60 kph: 23.2 seconds
Pit lane time at 100 kph: 13.9 seconds

Full throttle per lap (% lap distance): 80%
Full throttle per lap (% lap time) 71%
Longest period full throttle: 23 seconds
Average gear changes per race lap: 48 (2112/race)
Tire energy (1-high, 3-low): 3
Braking energy (1-high, 3-low): 3

2011 stats:
P1 Fastest Lap: 1:54.355 (Michael Schumacher)
P2 Fastest Lap: 1:50.321 (Mark Webber)
P3 Fastest Lap: 2:08.988 (Webber)
Q1 Fastest Lap: 2:01.813 (Jenson Button)
Q2 Fastest Lap: 2:02.768 (Fernando Alonso)
Q3 Fastest Lap: 1:48.298 (Sebastian Vettel)
Fastest Race Lap: 1:49.883 (Webber)
Race Speed Trap: 308.3 kph
Podium: Vettel/Webber/Button
2011 winning strategy: 3 stops (L5, 13, 30)
Total race pit stops: 52
Total 'normal' overtakes: 41
Total DRS overtakes: 24

Races with Safety Car (2002-2011): 5
Total deployments: 8
Historical Safety Car probability: 63%
Winners from pole: 3
Highest winning grid position: P10 (Kimi Raikkonen, 2004)

Race wins (active drivers)
Michael Schumacher: 6
Kimi Raikkonen: 4
Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa: 1

Race wins (active constructors)
Ferrari: 16
McLaren: 12
Williams: 4
Mercedes: 1

 

[Petra]

The sky hath opened and mother nature is beating down on us. If it's like this here in the NL, I'm sure free practice 1 is going to be loads of fun in Spa.

 

[TheAdmiral]

Results of P1:
1) Kamui Kobayashi - 2:11.389
2) Pastor Maldonado - 2:11.941
3) Daniel Ricciardo - 2:12.004
4) Jean-Eric Vergne - 2:12.824
5) Mark Webber - 2:13.191
6) Sergio Perez - 2:13.861
7) Nico Rosberg - 2:14.210
8) Valtteri Bottas - 2:14.660
9) Sebastian Vettel - 2:14.860
10) Michael Schumacher - 2:15.402

Valtteri Bottas ran in place of Bruno Senna.
Dani Clos ran in place of Narain Karthikeyan (20, 2:19.689)
Felipe Massa suffered an engine failure and did not set a time.

Results of P2:
1) Charles Pic - 2:49.354
2) Daniel Ricciardo - 2:49.750
3) Fernando Alonso - 2:50.497
4) Paul di Resta - 2:51.333
5) Pastor Maldonado - 2:51.660
6) Timo Glock - 2:52.076
7) Kamui Kobayashi - 2:53.232
8) Jean-Eric Vergne - 2:58.232
9) Nico Hulkenberg - 2:59.125
10) Sergio Perez - 3:12.901

No other drivers set a time.

Mark Webber will take a gearbox penalty for the race.

 

[TheAdmiral]

Results of P3:

1) Fernando Alonso - 1:48.542
2) Kimi Raikkonen - 1:48.643
3) Sergio Perez - 1:48.850
4) Kamui Kobayashi - 1:48.863
5) Jenson Button - 1:49.091
6) Felipe Massa - 1:49.092
7) Mark Webber - 1:49.164
8) Romain Grosjean - 1:49.266
9) Sebastian Vettel - 1:49.292
10) Paul di Resta - 1:49.382

 

[Petra]

Rosberg is out for the entire weekend. Bummer.

 

[TheAdmiral]

Results of Qualifying:

Q1 Fastest Lap: Pastor Maldonado (1:48.993)
Q2 Fastest Lap: Jenson Button (1:47.654)
Q3 Fastest Lap: Jenson Button (1:47.653)
All cars qualify.

Sunday's Lineup:
1) Jenson Button (McLaren)
2) Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber)
3) Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
4) Sergio Perez (Sauber)
5) Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
6) Pastor Maldonado (Williams)
7) Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
8) Romain Grosjean (Lotus)
9) Paul di Resta (Force India)
10) Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
11) Nico Hulkenberg (Force India)
12) Mark Webber (Red Bull)
13) Michael Schumacher (Mercedes)
14) Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
15) Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso)
16) Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)
17) Bruno Senna (Williams)
18) Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham)
19) Vitaly Petrov (Caterham)
20) Timo Glock (Marussia)
21) Pedro de la Rosa (HRT)
22) Charles Pic (Marussia)
23) Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
24) Narain Karthikeyan (HRT)

Gearbox change penalties for Webber and Rosberg, who qualified 7th and 18th respectively.
Maldonado was penalized for impeding Hulkenberg in Q1. He qualified 3rd.

 

[Smallville22]

Jason Button takes first pole since 2009

 

[TheAdmiral]

Major crash on the first lap sees four retirements as Jenson Button leads from start to finish

 

[Petra]

Well, well. The FIA decided to finally make a point about the dangerous driving by kicking out Grosjean for Monza. Maldonado better take notice because it might not be grid penalties next time.

 

[TheAdmiral]

Romain Grosjean has been given a one race ban and a €50,000 fine. Lotus can run a replacement in his place at Monza. Their third driver is Jerome d'Ambrosio.