2012 Predictions / Driver Line-up / News etc...

I don't tend to sympathise with Bernie, but I can sort of see his issue here. If F1 pull out of Bahrain for another year based on human rights issues, then surely that sets a precedent that all F1 races in countries with dubious human rights records should equally be pulled from the calendar, that's an awful, awful lot of money out of the sport, and could take 3 or 4 races off the calendar, depending on how you apply it. Sport, as far as is possible, should always remain independent of politics. The ideal situation would be that F1 cannot go to Bahrain for safety reasons, then F1 can avoid going without creating further controversy.

 

Err, ideally, yeah, that kinda does set that precedent.
You know the sporting boycotts of Zimbabwe, the USSR and South Africa at different times in history? There was a reason why those existed.

 

Yes, I agree.
I am sure that any decision not to race there will continue to be presented to the public on the grounds of safety. As you say, Bernie needs to try remain apolitical. However, this is potentially difficult when F1 itself is being used as a tool to promote the country itself; and this is precisely how Bernie (and latterly CVC) have managed to market their product!

 

Sporting boycotts have tended to be across multiple sports though, and only then have they been seen to be effective.

From a quick look online, human rights campaigners haven't called for the dozen or so qualified Bahraini athletes to be barred from the Olympics, FIFA haven't been asked to ban matches against the national football team, F1 is the only sport where I can find any serious campaigning. As part of a coordinated international effort, then fine, F1 shouldn't go to Bahrain until human rights are raised to an acceptable standard, but I don't see why F1 should be expected to act in isolation.

 

F1 does it first thus everyone else has to follow?

 

f1 is the biggest sport held in the country and a big money maker for the bahraini leaders. B.E wont cancel a F1 race for a political stand, no way! that would mean less money in his pocket. It was cancelled last year at late notice because of safety fears which have died down a bit now

 

The entire world, summed up.

 

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/175864/1/catalunya_feeling_the_squeeze.html
Hmm, both Spanish circuits struggling for funds. While I wouldn't normally like to see to European races vanish from the calendar, I'd be quite happy if these two did.

 

I'd be more than happy if Valencia disappears, but despite not producing classic racing I do quite like Catalunya. With HRT trying to be a Spanish F1 team, Alonso and maybe Alguersuari still in the sport, and a strong fanbase, I think it'd be a shame if there was no longer a Spanish GP. I guess it makes the spot available for Bernie to organise a money-making race somewhere else in the world.

 

In lighter news Raikkonen will be driving a 2 year old Renault at Valencia on January 23-24... if he can be bothered. Will be on demo tyres apparently, so they can't be too dissimilar to the real ones?

 

Demo tyres? Are they on strike or something?................


and as for Barcelona, I thought it was a decent race last year. But.. I thought Barcelona were going to race share the spanish GP anyway??

 

Incidently, what are the laws on running tests with old cars? Why can't Red Bull give Buemi/Alguersuari/Vergne/Ricciardo some time in an old Red Bull/Toro Rosso? I'd have loved to have seen a straight shootout for the Toro Rosso seats.

 

Shouldn't that be testing...

 

Mayyyybeeeeee

 

For 2012, as long as the new McLaren is crap, i'm happy.

 

Hopefully that doesn't happen and what's the reason for that lol

 

Not a fan of them. I'm praying the sauber ends up being ridiculously good, so Kamui can show his mettle.

 

lol you better start praying kyle and hahah fair enuff mate. Kamui was abit quiet last year i hope he can get some of his flare back for this season

 

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/01/has-lotus-renault-found-this-years-must-have-gizmo/
Lotus may have found next year's controversial must-have toy. And I don't understand it at all.

 

Cheers for the link, that looks interesting. I'd be curious how accurate it turns out to be. A technical journalist reverse engineering a small cylinder they've seen to give all that deal is either highly impressive, or a lot of guesswork!

I don't really see the need for it to be driver controlled though. Assuming that the adjustment is made through the front suspension, then surely all you would need to do is have a computer program that reads the speed of the car, and then as soon as the brakes are touched, hardens the front suspension by a pre-determined amount for the speed the car is travelling? If a program to do that wouldn't be legal, then I would guess the driver controlled element of the system will be a dial which is turned to preset positions before each corner. I suspect Rubens won't like the idea of maybe having to do even more work in the cockpit.