The Official 2012 F1 Thread. Spoilers possible!

[wxwax]

I see that Valencia is now trying to renegotiate its deal with F1. That's usually the death knell for a venue.

I don't like the reason (terrible economy in Spain) but I'll be glad if the venue is dropped.

I always thought it was boring. The TV people talked it up. But the truth is finally being reported:

Valencia has not proved popular with fans. The layout makes racing (overtaking) impossible, while the bland featureless backdrop has singularly failed to capture the imagination.

[Clem Kevin]

Originally Posted by wxwax

I see that Valencia is now trying to renegotiate its deal with F1. That's usually the death knell for a venue.

I don't like the reason (terrible economy in Spain) but I'll be glad if the venue is dropped.

I always thought it was boring. The TV people talked it up. But the truth is finally being reported:

I had seen a quote saying the organizer would only keep on going at a lower rate than Ecclestone was already charging. YESSSSS it will go away!

[shrineclown]

Originally Posted by Clem Kevin

I had seen a quote saying the organizer would only keep on going at a lower rate than Ecclestone was already charging. YESSSSS it will go away!

Do you think this is unique to a circuit, or will many promoters be asking for concession's soon? The show can only break their backs for so long if this endemic.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by shrineclown

Do you think this is unique to a circuit, or will many promoters be asking for concession's soon? The show can only break their backs for so long if this endemic.

My memory's poor, but I think on the current calendar these races are in financial distress:
Valencia
Korea
Austin

Under some duress (I think):
Australia
Canada

And the violence continues in Bahrain, so that date may be shaky too.

[g®eg]

does Lotus have the hot ticket for 2012?
(besides Kimi of course)

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/0...st-have-gizmo/

In 2010 it was the F Duct, last year the blown diffuser, is this year’s must-have technical gizmo a braking stabilizing system, innovated by Lotus?

As Lotus’ lead driver Kimi Raikkonen would say, ‘We will see.’
* LRGP has confirmed via Twitter that Raikkonen will get some F1 test mileage ahead of the new car tests, using a two year old car, as allowed under the test restriction rules.
“We can now confirm that Kimi Raikkonen will be completing some mileage in the team’s R30 car at Valencia on 23rd/24th January,” said the team.

[g®eg]

perhaps not:

Ferrari awaits FIA decision on legality of Lotus's braking system

Ferrari is awaiting an answer from the FIA on the legality of an adjustable ride-height braking system that Lotus is believed to be developing for 2012. A report in Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday revealed that Lotus was running a ride height control mechanism - reported to be activated by a driver using a pedal - to help maintain the car's distance from the ground under braking.
As well as helping with aerodynamic performance, due to the constant ride height, the device would also improve stability under braking - so would therefore have the added benefit of helping look after the tyres.
When asked by AUTOSPORT at Ferrari's Wrooom media event on Wednesday about whether the Italian team was considering copying the innovation, team principal Stefano Domenicali revealed the matter was awaiting clarification from the FIA.
"What you are talking about, is more related to having stability under braking," explained Domenicali. "It is a system that I know there have been some documents in writing between the FIA and the teams.
"We are waiting for the final confirmation if this kind of devices will be acceptable or not. But for sure we are looking around these sorts of devices to see if they contribute to a performance. But we need to wait and see what will be the reaction to the FIA on that."
Illustrations of the Lotus system show that the system uses hydraulic cylinders situated below the lower wishbones to adjust the ride height.

[Clem Kevin]

Of course it's ferrari crying about it. I love Alonso and everything, but Ferrari are a bag of douches.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by Clem Kevin

Of course it's ferrari crying about it. I love Alonso and everything, but Ferrari are a bag of douches.

I am with you.....
but now that Kimi is back, I may have to shift my allegiance.

[g®eg]

pagin' ragin'

Poor Koooooo-B-Kaaaaa
guy has nothing but bad luck

Robert Kubica has injured his leg in a fall near his home, with sources close to the Polish driver suggesting that he has reopened a fracture that he sustained in his rally accident last year. It is understood that Kubica fell over on ice in Pietrasanta, where he lives, and subsequently complained of pain in the right leg which was broken in his crash. He was driven to the local hospital for checks. Although there has been no official statement, it is understood that it has been found that Kubica has reopened the fracture in his right tibia.
Kubica's latest injury setback comes on the same day that Ferrari played down talk that it was planning to test the Polish driver later this year once he was fully recovered. Sources suggested that the injury is likely to delay his recovery by at least three weeks.
"That was not on our plan," said Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali at the annual Wrooom media event in Italy. "Robert Kubica is a great driver that had a very severe injuries and at the moment he is still working very hard to try to go back to his normal living. So before any kind of thinking or discussion of whatever could be, we need to wait and see. For sure, that kind of injury is taking a long time to recover so I can say we will wait and see if he is going to recover, but at the moment there is nothing in place."

This article originally appeared in Autosport.com

[shrineclown]

Originally Posted by g®eg

pagin' ragin'

Poor Koooooo-B-Kaaaaa
guy has nothing but bad luck

Hmmmm, Alonso and Kubica together in big red cars....that would be fun.

[anotherguy]

Man I hope Kubica can get back into an F1 car. He was a great driver who would have won a drivers championship. Now? Shit. If he that fragile almost a year later it doesn't look good at all.

[shrineclown]

Originally Posted by anotherguy

Man I hope Kubica can get back into an F1 car. He was a great driver who would have won a drivers championship. Now? Shit. If he that fragile almost a year later it doesn't look good at all.

You ever have ice where you live? It is pretty hard when you fall on it. If not, go to your nearest paved parking lot and do a full force face plant and let us know how fragile you become.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Clem Kevin

Of course it's ferrari crying about it. I love Alonso and everything, but Ferrari are a bag of douches.

I don't see anything that suggests Ferrari are crying about it. Am I missing something?

An Italian publication got details on what I assume are documents submitted to the FIA by Lotus. (Teams often check with the FIA before heading down the road of devoting time and money to a new technology.)

And they got Ferrari's response, which was; "Wait and see." That's probably exactly what McLaren would have said if an English publication had broken the story.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by anotherguy

Man I hope Kubica can get back into an F1 car. He was a great driver who would have won a drivers championship. Now? Shit. If he that fragile almost a year later it doesn't look good at all.

It's been my impression that the earliest he's likely to get in a F1 cockpit is late this 2012 season. That would mean almost 2 years away from F1, and likely with some kind of enduring physical impairment.

Like most of us, I've liked him as a driver. I get the feeling the odds are against him, though.

[g®eg]

this article would make the Merc' mental

Madonna di Campiglio, 12 January–The word team is one of the most frequently heard in Ferrari man Alonso’s vocabulary and today was no exception. “I have always stood up for the team, because when one is going through a difficult moment, as was the case last year, there is no point in blaming one another,” said the Spaniard. “We have made a few important changes but we know that making up ground will be neither easy nor the work of a moment. With the team and with Stefano Domenicali, I have always had a very open relationship right from the very first day. When it came to beginning to discuss an extension to the contract I was pleased with the way things were going between us and it seemed natural to renew it for many years.”

2011 was also not an easy year for another participant at Wrooom, namely Valentino Rossi: “it’s true that for both him and me the last season was not so great, even if we tried everything to redress the situation. We have to work, to improve and to have a better vehicle and both Ferrari and Ducati are working hard to achieve this: I really hope that 2012 can go better for both of us.”

Wrooom means snow, an environment that is now becoming familiar for Fernando. “Thanks to the ski instructors at Madonna di Campiglio I have improved my technique a lot on the downhills and I enjoyed myself much more than a few years ago. Skiing is a sport that allows you to go quickly, especially when there are not so many people on the pistes and you can cut some corners. Like all disciplines which involve speed, it also gives you a good rush of adrenalin. This event is a nice way to start the season, with a mix of work, sport and relaxation and maybe a few hands of poker with friends in the evening.”