FB's Big Fat Review of the year 2012

FB

Not my cup of cake
Valued Member
So there you go, another year over. Exciting? Maybe? As exciting as the media made it out to be? Definitely not. At the end of the year we had the same World Champions as we started the year with, although there were some highlights - Valencia and Abu Dhabi managed exciting races! Even Silverstone, the dullest of dull tracks, provided some action at the end of the race. We also had, probably, the ugliest F1 cars since the Theodore TY01 as the FIA attempted to stop a driver getting speared in the side of the head by the high noses which had developed over recent years.

So, to begin at the beginning (there's a like for whoever recognises that quote first). I fell asleep during the Australian GP, not because it was dull but I was jet lagged in a hotel in India. After that I flew on to Malaysia and forgot the GP was on so flew home on the Friday before the race - what a numpty. Although as Alonso won I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it too much. This was the race that put Sergio Perez on radar for McLaren, I'm sure. Shame he went to pot once the ink had dried on his McLaren contract. Let's see what next year brings for the Ultra Brite man.

Nico Rosberg and Mercedes broke their duck in China :1st: Vettel won in Bahrain :sleeping: Maldonado won in a Williams in Spain :1st: and then tried to turn all subsequent races into a destruction derby, with a special penchant for drivers with yellow helmets (well, one driver in particular). He did calm down later in the season and won me the Team Mate Prediction Championship so, Pastor, you will always have a special place in my heart, and in my 2011 Autocourse which you very kindly scrawled across at the FOTA Fans Forum. That must have added a fiver to the value.

So after Canada the press were getting apoplectic about the fact that we had had 7 different winners in 7 races. Maybe they have watched F1 for so long but when I was a kid that was a normal season. Then Alonso (that man again) went and spoiled it all by winning in Valencia. Gosh that Ferrari was such a bad car...

Why aren't Red Bull running away with things everyone asked? Has Adrian Newey lost his mojo? Was Sebastien Vettel's back to back World Championships just a flash in the pan? No worries, Seb was sand bagging and after lulling Fernando into a falsely secure lead in the title race, and letting the McLaren boys have their moment in the sun, bang, bang, bang winfinger was rolled out 4 times in succession. If only there were more races in Asia.

What's this, Kimi Raikkonen has won a race in the pseudo Lotus :shocked: Well after Lewis "car breaker" Hamilton threw away another certain victory ;) the Kimster won in Abu Dhabi. Anyone remember his post race interview? No, neither do I. Think it was something like "Thanks". But who was hiding down in 3rd having started at the back of the grid? It was that bloody German again. Shame he can't overtake isn't it.

Lewis won in America (yes, America, the place that doesn't "get" F1), after giving McLaren the bums rush for 2013 and swapping a silver car for an, errm, silver car. They made the drivers wear stupid hats on the podium but I suppose it could have been worse, they could have given them a pint of milk to celebrate with.

So, finally, off to Brazil and the title show down and it's raining, there's a surprise. Vettel nearly blew it but finally limped home in 6th to break Italian and Spanish and hearts, and some in New Zealand too. Red Bull took the constructors title for the third year in a row as well, Bernie pocketed many millions of dollars (as usual), Pirelli restored a bit of their reputation by making tyres which lasted longer than 3 laps, and HRT finished last, although over the season, in a round about way, they were probably more involved in the title chase than Michael Schumacher.

Was it a good season? Yeah not bad. Was it a "classic" season. No it wasn't, not compared to some of the daft times from the mid-80's anyway. All in all it was a bit of a curates egg, good in places. Circuits which are supposed to be dull were exciting, circuits which were supposed to be exciting were dull, with the exception of Monaco which is supposed to be dull and was.

Next year we get to see some driver move around - Lewis to Mercedes, Hulk to Sauber, Perez to McLaren, Schumacher to his Mount Field ride on lawn mower. HRT will most likely dissolve over the winter, much like one of their cars did at Monaco in 2011. Force India will probably have new owners, Caterham will have pay drivers and there will be some changes to the rules to get rid of the hideous stepped noses :cheer: Roll on 2013, wonder if Red Bull will be doing the Home Run again in MK? Worth a visit if they do.
 
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