FORMULA 1 - 2012


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The suspense is staring to kill me, I gotta see the new Mercedes W03. I don't think I can wait until next week but I will. I want this car to car to look good (don't know which nose they will use) but more than that I want it to be the quickest one of the group. Hopefully we will have another Brawn car but with silver arrows badging. I want Schumi and Rosberg on the top step as well. I hope I'm not asking to much. GO MERCEDES!!!!

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Wow thought Ferrari broke the mold introducing the kink/wing just in front of the fron wheels. Seems like virtually everyone jumped on board this idea in the offseason. I find it incredibly interesting how this idea had never been even tried out in the past by back runners but suddenly this year virtually everyone is running the same idea. Alaways amazing how these cars can be designed completely differently and powered by different engines yet run as close as tenths of a second within eachother in race trim. Nice to see the envelope continually pushed. Let's hope for an exciting season and lots to cheer about for the tifosi!

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Pirelli reveals tyre compounds for first races of 2012 F1 season:

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Pirelli has announced the tyre compounds it will take to the first three races of the 2012 Formula 1 season.The soft and medium compounds will be used in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as well as as in the third race of the year in China.

Pirelli will take the medium and hard compounds to the Malaysian Grand Prix, the second round of the championship.

Each team will receive six sets of the harder compound and five sets of the softer compound for each race weekend.

Pirelli will also bring its intermediate and full wet tyres in case of rain to all races.

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Caterham confident Leafield move will not affect performance during F1 season:

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Caterham chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne is confident that the team's mid-season move to a new factory will not affect its competitiveness this season.The outfit is moving from its current base in Hingham in Norfolk to the ex-Arrows and Super Aguri base in Leafield in Oxfordshire.

The move is expected to be completed in the August break and although Gascoyne admits that there will inevitably be some disruption, he does not anticipate it being a problem.

"Being realistic, it's not going to be totally straightforward," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT. "But having said that we got a team up and running from scratch in five months a couple of years ago so we feel we can tackle most things."

"There will be some disruption, but we are hoping to move in the August break where there will be some downtime anyway.

"We don't have to move everything at the same time and it's not as though we are moving out of this [Hingham] factory, so I'm confident that we can manage it."

Gascoyne added that the move is also well-timed because it will come at a time when the final developments slated for the 2012 car are likely to have already been signed off.

"The idea is that we will be finishing on one car and starting on another," he said. "Hopefully people can come back after the two-week break and the drawing office will be fully-fitted and ready to go.

"It also gives us several months to equip Leafield and get it ready. It's an advantage to us not to have rushed into it because we have got time to get it prepared."

It is anticipated that the relocation of the team into the heart of the UK's motorsport valley will boost its ability to recruit personnel. Gascoyne highlighted this as a key advantage for the future.

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Jean Eric-Vergne says Toro Rosso among strongest midfield F1 teams:

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Jean Eric-Vergne says Toro Rosso's promising showing in Jerez testing suggests the team could be one of the strongest of this year's midfield runners.Both Vergne and fellow Red Bull protegee Daniel Ricciardo impressed over the four days in Jerez, while the team suffered few mechanical complaints whilst racking up 316 laps on the 4.4km circuit.

Buoyed by such a record, Vergne said he was confident the team could replicate its pace on Barcelona - which he says will be a better barometer of performance levels for the season ahead.

"I think Jerez showed we have a good baseline, and we look to be one of the strongest of the midfield teams so far," Vergne said.

"We are looking quite good. We had a really good four days as a team, the result of a really good winter for the team. We didn't have any major problems and got a lot of mileage, so there were many positives and not much of a downside.

"Barcelona of course may be different - Jerez was quite cold and the surface is quite abrasive, and it's a circuit we never race on. Barcelona will be a better test in some ways, but I hope with the car as it is now we should also have a good week there."

Vergne also downplayed concerns his and Ricciardo's inexperience could hurt future development, saying he was confident the team can fare well over the entire season.

"I don't think there is so much difference between teams with more experienced drivers [and us]," he added.

"I think if I work as I should – and as a rookie driver that means very hard – it shouldn't be a problem. It's not only about having a good car now, it's always really important to have good updates during the season and I believe we can do that."

MIKA: I'm not a Torro Rosso fan but with the new line up on this team as well as the impressive amount of laps put in at Jerez, I hope these guys do well this season.:thumbsup:

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E20 will be significantly different by Melbourne:

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Lotus technical director James Allison expects a very busy few weeks, ahead as the re-branded Renault team tries to maintain a level of development to ensure its on the pace at the season opener in Australia.

The E20 impressed during the first pre-season test in Jerez last week with both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean behind the wheel, but Allison revealed that the car they take to the first race, will be almost completely different to that ran in Jerez.

"The car we take to Melbourne will be significantly different to the one we ran in Jerez," he said.

"There's a lot of work still to do before the season opener, and so many elements will change; the front wing, rear wing, side pods, pod vanes, engine cover, barge board, floor, some suspension elements, and some small brake duct features to name but a few!

"As always, it’s going to be a very busy few weeks."

The E20 doesn't feature last years complex forward-facing exhaust system which the team believed would offer a significant gain, however the reality was quite different.

Allison is pleased to have reverted to a much more conventional layout which makes things much easier for the engineers in regards to working with the car.

"Not having the forward facing exhaust has definitely made the car build part of the process simpler," he added. "It's much quicker to get the car turned around every evening and get it ready for the next day’s running because it’s a more straightforward layout.

"In terms of running and analysing the car on the track, there shouldn’t have been anything inherently difficult about last year’s car, but it did turn out to be quite challenging as the exhaust system created several aerodynamic issues.

"So in that respect the E20 is easier to work with again. This means our race engineers can fill their boots with springs, roll bars, tyre pressures, cambers, and so on; all the conventional tools in the engineer’s arsenal."

MIKA: I'm hoping for great results from Lotus this season with Kimi back.

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MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS: Winter Facts

Source: Mercedes AMG Petronas official site:

Hi all.

Let's face it winter time is not an ideal time for all Formula One fans around the world. No races, tests have all been completed and still a short while before the Melbourne GP. But cheer up long before the engines roar again, the team will do its best to keep your appetite in check every day with some Formula One facts...

Fugured I'd post some interesting stuff on Formula 1 cars, some things we know, whilst most of it we do not and whilst this is Mercedes AMG information, I am sure most would apply to other manufacturers and teams.

Let's go!

Winter facts 1:

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Tyres can reach temperatures of up to 160 degrees Celsius

Before the Monaco Grand Prix the manhole covers are welded down to prevent them being lifted up by the cars downforce.

The first safety car in Formula one was at the Canadian Grand Prix, 1973.

At the maximum 18,000rpm the pistons are subjected to accelerations of 81,000m/s².

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WINTER FACTS 2:

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• Carbon fibre accounts for 85% of an F1 car but this only represents around 30% of the total weight of the car.

• The driver must be able to remove the steering wheel and get out the car within 5 seconds.

• The wind tunnel at the factory is capable of running speeds of up to 288kph.

• In 2012 Formula 1 will have 6 world champions on the grid, the most since 2011 (5) and 1970.

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WINTER FACTS 3:

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• The longest time spent at full throttle during the season is at Spa, where the drivers spend over 23 seconds at full throttle. (My favourite race by the way!:2thumbs: )

• It takes 17 trucks and one crane to assemble the motorhome.

• The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix was the longest race at 4 hours 4 minutes.

• Gravel traps are filled with spherical stones with diameter between 5 and 16mm, and are 25cm deep

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WINTER FACTS 4:

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• The front wing of the car can withstand over 500 kilos of downforce - equivalent to the weight of 6 men.

• The tyres are made from rubber, sulphur, carbon black, steel, Kevlar and various chemicals.

• The race trucks house two 150KVA generators each, enough to power a small town.

• In overalls a driver can survive for 11 seconds in temperatures of 840 degrees Celsius.

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WINTER FACTS 5:

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• The highest percentage of retirements in one race came in the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix where 18 out of the 21 starters retired.

• The drag from an F1 car’s aerodynamics is so strong that at 280kph lifting off the accelerator is the equivalent of braking as hard as you can in a road car.

• The gearbox case is a “stressed member” as it not only houses the gears but also all suspension loads are connected to it.

• A helicopter is present at the track on a race weekend, as well as another outside the circuit.

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WINTER FACTS 6:

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• The individual fibres in the carbon fibre are 5 times smaller than the human hair.

• The engine consumes around 450 litres of air every second.

• The first fire resistant overall was worn in 1979 by Niki Lauda.

• The hand grips of the steering wheel can be trimmed in alcantara or rubber depending on the preference of the driver.

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WINTER FACTS 7:

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• At a Grand Prix weekend each driver will have a minimum of three steering wheels available to them.

• The pit lane is divided into two lanes, the ‘inner lane’ and the ‘fast lane’.

• The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix holds the record for the most safety car deployment, with 6.

• In 2001 the Monaco tunnel was made safer by improving the lighting

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WINTER FACTS 8:

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• Gears are semi-submerged in oil in order to decrease friction, which is pumped around and cooled.

• After flowing through the radiators and past the exhausts, air leaves the car at 140 degrees Celsius.

• Fuel used by F1 cars is in fact very similar to that used by road cars, contrary to popular belief.

• Because of the need for the fuel to be extremely consistent the cost is higher, at around £5 per litre.

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WINTER FACTS 9:

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• The braking of an F1 car is so powerful it can draw tears from the driver’s eyes.

• The number 13 is not given to any driver.

• Each team travels about 100,000miles to races and tests every season.

• Drivers can lose up to 3kg of their body weight, through perspiration, over the course of a race as a result of the heat within the cockpit.

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WINTER FACTS 10:

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• The car’s monocoque consists of up to 12 layers of carbon fibre and weighs less than 60kg.

• Since 1999 it has been compulsory for every car to be fitted with an accident recorder.

• In a pit stop there are 3 mechanics on each wheel: One to take the wheel off, one to put the wheel on and one on the wheel gun.

• Positioning of the switches on the steering wheel is down to the driver’s preference.

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WINTER FACTS 11:

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• The car is comprised of over 3,200 parts and takes around 90,000 hours to design and 200,000 to manufacture.

• Drivers can experience up to 6g in cornering and braking.

• The team’s engines are supplied by Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains (HPP), and are supplied fully completed with KERS and exhausts.

• Only 9 drivers have won back to back world championships, with the most recent being Sebastian Vettel.

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WINTER FACTS 12:

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• A typical KERS system will weigh around 35kg.

• On the back of the steering wheel there several paddles; these allow the driver to change gear and operate the clutch.

• F1 car tyres are filled with nitrogen instead of oxygen. This helps keep the tyre pressure constant.

• Mercedes first F1 season was in 1954, when the team won with driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

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WINTER FACTS 13:

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• An F1 car travelling at 200kph generates enough downforce to drive upside down.

• The cost of pre-preg carbon fibre matting varies between £50 and £250 per square meter.

• The two race trucks cost around £2,000,000 and cost £60,000 to repaint per truck.

• In order to compete in Formula One drivers must hold a Super Licence which is awarded on the basis of past records in junior formula.

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WINTER FACTS 14:

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• Michael Schumacher holds the record for the most pole positions, with 68.

• Around €50million has been invested to improve the safety of the Nurburgring circuit.

• Since 2009 teams have been limited to 15,000 test kilometres per calendar year. :thumbsdwn:

• A pit stop takes roughly 2.5seconds.

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Expensive, but worth it: Red Bull gaming seat:

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Got £929 to throw around (that's the reduced sale price)? Why not splash out on this Red Bull gaming seat which is sure to immerse you in the action.

The seat is the result of a collaboration between Red Bull Racing and Playseat Racing and works with pretty much any games console and pretty much any racing game... but we imagine it works best with F1:2011.

Mark Webber is clearly enjoying the "high quality leather look black vinyl and red double stitch" design which, according to the makers, provides a "wonderful simulated driving experience," which "exactly reproduces the driving position of a Formula 1 racing car."

If you have the aforementioned money sitting in your account, head here: Playseat Racing: Red Bull

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Like most, if you don't have £929, but just £450, check out this Ferrari F1 steering wheel and pedals.

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MERCEDES AMG W03 TEASER IMAGE:

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I'm hanging for this car to be unveiled!:perfect10:

Will it have a stepped nose? I don't believe it will, but I also do not believe it will be like the mcLaren but rather something unique...?

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Mercedes' new W03 Formula 1 car completes successful shakedown

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Mercedes enjoyed a successful first run of its 2012 Formula 1 car at Silverstone today ahead of its test debut at Barcelona next Tuesday.The Mercedes F1 W03 completed the 100 kms of running permitted on a filming day using Pirelli demonstration tyres, with both Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher taking turns behind the wheel.

Vice president of motorsport Norbert Haug hopes will allow the team to "hit the ground running" next week.

"Judging the performance on a roll-out day is very difficult because you run on demo tyres and it was on the short circuit, but the car did everything it was supposed to do," Haug told AUTOSPORT.

"There's a limit of 100 kms so Nico did 50 kms in the morning and then we changed to Michael. There were no teething problems and now we are heading to Barcelona."

Details of the new car are sketchy, but the glimpses seen of the car so far reveal that, like all but one of the teams who have so far unveiled their new machines, it features the so-called 'platypus' nose that only McLaren has opted against.

"The nose is the most discussed issue," said Haug. "It's a stepped nose as some have seen. It's a very nice solution really and a very dynamic one."

Haug added that the extra 10 days of preparation time gained by not running the new car at last week's first test at Jerez have been put to good use.

In addition to mileage completed using the old car at Jerez on the 2012 Pirelli tyres, Haug believes that the simulation work done at the team's Brackley base leaves the team in good shape.

"We have done some very good simulations and calculations and worked a lot inside the company," said Haug. "We had the car on the rig ahead of time and simulated using the engine, gearbox and KERS for quite a while. So we are positive and the target has to be to hit the ground running [at Barcelona].

"We learned something with the old car concerning the new tyres and specifically ran with the blown diffuser because the comparative data with the old tyres was gathered under these conditions.

"We learned a lot and hopefully we can translate what we have learned into the new car."

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