Formula 1 - 2012 season (kimi is back!)

[jarmo]

They're officially blaming the brakes. Saying that after the collision with the HRT, his left rear brake was overheating and could've exploded...



/jarmo

[rebelhipi]

Yeah, as far as I remember, he was told to pit, then stay out, then stop on the track.

On the last lap.

Makes you wonder. He was outside the points. So if he doesn't finish, it could be tactical?



[/quote] vettel did scrore points at the last race. as far the accident goes i think it was just a simple racing accident.

its gonna be a good season 

[gnr-4-ever]

vettel did scrore points at the last race. as far the accident goes i think it was just a simple racing accident.

its gonna be a good season 

Yeah, the season does look promising. Need to start paying more attention to the races, I'm always kinda lazy to watch before the circus moves to Europe. 

[jarmo]

Vettel calls Karthikeyan an "idiot", and now Karthikeyan labels Vettel as a cry baby!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17550940



/jarmo

[gnr-4-ever]

France set for F1 return in 2013:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/29032012/58/france-set-f1-return-2013.html

[Drew]

Good to see Kimi having some good finishes so far.

[Drew]

Really nice to see Kimi with a second place finish today in Bahrain. He's getting closer! 

[jarmo]

And he wasn't too excited about a second place!




/jarmo

[Drew]

Yeah, I think he was pretty disappointed that he wasn't able to take the position away from Vettel.

[IzzyDutch]

Total classic from Kimi in the FIA unilat - his Finnish quote on the race: "Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers." Ends.

 

Wow what a great race today.. can't imagine anyone being unhappy about first Williams win since 2004

Also what a great season so far, 5 completely different winners, absolutely no dominance by a certain team and no one can predict who's taking the title at the end, just awesome

After Mercedes and Williams, I'm still hoping for a Lotus (and Sauber) win soon..

[Drew]

Nice to see Kimi with another podium finish. 

[rebelhipi]

lets see how valencia works out eight winner? kimi,grojean,massa,schumi,perez?

[gnr-4-ever]

Anybody else watching the race in Korea? Started very early here, it's a good one so far. Few more races to go and Schumi is gone forever. 

[gueli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrDDn8ZY9wk&feature=related 

The Iceman is back to the top step of the podium!! 

[Drew]

Was happy to see Kimi finally win this season after having so many good races and finishes. I'm looking forward to watching the Inaugural U.S Grand Prix in Austin, Texas this week.

[gnr-4-ever]

The final race is in Brasil this weekend, my favorite track Interlagos.

Predictions?

[rebelhipi]

really great season!

vettel proved once again why he is the king.

kimi was also supergood.

this was one of alonsos strongest seasons so far (im not a fan)

sad to see schumi and kobayashi go.

[GypsySoul]

Didn't want to start a new thread so just adding it here.

Raikkonen angry with Lotus over lack of pay

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen criticized the team Friday for not paying his salary this season and threatened to skip the final two races of the season in protest.

Speaking after the second practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the former F1 champion said he had to be persuaded to race here and he's still upset about a tense exchange with a member of the technical staff at last weekend's Indian GP.

''Sometimes it is not very nice when you hear that you are not really a team player, and you don't have the interests of the team (at heart) - but you have been paid zero euro(s) the whole year,'' said Raikkonen, who is usually reluctant to speak to media.

Raikkonen, who is joining Ferrari next season, added that he would consider skipping the United States GP and Brazilian GP if he does not receive his money.

''For sure. I enjoy racing, I enjoy driving, but a big part of it is business,'' he said. ''Sometimes when that is not dealt with like it should, we end up in an unfortunate situation. You have to put the line somewhere, and if it goes over that ... it is not really my fault.''

Raikkonen's comments came just hours after Lotus chairman Gerard Lopez played down the rift between Raikkonen and trackside operations director Alan Permane last Sunday. Raikkonen was told over the race radio by Permane not to hold up teammate Romain Grosjean.

Raikkonen skipped media duties on Thursday, which fueled speculation about growing unrest, and the 34-year-old Finnish driver confirmed that he came close not to racing in Abu Dhabi.

''I came here only because hopefully we found an understanding on the certain issues we have been having,'' Raikkonen said. ''Hopefully it will be fixed and we can finish the season as well as we can.''

Although the argument with Permane was not the main factor in his decision to speak out, Raikkonen said it did upset him.

''It is a part of it. It is true those things should not happen, but they have happened,'' Raikkonen said. ''(But) that is not really the issue. It is all the other stuff.''

The 2007 champion is annoyed that his loyalty to the team has been questioned despite racing without pay.

''It doesn't put you in the best place,'' he said. ''That is how it goes and hopefully, like I said, we found an understanding on both sides on how we should deal with the situation right now.''

Only hours earlier, Lopez insisted all was fine.

''Recently a lot was made about the comments between Alan Permane and Kimi during the course of a tense moment in a race, but this was just one exchange taking a matter of seconds in the course of a two-year relationship,'' Lopez said Friday. ''It certainly wasn't the most beneficial few seconds, but you have to step back and accept that everyone is passionate about racing and sometimes these things do happen.''

However, Lopez acknowledged the financial situation was poorly handled.

''For a long time we had the opportunity to keep him in our hands, but we weren't able to operate to the timeframe - or make the offer - that Ferrari were able to do,'' Lopez said. ''For me this brought sadness, as it's like a prodigal son leaving us.''

Lotus still has a shot at finishing second behind Red Bull in the constructors' championship. Mercedes, with 313 points, and Ferrari, with 309, are in a stronger position. Lotus stands at 285.

''The only reason we're fighting for second is because of all the points that Kimi has scored,'' Lopez said.

Raikkonen is third overall behind Fernando Alonso and recently crowned world champion Sebastian Vettel.

[Princess Leia]

Well this season I?m done with the F1. It?s over. We have a winner. Anyway, Kimi hasn?t been paid all season long! I know he is not a homeless. But the issue is he has been working for free. And that of course is wrong. Lotus beef is that Kimi expossed them in public as people who screw their drivers.

Anyway next year Kimi will be back in Red  What a great line up for Ferrari... If they only could have a real competitive car

 

[GypsySoul]

The saga continues!  Doesn't this sound like the team probably f*cked up the car themselves rather than give Kimi the opportunity to put himself in the best position possible for a win?

Raikkonen excluded from qualifying after failed floor test

Lotus?s Kimi Raikkonen will start Sunday?s 2013 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the back of the grid after his car failed a post-qualifying floor deflection test at Yas Marina. Raikkonen had qualified fifth.

?Car number 07 did not comply with Article 3.17.5 of the 2013 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations as the front floor deflected more than 5mm vertically when the load was applied vertically to it at the point which lies 100mm of car centre line on the LHS,? said a technical report by the FIA?s Formula One technical delegate, Jo Bauer.

As they did with Romain Grosjean?s E21 in Hungary earlier this season, Lotus argued that floor damage caused by track kerbing had led to the failure, but this time their explanation was not accepted as an excuse for the car being unable to pass the test.

Raikkonen?s exclusion elevates Sauber?s Nico Hulkenberg to fifth place on the grid and moves Ferrari?s Fernando Alonso back into the top ten. It also dents Lotus?s chances of catching Mercedes and Ferrari in the fight for P2 in the constructors? championship.