The 2012 Formula One Season

Karthikeyan completes the HRT lineup. Jesus.

That's a lot of talent out the window this year, big shakeup, and plenty of new boys in town.

I expect lots of crashes in the midfield/back of the grid this year, which could also make for some exciting (albeit snail pace) battles.


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it

danm Wrote:
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> Karthikeyan completes the HRT lineup. Jesus.
>
> That's a lot of talent out the window this year,
> big shakeup, and plenty of new boys in town.
>
> I expect lots of crashes in the midfield/back of
> the grid this year, which could also make for some
> exciting (albeit snail pace) battles.

100% down to money...

In other news, James Key has left Sauber. They need to replace him quicksmart, just so the effect on development's not too detrimental.

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GPGSL: S6 - TafuroGP Tester (14th) /// S7 - ART Tester (6th) /// S8 - Demon Driver (13th) /// S9 - Demon/Snake Driver (13th) /// S10 - Snake Driver (???) ///]
"My ambition is handicapped by laziness" - Charles Bukowski



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2012 06:44PM by Incident 2k9.

Quote
danm
That's a lot of talent out the window this year, big shakeup, and plenty of new boys in town.

I'm not sure how much talent will be wasted this year.

Off the top of my head I can only think of two and a half - Alguersuari, Barrichello and Sutil. Barrichello hasn't looked good in the Williams (and arguably since the Honda days) while Sutil is unemployable due to the fact that he'll struggle to get a visa in many countries for a while with a conviction to his name. Alguersuari is perhaps a victim of what got him into F1 in the first place - the Red Bull youth programme. His reason for losing out perhaps has more to do with the depth of talent within the Red Bull pool than his ability on merit. I think he'll be back for someone in 2013 if he doesn't replace an under-performing driver this year.

I don't really count Buemi. True, he's lost his race seat, but he's the replacement driver for four seats, one of which most will expect to be the best car in 2012... and if he doesn't race this year, he's got to be in with a shot at being Vettel's teammate for 2013.

Sure, there's no end of drivers who would cut it above Karthikeyan, possibly most of us among them, but is it better having HRT with one pay driver and one pensioner than without having HRT? They usually give us a good laugh in the opening races.

HRT are a complete laughing stock. The single worst driver line up in history I dare say. Narain clearly only gets opportunities due to cash he can attract from gullible sponsors. Zero talent but lots of $$$$$. HRT ought to do the world a favour, and park their cars in a warehouse and save the drain on jet fuel by needlessly flying their cars, personnel and cargo around the planet....

Absolute joke, HRT.

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GPGSL Team Owner Debut - Melbourne, Season 8 - present
GPGSL Test Debut - Hungary, Season 4. GPGSL Race Debut - Adelaide, Season 5.

I'm sorry but how does Karthikeyan and de la Rosa constitute the worst driver line-up of all time

Pacific Grand Prix's 1995 line-up of Jean-Denis Délétraz and Andrea Montermini probably takes that title

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Races: 163 - Wins: 23 - Pole Positions: 24 - Fastest Laps: 22
Season 9: Constructors' Champions

Quote
Ferrari2007
Pacific Grand Prix's 1995 line-up of Jean-Denis Délétraz and Andrea Montermini probably takes that title

I don't know... Montermini was at least a driver who could drive on occasion...

Despite somehow ignoring Lavaggi, I'd argue that the Larrousse partnership of Noda and Deletraz (Australia 1994) was the worst of all time... though overall I think you got the year right... 1995 was the year of the pay driver...... oh if only Deletraz and Lavaggi were teammates in '95.

shep34 Wrote:
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> HRT are a complete laughing stock. The single
> worst driver line up in history I dare say. Narain
> clearly only gets opportunities due to cash he can
> attract from gullible sponsors. Zero talent but
> lots of $$$$$. HRT ought to do the world a favour,
> and park their cars in a warehouse and save the
> drain on jet fuel by needlessly flying their cars,
> personnel and cargo around the planet....
>
> Absolute joke, HRT.

But... they have done an equal or better job than Virgin with less money. To me it will be Virgin who is the joke this year if they don't improve. HRT and their quirks remind me of Minardi and make me smile. Virgin/Marussia remind me of Midland.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2012 01:58PM by loque.

Its funny, by a long way Virgin are the better outfit. Yet because of the way the championship standings work they haven't come across that way. But you have to hand it to HRT, they've built cars which finish races.

I would hope this year Virgin massively improve if not then I dont really see the point of them being on the grid. Likewise HRT. Caterham, right from the word go were only really serious effort. Virgin always seemed happy to sit at, or toward the back but Caterham (Or team lotus!) always had that desire to improve.

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

Tulli has been dropped in favour of Petrov.

I didn't expect to see it happening so close to the start of the season!

I think the rubles have come through then. It's been quietly rumoured all winter.

So the Trulli train has finally ran out of steam, have to feel for him this close to the season and after per-season testing has begun. But Kovalainen has cleary been number 1 in that team and there's only so many times you can blame that on power steering.

No Italians on the 2012 grid then for the first time since sometime in the 70s, also with the obvious exception of Schumacher Pedro de la Rosa is the only driver on the 2012 grid to have raced in f1 during the 90s.

Trulli was bored. Petrov isn't. Breath of fresh air.


Farewell Jarno.

It was always on the cards...should just have happened sooner.

Trulli was just another clinger-on, really. He probably should have given up after 2010, because he complained far too much last season about power-steering.

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GPGSL: S6 - TafuroGP Tester (14th) /// S7 - ART Tester (6th) /// S8 - Demon Driver (13th) /// S9 - Demon/Snake Driver (13th) /// S10 - Snake Driver (???) ///]
"My ambition is handicapped by laziness" - Charles Bukowski

What a beautiful car (step aside... and even that looks decent given the inlet).



Funky-looking hole under the nose box, as well as the one above it.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2012 01:15PM by gav.

A pity Jarno didn't live up to his potential more often, he was really amazing when he got everything hooked in. A real shame that Caterham handled it the way they did.

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X (@ed24f1)

Petrov indeed replaces Trulli - Updated on P1

about time and all! try and think of a memorable overtaking manouever from trulli......you can't! blistering quick in his day, but not a racer.

That move he put on Rubens at Magny-Cours in 2004 on the last lap was pretty devasta.... oh wait.

The problem with Juno was like Webber. They used to be great in quail and then drop back.

He should have left the sport when Toyota quit tbh but I bet he tried to find another drive.

In my view Jarno was a good driver extremly good in Qualifying with some superb performances like 2000 monaco 2nd place,or again monaco 2004 with his only win. 2005 he had a pretty solid and probs his best season. last highlight performance wise was 2009 suzuka i think. Somehow i would still have like to see what he could have done this season but its not ment to be. Now he can spend his time with family and his wine stuff.

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"And thats the bottom line cause Alonso0506 said so"

gav Wrote:
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> That move he put on Rubens at Magny-Cours in 2004
> on the last lap was pretty devasta.... oh wait.


Another case of Flavio probably hurting his driver more than any crash.

It was a bad mistake, but Flavio's treatment after was worse. The guy was on top of Alonso till he knew he was out for 2005.

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL