The 2012 F1 Championship thread.

Yes. They're introducing a handicap system.

Every point won by Vettel in his previous race = a can of Red Bull to drink before he climbs in the car.

2014 for the engine rule changes BTW.

Exhaust has to exit (vertically) from top of side pods next therefore no off throttle blown diffusers.

Lowering the nose section, and I think a reduction in wing widths.

Are the major rule changes next year.

Rumour is that Mercedes have a "F" duct front wing either now or imminent. 

Some one will invent something to get every one hot and bothered next year to follow on from the F duct rear wing, double diffusers and of throttle blown diffusers. I just hope it isn't Red Bull, we need a much more open championship unlike 2011.

Apparently Petrov has been given to 10th December to say if he wants to stay with Renault.

Does BBC lose full F1 coverage from next year?

It willwill please me not have the schedules of BBC TV and Radio dominated by everything F1 from first qualifying through to the race for hour upon hour.

A good regular in-season F1 magazine programme might actually make me tune in, plus a few races with coverage starting max 30mins before the start.

As for rule changes, my mate is a senior aero guy at a mid-field F1 team. He thinks they are enough to create considerable possibility for innovation. He also says that Ferrari need bhp rather than aero magic, with Mclaren it is the opposite. His team just need a miracle!

Bruce

BBC has various live races 8 I think, other wise as live evening slots depending on where in the world they are. Not sure of the presentation team,less EJ would suit me.

SKY HD has a dedicated F1 channel  with  Martin Brundell with his grid walk and co-commentating with I think David Croft (R5 live) 

Bruce,

Your mate's team, was it once great?

BBC coverage explained here. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/spo...ula_1_an_update.html

and here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/h...ula_one/15893254.stm

Most of their live races are at the new bling facilities and have little interest to me. I don't have Sky - it's "mission impossible" (their exact words) for them to install a dish on a 3 story mid-terrace townhouse apparently and now have no intention of getting it. So it's back to the 80s as far as F1 coverage goes for me. Probably a good thing really as I can spend the time doing other things ... 

Other news is that Kimi will be with Renault. Could be interesting if he can stay awake.

No, always boring. He has worked for a variety over the years, including Jordan and Renault. At least his current team has a nicer location to live!

He was seconded to Audi for a it, hence the last Le Mans car looking like a spacehip/F1 car hybrid, but being very fast through the air.

My lad just picked up a twitter thread piece of gossip.

Vettel's tire failure may well have been due to a heating system used by RBR, ducting some exhaust gases into the rear wheels,so on the grid the tyres are at the optimum temperature. Could be why Vettel is so bloody quick on those first couple of laps and then the perusers can't get DRS on lap3, 'cos they are too far away.

An overheated rear tyre would then be vulnerable to "rolling" off the rim or even more susceptible to a kerb cut.

May even be used on the final quali lap, as Lewis said , "they must switch some thing on in that car".

Shurely would be very tricky to heat evenly and with cooler tyres on the front that would be tricky too, no?

I reckon RBR have been hiding something(s) bloody clever and allow/create other less damaging snippets to circulate and deflect investigation into what's really going on 'cos there is something seriously magic about that car.

There are turning vanes behind the wheel that ensures the heat is evenly spread, a more interesting discussion is how to "switch" it off.

Clever hingeing of the deflecting device on the front of the plank allows it to pass the weight test but move on the run, still some thing trick with the front wing. Ferrari apparently got the one that went missing in Monza after Webber's crash.

Obviously Ferrari's version wasn't quite as good, see oscillating Ferrari front wing.

Ferrari and RBR pull out of FOTA.  It's about time someone kicked Ferrari out of F1anyway , always threatening to  leave. Just say yes next time. F1 is bigger than them.

May well go to the FOS at Goodwood in '12, haven't been for a couple of years, fed up of being ripped off for entry and food /beer prices, plus most of the cars were ones we have already seen a few times.

Every year I try to get to the classic at Brands but fail try again next year, and we are only an our away.

Did you see the proposals for the changes at Graham Hill bend?

Details here:-

 http://www.pistonheads.com/gas...ds+hatch+changes+%3F

My only gripe is that Jonathon Palmer (Dr) was saying the reasons for change were due barrier considerations I'm not sure that helps any.

Any banked corner is OK in my book. It seems to be done for M/Cs time will tell I guess.

Are you saying that the previous corner from the original (old) layout ,change removed an overtaking chance? If so I agree, it's just a place to have a crash now.

Our favourite spot was parking on South Bank and wandering down to the inside of Hawthorns, you used to be able to look almost straight down on the cars, a bastard to try and photography though. Must be a doddle these days with digital multi shots, you used to have to wait a week or so to see if you'd actually got any part of the cars in shot. I used to go with a mate who is a professional snapper, even with the same camera he would leave me for dead.

Robert Kubica has re-broken his leg that was injured in his rally accident. Apparently, slipped on an icy street near his residence in Italy. A very big setback for a recovery that was looking less and less likely as time went on. Hoping the best for a very talented driver.

Bruno Senna confirmed at Williams. Just hope they can make a better car than last years, it should be difficult to make one worse saying that.

Just one seat left, HRT anyone? That's a car not therapy.