gaggle64 Posted February 5, 2012 Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) New Lotus E20 is now official launched - definitly one of the better lookers. Good to see Kimi hasn't lost his impeccable taste in hats. Edited February 6, 2012 by gaggle64
Retro_Link Posted February 5, 2012 Author Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) haha, a new team, a new trucker cap! Here's the Lotus Official Launch Video *only the first 6/7mins are worth watching* http://www.youtube.com/user/lrgptv?feature=watch The car actually looks surprisingly nice... I don't know if that's the livery helping with that or not, but like you said, definately the next best to the McLaren so far! The huge CLEAR ANTI-DANDRUFF isn't the best, and REXONA is SURE here in the UK... so they're definately the grooming branded team this year! :p Edited February 5, 2012 by Retro_Link
MadDog Posted February 5, 2012 Posted February 5, 2012 I love the livery. Black, gold and red just looks so great together. The nose somehow doesn't look as bad on that car as it does on the others.
gaggle64 Posted February 5, 2012 Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) The huge CLEAR ANTI-DANDRUFF isn't the best, Oh, maybe that explains the hats? Edited February 5, 2012 by gaggle64
Retro_Link Posted February 6, 2012 Author Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) Sauber C31 Not the best... probably like it as much as the Caterham. Tiny sidepods!! Even though I don't like the noses... it's funny how quickly you just accept the design. Edited February 6, 2012 by Retro_Link
gaggle64 Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 The end of that nose looks surprisingly slight compared to the others. There's some good variations built inside the specs between each team. Going to be interesting to see how it all starts to shake out tomorrow. Red Bull launch in less than 20 minutes. This is gonna be the bar...
Retro_Link Posted February 6, 2012 Author Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) Red Bull launch in less than 20 minutes. This is gonna be the bar...Que every F1 designer running back to the factory to begin their redesigns. The Red Bull RB8 --- Reveal Video http://www.redbullracing.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Video/The-RB8-Revealed%E2%80%A6-021243158945543 --- Red Bull always release such crappy white background images. Any, stepped Nose... looks probably the best/most refined. With structure across the top of the step up. Need to see more pics of the overall though, but nose aside, doesn't look anything radical. --- EDIT: Turns out yesterdays Lotus was very much a presentation mock-up car just for the launch, whilst the actual car was getting ready at the tests... Here's the real Lotus E20 on track for a shakedown today... very different/more detailed car! New Nose/Front Wing/Suspension/Side Pods/Exhausts etc... Lovely car!! Edited February 6, 2012 by Retro_Link
Retro_Link Posted February 7, 2012 Author Posted February 7, 2012 Got back in from Uni... Are you fucking kidding me!!! Of course I know not to get carried away by testing, but the most important thing is he was on the pace straight away, and setting consistant lap times. The 2007 world champion went fastest straight out the blocks and was never displaced, as four fast stints in the morning allowed him to get down to 1m19.670s - faster than any testing laps at the Spanish track throughout 2011. Jenson came out and said that was a quick time, and Michael said he's really pleased to have Kimi back! "I'm happy for him, very happy for him," said Schumacher at the end of the day at Jerez. "It is the first day and let's see at the end of the three days and then we can make a proper judgement of what those times were worth. But I am really happy for the team and for him."
Goron_3 Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 Gotta say, I'm so excited for this new season! Just a select quote from Peter Windsors site (amazing read btw): "Michael Schumacher was supremely good into Turn One, staying way over on the right of the straight, accelerating through to seventh gear with the car unloaded, before angling back to the left at the last possible moment. Granted, Michael on this day still had the benefit of a blown diffuser. Relative to the Michael of 2010/11, however, this was an altogether different driver. He braked to a point on the left of the road, still with the car at perhaps 15 deg from “straight and parallel”, then nudged the Mercedes into the right-hander, downshifting against increasing steering load. This plainly asked a lot of the car – but the grip was there and Michael used it almost to perfection in a long run in the middle of the day. Only at 4:45, and then again at 5:50, when the shadows were long and the Pirellis were getting a little tired, did I see Michael revert to a little of what we saw a little of in the last two years. Catching diResta, he braked a metre or two late into Nine, ran wide…but still minimised the damage with some nice manipulations. In short, Michael was Michael this day in Jerez. I think he likes the new Pirellis." http://peterwindsor.com/2012/02/08/notes-from-jerez-testing/ Go go Michael!
Retro_Link Posted February 9, 2012 Author Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) It's not looking great for Ferrari atm! HRT failed the crash test! And Bianchi crashed the Force India after 2 laps, meaning that's all they did today! *facepalm* Edited February 9, 2012 by Retro_Link
Murr Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 Just been following the live feeds on BBC Sport, and alot of 'tweets' and incoming messages are about Qualifiers... Have there been significant rule changes to Qualifying now... From what I can gather you get points based on position you qualify, and the grid is reversed after qualifying... So top 6 would be the bottom 6 on the grid... but a whole grid reverse. This has to be bullshit right... or has it already been announced as a new rule and i've just been living under a rock since November last year?
Ganepark32 Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Was wondering when/if this would happen: Vitaly Petrov replaces Jarno Trulli at Caterham for 2012 Russian Vitaly Petrov has replaced Italian veteran Jarno Trulli at Caterham for 2012. Trulli, 37, was under contract to the team but has been dropped after a tough 2011 season and the arrival of Petrov with a substantial sponsorship package. The move is likely to end the career of a man who has been in F1 since 1997 and won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix. Petrov, 27, joins Caterham after two years at Renault, now re-named Lotus, and will partner Heikki Kovalainen. Trulli joined Caterham - who have raced as Lotus until this year - for their debut season in 2010 but the relationship between the team and driver soured through 2011. The Italian, who is renowned as a remarkably sensitive driver who needs the car to be to his liking to perform at his best, struggled with the car's power-steering system. He was comprehensively out-performed by Kovalainen, and although his form improved when the team were able to fit a modified system with improved feel, he was out-qualified by Kovalainen in 16 of the 18 races they did together last season. This was especially disappointing for the team as Trulli has been recognised throughout his career as one of the fastest drivers in the world over a single lap. The Finn was also generally the stronger race performer, although Trulli did finish ahead in the championship on the basis of having one more 13th place finish. Caterham's decision is based on two major factors. One was that the budget Petrov brings - worth several million pounds - is the equivalent of having a new major sponsor, a major consideration in the current difficult economic climate, especially given that Trulli needed paying a salary. The other was the usual size of the margin between Kovalainen and Trulli - often nearly a second in qualifying. Although Petrov is considered only a journeyman, the team believe he should still be able to produce performances at least as good as if not better than Trulli was managing in 2011. Team principal Tony Fernandes - a multi-millionaire businessman and owner of the Air Asia airline and Queens Park Rangers Football Club - has also been putting pressure on the team to become more self-sufficient. They have so far mostly been funded by his businesses. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17042953 Probably the right move if they're wanting to move the car forward and get into the midfield this year.
Retro_Link Posted February 17, 2012 Author Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) Huh!... they certainly let that decision drag out! Bit strange they didn't do anything before the first test as it would have been worthwhile to have had Petrov there. It looked to me that Trulli was gonna be staying after all, but seems not. There are more deserving driveres than Petrov, but he's a nice guy, does a decent job, and considering F1 is off to Russia in 2014 (is it?), it's good for the sport. Also @Murr I think [pray] that qualifying stuff is made up. I certainly haven't heard or read anythig about it anywhere. EDIT: Pic of the new Mercedes W03 during its shakedown at Silverstone. Edited February 17, 2012 by Retro_Link
gaggle64 Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I'm thinking it was Petrov taking that long to get enough sponsorship together. I think he's got talent, glad to see he's still in. I'll miss Trulli though, very underrated in my opinion. Everyone always joked about the "Trulli Train" but that only happened he kept over-qualifying inferior machinery.
Retro_Link Posted February 17, 2012 Author Posted February 17, 2012 Yeah but all that power steering stuff last year must have just been it for the team... his inability to adapt for an entire season, and thus constantly being way down on Heikki during qualifying.
Retro_Link Posted February 19, 2012 Author Posted February 19, 2012 (edited) 2 days until the next tests! Also... anyone seen the end of this video before?... with the Ferrari rage mechanic! :p [/rhino] Edited February 19, 2012 by Retro_Link
Murr Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 I really shouldn't get so excited about the pre-season testing. At the moment with the likes of Maldonado and Hulkenburg topping the fastest time charts it makes me think the season ahead will be competitive and mid grid teams will push for higher places, but of course there's so much to take into consideration like fuel loads, tyres and such. I hope that when Australia race does get here it won't be a Redbull 1-2, and that teams like Sauber and Caterham who are improving all the time get a little further up the grid.
Retro_Link Posted February 23, 2012 Author Posted February 23, 2012 @Murr, though I think Barachello put the Williams fastest on the last day of the 2011 tests or something, so it does show not to read into it too much. But I do agree, when you look at the final days times they're often all very close, so hopefully we'll have a very competitive field throughout. Though at the front I still think Red Bull will be the team others are trying to catch up to beat. Also, at this point in time it seems Lotus are a bit fucked! Cracks appearing in their chassis, means they've had to pull out of this weeks test, and some are speculating it could require an entirely new chassis build!
Murr Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 I was on BBC sport and they have a gallery of all the cars that have been shown so far you can kind of compare the designs and how each team have taken that hideous new nose into consideration. Must say well done McClaren.... it isn't noticeable at all... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/16872627
Retro_Link Posted February 24, 2012 Author Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) Must say well done McClaren.... it isn't noticeable at all...Much unlike... lol ---- Edited February 24, 2012 by Retro_Link Automerged Doublepost
gaggle64 Posted February 25, 2012 Posted February 25, 2012 Have I ever mentioned what a wonderful place Tumblr is? An now the full 2012 lineup: (Check out the sass on Lewis)
Retro_Link Posted February 25, 2012 Author Posted February 25, 2012 haha brilliant! I hate Uni... it seems to ruin my life where ever possible. I was just looking into how feasible it might be to go to the Mugello test in May... turns out it's the same weeks as my End of Year Show. Bastards!
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