Formula 1 CFA Comments
Spanish GP 2012- Preview
by Cato Batista, 10/05/2012 20:35:25
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It’s been a very long 3-week wait, but relief is on the way this weekend in Barcelona for the 5th round of the Championship.
For the first time in 4 years there was in-season testing last week at Mugello, Lotus and Sauber were the fastest but laptimes were not a concern for most teams, they were rather solving aero kit & exhaust issues.
Now we’re ing to the track that dictates all the F1 cars’ fundamental set-up: Montmelo, with a long history of uneventful races. It’s a great track, but this is where every team has developed and fine-tuned their cars in pre-season testing; the remaining 19 circuits they learn during Friday & Saturday’s sessions, this one they know by heart, maximized to the point that it produces processional racing.
The start of the season has been nothing short of sensational. Last time we saw 4 different winners in the opening 4 races was 1983. Now Kimi –with many fans among the CFA ranks- has shown he is in top form and with a potentially winning car. Ferrari is betting the rest of the season on their redesigned car, if it’s not competitive Alonso has no hope against four top teams.
Looking through your 2012 Championship predictions (thanks again Santi for all the bookkeeping), it reflects the unpredictability of the task a of us. Our opinions are divided between 4 drivers to win the 2012 crown: Vettel with almost half our support, double as much as Hamilton (5) and then 3 votes each for Button and Alonso. We are just at odds on who’s going to take the remaining 2 podium steps including (apart from the above four) ...
It’s been a very long 3-week wait, but relief is on the way this weekend in Barcelona for the 5th round of the Championship.
For the first time in 4 years there was in-season testing last week at Mugello, Lotus and Sauber were the fastest but laptimes were not a concern for most teams, they were rather solving aero kit & exhaust issues.
Now we’re ing to the track that dictates all the F1 cars’ fundamental set-up: Montmelo, with a long history of uneventful races. It’s a great track, but this is where every team has developed and fine-tuned their cars in pre-season testing; the remaining 19 circuits they learn during Friday & Saturday’s sessions, this one they know by heart, maximized to the point that it produces processional racing.
The start of the season has been nothing short of sensational. Last time we saw 4 different winners in the opening 4 races was 1983. Now Kimi –with many fans among the CFA ranks- has shown he is in top form and with a potentially winning car. Ferrari is betting the rest of the season on their redesigned car, if it’s not competitive Alonso has no hope against four top teams.
Looking through your 2012 Championship predictions (thanks again Santi for all the bookkeeping), it reflects the unpredictability of the task a of us. Our opinions are divided between 4 drivers to win the 2012 crown: Vettel with almost half our support, double as much as Hamilton (5) and then 3 votes each for Button and Alonso. We are just at odds on who’s going to take the remaining 2 podium steps including (apart from the above four) ...
Bahrain GP 2012 - Results - A triple tie for first
by Cato Batista, 22/04/2012 21:41:50
Another great race, what a fantastic opening of the season we are enjoying. Before we know it there has been a power shift: Red Bull and Vettel were in control (the fourth different winner so far) but surprisingly it was Lotus on their heels with 2 drivers in the podium. After their earlier dominance McLaren and Mercedes faded out of contention. Yes, this is going to be a long and difficult year of forecasting Formula 1 racing.
We have a triple draw between Uwe, Matias and Erik with identical 9 points from golds in 1st-4th & 5th places. Without QF bonus points to account for they will have to take their personal battle to the next Grand Prix in Barcelona to declare a winner in Bahrain.
With popular favorites McLaren out and Lotus with 2 cars in the top 6 our marks were low and very close. Maria, Tim, Santiago and I were next with 7 points with 2 gold scores each. The Results page wasn’t pretty today; you’ll find many colleagues with meagre 3 points and in one case a futility record-braking score of only 2 points! (...say no names)
Eleven members predicted Vettel’s victory, all other votes for first place went to the McLaren drivers; nobody remotely thought of Raikkonen in the points, leave alone as high as his eventual second place, but Grosjean was picked by Rodrigo in 5th and Fredrik and rookie IanMac in 6th. Our best results came from Rosberg in 5th with 10 votes and Webber in 4th with 4 of us. This was the 4th straight 4th by the Australian in 4 races. Ample favorite for 6th place Alonso (15 members) never materialized as we left the 2nd, 3rd and 6th place columns ...
We have a triple draw between Uwe, Matias and Erik with identical 9 points from golds in 1st-4th & 5th places. Without QF bonus points to account for they will have to take their personal battle to the next Grand Prix in Barcelona to declare a winner in Bahrain.
With popular favorites McLaren out and Lotus with 2 cars in the top 6 our marks were low and very close. Maria, Tim, Santiago and I were next with 7 points with 2 gold scores each. The Results page wasn’t pretty today; you’ll find many colleagues with meagre 3 points and in one case a futility record-braking score of only 2 points! (...say no names)
Eleven members predicted Vettel’s victory, all other votes for first place went to the McLaren drivers; nobody remotely thought of Raikkonen in the points, leave alone as high as his eventual second place, but Grosjean was picked by Rodrigo in 5th and Fredrik and rookie IanMac in 6th. Our best results came from Rosberg in 5th with 10 votes and Webber in 4th with 4 of us. This was the 4th straight 4th by the Australian in 4 races. Ample favorite for 6th place Alonso (15 members) never materialized as we left the 2nd, 3rd and 6th place columns ...
Bahrain GP 2012 - Race
by Cato Batista, 21/04/2012 20:50:28
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Red Bull is back at the front, but changing track conditions made the final grid positions a bit of a lottery. Vettel will share front row with Hamilton, teammates Webber and Button will take row 2, Rosberg opted for a better race set up and settled for 5th. Schumacher didn’t pass Q1, Raikkonen was out in Q2 (11th), Alonso made it to Q3 but has run out new control tires and was forced so sit out the last session. Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso is a surprising 6th, with DiResta’s Force India broke into the top 10 for the first time. Lotus & Sauber confirm their good form with Grosjean 7th and Perez 8th.
Looking at our QF results, Fredrik’s two points looks like a mega-achievement. Nobody collected points for VET’s pole, besides Fredrik only single points were awarded to Ian, Santiago, Lou, Ricardo, Manbos & Curro. That is 8 points in total! Ouch! Let’s move on.
Pirelli most be wondering if they did the right choice of rubber. With 4 very heavy braking zones and two more braking sections under double-apex corners, lock ups are the order of the day. It’s nearly impossible to avoid locking up the tires when the car has to stop at the same time as it turns into a long corner with its load on the outer side. Plus high track temperatures, a surface that hasn’t been used in two years, everything points to race of attrition, the survival of the smartest drivers.
The grid for tomorrow: VET HAM WEB BUT ROS RIC GRO PER ALO DIR
The top 8 runners are starting on used control tires, on full loads they won’t last more than 8 laps (race distance: 57) This could ...
Copyright 2001-2025 MANBOS
Red Bull is back at the front, but changing track conditions made the final grid positions a bit of a lottery. Vettel will share front row with Hamilton, teammates Webber and Button will take row 2, Rosberg opted for a better race set up and settled for 5th. Schumacher didn’t pass Q1, Raikkonen was out in Q2 (11th), Alonso made it to Q3 but has run out new control tires and was forced so sit out the last session. Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso is a surprising 6th, with DiResta’s Force India broke into the top 10 for the first time. Lotus & Sauber confirm their good form with Grosjean 7th and Perez 8th.
Looking at our QF results, Fredrik’s two points looks like a mega-achievement. Nobody collected points for VET’s pole, besides Fredrik only single points were awarded to Ian, Santiago, Lou, Ricardo, Manbos & Curro. That is 8 points in total! Ouch! Let’s move on.
Pirelli most be wondering if they did the right choice of rubber. With 4 very heavy braking zones and two more braking sections under double-apex corners, lock ups are the order of the day. It’s nearly impossible to avoid locking up the tires when the car has to stop at the same time as it turns into a long corner with its load on the outer side. Plus high track temperatures, a surface that hasn’t been used in two years, everything points to race of attrition, the survival of the smartest drivers.
The grid for tomorrow: VET HAM WEB BUT ROS RIC GRO PER ALO DIR
The top 8 runners are starting on used control tires, on full loads they won’t last more than 8 laps (race distance: 57) This could ...
Bahrain GP 2012 - Qualifying
by Cato Batista, 20/04/2012 23:35:18
Ladies and Gentlemen:
After 3 events we clearly know what the critical factor is to win or lose comes race day: managing tire temperature.
This is Pirelli’s first visit to this track, their choice of compounds –same as China- has shown to be very aggressive after the first day of testing. The softer yellows are 1 sec per lap quicker than the white ones, but no one can make them last more than 8 laps before they hit the dreaded ‘cliff’. The control tire is lasting at least 12 to 14 laps and it’s consistent. In a circuit with limited overtaking, grid position becomes a priority and that’s making the teams to desperately work on a compromise between QF and race strategy for Sunday.
P1- HAM (1.33.532) VET DIR ROS BUT HUL SCH WEB RAI GRO
P2- ROS (1.32.816) WEB VET HAM SCH BUT KOB ALO GRO PER
In less than a week’s time we are witnessing changes in the status quo: Mercedes still the fastest in single lap form (Rosberg almost half a second a in P2) but they are struggling on both tire compounds, particularly the rears. Red Bull is now looking strong, their simulation long-runs stints were the fastest of the lot and a of everybody in QF trim except the Mercs, their customary traction in the low-gear acceleration zones working wonders around here. For the first time McLaren is not looking so optimistic, they can’t find balance under braking causing lock-ups, a serious tire-destruction problem. Lotus is confident this could be their best track of the year so far, Kimi already talking podium finishes, and is not a surprise anymore to find Sauber as the best 5th team, and ...
After 3 events we clearly know what the critical factor is to win or lose comes race day: managing tire temperature.
This is Pirelli’s first visit to this track, their choice of compounds –same as China- has shown to be very aggressive after the first day of testing. The softer yellows are 1 sec per lap quicker than the white ones, but no one can make them last more than 8 laps before they hit the dreaded ‘cliff’. The control tire is lasting at least 12 to 14 laps and it’s consistent. In a circuit with limited overtaking, grid position becomes a priority and that’s making the teams to desperately work on a compromise between QF and race strategy for Sunday.
P1- HAM (1.33.532) VET DIR ROS BUT HUL SCH WEB RAI GRO
P2- ROS (1.32.816) WEB VET HAM SCH BUT KOB ALO GRO PER
In less than a week’s time we are witnessing changes in the status quo: Mercedes still the fastest in single lap form (Rosberg almost half a second a in P2) but they are struggling on both tire compounds, particularly the rears. Red Bull is now looking strong, their simulation long-runs stints were the fastest of the lot and a of everybody in QF trim except the Mercs, their customary traction in the low-gear acceleration zones working wonders around here. For the first time McLaren is not looking so optimistic, they can’t find balance under braking causing lock-ups, a serious tire-destruction problem. Lotus is confident this could be their best track of the year so far, Kimi already talking podium finishes, and is not a surprise anymore to find Sauber as the best 5th team, and ...
Copyright 2001-2025 MANBOS