2012 Formula 1 Season Thread

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Austin is still on the calendar!

Hellmund is no longer listed on COTA's page as a founding partner...hmmmm. Sounds like whatever deal they worked out must've ousted him.

He held the original contract for the race, but it was cancelled. So a new contract must have been written up and I expect it was just with COTA, so no need for Helimund.


Maybe they're replacing the money Petrov brought in? :p
 
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So, 2012 rule fail.

1. The cars unlapping themselves under a safety car thing is rubbish. Was tried in 2010 and it didn't work then, so it won't work now. Between blue flags, DRS and KERS any backmarkers during restarts will be dispatched with quickly.

2. Four-hour limit on races no matter what? Again, rubbish. Means we would never have got Fuji 2008, Korea 2010 or Canada this year to name but a few.

3. And the biggie, a defending driver may not retake the racing line having moved once to defend. Um, sorry, what? So a defending driver must continue along the inside of the track in trying to defend. What a crock.
 
I like the unlapping rule, glad it's back. Restarts were absolutely ruined by strings of back markers between the first and second driver this year.
 
So, 2012 rule fail.

1. The cars unlapping themselves under a safety car thing is rubbish. Was tried in 2010 and it didn't work then, so it won't work now. Between blue flags, DRS and KERS any backmarkers during restarts will be dispatched with quickly.

2. Four-hour limit on races no matter what? Again, rubbish. Means we would never have got Fuji 2008, Korea 2010 or Canada this year to name but a few.

3. And the biggie, a defending driver may not retake the racing line having moved once to defend. Um, sorry, what? So a defending driver must continue along the inside of the track in trying to defend. What a crock.

1. Too many times people have been complaining that backmarkers stuck between leading cars under the SC ruined a potential battle at the restart. Also, DRS is disabled for two laps after the SC pulls in, so it can't be used to dispatch backmarkers, when it's available and the chasing cars have finally managed to squeeze through a pack of backmarkers, the guy they're chasing is long gone and we've lost a battle.

2. Fuji 2008 was dry. Fuji 2007 (the wet one) went to the distance JUST inside the 2-hour limit (2 hours ended on the final lap), the start wasn't delayed either. Korea 2010 was 2h48m including the red flag stoppage and by the end of the race it was so dark that they nearly needed headlights to see where they were going. Even going to 3 hours for that race would have been suicidal in safety terms. Those two were NOT EVEN CLOSE to 4 hours.
I agree somewhat on Canada 2011, it went 4 minutes over the 4-hour mark, stopping it at 4 hours would have meant no Button win, but it would have meant a Schumacher on the podium.

3. That rule is only the unofficial "one-move rule" being made fully official and it's to stop drivers weaving across the track to defend their position.
 
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3. And the biggie, a defending driver may not retake the racing line having moved once to defend. Um, sorry, what? So a defending driver must continue along the inside of the track in trying to defend. What a crock.

Good rule, glad it is being finally enforced. Now a driver has to chose to defend the inside or outside of the corner. No more defending on one side then swinging back across to the other to retake the racing line which made a mockery of the only one move rule.
 
Advanced warning, all F1 cars for next year look weird, according to the last full FOTA meeting.
 
Advanced warning, all F1 cars for next year look weird, according to the last full FOTA meeting.

:cry:
They can't look weirder than 2010. Even the front and rear picnic benches a la 1969 were more acceptable than 2010.
 
With the coming back of Turbos in 2013, I'd motion a going back to 1988 rules, with big fat tires at the back, minimalistic aero and downforce, and let's see who has the biggest balls to pilot something like that.

One can only dream :p

I also am for the unlapping of the lapped cars under a SC. It was crap having Vettel up front, and maybe Button second, but with 2 Virgins and an HRT between them so come the restart Vettel would fly the hell away and Button was stuck overtaking lapped cars which in turn wanted to find the best way to overtake the guy in front (after all they're fighting for positions among themselves)
 
With the coming back of Turbos in 2013 2014, I'd motion a going back to 1988 rules, with big fat tires at the back, minimalistic aero and downforce, and let's see who has the biggest balls to pilot something like that.

One can only dream :p

I also am for the unlapping of the lapped cars under a SC. It was crap having Vettel up front, and maybe Button second, but with 2 Virgins and an HRT between them so come the restart Vettel would fly the hell away and Button was stuck overtaking lapped cars which in turn wanted to find the best way to overtake the guy in front (after all they're fighting for positions among themselves)

Fixed. Still a while to go. ;)
 
Toro Rosso replaces both Alguersuari and Buemi with Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne. Have to admit - pleased with these signings. I think they're both very talented young drivers, and it'll be great to see what Ricciardo is able to do in a car better than HRT and see if Jean-Eric Vergne can live up to the hype. I'm a fan of both, so will be cheering for Toro Rosso more than I have recently.

Tough break for Alguersuari and Buemi though. I was indifferent to Buemi, he seemed a competent driver but nothing that warranted a possible promotion to Red Bull, but Alguersuari did seem to be improving quite a bit, especially in the latter half of this season. Hopefully he secures a drive, but his best bet right now looks to be at HRT alongside de la Rosa.
 
Strange place to post it, when the 2011 seasons is over, no?

My bad. I see there's more activity there so posted there instead. Now this opens up for both Buemi and Alguersuari as they can be free to join other teams. Good teams to be at are probably Williams, Force India and Caterham.
 
My bad. I see there's more activity there so posted there instead. Now this opens up for both Buemi and Alguersuari as they can be free to join other teams. Good teams to be at are probably Williams, Force India and Caterham.

Won't happen. Catherham wil retain Trulli and Kovalainen, Force India has got Hulkenberg and Di Resta, and I doubt that Williams would want Alguersaurai/Buemi over Barrichello.
 
So many great drivers without seats now, a shame really. It'll be interesting to see who ends up where.

I like Sutil but I'm really happy to see Hulkenberg back.
 
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