2012 Spanish Yawn Prix from Barcelona

[kals]

It is this weekend but I won't see it.

Headlines for this race are:


McLaren to run a higher nose profile
Caterham will not run a new exhaust system tested at Mugello
Drivers will speak about risky driving following the incidents at Bahrain involving Rosberg, Hamilton and Alonso
Schumacher says he's not unhappy with the Pirelli tyres
Alonso says Barcelona is very important to Ferrari's season

[Antonov]

I won't see it either. Can't say I have even considered it much.

[kals]

I remember last year's being much better than any of the previous year's races. I'll probably watch a re-run when I return late Sunday night.

[PTRACER]

Bahrain was actually pretty good, maybe one of the best Bahrain races we've ever seen. This gives me some hope for the Spanish GP.

[kals]

It was Paul. It does show that these additions of DRS, KERS and anti-Schumi tyres are creating racing opportunity through providing variance in performance.

[Everso Biggyballies]

It was Paul. It does show that these additions of DRS, KERS and anti-Schumi tyres are creating racing opportunity through providing variance in performance.

Thinking about it it is not so much the variance in performance it has created..... it has compressed the field.

It has brought the rear and particularly the level 2(STR/F1I/FUKAR Lotus/Sauber and of course part of Mercedes) nearer to the front / level 1 teams (RBR, McLaren and Ferrari). Of course some of the better level 1 Teams seem to have come back to the field more than others as well.

It has also made set up particularly critical.... I think this is where Lotus have shone, seemingly able to find the optimum window, particularly in race setup. They seem to have a better understanding of their car to most, and I suspect that the secret is the interpretation of their engineers to the feedback (and the nature of the feedback) they are being given is clearly working well, and seems to show consistency throughout the races. (With the exception of KR dropping like a stone from 2nd to 14th in the last laps in China, which can perhaps be put down to taking a chance that backfired due to the fact they were still learning about the fall off point of the new tyres.)

Equally clearly some of the 'big teams' have not found their optimum setups and windows easy to identify which is perhaps odd given that Alonso, Button and Schumacher, perhaps those identified as being setup maestros historically, have often been shy of actual race winning pace (although Alonso and Button found themselves winning races, perhaps fortunately.)

Maybe that is in fact a variance??

Talking of true variance..... Again we seem to be witnessing a race pace variance in the two RBR's. Particularly odd is the ability of Rosberg to consistently seem to be in the window, but, despite their W duct / Double DRS top speed advantage, his whinging Mercedes team mate, historically seen as the modern day Niki Lauda in terms of technical abilities, is still struggling to understand tyres not made to measure for him. Despite after now started almost as many races since his return as he missed in retirement, (I think he will, by Singapore, have been back for as many races as he was away).

As an aside, wasn't CattleOnya responsible for giving us a remarkably interesting race last year..... with the 'new specification ''hard'' Pirelli tyre' being used for the first time introducing new meaning to the word strategy. Alonso went from leading the race for most of the first half of the race, to on the hard tyre dropping down to be lapped by the end.

The consistency of Spain last year was pretty well confined to Vettel won, and Webber finished 4th, nearly a minute behind..... he had been held up behind Alonso, until Red Bull pulled a strategy masterstroke that rather took the piss out of Ferrari (sorry Toni... )

Just five laps after Vettel had put his first set of hards on (lap 34), the Red Bull mechanics headed out into the pit lane again and Ferrari, obviously thinking RBR were trying to undercut them with Webber, called Alonso in after just 10 laps on his first set of hards. Fernando, in front of Webber on the road, pitted, the Red Bull mechanics headed back into the garage, and Webber stayed out.

There is more than one way to pass a wide Ferrari. With no Alonso blocking his progress Webber was able to up his pace and Alonso was long gone in his mirrors.

[Everso Biggyballies]

First free practice results - 2012 Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix

Pos. Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 01:24.430 20
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 01:24.808 18
3. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 01:24.912 28
4. Jenson Button McLaren 01:24.996 24
5. Valtteri Bottas Williams 01:25.120 24
6. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 01:25.187 15
7. Romain Grosjean Lotus 01:25.217 16
8. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 01:25.252 20
9. Kimi Räikkönen Lotus 01:25.285 29
10. Nico Hülkenberg Force India 01:25.339 24
11. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 01:25.367 22
12. Felipe Massa Ferrari 01:25.433 21
13. Mark Webber Red Bull 01:25.539 23
14. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 01:25.607 20
15. Sergio Perez Sauber 01:25.918 19
16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 01:26.226 24
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams 01:26.297 18
18. Jules Bianchi Force India 01:26.630 21
19. Vitaly Petrov Caterham 01:27.475 20
20. Timo Glock Marussia 01:28.267 21
21. Alexander Rossi Caterham 01:28.448 25
22. Charles Pic Marussia 01:28.633 22
23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT 01:29.107 19
24. Dani Clos HRT 01:31.618 19


Second free practice results - 2012 Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix

Pos. Driver Team Time Laps
1. Jenson Button McLaren 01:23.399 38
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 01:23.563 38
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 01:23.771 41
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 01:23.909 32
5. Kimi Räikkönen Lotus 01:23.918 32
6. Romain Grosjean Lotus 01:23.964 37
7. Mark Webber Red Bull 01:24.065 34
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 01:24.080 36
9. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 01:24.214 41
10. Nico Hülkenberg Force India 01:24.365 22
11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 01:24.418 35
12. Sergio Perez Sauber 01:24.422 32
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams 01:24.488 40
14. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 01:24.600 33
15. Paul di Resta Force India 01:24.688 30
16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 01:24.733 34
17. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 01:24.769 3
18. Bruno Senna Williams 01:25.047 42
19. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 01:26.296 36
20. Vitaly Petrov Caterham 01:26.740 35
21. Timo Glock Marussia 01:27.314 27
22. Charles Pic Marussia 01:27.664 30
23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT 01:28.235 26
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT no time 2

[PTRACER]

Absolutely stunning performance from Williams, first time they've showed this kind of pace for 8 years. McLaren's new car also seems to be doing the job, 0.6s faster than the rest of the field, which is just incredible!

[kals]

Red Bull must be holding something back. I would certainly not count Vettel out considering his performance in China.

[kals]

Looks like Lewis could be set to lose pole.

[Speedworx]

How so?

[PTRACER]

Under the rules, drivers are supposed to return to parc ferme under their own power and with a minimum of one-litre of fuel on board to be able to supply a sample to the FIA.

It is not acceptable for drivers to stop early simply to save petrol for the sample - because that would give them a competitive advantage as they could run with less fuel, and therefore less weight, during their qualifying lap.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99562

Plenty of drivers do the above though and no one has ever been penalised for it

[Sam]

It's a pretty new rule, though... Wasn't it created after Hamilton parked his car during the cooldown lap in Canada a few years back?

I think it's a silly rule, but on the other hand, there is a possiblity for a Williams pole position...

[PTRACER]

I'm not sure exactly, but I know the rule is broken all the time, sometimes after qualifying, sometimes after the race and nothing is done. Perhaps the possibility of a Williams pole position is influencing the stewards decision.

[PTRACER]

Tweets from people coming in that Hammy has lost pole.

EDIT: Confirmed. He starts at the back