The 2012 Motor Racing Thread (F1 & More)

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

A real turn up for the books! Alonso wins the Malaysian Grand Prix! Sergio Perez battled incredibly in his Sauber to take a magnificent 2nd with Hamilton 3rd. Alonso and Perez got their wet weather strategy calls BANG ON and fully merit their positions. A refreshing break for Ferrari who have really struggled with this years car so far.

 

Surprised by the fairly steady pace of the McLarens and Red Bulls today. Thought one of them would make a break and light up the lap times but it didn't really happen.

 

Button and Vettel were shafted by hitting back markers. Schumacher was shafted by that idiot Grosjean who doesn't know how to race wheel to wheel. Not the first time he's run into someone minding their own business and probably won't be the last.

[Reilly]

Wow, dominance from Alonso really.

 

Both races have been great so far, Australia always is but normally I kind of tune out when watching F1.

[busybeeburns]

Security stepped up at Bahrain F1

 

Security stepped up at Bahrain F1

 

Security is tightened in Bahrain in preparation for protests, as Formula 1 cars take to the track for practice sessions ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix.

[michal91d]

Robert Kubica set to make rallying return in Italy

Robert Kubica is set to make his return to competition in rallying this month and could compete in the Ronde Gomitolo di Lana Rally in Italy on Saturday.

 

The Pole, who has been out of action since a big accident while competing on the Ronde di Andorra Rally in February 2011, is entered for the event.

 

AUTOSPORT understands that it is not yet certain whether his car, a Subaru Impreza WRC, will be ready in time for the two-day rally, but if it is not his comeback event will be the the Rally San Martino di Castorzza the weekend after.

 

A decision on whether the car is ready to compete tomorrow is expected later on Friday.

 

Kubica recently had a successful test with the Ford World Rally team.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102301

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

Robert Kubica set to make rallying return in Italy[/size][/b]

Robert Kubica is set to make his return to competition in rallying this month and could compete in the Ronde Gomitolo di Lana Rally in Italy on Saturday.

 

The Pole, who has been out of action since a big accident while competing on the Ronde di Andorra Rally in February 2011, is entered for the event.

 

AUTOSPORT understands that it is not yet certain whether his car, a Subaru Impreza WRC, will be ready in time for the two-day rally, but if it is not his comeback event will be the the Rally San Martino di Castorzza the weekend after.

 

A decision on whether the car is ready to compete tomorrow is expected later on Friday.

 

Kubica recently had a successful test with the Ford World Rally team.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102301

 

It's good to see Robert making a comeback. I seriously doubt that we will ever see him in an f1 car again. The writing was on the wall when Renault cut him off last year.

 

Sad news in the world of f1 though - Professor Sid Watkins died yesterday at the age of 85. He pioneered f1 safety, particularly following the death of Ayrton Senna after 1994. Without a doubt f1 is a far safer sport because of his efforts. The great legacy he left will live on.

 

RIP Sid

[busybeeburns]

 

Australian GP 2013: Kimi Raikkonen wins ahead of Fernando Alonso

 

Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen beat Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in a tense strategic battle in the Australian Grand Prix.

 

Raikkonen made only two pit stops for fresh tyres compared to Alonso's three and the Finn carefully managed his race to hold off the Ferrari's challenge.

 

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took third ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.

 

Red Bull's Mark Webber was sixth ahead of Force India's Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta.

 

Jenson Button salvaged ninth for struggling McLaren ahead of the second Lotus of Romain Grosjean.

 

Raikkonen had started in seventh place on the grid but a good start put him up to fourth in the early laps.

 

Lotus put him on a two-stop strategy and he managed his tyres carefully to move into the lead on lap 23 as the other front-runners - Alonso, Massa and Vettel - made their second of three stops.

 

Alonso, who passed early leaders Vettel and Massa with an earlier second stop, set a series of fastest laps as he took the lead following Raikkonen's final stop on lap 34 and appeared to be on course for victory.

 

But once Alonso had passed Sutil, who was running second on his own two-stop strategy, Raikkonen upped his pace and was able to keep the Ferrari at arm's length and even pull away in the closing laps.

 

Vettel had looked poised for a comfortable win after setting impressive times in practice and taking pole by nearly half a second.

 

But the Red Bull could not keep pace with Raikkonen and Alonso in the race as he appeared to struggle with higher tyre wear than the Lotus and Ferrari.

 

And the close battle bodes well for a competitive season between those three teams, who appear to have a slight advantage over the rest.

 

Like Raikkonen, Mercedes tried a two-stop strategy with Hamilton, who appeared to be in with a chance of victory at one point, but the car's tyre wear was too high and the 2008 world champion had to make an unplanned third pit stop and fell back to fifth.

 

He was a place ahead and outpacing team-mate Nico Rosberg before the German retired just before half distance.

 

Webber started on the front row alongside team-mate Vettel, but a terrible start dropped him to seventh at the start and his race was ruined when he was stuck behind Button after his first pit stop.

 

Sutil impressed in the Force India, leading at mid-race after starting from 11th place on the harder 'medium' tyre, while those in the top 10 had to start on the 'super-softs' on which they had qualified.

 

But he went too hard too early on the super-softs when he fitted them at his final stop and fell back to seventh.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/21819227

[busybeeburns]

 

Sebastian Vettel ignores team orders to beat Mark Webber

 

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel ignored team orders in the Malaysian GP to win an intense battle with Mark Webber.

 

Webber led after the final pit stops and the drivers were told to hold position to the end of the race but Vettel passed Webber after an intense battle with 13 laps to go. Vettel has since apologised for the incident.

 

Lewis Hamilton took third ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who obeyed an order to stay behind.

 

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso crashed on the second lap after breaking his front wing.

 

The Spaniard's team-mate Felipe Massa took fifth, fighting past the Lotus cars of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen in the closing laps after the Lotus team's gamble to try to do only three pit stops rather than four failed.

 

Grosjean finished sixth ahead of Raikkonen, who won the first race in Australia last weekend.

 

McLaren's Jenson Button was on for a points-scoring finish, possibly in fifth place, before he was sent on his way from a pit stop with a loose front wheel.

 

The Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg took eighth ahead of McLaren's Sergio Perez, with Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne 10th.

 

It was a race full of drama as the intra-team battles at Red Bull and Mercedes played out live.

 

The battle between the Red Bulls was resolved in an intense scrap as Webber rejoined from his final pit stop.

 

Vettel was warned by team boss Christian Horner that he was being "stupid" but the two then battled wheel-to-wheel around Turns One and Two onto Turn Four, where Webber appeared finally to yield to his team-mate despite having the inside line.

 

Webber said: "After the last stop the team told me the race was over and we turned the engines down and go to the end. The team made their decision. Seb made his own decision and he will have protection as usual."

 

Vettel was told over the radio after the race: "Good job, Seb. Looks like you wanted it bad enough. Still you've got some explaining to do."

 

Webber had initially taken the lead at the first stops as the drivers came in to fit dry-weather tyres following a wet start.

 

He had led the race throughout, with the two Red Bull drivers using the two available tyre compounds in different orders.

 

Vettel chose to end the race on the softer 'medium' tyre while Webber was on the hard.

 

Play mediaF1 Malaysian GP: Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber battle for lead

Vettel said: "Obviously it is very hot and if there is something to say we need to say it internally."

 

Red Bull motorsport chief Helmut Marko, a powerful champion of Vettel, admitted the battle had "got out of control".

 

Meanwhile, there was controversy at Mercedes as Rosberg followed Hamilton closely in the final laps.

 

Rosberg asked the team to let him pass Hamilton, but was told "negative" by team boss Ross Brawn.

 

When he complained again, Brawn told him that Hamilton - who had earlier been told to save fuel - was also being "controlled" and could also go faster.

 

Hamilton admitted on the podium: "I can't say it's the best feeling being up here today. If I'm honest I really feel Nico should be standing here."

 

Hamilton had provided an amusing diversion when, coming in for his second stop, he headed into the pit box of former team McLaren before being waved on towards Mercedes.

 

"I did a Jenson," he said. "He did it a couple of years ago and I've done it today. Apologies to my team."

 

The result puts Vettel into the championship lead by 11 points from Raikkonen. Webber is five points further adrift and ahead of Hamilton, Massa and Alonso, who is already 22 points behind Vettel, the man who narrowly beat him to the title 2010 and 2012.

 

Alonso started third and was up to second, past Massa, by the first corner. But he tapped the back of Vettel's car in Turn Two.

 

It was the lightest of touches but enough to break the front wing mounts.

 

He held onto second place throughout the first lap but did not stop to change it and it collapsed heading into Turn One on the second lap, sending him into the gravel trap. Ferrari said the decision not to stop was made in the pits.

 

Alonso wrote later on Twitter: "Bad luck today. As always over 19 races we will be compensated and we are ready to recover good points in the next race."

 

Result:

 

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ger), Red Bull, 1hr 38min 56.681secs

 

2. Mark Webber (Aus), Red Bull, 1:39:00.979

 

3. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, 1:39:08.862

 

4. Nico Rosberg (Ger), Mercedes, 1:39:09.321

 

5. Felipe Massa (Brz), Ferrari, 1:39:22.329

 

6. Romain Grosjean (Fra), Lotus, 1:39:32.245

 

7. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin), Lotus, 1:39:45.160

 

8. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger), Sauber, 1:39:49.725

 

9. Sergio Perez (Mex), McLaren, 1:40:09.038

 

10. Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra), Toro Rosso, 1:40:23.805

 

11. Valtteri Bottas (Fin), Williams, 1:40:25.291

 

12. Esteban Gutierrez (Mex), Sauber, 1:39:01.194

 

13. Jules Bianchi (Fra), Marussia, 1:39:55.128

 

14. Charles Pic (Fra), Caterham, 1.40:29.370

 

15. Giedo van der Garde (Ned), Caterham, 1:40:38.354

 

16. Max Chilton (GB), Marussia, 1:39:14.486

 

17. Jenson Button (GB), McLaren, 1:35:35.060

 

18. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus), Toro Rosso, 1:32:16.617

 

Did not finish

 

Pastor Maldonado (Ven), Williams, 45 laps.

 

Adrian Sutil (Ger), Force India, 27 laps.

 

Paul di Resta (GB), Force India, 22 laps.

 

Fernando Alonso (Spa), Ferrari, 1 lap.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/21916317

[coldplaymom]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V6mCO8gYtE]Lewis Hamilton wrong pit stop ( EPIC MOMENT ) HD - YouTube[/ame]

 

I wonder, would he have made 3rd place outright had it not gone to Mclaren pit stop?

[busybeeburns]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbb3tYcyRvw]Mark Webber Shows Sebastian Vettel The Middle Finger - Webber Flipping the Bird! - YouTube[/ame]

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

Sebastian Vettel wins fourth consecutive world championship

 

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel clinched his fourth consecutive world title with a victory in the Indian Grand Prix.

 

 

The German, 26, drove a perfect race to secure his sixth consecutive victory this season and become only the fourth man in history to win four titles.

 

Vettel joins legends Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher.

 

The victory keeps Vettel on target to equal the all-time record of nine consecutive F1 world championship wins.

 

Vettel's Red Bull team also won the Formula 1 constructors' championship for the fourth consecutive year.

 

"I'm speechless," said Vettel. "I don't know what to say, I crossed the line and I was just empty. You want to think of something to say and I just can't. It has been an amazing season, the spirit in the team is great and it is a pleasure to jump in the car and drive."

 

He only needed a fifth-place finish to be sure of the title no matter what his only remaining rival Fernando Alonso did, while the Spaniard had to finish in the top two to have any chance of taking the championship to the next race in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

 

But those hopes were over by the first corner, when Alonso was clipped by Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber, who was knocked sideways by Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus.

 

The touch damaged Alonso's front wing, and he had to stop for a new one on lap two, wrecking Ferrari's strategy of starting on the harder 'medium' tyre and running a long first stint. He fought back to 11th place.

 

Webber was on the same strategy, while Vettel was among those who chose to start on the 'soft' tyre and make an early pit stop.

 

The German did so on lap two, rejoining in 17th place, leaving him needing to carve quickly through the field to ensure he could race for victory with Webber.

 

Vettel did so brilliantly, moving up to third place by lap 13, and second behind Webber by lap 21, by which time he was 11.8secs behind the Australian.

 

Webber made his first pit stop on 28, and surprisingly Red Bull fitted the 'soft' tyres for a short middle stint, rather than saving them to the end of the race when Vettel used a similar strategy in China.

 

It was not the absolutely ideal strategy but it made no difference. Webber had already lost the race by then thanks to his poor first lap and Vettel's impressive drive back through the field.

 

Vettel made his second pit stop, for another set of mediums on lap 31, and Webber was in the next time around, rejoining 13 seconds behind Vettel.

 

The race for victory was already effectively over, and it was decided for good when Webber pulled off on lap 39 with an alternator failure.

 

Asked about Red Bull's decision to fit soft tyres at his first stop, Webber said: "You have to protect against the safety car. It's a bit nicer to put the primes on and save the options to the end, but it gets a bit smelly if there is a safety car."

 

That is a reference to the requirement to use both types of tyres during the race and that if Webber had still been on mediums had a safety car period happened in the second half of the race he would have been at a strategic disadvantage and lost a lot of positions.

 

Vettel celebrated by doing 'doughnut' spins on the pit straight, before bowing to his car and abandoning it there against protocol.

 

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg took second place, ahead of the Lotus driver Romain Grosjean, who did a one-stop race, running way beyond the maximum amounts of laps recommended by Pirelli before the race.

 

These were 35 laps on the medium, while Grosjean ran 46.

 

The Frenchman caught his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen with four laps to go, and passed his team-mate at Turn Four but had to give up the place again because he completed the move by running off the track.

 

Raikkonen then let him by between the final two corners after being told to let Grosjean by. The Finn, struggling to get his tyres to the end after stopping on lap seven, was then immediately demoted to fifth place by Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

 

Raikkonen lost two further places to McLaren's Sergio Perez and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, the Englishman also being passed by Perez in the same move, before the Lotus driver finally had to give up on his tyres and make a late pit stop.

 

Perez finished fifth ahead of Hamilton in by far his best performance for McLaren, and one that may secure his future at the team next season.

 

Raikkonen rejoined from his pit stop to take seventh ahead of Force India driver Paul Di Resta, whose team-mate Adrian Sutil fought off Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo and Alonso in the closing laps.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24691160

 

 

Amazing driver.

[Black Rose]

How many years has it been for Ferrari now without a champion?

 

Congrats Red Bull & Vettel

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

How many years has it been for Ferrari now without a champion?

 

Congrats Red Bull & Vettel

 

Last time a Ferrari driver won it was in 2007 when Kimi Raikonnen snatched it from the McLaren duo of Hamilton and Alonso! He returns to Ferrari next year, pairing up with Alonso. There will be fireworks I think!

[michal91d]

WRC - Kubica clinches WRC2 title

Robert Kubica claimed the World Rally Championship's second division title with a fifth class win from seven events on the Rally of Spain.

 

WRC2 became the ex-Formula 1 driver's primary focus of his first top-level rallying campaign with Citroen this year and he was able to dominate on several occasions.

 

He pulled away from leading rivals Elfyn Evans and Sepp Wiegand in Spain even before they hit trouble, eventually winning the class by four minutes.

 

Kubica said the championship was always something he had suspected might be possible.

 

"The target was different but somehow I knew that if I was able to learn quickly on gravel, I could do a good result," said Kubica.

 

"I was pretty sure that on Tarmac I was quite competitive, but it's different driving in the World Rally Championship."

 

He admitted that while the title was satisfying, he was still ultimately focused on resuming the top-level single-seater career interrupted by his massive rallying crash in early 2011.

 

"I'm happy but there is a long way for me to go in my recovery," Kubica said.

 

"I've used this year as a recovery year and to gain experience.

 

"It's no secret that one day I would like to come back to single-seaters, but I think rallying has helped me a lot this year - not only for my recovery, but to keep my mind busy."

 

Kubica will now step up to Citroen's DS3 World Rally Car to make his top-class debut in the season finale in Britain in November.

 

The Pole is on Citroen's shortlist for a 2014 WRC seat, and has also been linked with M-Sport's Ford programme.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/wrc-kubica-clinches-wrc2-title-151205870--spt.html

 

Even more amazing driver.

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

WRC - Kubica clinches WRC2 title

Robert Kubica claimed the World Rally Championship's second division title with a fifth class win from seven events on the Rally of Spain.

 

WRC2 became the ex-Formula 1 driver's primary focus of his first top-level rallying campaign with Citroen this year and he was able to dominate on several occasions.

 

He pulled away from leading rivals Elfyn Evans and Sepp Wiegand in Spain even before they hit trouble, eventually winning the class by four minutes.

 

Kubica said the championship was always something he had suspected might be possible.

 

"The target was different but somehow I knew that if I was able to learn quickly on gravel, I could do a good result," said Kubica.

 

"I was pretty sure that on Tarmac I was quite competitive, but it's different driving in the World Rally Championship."

 

He admitted that while the title was satisfying, he was still ultimately focused on resuming the top-level single-seater career interrupted by his massive rallying crash in early 2011.

 

"I'm happy but there is a long way for me to go in my recovery," Kubica said.

 

"I've used this year as a recovery year and to gain experience.

 

"It's no secret that one day I would like to come back to single-seaters, but I think rallying has helped me a lot this year - not only for my recovery, but to keep my mind busy."

 

Kubica will now step up to Citroen's DS3 World Rally Car to make his top-class debut in the season finale in Britain in November.

 

The Pole is on Citroen's shortlist for a 2014 WRC seat, and has also been linked with M-Sport's Ford programme.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/wrc-kubica-clinches-wrc2-title-151205870--spt.html

 

Even more amazing driver.

 

Wonderful comeback from a fantastic talent who will sadly never make it back to f1.

[Black Rose]

Last time a Ferrari driver won it was in 2007 when Kimi Raikonnen snatched it from the McLaren duo of Hamilton and Alonso! He returns to Ferrari next year, pairing up with Alonso. There will be fireworks I think!

 

Cue Alonso throwing his toys out of the window when he feels he isn't being treated as number 1

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

Cue Alonso throwing his toys out of the window when he feels he isn't being treated as number 1

 

It will be a real test to see how far his temperament has come on. By his very high standards I don't think Alonso has driven that well this year and one has to question his ability to develop the car to his perfected needs in the same way Schumacher and Vettel have done. To me, he quite comfortably sits behind those two when discussing f1 greats of the last 15 years or so and I would maybe even put Hakkinen and Hamilton ahead of him in pure raw talent.