2012 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix

[Ivan Navarro]

I haven't posted here before, so hello to all you regs in here.

Here's my $0,02 -

Regarding race times:
Europe is clearly the largest TV market for the sport, and F1 must maximize ratings there to make money for the sport. They need to balance that with local race times which I think are hurting attendance.

I agree about Bernie's track building business, as it's clear as long as Euros are glued to their TV's he doesn't care that the races are in places that don't care about F1. Evidence is empty grandstands and promoter purses!

Q: How to popularize the sport globally without alienating the fans that made it what it is?

A: Optimize race times for the CET viewers, obv.

The USGP will be interesting as Americans are being gouged for the chance to see an F1 race again. They may do OK in 2012, but at the fees they want to charge, I predict the stands will be looking abandoned as time goes on. But how else to pay off the massive investment for such a venue. I make this prediction with sadness as I really want F1 to succeed in the US.

Drivers:
Alonso is clearly a genius and the best driver in F1!

Perez is a pay driver like every racing driver. All drivers know sponsorship is as important as pace. Many fast guys never get a shot, because they can't bring enough money to the team. That's racing, it's an expensive sport.

Paid or not, Perez has proven he belongs and has a future in F1, with Ferrari IMO!

It's been a good run Mr. Massa, but your skills are now diminished to the level of uncompetitive. Enjoy your time with your family, it will be for the best.

F1, Round 2:
Great race today, it's events like this one that make the sport way more interesting than watching the pole sitter lead a train of cars around each weekend

Cheers!

 

[GAIAjohan]

Twitter:
andrewbensonf1 twitterde op zondag 25-03-2012 om 17:28:56

Turns out @alo_oficial's car lost telemetry in race - so he had to read fuel levels to team, manage Kers etc. even more impressive

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Depends on what you count as "own" money really.

And then, there is no paydrivers? or are all paydrivers?

No it really does not depend what it being counted. They all had sponsors to get into F1. Some even got their whole career sponsored by that particular sponsor.

And some teams just so happened to have an F1 team.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

New theory, Perez made the "mistake" on purpose, not at Ferrari's request, but for his own benefit, see if he had passed Alonso, Massa would have been able to point and say "see our car is terrible, couldn't even hold its own against the sauber" and thus possibly prolong his stay by maintaining blame on the vehicle, if however, Alonso takes first, it casts an even bigger shadow on Massa, thus discrediting him as a driver more and paving the way for Perez to move into his spot. Discuss

Are you serious? You want us to actually discuss this?

Four words that kill your argument instantly. THE SAUBER WAS FASTER.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Twitter:
andrewbensonf1 twitterde op zondag 25-03-2012 om 17:28:56

Turns out @alo_oficial's car lost telemetry in race - so he had to read fuel levels to team, manage Kers etc. even more impressive

He is simply the best and he is on a mission. Just give him a car that is a mid-fielder in reality and he will win races with that car.

 

[Chris Cronshaw]

Vettel is a little baby.
Poor boy. I cannot believe he is trying to portion blame a 100% on Karthikeyan's shoulders.

He has to carry some of the blame for that. Also what Karthikeyan said was interesting.
He said some of the faster teams almost bully the slower ones and expect them to drive off the road.

I feel for Karthikeyan don't think he should have had a pen and the only way he could get out the way of Vettel would be to drive off the road. Slow or not, no team or driver should be expected to do that.

 

[Chris Cronshaw]

New theory, Perez made the "mistake" on purpose, not at Ferrari's request, but for his own benefit, see if he had passed Alonso, Massa would have been able to point and say "see our car is terrible, couldn't even hold its own against the sauber" and thus possibly prolong his stay by maintaining blame on the vehicle, if however, Alonso takes first, it casts an even bigger shadow on Massa, thus discrediting him as a driver more and paving the way for Perez to move into his spot. Discuss

Not a chance.
And Alonso has already said the car is terrible and couldn't hold it's own against the Sauber so that blows that theory 110% out the water.

 

[Josh Barton]

Vettel is a little baby.
Poor boy. I cannot believe he is trying to portion blame a 100% on Karthikeyan's shoulders.

He has to carry some of the blame for that. Also what Karthikeyan said was interesting.
He said some of the faster teams almost bully the slower ones and expect them to drive off the road.

I feel for Karthikeyan don't think he should have had a pen and the only way he could get out the way of Vettel would be to drive off the road. Slow or not, no team or driver should be expected to do that.

I agree with you, both incidents were not his fault. However, he still is shocking on track when being lapped, he has been consistantly poor in this regard for a long long time. He doesnt seem to be improving in this regard either. I recall quite a number of incidents or close calls throughout the previous season and its a lot more than his backmarker rivals. Not to mention his car is that slow that he is a hazard to other drivers especially with him behind the wheel.

 

[Chris Cronshaw]

I agree with you, both incidents were not his fault. However, he still is shocking on track when being lapped, he has been consistantly poor in this regard for a long long time. He doesnt seem to be improving in this regard either. I recall quite a number of incidents or close calls throughout the previous season and its a lot more than his backmarker rivals. Not to mention his car is that slow that he is a hazard to other drivers especially with him behind the wheel.

Yeah agree with that. But in all fairness when the car is as slow as he has then the closing speed of the faster cars is that great sometimes it can be hard to get out of the way.
The only way situations like this will be erased is if the 107% rule is changed to 105% or lower.

 

[Xosé Estrada]

I agree that HRTs are too slow, but considering the progress they made until now (the kind of progress you make when you do your first tests) they will be in a better shape in next GP.

I think completing the two last tests before the season should be a requirement, the problems for HRT come from them still trying to understand the car.

 

[Ivo Simons]

And it isnt really "new" as they already drove one season.
Atleast Marrussia makes abit more progress and Caterham even more. HRT is now a danger on track even more then last season imo.
They shouldnt be driving and is a waste of money really.

 

[Victor Ivanov]

And it isnt really "new" as they already drove one season.
Atleast Marrussia makes abit more progress and Caterham even more. HRT is now a danger on track even more then last season imo.
They shouldnt be driving and is a waste of money really.

Actually this is their 3rd season and no progress at all...

 

[Hampus Andersson]

The word progress and HRT should never be in the same sentence.

No but seriously, one more season (2012), if they can´t can´t get the ball rolling in the right direction then i hope Bernie just gets rid of them. 3 years and it looks like they are in the same position as the first year.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

No but seriously, one more season (2012), if they can´t can´t get the ball rolling in the right direction then i hope Bernie just gets rid of them. 3 years and it looks like they are in the same position as the first year.

Why? They got the place - and if they manage to have to money to race. Why should they be kicked out for being slow? It's not like there are other teams waiting for a chance in F1, and, if they get enough money to keep racing. Then it seems like there are room for teams like HRT.

Actually this is their 3rd season and no progress at all...

Which isn't unique for small teams. And well, looking at Honda in the three years they were racing... Not much progress there either.

Not to mention his car is that slow that he is a hazard to other drivers especially with him behind the wheel.

I don't get that.You don't have to go too many years back in time, to find cars 10-12 seconds off the pace on a lap, and at the same time, the blue flags was only "warnings". You didn't have to move out of the way. When they managed that then, I don't see what the problems are now.

The only way situations like this will be erased is if the 107% rule is changed to 105% or lower.

The problem there is, where is the "natural" limit. For the last few years, it's been very close. But that's not whats normal in F1. Why not 103? or 104? Maybe even 110? I never fully understand why they came up with those 7 percents.

 

[David Garcia]

Yes. There is not one driver in F1 that has paid with his own money to be in F1.

But I know some that are there just because of their talent, and not all can say that. If as a plus to your talent you bring an sponsor... bingo! Dream driver!

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Why? They got the place - and if they manage to have to money to race. Why should they be kicked out for being slow? It's not like there are other teams waiting for a chance in F1, and, if they get enough money to keep racing. Then it seems like there are room for teams like HRT.

Being slow? They have trouble even getting the car to work for christ sake.

Getting the car built up, Getting the car working, Getting the car to do a lap, getting the car to be in the same dimension as Virgin, getting the car to leave the start grid, getting the car to complete a race.

This is F1, you can´t join F1 with some spare money other teams use to buy coffee for a whole season.
HRT is a joke, you might not agree on that but they truly are. 3 years in the making and they have not taken ONE step forward.
Sorry i know you like HRT but it´s nothing personal against HRT. Had Virgin been in the same spot i would have said the same thing.

3 years.... think about it. I bet they are still off-pace in 5 years.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

But I know some that are there just because of their talent, and not all can say that. If as a plus to your talent you bring an sponsor... bingo! Dream driver!

No driver in F1 is only there by talent. They all needed money to get to where they are.

Had Hamilton´s dad not worked two jobs and always bought new parts for his kart he probably would not have won half the races he won back then.

Of course there´s a difference in driver talent. But there´s no difference in how they got to F1. That is money. Lots of it.

 

[David O'Reilly]

Vettel was too agressive in his move under blue flag on the HRT and assumed too much space. He thought that Dr Helmut Marko would make Narain move out of his way braking more abruptly and ruin his own race more like the guys at Toro Rosso have to do to keep their jobs.
Sebastien not every driver is there for your convenience. Stay safe.

 

[Jordi Casademunt]

The problem is, this year's HRT is basically a new team. They changed about 80% of the crew, they changed the headquarters, and they had to buy all the equipment again. Marussia and Caterham, even with changes, haven't had to replace basically everything, so of course they can progress.

They'll never be a top team, that's for sure. And I doubt they'll ever be in the midfield. But to say they can't be in the Formula 1, at least they aren't doing anything disrespectful to the sport (like some teams in the past). But what HRT needs right now is stability. If they can be a couple years in a single direction, they will improve. They will be at a decent level.

On pay drivers, I think the average cost of getting a driver into Formula 1 (Karting, any lower categories of open wheel) was around 5 million euros. So yeah, anyone getting into Formula 1 is either rich, or has big enough sponsors that will be willing to sponsor him in F1.

 

[Victor Ivanov]

Which isn't unique for small teams. And well, looking at Honda in the three years they were racing... Not much progress there either.

Nope they had regress instead of progress. They had a fast car which took some pole positions in 2006 and even the first win and bunch of podiums but 2007 and 2008 were total disaster. But you can't say that they didn't create a championship wining car for 2009.