Viva F1

What a Difference a Weekend Makes

Mav — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:07:22 +0000

As Bahrain demonstrated, Formula One might like to think it is beyond the touch of politics but politics likes to think otherwise. No where has this been more apparent in recent times than in Venezuela. Backed by President Hugo Chavez’s socialist government, through the state-owned oil company PDVSA, Williams and Pastor Maldonado were just another pawn in Venezuelan politics. Most significantly, a Venezuelan congress investigation into the sponsorship deal was ongoing, with mutterings of misappropriation of public funds.

And then Maldonado won the Spanish Grand Prix.

Now the expense appears justified and everyone in Venezuela wants a piece of Formula One’s newest race winner. He even managed to go and top that achievement by carrying his young cousin to safety as the Williams garage became engulfed in flames – truly the national hero. Chavez will hold him up as a symbol of his socialism. His political rival, Henrique Capriles was also quick to congratulate him of course. Meanwhile, the congressional investigation is now likely to be quietly forgotten, Williams’ funding secured.

Williams’ share price has been slowly recovering since it haemorrhaged in the months after they were floated. It’s now at its highest level since then, bucking the trends of the rest of the market reacting to the Greek crisis yesterday. Success breeds confidence but Venezuela’s sponsorship is a key part of that investor faith.

Mercedes victory in China was a milestone but for Williams, their first victory since 2004 really could be the start of a long-promised resurgence.

Credit: Williams F1/Lorenzo Bellanca/LAT Photographic

Hamilton, Fuel and an Anomaly in the Rules

Mav — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:33:06 +0000

When Lewis Hamilton coasted to a stop after setting a pole clinching time I always felt he was unlikely to keep it. Still, I like many were left confused as to why he was sent to the back of the grid. In the event, he was unlikely to have gained an advantage but even if he did, it seemed harsh to discard his lap in the second part of qualifying or even his first Q3 run. However, pondering Article 6.6.2 which he was deemed to have broken something about it was bothering me. Eventually I realised what it was – most of it shouldn’t be there.

Up to the 2010 Technical Regulations, Article 6.2.2 simply stated that all cars must have one litre of fuel on board – sufficient for chemical analysis to ensure its legality (no, I don’t know why they actually need so much.) This came to the fore at the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix when Lewis Hamilton slowed down on his in-lap after clinching pole. Eventually he stopped, resorting to attempting to push his McLaren home. The result was a reprimand and a fine – not for stopping as it happens but rather for taking longer than the maximum time allowed for the in-lap. McLaren, however did have sufficient fuel in order to return to the garage – but, crucially, probably not enough to do so and meet the one litre regulation.

It was then suggested that others would follow suit, as while in Hamilton’s case he wasn’t actually far from completing his in-lap, carrying one lap less of fuel could clearly provide a crucial advantage, especially on a long circuit like Spa Francorchamps. Certainly, a $10,000 fine would not dissuade them: “Sounds cheap to me…” said Mercedes’ Ross Brawn with a smile on his face. Therefore the FIA’s Charlie Whiting issued a memo stating that drivers who run out of fuel during subsequent qualifying sessions would be summoned to the stewards. This would later be formalised in 2011’s rules.

“Except in cases of force majeure (accepted as such by the stewards of the meeting), if a sample of fuel is required after a practice session the car concerned must have first been driven back to the pits under its own power.”

2012 Technical Regulations

Strangely, the rule was formalised in the form of an addition (right) to Article 6.6.2 governing the requirement to carry one litre of fuel. This was odd as while the need to potentially provide a sample had led to Hamilton stopping they weren’t really connected. After all, if a sample wasn’t required the problem of everyone stopping out on track would still be there. Moreover, the rule specifies that it only applies if a fuel sample is required – surely not the original reason for the rule.

So is the new rule really connected to the requirement to provide a fuel sample? The fact that it doesn’t cover the race suggests not. At the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel pulled over in order to ensure sufficient fuel was left for testing but this did not prevent his car from undergoing post-race scrutineering. Significantly, the technical report for Bahrain records that Car 01 (Vettel’s) was carrying the required minimum of one litre.

Still, even if the FIA do feel that by stopping out on the track competitors have an opportunity to tamper with the fuel composition or quantity, that doesn’t explain why it is included in Article 6.6.2 or indeed any part of the technical regulations. After all, the technical regulations define the formula, not how the sport is run. Take weight, for example, which is defined by a series of rules in Article 4 of the technical regulations. However, the process of actually weighing the car, such as directing drivers to the weighbridge, is defined in Article 26 of the sporting regulations. Similarly, the bodywork, etc may be defined in the technical regulations but it is the sporting code that specifies the scrutineering procedure and post-qualifying and post-race parc fermé conditions. In short, since returning “to the pits under its own power” does not define a Formula One car but is merely part of the procedure for checking compliance, it should by all rights be placed in the sporting code.

Not placing the rule in the sporting regulations has important consequences. By enshrining the need to return to the pits at the end of qualifying in Article 6.2.2, McLaren found themselves in breach of a technical regulation. Therefore exclusion was almost an inevitability and grid penalties or having his quickest lap deleted out of the question. It seems that this anomaly requires addressing.

Credit: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Spanish GP: Tyre and Pit Stop Strategy

saltire — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:51:18 +0000

Another fascinating race has unfolded and we’ve now had five different winners stand on the top step of the podium. The three stop strategy was optimal at Catalunya with only Hamilton choosing a two stop model in order to recover from starting at the back of the grid – he eventually made up 16 places. Meanwhile, Pedro de La Rosa made four stops (three stints on soft tyres and two on the hard) on his way to finishing last of the finishers.

Fernando Alonso came tantalizingly close to stealing Maldonado’s maiden win but his plans may have been ultimately scuppered by lack of new tyres, all four of his stints were on used tyres.

Click image to enlarge

A closer look at the lap times of the three front runners is worth a look considering the different tyres in play. Kimi Raikkonen and Lotus opted to use a second set of soft tyres for his second stint compared with hards for Maldonado and Alonso. In hindsight it may have been the wrong decision as he lost ground through this stint whereas his pace on the prime compound was much better relative to his rivals – it may have allowed the Finn to have caught and challenged Alonso in the closing laps. He may have stayed out too long on his third stint too, losing one and half seconds on his last lap before pitting for the final time.

Meanwhile, Maldonado’s start to his third stint is noteworthy. Having pitted early he put in some phenomenal laps in order to undercut Alonso – regardless of the Ferrari driver losing time behind Charles Pic’s Marussia.

Data: Pirelli Tyres

Maldonado Seizes Maiden Victory

Mav — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:31:08 +0000

Race five. Winner number five. Team number five. He has had more than his fair share of critics since joining Williams but Pastor Maldonado had the last laugh with a sensational win in Spain. Beaten off the grid by local favourite, Fernando Alonso, Williams made a perfect strategy call in order to undercut the Ferrari. Once out in front, the Venezuelan withstood the pressure of a two-times World Champion on his tail, Alonso having his own worries in the late stages as his tyres began to fade with Kimi Raikkonen closing in in third.

Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean had a relatively quiet run to fourth with a minute gap back to Kamui Kobayashi in fifth. Sebastian Vettel was sixth after taking a drive-through penalty for ignoring yellow flags. He passed Nico Rosberg late in the race who barely held on against Lewis Hamilton who put an impressive performance to recover from the back of the grid as his two-stop strategy took him to eighth and limit the damage. It was one-place better than his team mate as Jenson Button struggled with his car throughout the race while the final point went to Nico Hulkenberg who bravely held off Mark Webber.

Driver of the Day:
An easy one this week: Maldonado was undeniably the man of the moment. Hoisted on to the shoulders of two World Champions on the podium, the Venezuelan has more than justified his place on the grid and sent his own one-fingered salute to those who called him simply a pay driver.

Good Day:
After yesterday’s drama, Hamilton’s mature drive through the field was particularly impressive given how emotional he tends to be about these setbacks. Managing his tyres in order to make one less stop than his rivals, he sent his own message out to his critics.

Bad Day:
One driver yet again failing to answer his critics was Felipe Massa who ended up down in 15th. A drive-through penalty didn’t help but it certainly wasn’t the whole story. Still, at least he avoided the embarrassment of driving into the back of somebody – stand up please, Herr Schumacher…

Talking Point:
What do you make of this season? It’s certainly hard to predict but is that entirely a good thing? The playing field has been leveled and while that may be great as entertainment, is it truly what Formula One should be about? Are the way the tyres suit a particular car on a particular circuit now dominating the pattern of a Grand Prix weekend too much?

Race Rating:
There was some good overtaking, notably from Hamilton and Kobayashi. However, this was a race dominated by the drama of strategy unfolding and a surprise victor rather than all-out action.

Full Result:

1.	Pastor Maldonado	Williams-Renault	1h 39:09.145
2.	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	+3.195
3.	Kimi Raikkonen	Lotus-Renault	+3.884
4.	Romain Grosjean	Lotus-Renault	+14.799
5.	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	+64.641
6.	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	+67.576
7.	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	+77.919
8.	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	+78.140
9.	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	+85.246
10.	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India-Mercedes	+1 Lap
11.	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	+1 Lap
12.	Jean-Eric Vergne	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	+1 Lap
13.	Daniel Ricciardo	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	+1 Lap
14.	Paul Di Resta	Force India-Mercedes	+1 Lap
15.	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	+1 Lap
16.	Heikki Kovalainen	Caterham-Renault	+1 Lap
17.	Vitaly Petrov	Caterham-Renault	+1 Lap
18.	Timo Glock	Marussia-Cosworth	+2 Laps
19.	Pedro De La Rosa	HRT-Cosworth	+3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Romain Grosjean, Lotus-Renault, 1:26.250

Fastest Pitstop: Fernando Alonso, Ferrari – 19.456s (entry-exit)

Not classified/retirements:

Sergio Perez	Sauber-Ferrari	Lap 38	Loose Wheel
Charles Pic	Marussia-Cosworth	Lap 36	Transmission
Narain Karthikeyan	HRT-Cosworth	Lap 23	Transmission
Bruno Senna	Williams-Renault	Lap 13	Collision
Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	Lap 13	Collision

Championship Standings:

1.	Sebastian Vettel	61 Points
2.	Fernando Alonso	61 Points
3.	Lewis Hamilton	53 Points
4.	Kimi Raikkonen	49 Points
5.	Mark Webber	48 Points

1.	Red Bull-Renault	109 Points
2.	McLaren-Mercedes	98 Points
3.	Lotus-Renault	84 Points
4.	Ferrari	63 Points

What did you make of the Spanish Grand Prix? Who do you think was driver of the day? Who had a weekend to forget? Would Hamilton have won without McLaren’s mistake? Let us know your thoughts in the comments…

Photo: Williams F1/Lorenzo Bellanca/LAT Photographic

Maldonado Pole After Hamilton Penalised

Mav — Sat, 12 May 2012 23:19:29 +0000

Williams’ Pastor Maldonado pulled out a surprise front-row qualifying run in Spain with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso an almost equally surprising third. However, the Circuit de Catalunya had one more twist up its sleeve when the quickest man in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton pulled up shortly after the beating his rivals by almost six tenths of a second. A fuelling error meant that the McLaren driver could not make it back to the pits and still provide sufficient fuel for FIA testing. After hearing the team’s arguments, the stewards excluded Hamilton from the session, meaning that he will now start from the back of the grid.

Hamilton
McLaren have once again let down one of their drivers. Hamilton should have been confidently fighting for the victory tomorrow, instead he faces a fight through the pack in the hope of points. It may not be easy either as having gone through and taken part in Q3, he holds a fist full of used tyres. The reason for penalising Hamilton is clearly outlined in the rules: “Except in cases of force majeure (accepted as such by the stewards of the meeting), if a sample of fuel is required after a practice session the car concerned must have first been driven back to the pits under its own power.” McLaren cannot have too many arguments on that foot even if the fuel shortage in this case was not the difference between pole and slower time. However, the penalty itself seems completely out of proportion. Hamilton had already negotiated Q1 and Q2, returning to the pits in each case. While an advantage could be gained from low-fuelling why should all of a drivers’ qualifying laps be scrubbed from the record? That doesn’t happen in the event of a driver taking a short-cut. The result is that Hamilton starts behind twenty-three drivers slower than him through no fault of his own, two of which couldn’t even be bothered setting a time in Q3 and one which failed to make the 107% mark (or even 110% for that matter.)

Curiously, the rule doesn’t apply to the race – in just the last race Sebastian Vettel failed to return to the pits after taking victory. Should Kimi Raikkonen now feel aggrieved that Vettel gained an unfair advantage?

Why does it always seem to happen to Hamilton though? I’m still mystified as to why, after Nico Rosberg’s aggressive move in front of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in Bahrain, it was Hamilton’s overtake off the track that was the main topic of discussion in the drivers’ briefing. It’s not even as if someone hasn’t gone off track to overtake before – but things only seem to get discussed when Hamilton does it.

Delight
Pastor Maldonado on pole? Fernando Alonso on the front row is surprising enough but the Williams driver failed to reach Q3 in the last three races. Not that it was all plain sailing for Williams and Ferrari as Bruno Senna failed to make it through from Q1 after spinning out into the gravel while Felipe Massa had his ‘Big Book of Excuses’ out once again after he only went one place better. Will it be a platform for a Williams victory though? Or merely a moment of glory?

Disappointment
Mark Webber and Jenson Button missing out on Q3? Senna missing out on Q2? Take your pick. At least Button can take some measure of satisfaction from the fact that missing out on Q3 meant that the team couldn’t mess up his day too.

Disaster
McLaren, McLaren, McLaren. Enough said.

Race Prediction
Oh I give up! Lotus certainly have the race pace, as does Sebastian Vettel who also has an extra set of new tyres at his disposal. Meanwhile, Ferrari have generally gone better on Sunday than during qualifying – now Alonso finds himself in a position to exploit that. And after that, you can’t rule out Maldonado completing the job.

Qualifying Lap Times

1. Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1:21.707
2. Maldonado	Williams-Renault	1:22.285
3. Alonso	Ferrari	1:22.302
4. Grosjean	Lotus-Renault	1:22.424
5. Raikkonen	Lotus-Renault	1:22.487
6. Perez	Sauber-Ferrari	1:22.533
7. Rosberg	Mercedes	1:23.005
8. Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	No time
9. Schumacher	Mercedes	No time
10. Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	No time


Q2 cut-off time:	1:22.904
11. Button	McLaren-Mercedes	1:22.944
12. Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1:22.977
13. Di Resta	Force India-Mercedes	1:23.125
14. Hulkenberg	Force India-Mercedes	1:23.177
15. Vergne	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:23.265
16. Ricciardo	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:23.442
17. Massa	Ferrari	1:23.444


Q1 cut-off time:	1:23.380
18. Senna	Williams-Renault	1:24.981
19. Petrov	Caterham-Renault	1:25.277
20. Kovalainen	Caterham-Renault	1:25.507
21. Pic	Marussia-Cosworth	1:26.582
22. Glock	Marussia-Cosworth	1:27.032
23. De la Rosa	HRT-Cosworth	1:27.555
Karthikeyan	HRT-Cosworth	1:31.122

107% time: 1:28.363

Sector 1		Sector 2		Sector 3
Hamilton	22.616 s	Hamilton	30.751s	Maldonado	28.321 s
Raikkonen	22.652 s	Perez	30.935 s	Hamilton	28.340 s
Grosjean	222.737 s	Kobayashi	30.945 s	Alonso	28.430 s

What are your predictions for the race? Should Hamilton have been penalised? Was the penalty too harsh? Should Narain Karthikeyan be allowed to start after missing the 107% qualifying mark by such a significant margin?

Photo: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

The Grand Prix File: Spain

saltire — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:11:24 +0000

GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA SANTANDER |

A city with its finger firmly on the pulse, Barcelona has always embraced style, bold design and all things new. And given that Spain’s passion for F1 has reached fever pitch, the grand prix brings out a carnival atmosphere. The circuit has been on the calendar since 1991 producing twelve different winners – Lewis Hamilton being the noticeable absentee from that last.

Circuit Length:	4.627 km (2.875 miles)
Race Length:	66 laps (307.1 km, 190.8 miles)
Lap Record:	1:21.670 (K Raikkonen, Ferrari, 2008)
Last Year:	1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, 1h 39:03.301 [more...] 2. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, +0.630 s 3. Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes, +35.697 s P. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, 1:20.981 [more...] FL. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:26.727

		Local Time (UTC+1)	UK Time
Thursday	Press Conference	15.00	14:00
Friday	Practice Session 1	10.00-11.30	9.00-10.30
	Practice Session 2	14.00-15.30	13.00-14.30
	Press Conference	16.00	15:00
Saturday	Practice Session 3	11.00-12.00	10.00-11.00
	Qualifying	14.00-15.00	13.00-14.00
	Followed by press conference
Sunday	Race	14:00	13:00
Sunday	Followed by press conference

	Friday Dry and sunny with moderate westerly breezes of 24 km/h. Temperatures reaching 26°C.
	Saturday Hot and mostly sunny with moderate breezes from the west. Maximum temperatures of 27°C.
	Sunday Cloudier and cooler than the first two days as temperatures reach 21°C. Possibility of a light shower during the race.

World Drivers’ Championship: [more...]

1.	Sebastian Vettel	53 Points
2.	Lewis Hamilton	49 Points
3.	Mark Webber	48 Points
4.	Jenson Button	43 Points
5.	Fernando Alonso	43 Points

World Constructors’ Championship: [more...]

1.	Red Bull-Renault	101 Points
2.	McLaren-Mercedes	92 Points
3.	Lotus-Renault	57 Points
4.	Ferrari	45 Points
5.	Mercedes	37 Points

Form Guide:
Last Five Years at Barcelona

	VET	WEB	BUT	HAM	ALO	RAI	ROS	MSC
Starts	3	5	5	5	5	3	5	2
Classified Finishes	3	4	5	5	4	1	4	2
Retirements	0	1	0	0	1	2	1	0
Best Result	1	1	1	2	2	1	6	4
Best Grid Slot	2	1	1	3	2	1	7	6
Average Finish	2.7	3.3	5.4	6.0	3.8	1.0	8.5	5.0
Average Grid Slot	6.0	6.6	7.6	5.8	4.0	6.7	10.0	8.0
Number of Podiums	2	2	2	3	2	1	0	0
Pole Positions	0	2	1	0	0	1	0	0
Fastest Laps	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0

Related Links
Preview of the Spanish Grand Prix

Preview of the Spanish Grand Prix

Mav — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:55:35 +0000

Round Five of the 2012 Formula One season sees the teams heading to their first race of the year on European soil. The Circuit de Catalunya is a venue the teams know very well from winter testing. After eight days there earlier in the year, the teams will have a head start in preparing for this weekend’s race although they will still have to consider the higher track temperatures. There’s also the added intrigue of last week’s in-season test in Italy – Mugello may not be representative of the challenges posed by Catalunya but it was an opportunity for teams to try out some new ideas and further mix up this already hard to predict season.

So what should you expect in Spain this weekend?

Track and Conditions
With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an ‘all-rounder’ circuit ideally suited to testing, and because of this many drivers are said to be able to drive around it blindfolded. The familiarity of Barcelona has probably contributed to it seldom producing thrilling races in recent years, and the track has become renowned as being dominated from pole. Last year, Mark Webber slipped back to fourth but you have to go back to 2000 for the previous non-pole winner. It’s also a tough circuit with above average levels of both mechanical retirements (3rd highest on calendar) and retirements due to accidents (5th).

The lap starts with a straight, dipping down to Turns 1 and 2 – an ‘S’ bend which often sees cars overshoot at the start, as they get squeezed by the pack. Indeed, only Melbourne and Suzuka have produced more first lap retirements over the last five years.

Turn 5 is tricky, because the left-front wheel wants to lock under braking, resulting in mid-corner understeer. Then the corner falls away and the car will oversteer. The track then rises sharply from Turn 7 to Campsa, the highest point of the circuit, which has a blind entry at high speed. The corner at the bottom end of the back straight is tight and it’s very important to judge the car’s braking carefully. The exit is slow and uphill, often resulting in some wheelspin.

The weather in Barcelona at this time of year is almost always warm and dry, although the long range forecast currently suggests that showers may yet be a possibility this coming weekend.

Set-Up
The circuit presents one of the biggest technical challenges of the season – every aspect of set-up needs to be right in order to be quick and there’s no hiding from a poor car. The first half of the lap is dominated by high-speed corners requiring a well-balanced car. However, the second half is about slow-corners and strong braking stability is also important.

While the circuit is not too demanding on engines, and only around 60% of the lap is spent at full throttle, those low-speed corners demand good driveability from the engine and a responsive gearbox.

Strategy
Barcelona is tough on tyres with an abrasive surface and reasonably high track temperatures – the front left endures a particular heavy load through Turn 3 while several corners leave drivers prone to locking the front tyres, most notably Turn 5. The two tests are of limited benefit in this case as track temperatures were so much lower in March.

For the first time this year, Pirelli have provided non-consecutive tyre compounds: the hard and soft tyres in their range. While the compounds have changed since last year, it was the same allocation allotted last year. That resulted in most of the front runners four-stopping, although Jenson Button made a three-stop strategy work in order to finish third having dropped to 10th after a poor start. However, with the greater durability of this year’s tyres, the balance is possibly tipped more towards three-stops being the optimal strategy.

Remember This?
The Spanish Grand Prix has been on and off the calendar since 1951 when Fangio won both the race and the drivers’ title. However, one of Formula One’s most memorable finishes came in 1986 as Jerez hosted the event for the first time. Ayrton Senna’s Lotus and Nigel Mansell’s Williams battled into the closing stages: A late pit stop had delayed Mansell but with fresh rubber he made up 19 seconds in the space of ten laps. In the last hundred yards of the race, Mansell pulled out to pass and the cars crossed the finishing line side-by-side. Senna just held on by 0.014 seconds, one of the closest finishes in the history of Formula One.

Ones To Watch
They may have their own team now but all the local fans will be cheering on Fernando Alonso although the circuit has produced a mixed bag of results for the Ferrari driver. More interesting will be to see if Ferrari have been able to close the gap to their rivals after last week’s test in Italy. Meanwhile, on the back of their performance in Bahrain, Lotus will be looking to enjoy their turn on the top step of the podium.

Food for Thought
Who do you think will win in Spain? Will Red Bull domination return or will Ferrari turn their season around? Can Lotus really win or will McLaren be back on top form?

Related Links
Circuit Profile – Circuit de Catalunya
2011 Spanish Grand Prix – Vettel Holds off Hamilton to Win

Photos: Pirelli Tyres, Lotus F1 Team/Charles Coates/LAT Photographic, Force India F1/Sutton Images, Sauber Motorsport AG

What’s Wrong With Vitaly Petrov?

Mav — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:32:01 +0000

Yesterday, Caterham’s Vitaly Petrov suggested that the the Mugello Circuit wasn’t really suitable for Formula One testing. Today, he’s reiterated that point in an interview with Autosport: “I don’t think we should have come here,” said the Russian. “It is not safe and wide enough. If you lose it, the walls are so close and you will smash into the tyres. It is not for Formula 1 and, if you lost the steering or the tyre pressure dropped or whatever, then it will be a big crash.” A perfectly reasoned opinion you would think but apparently, no…

Cue the predictable cliches: “if you can’t stand the heat…”, “he needs to grow some…” and so on. It’s the same comments that were thrown in Jackie Stewart’s direction forty years ago and like then it ignores the fact that Petrov still went out there and did a job despite his misgivings. Fear isn’t the issue.

Even Autosport chose to contrast his comments on safety with his colleagues’ opinions of the track as if they were actually the same thing. To put it into context, here’s what Petrov said yesterday which actually prompted Autosport’s line of questioning: “I have very good memories of Mugello as this is where I won in F3000, so coming back is good. I’m not sure the track is right for today’s F1 cars – you get very close to the walls and it’s maybe a bit small for the cars now, but it’s still a good challenge putting together a quick lap.” It’s a comment that’s been carelessly overlooked today in the name of a good story in what one outlet headlined as “Petrov blasts ‘unsafe’ Mugello”. It’s irrelevant whether Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and indeed Petrov himself think the circuit is a great place to drive – Petrov’s issue was whether it’s a great place to have a crash.

But is Mugello suitably safe for Formula One testing? Well it’s no use comparing to Monaco for starters. This is a circuit comparable to Silverstone and Suzuka in terms of speeds, not the principality’s winding streets, and one look at the run-off area accompanying the new Abbey turn suggests that he may have a point. Quite simply, the design of Mugello’s run-off areas seem dated.

However, I don’t really want to go into that issue as I’m not best placed to judge the circuit. My main issue is that nobody should be afraid of raising such questions for fear of ridicule and such dismissive remarks. Or in the name of not offending circuit owners, Ferrari.

Petrov should be applauded for his bravery in making this statement. Not hailed a coward.

Credit: Caterham F1

F1 Pocket Companion 2012: The Ultimate Formula 1 Guide (Review)

saltire — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:55:16 +0000

When I received my copy of the F1 Pocket Companion 2012 I must admit that my initial reaction was “wow, it’s definitely pocket sized, bet there’s not much detail in that” but, on looking further, this was one of those occasions when it was definitely wrong to judge a book by its cover… not that there’s anything wrong with the cover, I hasten to add!

Pocket sized it may be but don’t be put off by its size, there’s a wealth of material on each of its 140 pages. With detailed statistics on every aspect of Formula One it’s a book you’ll make use of time and time again, from circuit guides to extensive profiles of every team and driver – it’s all here and beautifully illustrated to boot.

What surprised me most was the attention to detail; there are loads of lovely little touches like the Facebook and Twitter profiles of anyone you’ll want to follow, details of the relevant technical regulations, “what colour rim does the super-soft tyre have?”. You’ll find that and much, much more within its pages.

Click to enlarge preview images

Those of you who are eagle-eyed might just recognise the circuit diagram for Interlagos on the photograph above? To celebrate our involvement, we’re giving away a copy of the book and an exclusive (seriously, even we don’t have one!) Viva F1 mug to one lucky winner so you can relax with a cuppa whilst brushing up on those essential F1 facts.

To enter the competition just answer this simple question:
The F1 Pocket Companion contains how many pages?

Enter by leaving your answer in the comments below or tweet @VivaF1 with the answer including the hashtag #UltimateF1Guide. Entries must be received by 5pm GMT on Saturday the 5th May and the winner announced that evening by email and/or twitter. Good luck!

F1 Pocket Companion 2012: The Ultimate Formula 1 Guide
Publisher: ChequeredFlagMedia
ISBN-10: 095652222X
ISBN-13: 978-0956522221
Product Dimensions: 14.4 x 10.4 x 1.2 cm

2012 Testing Preview: Mugello

Mav — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:01:57 +0000

After calls for the return of in-season testing, Formula One takes a break from the excitement of a tight World Championship and heads to Italy and the Mugello Circuit for some quiet testing and development. With the field so closely packed, this test could prove to be even more valuable than originally planned as gains here may reap big rewards when racing returns.

As well as the usual faces (well helmet designs) behind the wheel, the test will also be an opportunity for reserve drivers to put in some track time. Jerome d’Ambrosio (Lotus F1), Jules Bianchi (Force India), Valtteri Bottas (Williams) and Rodolfo Gonzalez (Caterham) will hit the track on the first day before handing over the reigns to the regular drivers. At McLaren, meanwhile, Gary Paffett and Olivier Turvey are set to conduct the entire test themselves although Lewis Hamilton hinted that he may gatecrash the party. However, Paffett is notable as having previously raced on the Mugello circuit in the DTM series, as has Force India’s Paul di Resta.

	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Red Bull	Webber	Webber/Vettel	Vettel
McLaren	Turvey/Paffett	Paffett	Turvey
Ferrari	Alonso	Massa	Alonso
Mercedes	Rosberg/Schumacher	Schumacher	Rosberg
Lotus	d’Ambrosio	Grosjean	Grosjean
Force India	Bianchi	di Resta	Hulkenberg
Sauber	Kobayashi	Kobayashi	Perez
Toro Rosso	Vergne	Vergne/Ricciardo	Ricciardo
Williams	Bottas	Senna	Maldonado
Caterham	Gonzalez	Petrov	Kovalainen
Marussia	Pic	Pic/Glock	Glock

*Subject to changes

Not present at all will be HRT who say they will be busy moving into their new headquarters – presumably that means Pedro de la Rosa will be driving the van while Narain Karthikeyan does the unpacking. The reality is more likely to be that the team simply doesn’t have any updates to test and that attendance will be of limited value.

While the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello near Florence is a staple of the MotoGP calendar, and hosted Formula Two events in the 1970s and 80s, it is something of an unknown to the Formula One crowd – with one notable exception: The circuit is owned by Ferrari. Toro Rosso tested on the circuit back in 2007 but you have to go back to 2005 for the last British outfit – BAR alongside Ferrari and Minardi. However, with its long straight and a mix of relatively quick chicanes, medium and high-speed corners, the undulating circuit makes an ideal, and picturesque, location for testing.

	Tuesday Starting overcast with increasing probability of showers, some thundery, as the day progresses. Temperatures reaching 18°C.
	Wednesday Scattered cloud with the possibility of a light shower. Quite cool with maximum temperatures of 18°C.
	Thursday Dry and sunny periods but south-westerly breezes strengthening. Temperatures reaching 17°C.

Advantage Vettel in Bahrain

Mav — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:18:25 +0000

Race four. Winner number four. Team number four. So far 2012 has been characterised by wildly fluctuating fortunes for the teams and this time it was Red Bull and Lotus’s turn to have a strong race as Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag. Kimi Raikkonen finished hot on heels for Lotus while team mate Romain Gorsjean clinched his first podium in Formula One. Mark Webber finished fourth to ensure the first four cars were all powered by Renault.

Behind them, the race was far more eventful as Nico Rosberg barged his way to fifth, the Mercedes driver investigated by the stewards for incidents with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The Ferrari driver finished two places further back, Paul di Resta sandwiched in between, and was furious at Rosberg although the stewards took no action. Hamilton ended up eighth after two poor pit stops by McLaren proved costly. Felipe Massa scored his first points of the season back in ninth ahead of Michael Schumacher, who recovered from his start near the back of the field to take the final point.

Driver of the Day:
A tough call this week. A pole and victory for Vettel and a charge from tenth for Raikkonen? They’ve been there-done that. For me it was Romain Grosjean that stood out this weekend. Having endured a torrid first stint in Formula One, today he grabbed his second chance and showed what he’s capable of.

Good Day:
Meanwhile, Paul di Resta was quietly putting together a two-stop strategy for Force India. Nobody else took this route but he was rewarded with sixth place for his mature drive.

Bad Day:
Definitely McLaren. One bad pit stop for Hamilton would have been unfortunate. A second was unforgivable. Add in Button suffering a similar problem a week ago in China and McLaren clearly have a problem. However, unlike in China, today’s mistakes definitely cost the team points. To add insult to injury, Button picked up a late puncture and a problem with the differential in the closing stages. Classified 18th, he ended the race in the garage.

Talking Point:
Did Rosberg force Hamilton and Alonso off the track? The stewards thought otherwise and in isolation I may have given him the benefit of the doubt but doing the exact same thing twice? Ironically, having decided Rosberg was in the clear, they then should have punished Hamilton for going off the track to make his pass. So they certainly got something wrong. Meanwhile, Alonso was investigated for an unsafe pit release – and I’m not sure how Ferrari got away with it.

Race Rating:
A good but not amazing race. However, I don’t think the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix is going to be remembered for what happened on the track.

Full Result:

1.	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	1h 35:10.990
2.	Kimi Raikkonen	Lotus-Renault	+3.333
3.	Romain Grosjean	Lotus-Renault	+10.194
4.	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	+38.788
5.	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	+55.460
6.	Paul Di Resta	Force India-Mercedes	+57.543
7.	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	+57.803
8.	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	+58.984
9.	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	+64.999
10.	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	+71.490
11.	Sergio Perez	Sauber-Ferrari	+72.702
12.	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India-Mercedes	+76.539
13.	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	+90.334
14.	Jean-Eric Vergne	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	+93.723
15.	Daniel Ricciardo	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	+1 Lap
16.	Vitaly Petrov	Caterham-Renault	+1 Lap
17.	Heikki Kovalainen	Caterham-Renault	+1 Lap
18.	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	+2 Laps (Transmission)
19.	Timo Glock	Marussia-Cosworth	+2 Laps
20.	Pedro De La Rosa	HRT-Cosworth	+2 Laps
21.	Narain Karthikeyan	HRT-Cosworth	+2 Laps
22.	Bruno Senna	Williams-Renault	+3 Laps (Retired)

Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, 1:36.379

Fastest Pitstop: Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault – 21.705s (entry-exit)

Not classified/retirements:

Pastor Maldonado	Williams-Renault	Lap 26	Puncture
Charles Pic	Marussia-Cosworth	Lap 25	Engine

Championship Standings:

1.	Sebastian Vettel	53 Points
2.	Lewis Hamilton	49 Points
3.	Mark Webber	48 Points
4.	Jenson Button	43 Points
5.	Fernando Alonso	43 Points

1.	Red Bull-Renault	101 Points
2.	McLaren-Mercedes	92 Points
3.	Lotus-Renault	57 Points
4.	Ferrari	45 Points

What did you make of the Bahrain Grand Prix? Who do you think was driver of the day? Who had a weekend to forget? Did the stewards get their decision right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments…

Related Links
Bahrain GP: Tyre and Pit Stop Strategy

Photo: Red Bull Racing/Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Bahrain GP: Tyre and Pit Stop Strategy

saltire — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:01:34 +0000

A three stop strategy was the way to go in Bahrain with most teams favouring the prime tyre for the bulk of the race. Lotus seemed to have learned from mistakes in China and gave Raikkonen new tyres for each of his four stints, whilst Kobayashi, the only driver to start the race on prime tyres didn’t see his gamble pay off.

We’ve given the tyre and pit stop graphic a bit of a facelift for Bahrain in response to feedback from readers. The changes are minor but we hope they’ll provide some useful, additional information. The new image shows the number of places a lost or gained compared to starting grid position, and pit stop laps are now a slightly darker colour to make same compound stops stand out more from the background.

Image credit: VivaF1