CIRCUIT NAME: CIRCUIT DE CATALUNYA CIRCUIT LENGTH: 4.655km RACE DISTANCE: 307.104km NO. LAPS: 66 LAP RECORD: 1.21,670 K. RAIKKONEN 2008
CIRCUIT DE CATALUNYA
FRIDAY 11 MAY
1ST PRACTICE: 10:00 – 11:30 CET 2ND PRACTICE: 14:00 – 15:30 CET
SATURDAY 12 MAY
3RD PRACTICE: 11:00-12:00 CET QUALIFYING: 14:00 CET
SUNDAY 13 MAY RACE: 14:00 CET
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PREVIEW
Button (Mclaren), Alonso (Ferrari), Rosberg (Mercedes) and Vettel (RedBull). Four different drivers from four different teams have stood on the top step of the podium in the four races held so far. This is clear evidence of the competitiveness and unpredictability of this year’s formula one season. Add to this factors such as weather conditions, Pirelli’s much criticised tyres (Michael Schumacher particularly vocal on this point) and the resurgence of Lotus and Williams and the conclusion is that this is going to be a fantastically entertaining season.
Lotus will be looking to follow up their double podium in Bahrain with a victory here. Kimi Raikkonen holds the fastest lap record for this circuit so he knows his way around here. If Lotus can get their tyre strategy right they will be a danger to all.
RedBull will be happy to have resolved the issues that were preventing Vettel from being competitive. He might have had a little luck in winning in Bahrain but he was also quickest in qualifying which is an indication that the he is beginning to mould with the car after his troubles. Mclaren will be worried that they have not been able to capitalise on their obvious early season advantage.
Spain will tell us if the other teams have really caught them up. Ferrari have a lot of new updates for this race. Alonso is demanding that the car improves rapidly.
The likelihood is that it will not! Mercedes seem to have fixed their reliability issues. Now the question is whether Nico and Michael can avoid driver errors and get back to the top step. Williams, Sauber and Force India have all picked up top six places this season and are threatening to make the jump to the next level. Perez, Maldonado and Di Resta are drivers with very bright futures so their teams will be doing their utmost to deliver a competitive car in the hope that they will not want to leave to join one of the existing big name teams.
If the Spanish GP is anything like the first four races then fans will be more than happy. Bernie Ecclestone is much criticised but he is defintely masterminding the ‘greatest show on earth’ at this time.
PREDICT FINISHING POSITION OF 3 DRIVERS FROM 1ST TO 24TH
RESULTS OF PREDICTIONS FOR SPANISH GP CATALUNYA 2012
QUALIFYING RESULTS
2012 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:34.308 | 1:33.527 | 1:32.422 | 18 |
| 2 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:34.813 | 1:33.209 | 1:32.520 | 13 |
| 3 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:34.015 | 1:33.311 | 1:32.637 | 17 |
| 4 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:34.792 | 1:33.416 | 1:32.711 | 12 |
| 5 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:34.588 | 1:33.219 | 1:32.821 | 10 |
| 6 | 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | STR-Ferrari | 1:33.988 | 1:33.556 | 1:32.912 | 17 |
| 7 | 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:34.041 | 1:33.246 | 1:33.008 | 13 |
| 8 | 15 | Sergio Perez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:33.814 | 1:33.660 | 1:33.394 | 17 |
| 9 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:34.760 | 1:33.403 | No time | 11 |
| 10 | 11 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1:34.624 | 1:33.510 | No time | 15 |
| 11 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 1:34.552 | 1:33.789 | 6 | |
| 12 | 14 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:34.131 | 1:33.806 | 13 | |
| 13 | 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:34.601 | 1:33.807 | 12 | |
| 14 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:34.372 | 1:33.912 | 14 | |
| 15 | 19 | Bruno Senna | Williams-Renault | 1:34.466 | 1:34.017 | 14 | |
| 16 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham-Renault | 1:34.852 | 1:36.132 | 10 | |
| 17 | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1:34.639 | No time | 8 | |
| 18 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:34.865 | 5 | ||
| 19 | 17 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR-Ferrari | 1:35.014 | 8 | ||
| 20 | 21 | Vitaly Petrov | Caterham-Renault | 1:35.823 | 7 | ||
| 21 | 25 | Charles Pic | Marussia-Cosworth | 1:37.683 | 8 | ||
| 22 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | HRT-Cosworth | 1:37.883 | 6 | ||
| 23 | 24 | Timo Glock | Marussia-Cosworth | 1:37.905 | 7 | ||
| 24 | 23 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT-Cosworth | 1:38.314 | 7 | ||
| Q1 107% Time | 1:40.380 |
Note – Maldonado qualified 17th, Schumacher 18th. Both drop five grid places as penalty for an unscheduled gearbox changes.
Provisional Results
2012 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
Note – Maldonado qualified 17th, Schumacher 18th. Both dropped five grid places as penalty for an unscheduled gearbox changes.
CIRCUIT NAME: BAHRAIN NTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT LENGTH: 5.412km RACE DISTANCE: 308.238km NO. LAPS: 57 LAP RECORD: 1.30,252 M.SCHUMACHER 2004
BAHRAIN GP SAKHIRFRIDAY 20 APRIL
1ST PRACTICE: 09:00 – 10:30 CET 2ND PRACTICE: 13:00 – 14:30 CET
SATURDAY 21 APRIL
3RD PRACTICE: 10:00-11:00 CET QUALIFYING: 13:00 CET
SUNDAY 22 APRIL RACE: 14:00 CET
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WILLIAM HILL LIVE FORMULA 1 BETTING
SEBASTIAN VETTEL WINS BAHRAIN GP KIMI RAIKKONEN 2ND ROMAIN GROSJEAN 3RD
All the talk going into the race was about the rights and wrongs of the event going ahead at all given the politcial turmoil in the country. This was largely forgotten by most fans after the race itself as the majority and especially those fans of RedBull and Lotus celebrated another exciting formula one show.
Sebastian Vettel wins Bahrain GP 2012
Vettel’s resurgance after China is remarkable. He was clearly not happy with the setup of the car after the Malaysian GP and chose to go back to the 2011 car for the Chinese race only to miss out on Q3 and finish 5th in the race itself. He claimed that the 2012 car was too nervous to drive but chose to follow teammate Webber and go with the 2012 car for the Bahrain race. The move paid dividends with a pole position in qualifying and a start to finish victory in the race. He became the fourth different winner in the four races so far this season.
Although Vettel’s return to form was a big story the performance of the Lotus F1 Team was even bigger news. Under its founder Colin Chapman Lotus had become one of the leading players in Formula 1. The team’s roll call of drivers such as Hill, Clark, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Senna, Mansell and Hakinnen being a match for the best at any team over the years. Now reincarnated via Renault and legal wrangling as Lotus f1 Team there is another driver to add to the roll call. Kimi ‘the Iceman’ Raikkonen has brought instant interest and success to the reformed team. Along with his teammate Romain Grosjean he has shown that the Lotus has the speed and reliability to make it a serious contender for a high ranking in this year’s championship. In China a tactical misjudgement by the team cost Raikkonen a podium finish.
REDBULL & LOTUS ON PODIUM BAHRAIN 2012
His last stint was too long on old tyres which disintegrated in the last laps seeing him drop from 2nd to 14th place. The team took no risks this time around and perhaps their caution cost them the chance to win as Raikkonen was at one stage right on the tail of Vettel and lapping quicker. The team chose to pull him in for a tyre change after he had completed his fastest laps.
His speed advantage had gone when he pitted at the same time as Vettel. If he had come in earlier he might have passed Vettel but the team wanted to be sure that his tyres would last to the end this time. They did and his 2nd place finish was backed up by Grosjean who finished 3rd to give the Lotus name its first double podium since 1985. Raikkonen has brought flair, glamour and belief back to Lotus and its fans.
Mclaren has two drivers in Button and Hamilton who possess more than their fair share of flair, glamour and belief. Unfortunately for them they did not have the luck in running that you need to hit the podium. Hamilton was particularly unlucky as he lost time on each of his pitstops due to a wheel nut problem similar to the one Button had in China. He could only manage 8th place but Button also had problems in running including a puncture and issues with his exhaust which saw him finish 18th.
Nico Rosberg came down to earth with a bump after the glory of winning his first grand prix in China. He had a very bad start and it seemed to affect him in the race as he committed poor driving errors in defending against Hamilton and later Alonso. He was widely criticsed for his driving in the race and will want to forget this race quickly although he will be satisfied with his 5th position. His teammate Schumacher managed to climb to 10th place after starting from 18th on the grid due to a gearbox penalty.
Ferrari are still in search of the speed needed to be competitive at this level. Alonso and Massa are both fighting with the car more than with their rivals. However, their 7th and 9th place finish was reasonable and gave Felipe Massa his first points of the season as his personal performance level continues to improve.
The two upcoming teams Sauber and Williams will both be disappointed with the result after their promising efforts in China. Expect more from these two teams when we return to Europe in 3 weeks.
The season is wide open so don’t miss it. If you would like to be Zipper and report on a driver or team during the race then email us at info@sportunzipped.com
CLICK HERE FOR BAHRAIN GP 2012 RACE RESULT
CLICK HERE FOR BAHRAIN GP 2012 QUALIFYING RESULTS
PREVIEW
The first three races have been spectacular. Can Bahrain follow suit? Obviously political issues have distracted attention away from the actual teams and drivers but the fans will be focused on the race. Mercedes have ‘broken the camels back’ as they say in these parts. Rosberg and Schumacher must be looking forward to qualifying again although there are question marks about whether the heat will be too much for the setup of their car which performed so well in the cool of Shanghai. Mclaren are certainly keen on the heat. Jenson Button thinks that he is a much better driver in the heat. Ferrari will just be hoping to be competitive after China showed that they were still lagging. RedBull will be looking to attack after a solid display in China. Kimi will be hoping that his tyres hold up this time round and Williams will be looking for another strong finish from both cars as will Sauber. The other teams are playing catch up!
CHINESE GP 15 APRIL 2012 JENSON BUTTON FINISHES 2ND
RACE REPORT BY @SPORTUNZIPPED BU
DAY ONE & TWO
Jenson seemed to struggle yesterday in Free Practice1 and 2 for fast times due to the varying track conditions and problems getting heat into his tyres. He did gather some great info on medium and long fuel runs.
He started Day 2 and Free Practice 3 well by setting the 2nd fastest time behind team mate Lewis, who incidentally has a 5 place grid drop from 2nd place due to a change of gearbox. This is a rule I find rather unfair due to it not being the drivers fault yet they are the ones to get penalised, anyway I digress.
Qualifying didn’t turn out the way Jenson had hoped as he used a set of soft tyres earlier in the session which allowed him only one run in Qualifying 3. The team waited untill late in Q3 to allow him out but by that point the track had cooled which meant Jenson could only qualify 5th with Lewis dropping back to 7th from 2nd after his penalty. Get Qualifying Results here
I have to say congratulations to Nico Rosberg for getting his and Mercedes first ever pole position. I believe Jensons race pace to be much better and have complete faith that he’ll work his magic in the race tomorrow!
DAY THREE – RESULT WINNER NICO ROSBERG 2ND JENSON BUTTON 3RD LEWIS HAMILTON
JENSON BUTTON 2ND IN CHINESE GP 2012
A fantastically exciting race was dominated by Nico Rosberg from start to finish to give Mercedes their first win since 1955. Nico took his maiden GP to follow in his his father’s footsteps. Dad Keke won his last GP in 1985.
The real drama of the race was behind Nico who won by over 20 seconds. Button Hamilton Webber and Vettel finished in that order but the dogfight they had throughout the race and particularly in the last five laps made for a spectacle that many fans will never forget. Button in particular made daring moves to pass Maldonado, Raikkonen and Vettel to grab a hard fought 2nd place.
It could have been more perhaps but for a faulty 3rd pitstop which costs him nearly 10 seconds. Jenson can take heart from the fact that he had great race pace and drove a tactically good race. His fans will be delighted with the result after the poor qualifying result. He is in the hunt for the title this year.
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ZIPPER @SPORTUNZIPPEDMA REPORTS ON FELIPE’S MASSA’S CHINESE GRAND PRIX
Felipe Massa finished in 12th and 17th places in the Day one Free Practice sessions. He seemed to struggle a little bit with his tyres and it was clear that he was not confident on the track as he almost slid of the circuit a couple of times.
Day 2 did not begin brightly as he finished 18th in 3rd Free Practice. However, qualifying itself was much better. He was competitive for the first time this season and finished in 12th place in a time of 1:36.556 secs just over 2 tenths of a second slower than teammate Alonso in 9th.
Race day itself was dominated by Nico Rosberg who stormed clear on the opening lap and dominated the field to win his first ever Grand Prix so many congratulations to him. Felipe had an excellent race and at one stage had moved up to 2nd place. Unfortunately for him Ferrari’s tactics required him to run his tyres far longer than his rivals. As a result he lost ground at a crucial phase of the race and finished in 13th place only 5 secs behind teammate Alonso in 9th place.
The race was a very positive experience for Felip’s fans and we are very hopeful that Bahrain will see him finish in the points for the first time this season.
FELIPE’S CHINESE GP PHOTO GALLERY
REPORT BY ZIPPER @SPORTUNZIPPEDMA (aka @sinif1)
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2012 FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX
Provisional Results
Note – Hamilton qualified second, but dropped five grid places as penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. Vergne qualified 18th, but started from pit line following pre-race car changes.
2012 FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:36.875 | 1:35.725 | 1:35.121 | 11 |
| 2 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:36.763 | 1:35.902 | 1:35.626 | 14 |
| 3 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:36.797 | 1:35.794 | 1:35.691 | 13 |
| 4 | 14 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:36.863 | 1:35.853 | 1:35.784 | 13 |
| 5 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 1:36.850 | 1:35.921 | 1:35.898 | 15 |
| 6 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:36.746 | 1:35.942 | 1:36.191 | 16 |
| 7 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:36.682 | 1:35.700 | 1:36.290 | 14 |
| 8 | 15 | Sergio Perez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:36.198 | 1:35.831 | 1:36.524 | 17 |
| 9 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:36.292 | 1:35.982 | 1:36.622 | 17 |
| 10 | 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:36.343 | 1:35.903 | 15 | |
| 11 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:36.911 | 1:36.031 | 11 | |
| 12 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:36.556 | 1:36.255 | 14 | |
| 13 | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1:36.528 | 1:36.283 | 14 | |
| 14 | 19 | Bruno Senna | Williams-Renault | 1:36.674 | 1:36.289 | 14 | |
| 15 | 11 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1:36.639 | 1:36.317 | 14 | |
| 16 | 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:36.921 | 1:36.745 | 14 | |
| 17 | 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | STR-Ferrari | 1:36.933 | 1:36.956 | 14 | |
| 18 | 17 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR-Ferrari | 1:37.714 | 8 | ||
| 19 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham-Renault | 1:38.463 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 21 | Vitaly Petrov | Caterham-Renault | 1:38.677 | 7 | ||
| 21 | 24 | Timo Glock | Marussia-Cosworth | 1:39.282 | 10 | ||
| 22 | 25 | Charles Pic | Marussia-Cosworth | 1:39.717 | 10 | ||
| 23 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | HRT-Cosworth | 1:40.411 | 7 | ||
| 24 | 23 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT-Cosworth | 1:41.000 | 10 | ||
| Q1 107% Time | 1:42.931 |
Note – Hamilton qualified second, but drops five grid places as penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.