The 2012 F1 Championship thread.
Posted by: Tony Lockhart on 30 November 2011
How many teams will decide they can't compete against Red Bull and concentrate on developing 2013's turbo 1.6 litre V6 engine?
Are there any rule changes for next year worth knowing about?
Tony
I wonder if there will be a change in coverage here in Canada. We don't have much, so there's not much ballast to throw overboard. I will miss Martin Brundle; I like his coverage very much.
from Bruce W
"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."
Man, I would give anything to get away from the constant hockey talk on the radio & TV here. Football (american) and baseball. Talk about boring. Its lonely being an F1 fan here.
And boy, do I wish I could get any WRC coverage- anything at all.
Shame about Kubica- I suspect this will be the beginning of the end of his F1 career. Such a talent.
Good chance to take Eau Rouge flat out....
....on skis?
TonyFerk the new cars look ugly. My mate is a top aero guy at Sauber. He says he knows, but blame the regs requiring lower nose height. Their car also looks a bit odd because lots of space for sponsors...as yet unfilled.
The stepped nose on the Ferrari is the worst of those I've seen so far. Ferrari's should look beautiful, they go faster if they do.
Bruce
Bruce
I think it was the F60 a couple of years ago. I thought it looked beautiful but I don't think it was very fast. Pehaps the exception that proves the rule. Of this years lot, so far the McLaren looks best to these eyes. But then again I've only seen the launch photos.
Yes, how come McLaren didn't see the need for the stepped nose?
So, is their car then likely to be way off the pace or the class of the field..?
Both McLaren and Mercedes seem to have avoided the duck nose so it's hardly the fault of the regulations. As a fan I'm disappointed in the ugly designs but I imagine as a driver I'd only care if the car could win races. There have been lots of beautiful cars that were losers.
Both McLaren and Mercedes seem to have avoided the duck nose so it's hardly the fault of the regulations. As a fan I'm disappointed in the ugly designs but I imagine as a driver I'd only care if the car could win races. There have been lots of beautiful cars that were losers.
Naijeru
We don't yet know about Mercedes as they are running last year's car at these sessions and just doing tire testing. My limited understanding is that McLaren are running a somewhat lower floor which allows them to use the unstepped nose. The other makers are running a slightly higher floor which requires the stepped nose to get the same aerodynamic effect. It will be interesting to see who has made the better compromise.
The new regs require the nose to be lower for safety reasons; to reduce the height at which it may hit another car. The way it is integrated into the rest of the design depends on how high the designers have the floor/front suspension mounts aft of that maximum height cutoff point.
I saw a description of driving an F1 car as being laid in the bath with your big toe stuck up the hot tap. Certainly the drivers positions have been very extreme as the noses have got higher in recent years.
I'm looking forward to the new season on TV, as somebody who has had a very mixed relationship with modern F1. I'm far more likely to watch a short well-edited highlights programme than hours of real-time coverage. I generally only switched on for the start and dipped in and out of races when they were shown in full, hoping for rain mostly!
Mind you getting highlights to fill an hour from Monaco will usually be a challenge.
Bruce
We don't yet know about Mercedes as they are running last year's car at these sessions and just doing tire testing. My limited understanding is that McLaren are running a somewhat lower floor which allows them to use the unstepped nose. The other makers are running a slightly higher floor which requires the stepped nose to get the same aerodynamic effect. It will be interesting to see who has made the better compromise.
Ah, I didn't realize Mercedes was running last year's car. So basically the other teams are copying the RB7 layout in hopes of discovering its secrets. Let's just hope it's not another blowout.
My prediction for the season after the first practice in Melbourne (quite likely to change later):
- Vettel will be on top again (main contender Button)
- Ferrari will suffer through out the season (there might be a long wait ahead for a next Ferrari champion to emerge)
- Räikkönen will not last till the end of season (although this is not what I hope)
What are yours?
Heh-Heh-Heh
Everyone thought McLaren looked the part. Just dared not say it out loud for fear of wishful thinking...
Thing is both drivers looked a little smug in testing from day one. They've got a good car out of the box for the first time in a long time.
Likewise Renault always looked pretty happy and now we know why Mercedes delayed their car...
All good fun.
At least this was a first McLaren front-row lockout since the 2009 European GP (August 22nd, Valencia).
...So a great win for Jenson ...but why does Lewis get off the line so slowly so often? ...Vettel claimed but for one mistake in qualifying he'd have been on pole and he looked v quick but mebbe's not as dominant as last year. and is it just me but isn't Maldonado a liability? last season he was barging Hamilton off the track and I reckon he did it again early in this GP.
As for Sky's coverage ...ok if you simply cannot bring yourself to purchase a Murdoch product then fine ( I remain rather guilt ridden) but I thought it was a really good start - great HD pic and superb 5.1 DD audio - nothing to complain about as far as I can see. They'd have been so relieved it wasn't another dominant Vettel fest as well!
Yes the new F1 channel has been in overkill mode for the last 2 weeks but you only need to watch it as and when and F1 has never had this sort coverage ever before so again no complaints from a lifelong GP fan like myself.
Refusing to pay the phone hacker anything more than I have to, I did a "Likely Lads" until I could watch the highlights at 2pm.
I missed Mr Brundle's wise words and I found Jake Humphrey a bit hysterical at times but it was a very exciting race and a great start to the season.
I hope JB can keep up his winning ways for the rest of the year.
steve
Refusing to pay the phone hacker anything more than I have to, I did a "Likely Lads" until I could watch the highlights at 2pm.
I missed Mr Brundle's wise words and I found Jake Humphrey a bit hysterical at times but it was a very exciting race and a great start to the season.
I hope JB can keep up his winning ways for the rest of the year.
steve
+1.
I did like Ben's and Coulthard's interaction and doubt the other side will ever match the Beebs 5m plus viewing figures of a live race. 1 down 19 to go. Time will tell.
Tony
I can picture McLaren winning the constructors title but Vettel sneaking the drivers one, while Jenson and Lewis take points off each other
"Yes the new F1 channel has been in overkill mode for the last 2 weeks but you only need to watch it as and when and F1 has never had this sort coverage ever before so again no complaints from a lifelong GP fan like myself"
I watched it live and for free 
on German Satellite. The commentary was a little hard to understand but became clear when Schui went out,
FF
Ah RTL by any chance? I get that here and since no SKY will resort to that when the Beeb isn't showing the race.
Was it just me or did Georgie Thomson have a vacant look on her face all weekend as though she didn't have aclue what was going on? I can't see her lasting more than 3 or 4 races before being back on football duties.....