F1 Thread (Could be a spoiler)

[squeezer]

Anyone have any insights to the 2012 F1 season and what to expect? The return of Kimi for example. What about changes to KERS, engine, wing, DRS etc?

I think the rules stay relatively stable next year. The next really big change doesn't happen until 2014 when they go to a 1.6 liter turbo V6 engine. There are some tweaks in the works -- for example, they're going to regulate exhaust pipe configuration to try and eliminate some of the blown diffuser tricks teams have been trying -- but it will mostly be the same game.

I think Kimi has been linked to every team on the grid at some point this season. I think the odds are higher that he'll be in NASCAR than F1.

Expect Hulkenburg to be back with someone, probably Force India.

The schedule (which might still be subject to change -- teams were a little grumpy about ending the season with 7 fly-away races):

01    Australia (Melbourne)    15 - 18 Mar
02    Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)    23 - 25 Mar
03    China (Shanghai)    13 - 15 Apr
04    Bahrain (Sakhir)    20 - 22 Apr
05    Spain (Catalunya)    11 - 13 May
06    Monaco (Monte Carlo)    24 - 27 May
07    Canada (Montreal)    08 - 10 Jun
08    Europe (Valencia)    22 - 24 Jun
09    Great Britain (Silverstone)    06 - 08 Jul
10    Germany (Hockenheim)    20 - 22 Jul
11    Hungary (Budapest)    27 - 29 Jul
12    Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)    31 Aug - 02 Sep
13    Italy (Monza)    07 - 09 Sep
14    Singapore (Singapore)    21 - 23 Sep
15    Japan (Suzuka)    05 - 07 Oct
16    Korea (Yeongam)    12 - 14 Oct
17    India (New Delhi)    26 - 28 Oct
18    Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina Circuit)    02 - 04 Nov
19    United States (Austin)    16 - 18 Nov
20    Brazil (Sao Paulo)    23 - 25 Nov

That's all I know. I'm curious to see how the silly season works out.

[Smarti]

I'd be nice if the driver could use DRS whenever he liked.

[squeezer]

Silly season stuff I've accidentally run across:

Williams has officially stated that they are in serious negotiations with Kimi (I guess I have to 'fess up that I was wrong for dissing that as simply part of the standard rumor mill). They're also talking with Adrian Sutil and a couple of others. Maldonado is already signed, so it looks like Barrichello will be doing something else next year.

Schumacher has signed with Mercedes through 2013.

Massa is back with Ferrari in 2012.

Renault will officially become Team Lotus.

Lotus will become Caterham but will keep the green and yellow livery.

Virgin will become Marussia.

Christian Pic has signed to be one of Marussia's drivers.


And in F1 related, eye-brow raising news. Ferrari's Montezemelo says that Jean Alesi is going to run the Indy 500 next year.    

[R Doug]

Are we talking about a Ferrari at Indy next year?  Isn't Jean Alesi around 50?  How cool!

[squeezer]

Are we talking about a Ferrari at Indy next year?  Isn't Jean Alesi around 50?  How cool!

No, not in a Ferrari, though that would be about the coolest thing ever. He'll be in a Lotus (well, that's the engine supplier -- I think all the chassis will be Dallara, but I don't really follow Indycar anymore so I could be wrong).

I don't know what team will field the car, but while trying to look that up, I learned that he's 47.

[squeezer]

Kimi's back! It's done! Lotus Renault announced today that they've signed him for 2012.

And they had us thinking it would be Williams...

[MadOzodi]

W0000H0000!!!!!!

[R Doug]

 

[Galo]

Kimi's back! It's done! Lotus Renault announced today that they've signed him for 2012.

The Ice Man cometh!

[Acadian Rider]

The Ice Man cometh!

My exact reaction.  

I wonder if his French is better than his English?  

[squeezer]

Bruno Senna just got Barrichello's seat at Williams. Sad to see Rubens go. It would have been his 20th consecutive season.


Here's the confirmed driver line-up at the moment (subject to change given that F1 contracts are written on chocolate). There's really only one race seat left.


Red Bull-Renault: Vettel & Webber
Test/reserve: Buemi

McLaren-Mercedes: Hamilton & Button
Test/reserve: Paffett

Ferrari: Alonso & Massa
Test/reserve: Bianchi

Mercedes: Rosberg & Schumacher
Test/reserve: none

Lotus-Renault: Raikkonen & Grosjean
Test/reserve: none

Force India-Mercedes: di Resta & Hulkenberg
Test/reserve: none

Sauber-Ferrari: Kobayashi & Perez
Test/reserve:

Toro Rosso: Ricciardo & Vergne
Test/reserve: ? Some chatter that Buemi fills this role for both Red Bull and Toro Rosso...

Williams-Renault: Maldonado & Senna
Test/reserve: Bottas

Caterham-Renault (formerly Team Lotus): Kovaleinen & Trulli
Test/reserve: none

HRT-Cosworth: de la Rosa & ????
(Liuzzi is still under contract but everyone, including him, expects a young driver with sponsor bucks to take the seat)
Test/reserve: none

Marussia-Cosworth (formerly Virgin): Glock & Pic
Test/reserve: none

[R Doug]

Williams-Renault: Vettel & Webber
Test/reserve: Buemi

Do you mean Red Bull - Renault?  


Thanks for the update.  I'm looking forward to another fun season.

Can Ferarri improve?  Will this be Masa's last year w/ them?

Will Hamilton be able to beat Button this year as he's expected?

Will Renault turn things around? ( Go Kimi! )

Will Mercedes continue to be more competitive?  I'd like to see Michael win one this year.  

[squeezer]

Do you mean Red Bull - Renault?  

Oops. Sure did. Thanks for catching that. I've edited the post.

[R Doug]

For a moment there I thought Sir Frank pulled off one hell of a deal to land Weber and Seb.  

[squeezer]

  Instead, all he got was a Bruno.

[Acadian Rider]

Will Hamilton be able to beat Button this year as he's expected?  

I hope not.  

Will Renault turn things around? ( Go Kimi! )  

Yes, Go Kimi Go!    

[squeezer]

Interesting f1 related factoid:
Barrichello is at Sebring today testing an Indycar for Jimmy Vasser's KV Racing. The rumor is that funding is in place if Rubens wants to run the whole season.

[squeezer]

The teams have finished testing at Barcelona and the fastest time over 8 days of running was set by...

Kimi Raikkonen.

I don't think anyone expects him to be on pole in Australia, but it's cool to see him come back up to speed quickly.

Updating the driver list:
Trulli is out at Caterham and Petrov is in.
Karthikeyan will start the season in the 2nd HRT seat.

[MadOzodi]

The teams have finished testing at Barcelona and the fastest time over 8 days of running was set by...

Kimi Raikkonen.

I don't think anyone expects him to be on pole in Australia, but it's cool to see him come back up to speed quickly.

Yeah the Lotus E20 shows some promise, but I'm sure Red Bull and McLaren have been sandbagging.  Over the long runs, I read the Lotus was consistently two tenths slower than the McLaren.  It seems the Ferrari is fast over a single lap, but not over the long runs; a flip flop from last year of sorts.

I'm a big Kimi fan! (if that wasn't obvious already, lol)

[Acadian Rider]

For me today it was all about seeing where Kimi would fit in this year.  Looks like Lotus has a competitive car.    Too bad they messed up the qualifying session for Kimi but going from 17th on the starting grid to finishing 7th is pretty good notwithstanding that he had a little bit of luck on the lap.  The mono-syllable driver is back.      

...oh, and BTW, good to see JB beat LH again.