OT: Racing 2012 (Spoiler Alert)

[Rodster]

Wow, so nice to see the Schu qualify in 3rd today. Kimi also looked strong coming in 5th but dropping to 10th because of a gearbox change. Can't wait for the race, hoping Schu is on the podium and maybe winning it.

[pk500]

Wow, so nice to see the Schu qualify in 3rd today. Kimi also looked strong coming in 5th but dropping to 10th because of a gearbox change. Can't wait for the race, hoping Schu is on the podium and maybe winning it.

Four Mercedes engines in the top six, right? The Hun Hustler is the powerplant to have this year, it appears. Although Renault isn't too shabby.

Romain Grosjean impresses again. Dude has made Q3 in both races. The real deal.

Plus the Perez-replacing-Massa rumors will intensify after today. Phil Mason is lost in space and being pilloried by the Italian media.

[Rodster]

That Lotus is purring. Kimi took the top spot in Q2 and was on it through out qualy. Lotus has a good car this year. If Massa gets replaced I would not want to be the driver doing it. That's a Rubens Barrichello scenario only worse.

[GB_Simo]

It's going to be very, very interesting to see where Vettel ends up tomorrow. For all that he says he can't get the car working on options, his pace on the primes is so solid.

This Schumacher bloke...is he new?

[pk500]

It's going to be very, very interesting to see where Vettel ends up tomorrow. For all that he says he can't get the car working on options, his pace on the primes is so solid.

This Schumacher bloke...is he new?

We'll probably see yet another deconstruction of the myth that Vettel only can drive well -- or win -- when starting from the front.

[Zeppo]

I've decided that the Brawn secret widget this season will only help Mercedes in qualifying, because it is only functional with the DRS open. We will see tomorrow, but it certainly isn't like his secret widget which helped Button and Ruebens dominate the first part of the season whenever-many-years ago. it was cool to see Schumacher in the interview room again, for the first time since his return, but I bet we won't be seeing that on race days. I'm guessing we will see the Mercs do well in FPs and qualifying, and finish outside the podium in the races.

Kimi looked awesome today. He was throwing that thing around oh-so-close to losing it and never wound up in the kitty litter. I'm excited to see how he does in the race tomorrow, even with that transmission penalty. I hope that car can keep up through the summer, though I don't really see how, but those are a couple of fun drivers to root for.

[Smurfy]

I'm expecting the usual.

If I was McLaren, I'd be concerned about a fast-starting Schumacher, though I doubt his tires will hold up long enough to prove to be too much of a problem. My concern about tires is doubled for Lewis.

Vettel and Alonso will have significantly better race pace than qualifying pace. Vettel might be especially dangerous if the options can't hold up in the hot weather.

If tires remain a significant factor in the race then I look to race win number two for Button. Yes, I've lost my faith in Lewis over a race distance on these tires.

Lotus is a big "?" It would be nice to them troubling the big boys. Imagine if Kimi didn't have such a messy qualifying lap?

[Rodster]

I did not watch the race at 4 in the morning but just read the results. I can't believe that piece of sh*t pulled off a win. And it's probably official, Massa will be replaced by Perez after his almost maiden win for Sauber.

[pk500]

Really fun race to watch. Strategic options were all over the board for various teams. A command performance by Captain Morgan.

McLaren screwed itself with its ill-timed pit stops and woeful work in the pits. Button also pooched himself by hitting Karthikeyan, whom I thought tried to stay out of the way in that corner and did nothing abrupt.

Rod is right: The rumors of Perez replacing Massa will reach fever pitch in the next two weeks. Massa looks lost.

[Rodster]

So now the slimeballs at Ferrari and The Capt must be an accomplice are being accused of not wanting Sergio to win.

Sauber denies suggestions that Perez was ordered to not attack Alonso in Malaysian GP
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98393

[F308GTB]

So now the slimeballs at Ferrari and The Capt must be an accomplice are being accused of not wanting Sergio to win.

Sauber denies suggestions that Perez was ordered to not attack Alonso in Malaysian GP
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98393

Having gone wide in the corner Perez did many times in F1 2011 I'd have to think it was a total screwup. That corner is unforgiving and even though it's paved, it was wet. Well off the dry line. Certainly a case of seeing that red car right ahead and pushing a little too hard. Very entertaining race, and yes, Massa is doing himself no favors with consistently poor performances. So how many more weeks will Massa survive?

The Indycar race was good too, but man do those cars look goofy with the semi-faired rear tires.

[GB_Simo]

So now the slimeballs at Ferrari and The Capt must be an accomplice are being accused of not wanting Sergio to win.

Sauber denies suggestions that Perez was ordered to not attack Alonso in Malaysian GP
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98393

Surely it was his own team who didn't want Sergio to win?

If I stood to gain several million dollars in constructors prize money on the back of 18 points I might feel the same as Sauber did, but how many chances are they going to get to win a Grand Prix? Everything they did today, from delaying the switch to slicks to getting on the radio and suggesting their man took it steady, was geared to avoid losing 2nd rather than trying to gain 1st. If they'd just followed Fernando into the pit lane, Sergio would have been several seconds up the road by lap 51 and that little goof would never have been an issue.

I think there's a lot to respect and admire about Peter Sauber, but his Formula 1 operation has always felt like a team quite happy to be a well-respected midfielder. Today didn't really change my view on that very much.

Massa's dead in the water, isn't he?

[pk500]

Adam is right: Today was perhaps the most blatant example of why Peter Sauber has been called one of the nicest and most honorable men in the paddock.

Dude always has known who has put jam on his toast, and in the classic style of Swiss neutrality, he doesn't rock the proverbial boat.

[Rodster]

When I read the results the only thing that came to mind was Rob Smedley saying, Fernando is faster that you.

The good thing is the F2012 is a piece of crap so unless it rains at every venue Ferrari and Capt Morgan won't sniff a title. I did see the Indycar race and wow it does take some getting used to watching those cars out on the track.

[Dave]

I enjoyed the IndyCar race yesterday, despite ABC's best efforts to ruin it.

I don't know if Reid is clueless or if the spotters are terrible (or not there?), but he continues to show zero awareness of anything not happening in the current top 3 positions. Goodyear is a moron, so no surprise he can't keep up. On a day like yesterday with two-stop and three-stop strategies playing out, you really need an announcer to help set the stage for a viewer. But ABC just can't do it--they absolutely ignored Dixon and Castroneves when they pitted, even though it was fairly clear that the two of them were in the catbird seat. That led to them missing Helio's awesome pass in turn one to take the eventual lead from Dixon.

Biggest surprise of the day was that none of the engines spewed their guts on the track. Sure there were some gremlins knocking cars out of the race, but I was impressed by the reliability.

[Gangrel]

Figured this was a good place to stick this. Youtube video from Subaru on a run at Isle Of Mann in a WRX. Watch till the end, when they describe the "moment". Man, these drivers reflexes are about 1000 times faster then mine......

[F308GTB]

No talk at all about the Mercedes front row for China or Rosberg's first ever start from pole?

[pk500]

No talk at all about the Mercedes front row for China or Rosberg's first ever start from pole?

The all-Mercedes front row is a sham. Lewis qualified second and was moved back five places due to a gearbox change.

Plus Mercedes has a decided advantage in qualifying due to its DRS-activated F-duct system. But the DRS isn't open nearly as much in the race as in practice or qualifying, and the Merc chews tires at a voracious rate in races.

So Mercedes should enjoy its monopoly of the front row while it can. It won't occupy the same spots on the podium later this morning.

[F308GTB]

No talk at all about the Mercedes front row for China or Rosberg's first ever start from pole?

The all-Mercedes front row is a sham. Lewis qualified second and was moved back five places due to a gearbox change.

Plus Mercedes has a decided advantage in qualifying due to its DRS-activated F-duct system. But the DRS isn't open nearly as much in the race as in practice or qualifying, and the Merc chews tires at a voracious rate in races.

So Mercedes should enjoy its monopoly of the front row while it can. It won't occupy the same spots on the podium later this morning.

Come again If Michael's wheel were put on right, it could have been a 1-2 finish. Nico wasn't able to use DRS at all and won handily, though if Button had a better final stop it may have changed things.

[pk500]

I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by Rosberg's victory. I've always thought he skated to a bit of a free ride in F1 due to his daddy and famous last name.

If Brawn and Co. can keep the Merc running this quickly while remaining more sympathetic to its tires, the rest of the F1 field should be very afraid. There might be a new form of Krautrock on the rise in F1.

[pk500]

P.S.: The Long Beach Grand Prix should be a very interesting IndyCar race this afternoon on NBC Sports Network. Most of the top runners are starting back on the grid because of penalties due to engine changes. Could get crazy.

3:30 p.m. (ET) on NBCSN.

[Zeppo]

Awesome race. So much crazy action late, late in the race. But it was so aggravating to me that Varsha and co. Seemed to completely ignore the obvious about Kimi. It was so clear that he was the cork in the champagne for the longest time, and guess what, once he made a mistake he went from 2 to 12 in a flash, and the choo-choo train of cars behind him spread out. Had A) Button not had the delay in his final stop, and B) Raikonnen not held up the truly competitive cars for so long, it may well have been a real battle among three or more cars for the win. That said, had Schumacher not had his pit problem, he may well have played the Kimi role but have done it deliberately as strategy, as he seemed to be doing early in the race.

All in all though, I have to say this package of tires with KERS and DRS does make for some great F1 action on the track. I do think that China could have a second, totally separate DRS zone or at least have the DRS zone be longer in that big straight, just because Hamilton was having so much trouble getting by slower cars for so long, and the aforementioned Kimi as finger in the dyke situation. Also the tire debris buildup is not a good thing, because it does make it too hard to pass as the race goes on. But the the tire wear is fantastic for the racing, so I don't know how the one thing could be fixed without ruining the other, if you follow me.

Very happy for Nico, and so very happy to see Norbert Haug on the podium able to celebrate. I don't have any idea what he is really like, but I like the guy I see on TV and hear from occasionally I the various F1 outlets, ever since I saw shots of him at Indy in 2006 sitting on a backwards chair about two feet from a big screen TV watching the Germans' first game in the Wolrd Cup. He looked like a little kid watchg that game and it was cool to see.

[F308GTB]

Also the tire debris buildup is not a good thing, because it does make it too hard to pass as the race goes on. But the the tire wear is fantastic for the racing, so I don't know how the one thing could be fixed without ruining the other, if you follow me.

My suggestion - hire a bunch of Chinese acrobats, let them swing from a trapeze with brooms!

[F308GTB]

P.S.: The Long Beach Grand Prix should be a very interesting IndyCar race this afternoon on NBC Sports Network. Most of the top runners are starting back on the grid because of penalties due to engine changes. Could get crazy.

3:30 p.m. (ET) on NBCSN.

Entertaining race. One more lap and Pagenaud would have had it. It must be the good old days of F355 on the Dreamcast/arcade, but I love the Long Beach track.

[pk500]

P.S.: The Long Beach Grand Prix should be a very interesting IndyCar race this afternoon on NBC Sports Network. Most of the top runners are starting back on the grid because of penalties due to engine changes. Could get crazy.

3:30 p.m. (ET) on NBCSN.

Entertaining race. One more lap and Pagenaud would have had it. It must be the good old days of F355 on the Dreamcast/arcade, but I love the Long Beach track.

Agree with both of your points!