Most liked posts in thread: F1 - 2012

Steve · Nov 23, 2011

Kubica Rules Himself Out Of Start Of 2012 (formula-one.speedtv.com)

by Adam Cooper | Posted November 23, 2011 | Sao Paulo (BRA)

Robert Kubica has told the Lotus Renault GP team that he wonâ€™t be fit to race at the start of next season. The Pole says that he needs more time, and the team has not ruled out employing him again when he is ready, although it has no ongoing contract with him.

Vitaly Petrov, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean remain the most likely options for the team, although the name of Rubens Barrichello has been mentioned in the media.

A LRGP statement said: â€œA test car is ready and waiting for him, and a dedicated crew is on standby. Of course, Robert will remain a member of the LRGP family in 2012 and he is already, through his management, holding talks about renewing his contract for the following season.

â€œAlthough very disappointed by the news, Lotus Renault GP will start assessing its options and will evaluate the most suitable candidate to drive from the first 2012 winter testing session.â€

â€œEven if Iâ€™ve been working very, very hard over the course of the last few weeks, I came to the conclusion that I am not yet certain to be ready for the 2012 season,â€ said Kubica. â€œI have called the team and I have informed them of the situation. This was a difficult decision to make, but it is the most reasonable one. I also know that LRGP need to prepare for next year, and further extending deadlines would not have been the right thing to do.

â€œOn a personal level, my recovery is still very encouraging and my doctors keep being impressed. I just need more time, as I want to be 100 percent ready before I commit to anything driving related.

â€œFinally, I regret not having been able to provide more news and not having appeared in the papers, and I thank my friends of the media for understanding that this has been the best way for me to cope with what has been the most difficult period of my life.â€

Meanwhile, LRGP boss Eric Boullier said: â€œEverybody in the team is, of course, very disappointed today. Robert not driving in Australia at the start of next season is not what we were all hoping for. However, he has taken a very mature decision, acting in the best interests of Lotus Renault GP. As a team and as a family, we remain 100 percent behind him and weâ€™ll help as much as we can.

â€œA program composed of simulator testing, single-seater and F1 track time is awaiting him. In the meantime, we will start talking to a few drivers in order to finalize our lineup for next year as soon as possible. Robert will take it step by step and will jump back in his racing car when he feels it is the right moment to do so. On behalf of all 520 members of the team, I wish him a speedyrecovery.â€
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minimark · Nov 24, 2011

Hate this for him but wish him the very best and look forward to seeing him back in a race car as soon as ready..

Godspeed!

Steve · Nov 24, 2011

LRGP changed Kubicaâ€™s words, says manager (gpupdate.net)

24 November 2011

Lotus Renault GP has â€˜changed the wordsâ€™ of Robert Kubica and the Pole will in fact be fit enough to return for the 2012 Formula 1 season. That is according to manager Daniele Morelli, who also claims that â€“ contrary to statements from the team â€“ Kubicaâ€™s current contract will terminate at the end of December 2011.

On Wednesday morning, Enstone-based LRGP issued a press release claiming that Kubica would not be able to make an F1 comeback next year, adding the following words from the driver:

â€œEven if Iâ€™ve been working very, very hard over the course of the last few weeks, I came to the conclusion that I am not yet certain to be ready for the 2012 season. I have called the team and I have informed them of the situation. This was a difficult decision to make, but it is the most reasonable one.â€

However, when speaking to Italyâ€™s Gazetta della Sport, Morelli claimed otherwise.

â€œI canâ€™t understand why Renault would have changed Robertâ€™s words,â€ said the driver manager. â€œIt is not true that he will not be ready for 2012. What is stated is that he is not certain whether he will be ready for pre-season testing in February.â€

Morelli also says that Kubicaâ€™s contract will end this December, as opposed to the end of next year as continuously stated by the team. On top of this, he stresses that no talks are in place for an extension into 2013, as also mentioned by the team in Wednesdayâ€™s statement.

â€œWe do hope to be ready (for 2012), but there will be a delay of a few months,â€ Morelli continues. â€œBut 2013 has never been mentioned; LRGP will go its own way for drivers and we will look for alternatives. As of January, we will be free to go in any direction.â€

The manager summed up that, although Kubica has put on some weight since his recovery from an horrific February rallying accident began, his injured right leg is now as strong as the left. Morelli also notes that strength in the right hand continues to build and should be sufficient by the end of January.
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... and a snip from another article that included the rest of the manager's comments about Kubica's health:

Morelli is also convinced that if Kubica returns to Formula 1 he will be as strong as he was before.

"Plans have gone out of the window, but if Robert comes back that's because he will be competitive like before and attractive for the top teams," he said.

"He is a bit overweight, but his right leg is almost the same as the left one muscle-wise. His elbow's external brace will be removed on Tuesday, so from that point on he will be free from that scrap metal.

"The hand's sensitivity is OK, the only limit is strength: the forearm's muscles have been immobilized for a long time so there's a lot of work to do, but it's a matter of time, by the end of January the strength should be adequate."

He also said Kubica will return to the wheel gradually and ruled out testing with a kart to begin with.

"Not with a kart, because it's too extreme vibration-wise and for the lack of power steering. We'll start gradually and we'll see the responses after almost a year of inactivity.

"Robert is charged up: the tough times were in September/October, when the forearm's rotation was limited and progress wasn't so quick. But in the last month there's been a nice acceleration."

Autosport
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Steve · Nov 28, 2011

Silly season isn't as entertaining when the top drivers all decide to stay in place and re-sign. There are a number of moves expected still but the most entertaining speculation out there -- please note I said entertaining, not exciting -- is whether Raikkonen will be back. He seems to be no longer in the running with Williams but now the folks at Lotus (Renault) say he's on their list of options.

Anyone expect Williams to retain Rubens?

minimark · Nov 28, 2011

Steve said: ↑

Silly season isn't as entertaining when the top drivers all decide to stay in place and re-sign. There are a number of moves expected still but the most entertaining speculation out there -- please note I said entertaining, not exciting -- is whether Raikkonen will be back. He seems to be no longer in the running with Williams but now the folks at Lotus (Renault) say he's on their list of options.

Anyone expect Williams to retain Rubens?
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No and I really like Rubens... He's a fine chap and has lasted for what would be deemed an eternity in F1, but, please Rubens, walk away with some dignity. If he gets another ride it will be one that he most likely will have to pay for and one that will assure him a spot at the very back of the pack. Not a place to end your career when at one time you were at the lofty place that is Ferrari.

am0eba · Nov 29, 2011

It's Official: Kimi has signed for 2012 with Renault!

Official: Kimi returns to F1 with Renault | Planet F1 | Formula One News

Former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen will return to Formula One in 2012 after signing a two-year contract with Lotus Renault GP.
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and...

Raikkonen's return to F1 means there will six World Champions on the grid next year as the Finn will line up next to Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel.
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How's that for a little bit of silly season?

_Dave_

goaljnky · Nov 29, 2011

Oh my. In my best monotone Kimi voice:

"I am really excited to be back in formula one and driving for a middle of the pack team". Slow blink, blink.

And yet, The Iceman is still my favorite driver. I hope he brings his championship season form and not the lackadaisical effort of the following year to the table.

minimark · Nov 29, 2011

Yes he is standing beside himself in excitement..... Yawn.

Steve · Nov 29, 2011

When asked what they thought about Kimi's possible return to F1, other drivers almost unanimously replied that they would be happy to see him back and there would be a marked improvement in the party atmosphere.

Despite my comments above about being less excited than entertained by thoughts of his return, I'd love to see the old Kimi on the F1 track again. But just like the thought of Rubens slipping further down the order desperately clinging to his career in a backmarker seat, I'd hate to see Kimi end up frustrated by an under-performing car just to get back on the grid. I suppose he might have a better shot there than at Williams... Here's hoping Renault (Lotus) have been feverishly working on an improved car for 2012.

Angib · Nov 29, 2011

I just hope he can enjoy it and smile - one of the nicest things about seeing him rallying was how often he had a grin on his face.

Steve · Nov 29, 2011

Farewell Kimi (maxrally.com)

29th November 2011

It was fun while it lasted, but the adventure is over - Kimi Raikkonen is leaving the forests and heading back to Formula 1 with Renault, or rather Lotus, as the team becomes in 2012.

Two years ago, it had all seemed so promising. The world knew Raikkonen was ultra-rapid but had lost motivation in F1. It was the politics and the sponsor pressure that he appeared to have tired of, not the driving, and he loved dabbling in rallying on the side. The World Rally Championship gave him a chance to get back to pure driving, in a more laidback atmosphere in which he could thrive in time - especially with Citroen, Red Bull and Kaj Lindstrom behind him.

It wasn't just going to be good for Kimi's morale either: the arrival of such a big name was a massive publicity bonus for the WRC and saw a huge number of hitherto disinterested new fans heading to the stages or tuning in to Rally Radio to follow Raikkonen's rise to the top in his new challenge.

Except it didn't quite work out like that. Inevitably Raikkonen was some way off Citroen Junior team-mate Sebastien Ogier's pace in 2010, and inevitably he went off the road a lot as he got to grips with such a different discipline. But this was nothing that time, patience and mileage couldn't fix, especially as there were flashes of promising speed along the way.

Time was what the WRC and Raikkonen marriage did not have, though. It wasn't far into 2011 before it became clear that his heart was elsewhere. There were rallies skipped (missing Australia meant his Ice 1 team was kicked out of the standings) and events not rejoined under superally even when it was easily possible and the extra mileage would've been so beneficial. It was the extra-curricular outings that were most telling, though. Whereas once rallying had been Raikkonen's release from the drudgery of F1, now he was popping up in NASCAR Trucks and Peugeot LMP1 cars as an escape from the WRC - and also becoming pivotal to the F1 driver market. Even as he did so, his stage times got a little better, and his demeanour with fans and the WRC media became slightly more open (by Iceman standards), hinting at what might have been.

So farewell and good luck, Kimi. We would've loved to see you stick around, give rallying a proper chance and really hone your skills, but it was better to have had you with us for two years than not at all.
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am0eba · Nov 29, 2011

Angib sez:

I just hope he can enjoy it and smile - one of the nicest things about seeing him rallying was how often he had a grin on his face.
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Y' mean like this:

Doesn't seem too happy here, wearing the team colors:

In any case, I'm looking forward to his return. I always thought he was one of the "heroic" drivers of F1...

_Dave_

Steve · Nov 29, 2011

Kimi Raikkonen says motivation not an issue in Formula 1 return (autosport.com)

By Pablo Elizalde | Tuesday, November 29th 2011, 09:43 GMT

Kimi Raikkonen says there are is no question about his motivation ahead of his return to Formula 1 with the Lotus Renault team next year.

The Finn left the sport at the end of 2009 to compete in the World Rally Championship for the past two seasons, but has now secured a two-year deal with the team to return to grand prix racing in 2012.

Raikkonen, a world champion with Ferrari in 2007, says he would not have returned to Formula 1 if his motivation was not high.

"I wouldn't have come back if I wasn't motivated," said Raikkonen in a video interview with the team.

"There is always a lot of talk about the motivation but nobody really knows what I do or what I think except for myself, so I don't really care about what people say.

"I enjoy to come back. I wouldn't put my name in a contract if I didn't think I'd enjoy it. It will be interesting. It will be exciting to get back."

The 32-year-old insisted he never stopped enjoying racing in Formula 1, but rather other things away from the race track.

Raikkonen said his two outings in NASCAR made him realise how much he was missing racing against other drivers.

"I never really lost the passion in racing in Formula 1, but maybe all the things around it," he said. "But I did some NASCAR races earlier this year and I started to miss the racing more and more and racing against each other, because in rallying it's against the clock, really. That's what I was missing.

"I got the call from certain people in Formula 1 and certain things happened and then we managed to have a nice conversation with Lotus Renault and ended up making a deal with them, so I'm very happy with that."

The Finn was also in talks with Williams before signing his Renault deal, but said things worked out better with the latter.

"There were two options," he said. "It was either this team or Williams and in the end everything worked out with Lotus Renault as we wanted, so that's really the reason [to have chosen Renault]."
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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu8Uy9PkS5g]Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen back in F1 with LRGP in 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

minimark · Nov 29, 2011

Actually this is a good move for Lotus Renault. With Kimi they can concentrate on developing the car and team instead of rebuilding cars that an up and comer would most likely tear up as they go through the learning curve.

Kimi is still young and not that far removed from F1, so whilst they may not be competing for wins, Lotus Renault should move closer to the front...

Good luck!!

Nathan · Dec 1, 2011

2012 Lineup

The FIA released the entry list for the 2012 Formula One world championship on Wednesday.

Missing from the list is Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen's teammate at Lotus, which might be Vitaly Petrov if he and the team come to an agreement within the team's allotted deadline. Force India is also listed without drivers, although the team is expected to confirm Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg in the near future. Pedro de la Rosa is missing from HRT's entry despite the team confirming him as a driver earlier this month. The team also has yet to confirm an engine supplier.

The Marussia team is entered as Marussia Virgin Racing--the same name it raced under in 2011--even though the team was given permission to change to Marussia by the FIA earlier this month.

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will swap numbers for 2012 due to their finishing order in this year's championship. Button race under the No. 4 while Hamilton raced the No. 3 last season.

Here are the teams, constructor names, drivers and driver numbers.

Red Bull Racing (AUT)

Red Bull Racing-Renault

1. Sebastian Vettel (GER)

2. Mark Webber (AUS)

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (GBR)

McLaren-Mercedes

3. Jenson Button (GBR)

4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR)

Scuderia Ferrari (ITA)

Ferrari

5. Fernando Alonso (ESP)

6. Felipe Massa (BRA)

Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team (GER)

Mercedes

7. Michael Schumacher (GER)

8. Nico Rosberg (GER)

Lotus F1 Team (GBR)

Lotus-Renault

9. Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen (FIN)

10. TBA

Sahara Force India F1 Team (IND)

Force India-Mercedes

11. TBA

12. TBA

Sauber F1 Team (CHE)

Sauber-Ferrari

14. Kamui Kobayashi (JPN)

15. Sergio PÃ©rez Mendoza (MEX)

Scuderia Toro Rosso (ITA)

STR-Ferrari

16. TBA

17. TBA

AT&T Williams (GBR)

Williams-Renault

18. TBA

19. TBA

Team Caterham (MAL)

Caterham-Renault

20. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)

21. Jarno Trulli (ITA)

HRT F1 Team (ESP)

HRT-TBA

22. TBA

23. TBA

Marussia Virgin Racing (RUS)

Marussia-Cosworth

24. Timo Glock (GER)

25. Charles Pic (FRA)

Source - Formula One: FIA unveils 2012 entry list - Autoweek

Steve · Dec 1, 2011

Williams re-signed Maldonado, no word yet on their other seat.

Steve · Dec 2, 2011

FWIW, interesting perspective on Kimi's spell in the WRC.

Kimi: a potential unfulfilled (wrc.com)

02 Dec 11

By returning to Formula One following two seasons in the World Rally Championship the itch has been scratched for Kimi Raikkonen - but to what extent that has provided relief remains to be seen.

Ousted (but still paid for) by Ferrari at the end of 2009, he explained that the circumstances were finally right for him to get a few answers to some questions he had been asking himself for a while: would his sublime natural talent and his inherent speed translate just as fluently to rally stages as it did to a race track?

Circuit racing came as naturally to Kimi as breathing: when he made his Formula One debut, he only had 23 car races behind him - a fact that caused some consternation among his colleagues.

â€œI wanted to try rallying; I donâ€™t have to be so serious about it,â€ says Raikkonen. â€œI was always curious to know if I could stay on the road and keep pushing. It was very different from Formula One.â€

His detractors would say that it proved to be too different, but Kimi knew what to expect.

â€œOn a circuit you know every inch of it and it doesnâ€™t really change from lap to lap. You do exactly the same things every time. On a rally everything is different. There are no corners that are the same: even a right 2 will not be the same corner as the next right 2. Of course you have much less margin for error.â€

In the end, two years was never really going to be enough to make it to the top: as his co-driver Kaj Lindstrom warned him, this was going to be a three-year project or longer. People will say that Sebastien Loeb or Sebastien Ogier were instantly quick in a World Rally Car for the first time, but they conveniently forget the thousands of stage kilometres that will have been driven on national rallies and in testing, as well as the inherent ease that these drivers have with pace notes.

Given that Kimi never even liked engineers talking to him over the radio in Formula One, and that the sum of his rallying experience now puts him roughly where Jari-Matti Latvala was when he was 20, the Icemanâ€™s results have been pretty impressive, with consistent top six finishes this year.

Extrapolating the trajectory of his learning curve, next year he could well have been in a position to challenge for podiums, with the chance of a win perhaps coming in 2013.

The highs were his fifth place on Turkey - only his fourth WRC event - and a debut stage win on the Circus Maximus superspecial in Germany; the lows included the shakedown accident that put him out of RallyRACC-Rally de Espana last year and a banal road section accident that curtailed his activities in France.

Whatever you think about Kimi, itâ€™s impossible to deny that his star quality has made a huge impact on the World Rally Championship and that heâ€™s finally answered his own question. Yes he can do it - but itâ€™s hardly the work of a moment.
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Steve · Dec 5, 2011

Mercedes are adding AMG to their name. I'm sure that will make them a little faster. :wink:

Also:

Mercedes to use old car at first winter test (gpupdate.net)

5 December 2011

Mercedes GP has revealed that it will not be taking its 2012 challenger to the opening winter test next year, instead opting to wait until the following event at the Circuit de Catalunya. With the second test taking place on 21 February, the team is hoping that the decision will deliver the optimum balance between wind tunnel and track time.

"The car with which the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team will compete in the 2012 season is currently under development at the team's headquarters in Brackley, UK," read a team statement on Monday. "Codenamed F1 W03, it is planned for the car to make its official track debut at the second winter test of 2012, on 21 February at Barcelona."

"At the factory, we have been focused for some time on the challenge of 2012," added Team Principal Ross Brown. "As always, the winter development and manufacturing processes are a trade-off between time for finding performance in the factory, and time for delivering that performance during pre-season testing.

"We believe that the decision to run the car at the second winter test is the optimum compromise for our design and development programme with F1 W03."

The first winter test kicks off at the Circuito de Jerez in Southern Spain on 7 February.
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goaljnky · Dec 5, 2011

Somehow adding the AMG marquee to the F1 name makes sense.

farkus · Dec 5, 2011

And while they were at it, Ross Brawn went with a name change too... :biggrin5:

"At the factory, we have been focused for some time on the challenge of 2012," added Team Principal Ross Brown.
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