2012 Season Preview

So next years entry list could possiblely look like this;

Red Bull Infintai

Mclaren Mercedes

Fiat Ferrari

Mercedes

(Proton) Lotus Renault

Force India Mercedes

Team UAE Ferrari

Sauber Ferrari

Williams Renault

Caterham Renault

Hispania Cosworth

Marussia Cosworth

Which means in actual fact 6 of the 12 teams either produce or are owned by a company that produce a road car. If you factor in Skoda being the main sponsor for Lotus you could even say 7. You have just 2 classic independents left in the form of Peter Sauber and Frank Williams and you also have 3 teams who have emerged in this new 'representing a nation' format which has suddenly become the fashion - Hispania, Force India and, if the new name goes through, the newly Abu Dhabi based Team UAE. This actually only leaves Red Bull as a team owned and run by a non-motor industry based cooperation and as you can trace at least one team in the sport being owned by someone like that as far back as the mid 80's and the Benneton team it doesn't bother me too much.

Have to say the grid is still missing its 13th team and its all gone quiet on that front but I you bet your life Bernie is on the phone to various people in the states trying to get someone to take a punt into F1 now he had 2 America races lined up!
 
Not sure if this has been posted somewhere...

The Formula One Commission is meeting today to decide on the name changes for Team Lotus, Renault and Virgin, and they are also discussing the technical collaboration between teams such as Virgin and Mclaren because they fear it could be stretching the limits of the Concorde Agreement.

They're also going to discuss the status of the Bahrain and Korean Grand Prix and if extra tires are going to be allocated in Q3 .

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95859
 
Apparantly the Concorde agreement doesn't allow for teams to order parts or whole cars from other teams, this I knew. But they can share ideas! I thought after 2009 teams had to be completely independent with the design of their cars. Does anyone know if Toro Rosso have actually signed a technical deal with Red Bull much like the one between Force India and McLaren or would they even need to if they are basically the same company? I'm not saying that this is the reason Toro Rosso have jumped up the grid in the last few races but it could certainly be one of the possible explanations as to how they've managed it.
 
Williams and HRT have extended their deal on gearboxes until 2012, in addition to gearboxes Williams will also supply HRT with KERS in 2012. A good sign from HRT that they're making some progress at least...
 
I doubt it, with the technical partnership that Virgin (soon to be Marussia) has signed with McLaren to use some of their technology (windtunnel and simulator) I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up using the same KERS package (and possibly gearbox) that McLaren has. Who exactly makes McLaren's KERS, I thought it was badged as a Mercedes unit but I seem to remember reading that an outside company was hired to manufacture it?
 
I doubt it, with the technical partnership that Virgin (soon to be Marussia) has signed with McLaren to use some of their technology (windtunnel and simulator) I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up using the same KERS package (and possibly gearbox) that McLaren has. Who exactly makes McLaren's KERS, I thought it was badged as a Mercedes unit but I seem to remember reading that an outside company was hired to manufacture it?

I'm not convinced but I would like to see it, and it is a merc KERS in a way as I think they own the company, and don't they only give it to their engine partners?
 
Not that you can see the number on the cars anyway - grumble, grumble, moan, moan...

If Nico Rosberg had signed to replace Jenson at McLaren next season I wouldn't have a bloody clue who was in which car.
 
If Nico Rosberg had signed to replace Jenson at McLaren next season I wouldn't have a bloody clue who was in which car.

Well in 2009 Alonso scored more points than Massa did (due to Felipe's accident) but it was Alonso who used the no.7 Ferrari and Massa no.8 in 2010. Each team may use a different method, for example Mercedes gave Schumacher the odd lower number because he cited that he was superstitous even though most believe it was because he was putting Rosberg in his place.
 
I reckon they'll stay the same because if they swap they have to swap garage sides which would mean shifting everything over. I know this sounds like a small task but when Schumi and Rosberg did it I remember Merc explaining it was a much bigger task than it sounded
 
In 09, when Vettel joined Red Bull, he was the number 2 car to Webber, but when Vettel beat Webber in that season he was the no.1 car. So I think Hamilton and Button will change over, as the car number (usually) signifies whether you finished ahead of your teammate
 
McLaren have, I think, always given the top scorer the lower number in the past. Certainly DC and Mika swapped over in the mid-1990s.
 
In 09, when Vettel joined Red Bull, he was the number 2 car to Webber, but when Vettel beat Webber in that season he was the no.1 car. So I think Hamilton and Button will change over, as the car number (usually) signifies whether you finished ahead of your teammate

But didn't Vettel beat Webber in the 2008 standings? I thought that was always the common method, whoever comes first in the standings whether they move to a different team or not they will get the higher number, of course there are some exceptions.
 
But didn't Vettel beat Webber in the 2008 standings? I thought that was always the common method, whoever comes first in the standings whether they move to a different team or not they will get the higher number, of course there are some exceptions.
Webber was already at Red Bull in 2008, and Vettel was a newcomer. It's the same with Massa and Alonso in 2010, Alonso finished higher in 1009, but as Massa was already with Ferrari, he was given the 'number 1' status ie. car no. 7 instead of car no.8.
 
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