The Official 2012 F1 Thread. Spoilers possible!

[brents347]

Originally Posted by Clem Kevin

Has Alonso put a wheel wrong all year? I think it's his to take.

Sorry Clem, but people make statments like these all the time.

In the MotoGP thread, people were talking up Lorenzo, then he got taken out in a first turn incident and Stoner won. People were ready to crown him champ then and there! Seven short days later it is Stoner in the gravel and Lorenzo retaking the points lead in Stoners aparently pre-ordained championship.

The fact is, we are now officially half way through the F1 season. Half way! Do you think Vettel, or Webber (or whoever else) can't make up this points deficit in half a season?

The season is no ones to take. It is someones to earn, and they've got 10 more races to do it. Will it be Alonso? I kinda hope not, but I'll be there to watch it unfold. And I won't be giving anyone championship credit until the deal is done.

[Dilligaf0220]

Anyone else completely disappointed with a lacklustre silly season?

McLaren -- Lewis & Button aren't going anywhere.
Red Bull -- I had half hoped Webber would take Massa's seat at Ferrari for a final season swan song before retiring, but he ain't going anywhere either.

Ferrari -- Hell it even looks like Massa is staying put, even though he is barely treading water.

Lotus -- As long as Renault is still involved as much as it is, Grosjean ain't going anywhere, and Kimi is doing better than I thought he would.

Mercedes -- I half hoped Button would return to Ross Brawn, a Button/Schumi combo would be the kick in the ass that team needs. And having Rosberg floating around without a seat would make a lot of mid-pack drivers nervous about their seats. But Schumi & Rosberg ain't going anywhere.

Force India, Williams, Other Lotus, Sauber...might be some shuffling, but mostly for those with bigger stake horses than the pay drivers they have now. Maldonado is having the people of Veneuzela fund his ride for redonkulous amounts, and Sir Frank never let a mediocre driver get in the way of a sponsors paycheque.

Blah, the only fun now is waiting for the Evile Troll to really have an Alzheimer's moment and start going off about Jews or Muslims within microphone range.

Sigh, I guess there is only the racing left in F1.

[wxwax]

[g®eg]

caught cheating....

Red Bull Racing is set to be forced to make changes to the engine mapping of its cars for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, AUTOSPORT has learned, with the FIA poised to issue a clarification in the next 48 hours on the matter. Following the controversy at Hockenheim on Sunday, when Red Bull Racing was referred to the stewards to explain why its cars were operating with engine maps that had reduced torque in the mid rpm range, motor racing's governing body is now close to acting.
AUTOSPORT understands that the FIA is planning to issue an official clarification on the matter before action gets underway in Budapest on Friday.
This document is almost certain to make it clear that what Red Bull Racing was doing in Germany will no longer be deemed acceptable.
Sources suggest that the FIA will lay down specific limits on the variations of torque that can be used throughout the rev range - with Red Bull Racing believed to have been using much less than the maximum available torque in the middle rev range.
It is understood that the new limit could allow as little tolerance in torque as two per cent, which is believed to be well inside the variation shown on the engine map used by Red Bull Racing at the German GP.
By having a greater variation in its engine mapping, Red Bull Racing was able to both minimise wheelspin and also pump more gases through its engines, therefore helping the aerodynamic benefits that the outfit still gets through the use of exhaust flow at the rear of the car.
Although Formula 1 technical delegate Jo Bauer believed that Red Bull Racing's engine maps were in breach of the regulations in Germany, the race stewards did not agree - even though they also did not accept the team's explanations of what was happening.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner was keen to play down the matter at Hockenheim, suggesting that he never had any doubt his team was in compliance with the regulations.
"Unfortunately, when you have a quick car, it's inevitable that questions are asked," he said. "F1 is a competitive business.
"The rules are pretty black and white and having looked at the evidence, the data, they [the stewards] were fully satisfied. That's the nature of Formula 1 at the end of the day. Of course, you are always going to get other teams that are going to speculate."
Even if the FIA rule clarification does mean Red Bull Racing has to make changes to its engine maps, it should be a fairly simply matter for the team to revert to settings that it used without problem earlier in the campaign.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Have oddsmakers put a price on Lotus winning a race this season?

currently (July 24th) at 6:1 for Lotus to win at Hungary.

Mercedes is 11:1, Ferrari & Mclaren even at 5:2, and Red Bull the favorite at 15:8

[g®eg]

crack
me
up

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by g®eg

Red Bull the favorite at 15:8

Thanks. This price should change. Absent any big aero changes, you have to think that Red Bull's Great Leap Forward was due to the engine mapping trick. If so, they should fall back again.

[g®eg]

remember the Sauber cut in half video?
detailed photos HERE

very cool....

[Ragin Rabbi]

Originally Posted by Dilligaf0220

Anyone else completely disappointed with a lacklustre silly season?

McLaren -- Lewis & Button aren't going anywhere.
Red Bull -- I had half hoped Webber would take Massa's seat at Ferrari for a final season swan song before retiring, but he ain't going anywhere either.

Ferrari -- Hell it even looks like Massa is staying put, even though he is barely treading water.

Lotus -- As long as Renault is still involved as much as it is, Grosjean ain't going anywhere, and Kimi is doing better than I thought he would.

Mercedes -- I half hoped Button would return to Ross Brawn, a Button/Schumi combo would be the kick in the ass that team needs. And having Rosberg floating around without a seat would make a lot of mid-pack drivers nervous about their seats. But Schumi & Rosberg ain't going anywhere.

Force India, Williams, Other Lotus, Sauber...might be some shuffling, but mostly for those with bigger stake horses than the pay drivers they have now. Maldonado is having the people of Veneuzela fund his ride for redonkulous amounts, and Sir Frank never let a mediocre driver get in the way of a sponsors paycheque.

Blah, the only fun now is waiting for the Evile Troll to really have an Alzheimer's moment and start going off about Jews or Muslims within microphone range.

Sigh, I guess there is only the racing left in F1.

I am trying to understand you post.

Are you saying you do not find the racing thus far entertaining?

Am I missing the sarcasm?

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by g®eg

remember the Sauber cut in half video?
detailed photos HERE

very cool....

So that's what Peter Windsor is doing. He wrote this fascinating account of Alonso holding off Button at Hockenheim.

Avoid the mirrors out of the second hairpin and into the third one. Use all the road and perhaps a fraction more.

And then settle into those last two right-handers. Run a little wide in the middle if necessary. Fernando could manipulate the weight transfer, there, between the two corners, with a subtle nudge to create torque twist. Minimise load for a clean run out of the last corner.

Into Turn One: again create that weight shift with an early turn-in, thus minimizing the amount of steering required mid-corner and leaving him free to adjust brake and throttle according to bumps, or the exit kerbs.

Behind, Jenson would be doing what he always does superbly well – turning in late, line-locking the McLaren into a soft apex/early power application zone, hitting a high minimum speed – but then paying a penalty with more load on exit.

The Ferrari, “lighter” from mid-corner to exit, would gain advantage as Fernando straightened out. In freeze-frame it was all too clear: Fernando was turning-in to One perhaps three kerb stripes earlier than Jenson’s McLaren.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by Ragin Rabbi

I am trying to understand you post.

Are you saying you do not find the racing thus far entertaining?

Am I missing the sarcasm?

Yes, I think so.

[Ragin Rabbi]

Originally Posted by g®eg

Yes, I think so.

Thank doG. I admit, there are times I am slow on the uptake.

Carry on.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by Ragin Rabbi

Thank doG. I admit, there are times I am slow on the uptake.

Carry on.

it's a Canadian thing I guess....
or.. I am wrong

[Dilligaf0220]

Originally Posted by g®eg

it's a Canadian thing I guess....
or.. I am wrong

NASCAR fans go for the crashes.

F1 fans go for the Machiavelli politics.

[Ragin Rabbi]

Originally Posted by Dilligaf0220

NASCAR fans go for the crashes.

F1 fans go for the Machiavelli politics.

God I hate NASCAR.