Formaldehyde
Both Fair And Balanced
Let the pre-season speculation begin!
Looks like some great sandbagging by the leading teams, and low-fuel stints on soft tires for some of the drivers of the also-rans...
And Bernie is doing his best to do some pre-season rabble rousing:
Formula 1: Hamilton Could be Turfed Out by McLaren Says Bernie Ecclestone
The 2012 Formula 1 winter testing schedule offered teams an unusual one-week break between the opening sessions at Jerez and action resuming at Barcelona - giving an opportunity for those who had troubled starts to work hard back at base before hitting the track again, but also giving those who shone at Jerez plenty of time to process their data and make further gains.
A chilly week at Barcelona's Catalunya circuit therefore began to give us a clearer picture of where the field stands and how the picture is chagning as the season-opener in Melbourne approaches.
Pos Driver Team Best time Total laps
1. Kobayashi Sauber 1m22.312s 244
2. Maldonado Williams 1m22.391s + 0.079s 240
3. Hulkenberg Force India 1m22.608s + 0.296s 209
4. Perez Sauber 1m22.648s + 0.336s 151
5. Vettel Red Bull 1m22.891s + 0.579s 183
6. Di Resta Force India 1m23.119s + 0.807s 184
7. Alonso Ferrari 1m23.180s + 0.868s 162
8. Button McLaren 1m23.200s + 0.888s 229
9. Schumacher Mercedes 1m23.384s + 1.072s 178
10. Massa Ferrari 1m23.563s + 1.251s 187
11. Hamilton McLaren 1m23.590s + 1.278s 234
12. Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m23.618s + 1.306s 126
13. Webber Red Bull 1m23.774s + 1.462s 182
14. Vergne Toro Rosso 1m23.792s + 1.480s 170
15. Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.843s + 1.531s 221
16. Senna Williams 1m25.711s + 3.399s 97
17. Bottas Williams 1m25.738s + 3.426s 117
18. Kovalainen Caterham 1m26.035s + 3.723s 101
19. Glock Marussia 1m26.173s + 3.861s 108
20. Petrov Caterham 1m26.448s + 4.136s 139
21. Grosjean Lotus 1m26.809s + 4.497s 7
22. Pic Marussia 1m27.343s + 5.031s 229
Looks like some great sandbagging by the leading teams, and low-fuel stints on soft tires for some of the drivers of the also-rans...
And Bernie is doing his best to do some pre-season rabble rousing:
Formula 1: Hamilton Could be Turfed Out by McLaren Says Bernie Ecclestone
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says Lewis Hamilton may leave McLaren at the end of the season if he struggles to mount a serious title challenge.
Hamilton, whose contract expires at the end of the season, won the world title with the British team in 2008.
But he has since finished no higher than fourth in the world championship.
“I think if he doesn’t perform this year he’ll be looking maybe to move on, and the team may also be looking for him to move on,” said Ecclestone, 81.