2012 Grand Prix season

[John the Traveller]

Excitement at the beginning and the end. Bit boring in the middle. Great drives from Button and Kobayashi.
Adrian Newey you da man! What have you done to give the little boy Vettel a car like that!
Great drive from Mark after a regrettable coming together. I wonder what may have been.
Hats off to Schumacher a stirring drive from the back of the field.
I'm very pleased to see Massa on the podium.
Our man from Mexico tripped over himself but I think he is definitely a star of the future.
Finally a question.......is Lewis still on Ron's Christmas card list?..........Hmmm .....I think not.
Cheers,
JT   

[TBWG]

As F1 puts heads together to find a solution to Romain Grosjean's first lap mishaps, Bernie Ecclestone reckons an eye test is what is needed.

In the wake of yet another first lap crash and penalty in last Sunday's Japanese GP, there have been several suggestions about what could be done to help Grosjean.

Jenson Button says he needs to "sort his s**t out" while Mark Webber, who he crashed into on Sunday, believes another "holiday" is needed or perhaps a different starting grid altogether for the Lotus driver.

However, Ecclestone has a suggestion of his own.

"There might be something wrong with his peripheral vision," the F1 supremo told the Daily Express.

He's quick but he has been involved in a lot of problems at the start.

"I would definitely suggest he has his eyes tested because he has problems seeing what is happening around him."




TBWG

PS  Having put a few bob on Kimi at 50 -1 to win WC I would appreciate it in Romain could continue to take out the opposition!

[TBWG]

    
Q1: Mac big in Korea?
by Joe Saward

Lewis Hamilton set the cat among the pigeons on Friday morning in Korea, as he set the fastest time of the session. After The Japanese GP the signs were that Red Bull had gone back to a dominant position, but the first session in Korea seemed to suggest otherwise, with Hamilton ahead of Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Felipe Massa. Vettel was fifth.

Michael Schumacher was anything but shy and retiring as he outpaced Nico Rosberg, while Romain Grosjean was next ahead of Paul di Resta, Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Pastor Maldonado, Jules Bianchi (the Force India test driver), the two Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi ahead of Sergio Perez and the two Toro Rosso drivers Dan Ricciardo ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne. Valtteri Bottas, the Williams test driver, was next ahead of Heikki Kovalianen, Tim O'Glock, Charles Pic, Caterham tester Giedo Van der Garde and the two HRT drivers for the session Pedro de la Rosa and Dani Clos.


    
Positive Vett-ing  P2


Red Bull Racing showed that it still has a solid gap over the opposition in F1 at the moment in the second practice session in Korea on Firday. Sebastian Vettel was three-tenths ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, while the rest trailed the Australian, the pack headed by Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg. Lewis Hamilton was eighth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and Kimi Raikkonen. Romain Grosjean was 11th chased by Bruno Senna, Paul di Resta, Kamui Kobayashi, Sergio Perez, who stopped out on the track, Jean-Eric Vergne and Dan Ricciardo. Pastor Maldonado had a minor off but did not seem quick and was left ahead of the usual back three teams, led by Heikki Kovalainen, with Timo Glock and Charles Pic shaking the tree by getting ahead of Vitaly Petrov. At the back Narain Karthikeyan outran Pedro de la Rosa.


TBWG

[John the Traveller]

The word in Oz is that "the Wizard" Newey has found something in the Aero at the front of the car. Not just the front wing.......time will tell.
Do you think Lewis is off Ron Dennis's Christmas card list? TWICE ! First for the Merc signing and now for the aggro tweet toward Jenson.....I'm starting to think that Lew should have stuck with his Dad's management. His current minders aren't kicking goals.
Just my two penneth worth!
JT

[TBWG]

    
Arrest warrant for Mallya
by Joe Saward

Force India boss Vijay Mallya has run into more trouble in Hyderabad where the 13th Metropolitan Sessions Court has issued an arrest warrant against him in a case filed by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd which manages the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

The case dates back several months when cheques issued by Kingfisher bounced. The court issued the warrant after Mallya failed to appear despite a summons.


TBWG

[John the Traveller]

Here we bloody go...............

[TBWG]

    
Webber on pole
by Joe Saward

Mark Webber gave his team-mate a wake-up call in Korea as he snatched pole position in the final seconds of the Q3 session, after the German had dominated the sessions throughout. Lewis Hamilton was third quickest, a tenth ahead of Fernando Alonso with Kimi Raikkonen in fifth. Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher completed the top 10.



1    Webber    Red Bull    1:37.242    129.170 mph
2    Vettel    Red Bull    1:37.316    0.074
3    Hamilton    McLaren    1:37.469    0.227
4    Alonso    Ferrari    1:37.534    0.292
5    Raikkonen    Lotus    1:37.625    0.383
6    Massa    Ferrari    1:37.884    0.642
7    Grosjean    Lotus    1:37.934    0.692
8    Hulkenberg    Force India    1:38.266    1.024
9    Rosberg    Mercedes    1:38.361    1.119
10    Schumacher    Mercedes    1:38.513    1.271
11    Button    McLaren    1:38.441    
12    Perez    Sauber    1:38.460    
13    Kobayashi    Sauber    1:38.594    
14    Di Resta    Force India    1:38.643    
15    Maldonado    Williams    1:38.725    
16    Ricciardo    Toro Rosso    1:39.084    
17    Vergne    Toro Rosso    1:39.340    
18    Senna    Williams    1:39.443    
19    Petrov    Caterham    1:40.207    
20    Kovalainen    Caterham    1:40.333    
21    Pic    Marussia    1:41.317    
22    Glock    Marussia    1:41.371    
23    De la Rosa    HRT    1:42.881    
24    Karthikeyan    HRT    No Time

TBWG

[TBWG]

McLaren win Ferrari 'spying' fine tax case

The McLaren Formula One team have successfully argued that a £32m fine they paid after a 2007 Ferrari spying controversy should be tax deductible.

Now that I am a sponsor of Mclaren do you think I can get a pit pass?

TBWG

[John the Traveller]

Unbelievable !

[Alan]

TBWG, any chance you can keep race results out of the shout box so as us poor buggers that only get to see the race later don't have the results shoved in our faces when we open this site please..

[TBWG]

Hi Alan

Consider it done!  I'm outa here early tomorrow. Once in Thailand I will not be bored rigid like in UK so reporting will become a lot more tardy!

Keep turning the screws and see you soon!

By the way Kimi's gunna win tomorrow

TBWG


PS Whats wrong with getting up at 5.30?    Go Crutchlow!

[Alan]

Thanks David. Getting out of this miserable place, you lucky bugger. Enjoy!

[John the Traveller]

Korean GP report
JT standing in for an airborne TBWG.   

Vettel again!
Vettel came across the line for his third win of the 2012 season in a row, having led all three Korean grands prix from 2010 to 2012 with the exception of 12 laps (when he retired in 2010). Mark Webber took second with Alonso third and Massa an easy fourth, a country mile clear of Raikkonen in fifth, Hulkenberg in sixth and an intact Grosjean in seventh.

Lewis Hamilton, complete with Astroturf, couldn't catch Vergne in eighth or Ricciardo in ninth but managed to fend off Perez to hold onto 10th. Probably not the result he was expecting when he was sat on the grid and a lot of hard work with a "nervous" car that looked a problem to drive.

Although the momentum is with the Red Bull team and Vettel, the race pace of the revised Ferrari F2012 showed that they are not far away and Felipe Massa will certainly be wearing red in 2013. The same might not be said of Kamui Kobayashi.

 

Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h36:28.651
02. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 8.200
03. Alonso Ferrari + 13.900
04. Massa Ferrari + 20.100
05. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 36.700
06. Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes + 45.300
07. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 54.800
08. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:09.500
09. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:11.700
10. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 1:19.600
11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1:20.000
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:24.400
13. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:29.200
14. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 1:34.900
15. Senna Williams-Renault + 1:36.900
16. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
17. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
18. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
19. Pic Marussia-Cosworth + 2 lap2
20. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
Did Not Finish
Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 17
Rosberg Mercedes 2
Button McLaren-Mercedes 1

[TBWG]

.

[TBWG]

So my tifosis and Buriram expat fans, as The Doors' Jim Morissette once sang: "This is the end, beautiful friend"

I am deciding to call it a day on my motor racing career in Brazil. I am bringing in the curtain on Formula 1 racing. Now I have to admit that I cannot be the oldest F1 driver to win a race and I cannot beat Rubens's record of most grands prix (spent moaning about the other drivers).

People have asked me if I will go to DTM, but quite honestly and obviously DTM cars are nothing like an F1 car to drive. They are heavy on the steering - in fact it is almost like truck driving. That is why I am surprised Ralf and David Coulthard have not been more successful. Typical of the Coulthard, immediately once I am saying I am hanging out my helmet, he also says that he is hanging out his helmet too. He always comes second in anything he does. In his driving career he always finished behind me or Mika, then Martin Brundle gets the Sky job and he gets the part-time BBC job.

However we have become friendly over the years and it is true to say that in the passing of time old enemies do become friends because they have so much on the common.

Once the news is being told about Lewis joining Mercedes my future was decided. It was a bit hurtful to hear the big guy, Ross, say that I had been "dithering" about signing a new contract. I am having to look this word up and when I am, I am finding it is like an old lady in a Nissan Micra automatic not being sure if she has the room to park in a space big enough for the Red Bull motorhome - and taking all day about it. I was not dithering, I was just balancing up how I was going to tell 'Lieblings Pudgie Wudgie Donut Face' that I was racing in 2013 and not have shoes thrown at me.

As for the new partnership at Mercedes: Nico and Lewis in the same team together won't be the bed of pansies they think it will be. They may have been team-mates in the past, but that was in the days when a good night out was a party with extra fries and free cardboard hats at Burger King. When they were in GP2. Now, Lewis is taller and Nico's ears are bigger.

Will somebody please explain to me Lewis's beard. He tries to come across like the (forgive me if I am not employing the right terms here, bro) streetsmart rappa guy and then he has a beard that makes him look like a farmer. Ross agrees with me. He said the last time he saw a beard like that it was on the bass player of The Wurzels. Whovever they are.

People have asked me why I haven't been successful in my comeback and I would point to the fact that we have not had a car that was quick enough, despite having four technical directors with previous teams. As the saying goes - too many chiefs and not enough Indian restaurants.

But, as I told to the Italian press: "If I look into my life's rear-view mirror, I find myself happy and smiling. I have had two distinct careers: one where I won everything, and a second one where I discovered what losing means."

The reason for returning to F1 was not to try and break more records or wear my nice Deutsche Vermögensberatung cap all the time. It was to get me off the sofa. And it worked.

I have learned a lot more things. I have leaned that there are too many buttons on an F1 steering wheel, even for a keen fiddler and adjuster like me. I have learned I do not like radio messages from the engineer telling me to adjust my flap. I have learned how to hit other cars accidentally - instead of on purpose, which is always more fun. I have learned new excuses for mistakes, such as: "I went to the brake pedal early and there was nothing there." (The new excuses work just as badly as the old excuses - such as "I lost it out of Rascasse")

What will I miss? I won't miss Kamui Kobayashi. Because I haven't in the past. I will miss Lee McKenzie of the BBC who I am respecting a lot as an interviewer and horse woman. There are so many big eyelash fluffy bimbos holding microphones in the paddock but Lee is a real woman (like my Lieblings, something to get hold of) with a long knowledge of the sport and a great base for horse riding. We have had laughs together.

I will miss my tifosis of course, the excitement of setting the car up, the thrill of racing and the joy of the podium. I will miss my engineers and the technical briefings. I am being well known in the paddock for travelling everywhere on a little silver scooter (so that I don't have to stop for autographs or interviews). My engineers have said they are going to fit an ice-cream van siren to it for the last four races so that when anybody is hearing the tune 'Greensleeves' they know it is The Schum coming through. Or Mr Whippy.

They have said I will not know how to unlatch the siren - they are b***ars.

When it comes to Brazil I am sure a big tear is being produced when I think of all the good times I have had. Let us look forward to a great result together.

Love, as ever,

The Schum