The Official 2012 F1 Thread. Spoilers possible!

[g®eg]

driver line-ups are out
looks like Toro Rosso cleaned house

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012-f1-s...drivers-teams/

[hockeygoon]

Force India too it seems, though no replacements noted for either team. Rubens also.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by hockeygoon

Force India too it seems, though no replacements noted for either team. Rubens also.

Williams, HRT must think Christmas has come early. Sutil, Petrov, Senna, Buemi, Alguersuari, Barrchello and others, all fighting for seats!

[shrineclown]

Originally Posted by g®eg

Williams, HRT must think Christmas has come early. Sutil, Petrov, Senna, Buemi, Alguersuari, Barrchello and others, all fighting for seats!

Isn't that like being on the naughty list?

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by shrineclown

Isn't that like being on the naughty list?

well, with the way drivers need to bring cash for a seat, it's more like being on the "possible lottery winners list" for those teams....

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by g®eg

looks like Toro Rosso cleaned house

I thought it was borderline cruel they way they handled their drivers this season. The poor guys went the entire season thinking they were to be canned each week. Esprit de corps must be a foreign concept over there. I know F1's rough, but to me that felt like piling-on. Sadistic, even.

[wxwax]

Rightly or wrongly, I felt that Sutil was stale at the start of this season. Then the reality that he might lose his seat and the challenge from DiResta woke him up and he did really well.

Whoever signs him will get a good driver, I reckon. But I'm not sure that he brings any money, so he may be out of luck. What a shame if a talented guy like him ends up at Hispania.

[Clem Kevin]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Rightly or wrongly, I felt that Sutil was stale at the start of this season. Then the reality that he might lose his seat and the challenge from DiResta woke him up and he did really well.

Whoever signs him will get a good driver, I reckon. But I'm not sure that he brings any money, so he may be out of luck. What a shame if a talented guy like him ends up at Hispania.

I too think Sutil is good, but I think Hulk and DiResta have more potential. Look at Sutil's resume compared to those two, clearly they have a bit more behind them.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Clem Kevin

I too think Sutil is good, but I think Hulk and DiResta have more potential. Look at Sutil's resume compared to those two, clearly they have a bit more behind them.

Without looking it up, I think once Sutil woke-up, he dusted DiResta. That said, DiResta had a great season for a rookie.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Without looking it up, I think once Sutil woke-up, he dusted DiResta. That said, DiResta had a great season for a rookie.

sometimes looking it up is a good idea I think.
granted Sutil should be faster, more experienced, etc.

Sutil: 9-11-15-13-13-7-Ret-9-11-6-14-7-Ret-8-11-11-9-8-6 (42 points)
di Resta 10-10-11-Ret-12-12-18-14-15-13-7-11-8-6-12-10-13-9-8 (27 points)

so after the first 10 races Sutil had beaten diResta 6 out of the 10 times.
in the final 10 races Sutil only beat di Resta 5 times.

but I agree the perception was there

[wannaklr]

Just typing something so I get the little black dot near the thread title.

Kind of lost interest last season, maybe this year I'll get back into it.

[g®eg]

the Hulk is back.....

Sahara Force India confirms Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg for 2012 – Announcement

16 Dec

Sahara Force India Formula One Team today confirmed that Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg will form its line-up for the 2012 season.
Paul continues with the team for his second season in a race seat, while Nico steps up from his role as reserve driver. Together they form one of the most exciting pairings on the grid.
Dr. Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “I am delighted to present our line-up for the 2012 season. In Paul and Nico we have two extremely talented drivers with tremendous potential.
“I think Paul caught the eye of everybody in the pit lane during his rookie season. His speed, maturity and racecraft confirmed that we were right to believe in him and we look forward to working with him again next year.
“As for Nico, we identified him as a rising star at the end of 2010 and chose to evaluate him during the course of this season. Despite having only limited time in the car, he convinced us that he deserved a race seat for 2012.
“Our new line-up means we say ‘goodbye’ to Adrian Sutil, who has been with the team since we entered the sport. He has been an integral part of our success over the past four seasons and we wish him well for the future.”
Paul Di Resta: “I’m really looking forward to my second season of Formula One and continuing to grow and develop with Sahara Force India. I’ve said all along that I love being part of this team: they are ambitious, hungry for success and we work well together. I’m really excited about 2012 and there is a real sense of belief that we can continue to push the top teams and take another step forward. I’d also like to thank the team for all their hard work this year and for all the support they’ve given me. I’ll take some time out over the next few weeks to recharge my batteries and hopefully come back even stronger in 2012.”
Nico Hulkenberg: “I’m obviously delighted to be staying with Sahara Force India and to be given the chance to race next year. It wasn’t easy to watch from the sidelines this season, but I did my best to help the team and show what I was capable of. I’m extremely motivated for 2012 and would like to thank everyone for believing in me and giving me this chance. I’m keen to get down to work over the winter to develop our new car and help the team build on this year’s achievements. The first test in Jerez can’t come soon enough.”

[FreeTheBeast]

Originally Posted by g®eg

the Hulk is back.....

DiResta and Hulk. Good news for Sahara Force India.

[hockeygoon]

I look forward to seeing these two guys provide some interesting racing. I always liked Sutil and have cheered him on since his awesome pole run and podium race at Spa, so I hope he finds a new ride.

I wonder who Toro Rosso will bring on.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by hockeygoon

I look forward to seeing these two guys provide some interesting racing. I always liked Sutil and have cheered him on since his awesome pole run and podium race at Spa, so I hope he finds a new ride.

I wonder who Toro Rosso will bring on.

besides their announced drivers?

Toro Rosso

Engines: Ferrari
16. Daniel Ricciardo (Has contract)
17. Jean-Eric Vergne (Has contract)
Test and reserve drivers
None