Gran Premio de España Santander 2012

[phil1993]

I quite enjoyed the race last year. It was intriguing. F1 doesn't have to be about overtaking all the time. We had a good fight between Lewis and Sebastian where the latter defended expertly for the last 15 laps or so.

[dacer]

yes but when top5 can not overtake, only with pit stop, it's so bored. No matter if second place car is 2 second faster than first one, you know he can get it, but can not overtake

Sl2

[phil1993]

yes but when top5 can not overtake, only with pit stop, it's so bored. No matter if second place car is 2 second faster than first one, you know he can get it, but can not overtake

Sl2

You can still overtake here now. 2011 proved that. Seb was faster in S2, S3. Lewis on the start line. Therefore Seb nailed the exit of the final corner every single lap. It was great to watch.

Seb also did three cars on his out lap after his first stop, so you can overtake. Hopefully Alonso can repeat his 2011 start!

[iceman1]

Seb also did three cars on his out lap after his first stop, so you can overtake. Hopefully Alonso can repeat his 2011 start!

You need him to get into Q3 first

► The Circuit de Catalunya became the home of the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in 1991, taking over from Jerez (1986-90). Only five circuits on the current F1 calendar have enjoyed a longer continuous run (Interlagos, Silverstone, Budapest, Monza, Monte Carlo). The race has also been held at Jarama (1967-8, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976-80), Montjuïc (1969, 1971, 1973, 1975) and Pedralbes (1951, 1954).
► Despite occasionally being referred to as the ‘Circuit de Barcelona’, the the Circuit de Catalunya is not within the City of Barcelona. It is located approximately 25km north of the Catalan capital in the municipality of Montmeló.
► Only once has a grand prix at the Circuit de Catalunya been won from beyond the front row. Michael Schumacher started third in 1996. The race took place in heavy rain and was Schumacher’s first win for Ferrari. There have been four wins from second place on the grid and 16 from pole position.
► This circuit has been kind to the reigning world champion. From 21 events, the man with the number one on his car has won 11 times.
► This is a bellweather venue: on 14 occasions the victorious driver has gone on to the win the Driver’s Championship and 16 times the winning team has gone on to lift the Constructors’ title at the end of the season.
► Ferrari are the constructor with the best record here. They have won at this track seven times, Williams have five victories, McLaren four, Red Bull and Benetton/Renault two each and Brawn one. For drivers, Michael Schumacher (1995. 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) is out in front with five victories. Mika Häkkinen (1998, 1999, 2000) has three wins, Kimi Räikkönen (2005, 2008) and Nigel Mansell (1991, 1992) two each. The race has also been won by Alain Prost (1993), Damon Hill (1994), Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Fernando Alonso (2006), Felipe Massa (2007), Jenson Button (2009), Mark Webber (2010) and Sebastian Vettel (2011). Räikkönen is the only multiple winner to not have back-to-back victories. Both Mansell and Prost previously won the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.
► Kimi Räikkönen’s lap record of 1:21.670 was set during 2008 – this, however, is considerably slower than the times achieved by drivers prior to the chicane being inserted before the final corner. In its previous configuration, when the lap ended with two fast sweepers, Giancarlo Fisicella’s 2005 lap time of 1:15.64 held the record. The other major event held at the track, the Catalan MotoGP race, still uses the old configuration.
► In the last decade, the Spanish Grand Prix has been particularly susceptible to immediate form: only once (2008) has the winning driver in Spain failed to win either the preceding or the following race.

[phil1993]

Get rid of the chicane.

Not surprising that the track which best exploits how good a car is often goes on to win the title.

[iceman1]

Lol how did he reply?

The Thursday Press Conference is up on Sky. 23:20 Vettel does an impression of Alonso, 'you have to leave a space. All the time you have to leave a space.' Alonso replies 'as I did in Monza last year.'

www1.skysports.com/formula1/video/12870/7745730

For non UK viewers:

[mileso]

Looks like there will be less importance paid to qualifying for the pole and more on what tires you can have for the whole race.
The best part of the racing so far this year is the lack of crashes at the first turn.

[phil1993]

This is Sebastian Vettel reluctant to answer a question.

Q. (Mike Doodson – Honorary) Gentlemen, Michael Schumacher persistently criticises the Pirelli tyres, or at least the policy of Pirelli. To us and the fans it's clear that Pirelli has been a major ingredient in the improvement of the quality of the racing this year and last year. Do any of you share Michael's concerns about the tyres or do you think he's just making excuses for not winning?

FA: I think Seb should answer, being German.

SV: Yeah? I think, y'know, we get a completely different impression inside the car than you might get outside the car. So, you're always talking of two different worlds. I think for us quality of racing, if you compare racing today, you have to, I think, look after your tyres a lot more than probably you had to three, four, five years ago. For us, if you take, for instance, 2009 where we were allowed to refuel, we had new tyres and the tyres lasted longer, in that they didn't see that much degradation. It's a different quality inside the car because you can push nearly every lap similar to qualifying, whereas now I think the racing is different: we fuel the cars up, they are much heavier, and if you have a heavier car there's more stress for the tyres, so it puts the whole thing in a different window. If you put a new set of tyres on with 20 laps to go, or 15 laps to go, which is, let's say, the stint length, earlier, a couple of years ago, it's a different world for the tyres. The tyres do see more degradation and then we start to slide and then one guy slides more than the other because he puts his tyres on two laps earlier. It creates a different type of racing, more overtaking, which I imagine is seen as better quality from the outside, simply because things happen. I think it depends what you really want. We have more overtaking. Fernando is good with numbers, so like Fernando said earlier. I think the races today – over the last two years since we have changed a couple of things – has become much better. Also for us. I had a race here where I was following – how many laps is the race, 66? – I think I was following Felipe [Massa] for 60 laps out of that and I couldn't pass. Nowadays you know that your chance will come in the race and that's changing the position inside the car as well.

He talks too much

[reppo]

Thanks iceman. Nobody says anything bad about tyres. Michael must be hoping for cold weather, specially now when Pirelli made their own trick to mess up strategies.

[phil1993]

The W03 doesn't suit cold conditions either. They were nowhere in Malaysia when it was cold...

[donald29]

Malaysia was wet, so you can't say they were no where just because it was cold. China wasn't warm but it was dry and they did ok there...

But they've been playing down their chances saying the car doesn't suit the circuit.

[MavF1]

Thanks for the press conference, iceman.

Loved how Seb did an impression of Fernando, mainly 'cause back then I really had to laugh when I heard his radio message live. You can think what you want about Alonso, but nobody in F1 matches his rants on team radio.

If you missed it: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=7033


Another classic:

[iceman1]

The new live timing

http://www.f1zone.net/news/f1-live-timing/

[KevC]

Unwell Ross Brawn will skip the Spanish Grand Prix

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99465

I hope both drivers get a podium

Is he suffering from blown exhaustion?

[iceman1]

Both Alonso and Massa with different front wings.

Mclaren using the flow-wiz at the back of the car.