F1 - Season 2011 *Spoiler*

[Buka]

And the 2012 gets immediately more interesting as Kimi will indeed join the F1 squad. Not in Williams, but Lotus (the 2012 one)! That makes more sense imo. Now he might get a car that is at least somehow competitive, if not in the beginning of 2012, then propably in 2013. Especially since the car won't have their tested and failed exhaust system anymore.

The Champion is back! Now I'll wait the upcoming season like I never did in the past. I hope Lotus will give him a competitive car.

[AleksiNir]

If only Kubica could return next year. Then 2012 Lotus would be best. team. ever.

[Lukeno94]

Kubica won't be back, I think it'll be Raikkonen and Petrov.

[Trigger Happy]

Thanks god he doesn't go into Williams. They did there lot of good work, which will pay out in future.

Seat in team with most arrogant management is best for most over-rated driver 'till Vettel's arrival. Although he'll not finish the season there IMHO.

[GeneSuomi]

Schumi doesn't have a contract for 2013
Webber doesn't have a contract for 2013
Hamilton doesn't have a contract for 2013
Massa doesn't have a contract for 2013
So there would be good places available in 2013. Even though I believe that Räikkönen isn't going back to Ferrari and most likely Hami will get a new contract for McLaren. I think he drives one season for Lotus-Renault-Lada and then jumps to the bigger team. Merc? Red Bull?

[Lukeno94]

Hamilton will only have to ask for a new contract and he'll get one, *probably* the same with Schumacher. I can't see Webber driving beyond next season for RBR, and Massa will have to seriously up his game to stay at Ferrari.

[1nsane]

Depending on how well the RBR performs and how badly the McLaren performs, Hamilton could propably even jump to RBR. RBR would like to have a clear second driver on their team, but on the other hand they just couldn't turn down this kind of offer.
Massa will very likely be dropped unless he starts to dominate the team. (And I can't really see that happening..)
I guess Webber is also quite likely dropped. Either because of Hamilton, or then because of a younger driver. There's a long list of RB's development drivers waiting for a chance to drive the RBR-cars and Red Bull is already struggling to get enough of seats in the series for them.
Schuey is just a question mark.

[DuklaLiberec]

[cocney]

Depending on how well the RBR performs and how badly the McLaren performs, Hamilton could propably even jump to RBR. RBR would like to have a clear second driver on their team, but on the other hand they just couldn't turn down this kind of offer.
Massa will very likely be dropped unless he starts to dominate the team. (And I can't really see that happening..)
I guess Webber is also quite likely dropped. Either because of Hamilton, or then because of a younger driver. There's a long list of RB's development drivers waiting for a chance to drive the RBR-cars and Red Bull is already struggling to get enough of seats in the series for them.
Schuey is just a question mark.

I heard somewhere that Europe will have 5 races next year, 3 less then this year. Candidates for races are Mexico, RSA,... I was shocked when read that. F1 started in Europe and European races are unique. It is obviously that Bernie wants cash, which Europe haven't.

[Alex]

I know this isn't really the place, but the F1 2012 thread doesn't exist yet. Unfortunately it seems that most of the 2012 seasons' F1 cars have been leaked:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... _asi_2012/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... _asi_2012/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... tororosso/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... _williams/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... orceindia/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... _asi_2012/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... si_2012-1/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/01/12/a ... s_redbull/

[Martyn]

I know this isn't really the place, but the F1 2012 thread doesn't exist yet.

surely that post would have been a good way to actually start the 2012 thread?

And that is just a display at the Autosport International show, no way will any of those cars be 2012, probably won't even be 2011

[1nsane]

Yep, they are old cars. The pictures were just taken in 2012. For example, the Mercedes has a board saying Mercedes MGP W02. The chassis they are going to use will be W03, since they will be racing for the third year.

Besides, I doubt any of the teams even have a finished and built car yet. The first tests are in the beginning of February and the teams will want to fiddle with the cars as long as possible before them.

[Trigger Happy]

surely that post would have been a good way to actually start the 2012 thread?

To start 2012 thread by photo gallery of 2010 or older cars? I don't think so. But if it must be off-topic anywhere, the it's less off-topic here.

@ 1nsane: if you're interested in some sort of analysis like in first post of this thread, do it ASAP, please. Otherwise anybody can do the thread.

BTW I don't like the present habit of repainting old cars to current liveries at all, they should rather keep it as it was run for history (Renault does it often too). The ''W02'' is very strange thing - look the nose, the position of exhausts, hight level of rear wing or the air intake above cockpit - it doesn't look like W02 at all, even not the W01 or Brawn's car used 3 years ago, so is the ''Mercedes'' actually a Honda? Or the Renault in its background looks like with front wing of about half decade back. I wouldn't be very amused by these cars on the show.

BTW I'm pretty surprised, that a guy with so many guessed cars didn't notice it. Or were you kidding?

[Martyn]

surely that post would have been a good way to actually start the 2012 thread?

To start 2012 thread by photo gallery of 2010 or older cars? I don't think so. But if it must be off-topic anywhere, the it's less off-topic here.

I always consider the Autosport International show to be the start of the new season, but that's just my opinion

[Alex]

surely that post would have been a good way to actually start the 2012 thread?

To start 2012 thread by photo gallery of 2010 or older cars? I don't think so. But if it must be off-topic anywhere, the it's less off-topic here.

@ 1nsane: if you're interested in some sort of analysis like in first post of this thread, do it ASAP, please. Otherwise anybody can do the thread.

BTW I don't like the present habit of repainting old cars to current liveries at all, they should rather keep it as it was run for history (Renault does it often too). The ''W02'' is very strange thing - look the nose, the position of exhausts, hight level of rear wing or the air intake above cockpit - it doesn't look like W02 at all, even not the W01 or Brawn's car used 3 years ago, so is the ''Mercedes'' actually a Honda? Or the Renault in its background looks like with front wing of about half decade back. I wouldn't be very amused by these cars on the show.

BTW I'm pretty surprised, that a guy with so many guessed cars didn't notice it. Or were you kidding?

Those were old cars? Well it's pretty hard to guess that due to the new regulations on the front nose cone.

[1nsane]

I'll do the thread after weekend. I have some of it done already anyways. Sorry for the delay. Not that anything has really happened yet.

[Trigger Happy]

surely that post would have been a good way to actually start the 2012 thread?

To start 2012 thread by photo gallery of 2010 or older cars? I don't think so. But if it must be off-topic anywhere, the it's less off-topic here.

I always consider the Autosport International show to be the start of the new season, but that's just my opinion

I consider 1st official test as start of season, but that's just my opinion too. But I meant it from point of the old cars - if it'd be really a gallery of some new 2012 car, we'd have in the post something discuss-worthy to the topic of 2012 season - it's not case of those machines.

@ 1nsane: OK, but don't forget.

[1nsane]

Yeah, I'm kinda not at home now, so I can't finish the post... But I'll do it as soon as I get back. It takes some time to write the details anyways.

But what comes to the repainting (I didn't have time to read it earlier, honest.), I don't like it either. I think the teams are just cheating themselves with it. But obviously it is quite understandable that they won't give the cars yet, since they can do the off-season and on season testing any time they want as long as they use at least 2 years old car. Technically, obviously, they aren't allowed to test the cars during season (Except now in Mugello in May), but this is another one of those funky loopholes. Because seriously, what part except for the main chassis is till the same in those cars they use in these gray area testings. Oh yeah, and they are also allowed to do the "straight line tests" whenever they want. I can only assume that no one does them since they never get reported anyways.

[Trigger Happy]

Oh yeah, and they are also allowed to do the "straight line tests" whenever they want. I can only assume that no one does them since they never get reported anyways.

They are held (e.g. before Monza) and are reported by teams from pressure of driver managers. It's only way when ''reserve'' or ''test'' paying pilots (who are not paying enough to be in Friday practices like members of Renault reserve army last year) can publicly claim getting an experience with the real car out of simulator. But because newspapers know, that it doesn't need to be overrated, they report about it rarely (often max. a tweet-worthy info).