2012 season preview?

[FMecha]

It looks like there is no 2012 season preview yet. The complementary podcast is also yet to be recorded (I don't count recent Off-Season podcast as season preview podcast). Why?

[DanielPT]

It looks like there is no 2012 season preview yet. The complementary podcast is also yet to be recorded (I don't count recent Off-Season podcast as season preview podcast). Why?

Relax FMecha. Both Jamie and Enoch have been very busy and besides on their latest podcast, which we were lucky to have, they mentioned that it might not even be possible to do a season preview or another podcast.

[FullMetalJack]

The main thing I read in the previews is the potential rejects, and even without a review, I think I can have a crack at it.

Marussia
Narain Karthikeyan
Charles Pic
The name "Sahara Force India"
No Turkish Grand Prix
Kimi Raikkonen's motivation if the Lotus turns out to be bad
The platypus nose
Pastor Maldonado

[eytl]

Well of course our "current" F1 coverage this year will be limited to the occasional podcast and topical article on Centrale, but I did suggest I would continue to write a season preview and review.

Time is running out for a season preview of course - both in terms of how long to go before the season starts, and in terms of how much time I have available. Plus the final pre-season test is only concluding tonight (our time) ... and frankly it's pretty inconclusive so far. If I do manage to write any kind of season preview, most likely it won't be a "team by team" capsule preview like in previous years, but a single article.

There probably won't be a season preview podcast.

Here's the thing, though ... I'm currently working on several driver/team profiles ...

[dr-baker]

Here's the thing, though ... I'm currently working on several driver/team profiles ...

Hurrah for this!

[Ferrim]

Pastor Maldonado

Set for a very good season. You read it here first.

[DanielPT]

Pastor Maldonado

Set for a very good season. You read it here first.

I will not go into crazy predictions, but I will say that Maldonado is set for a very good Monaco race... Until he crashes out that is.

[Londoner]

Pastor Maldonado

Set for a very good season. You read it here first.

I will not go into crazy predictions, but I will say that Maldonado is set for a very good Monaco race... Until Hamilton crashes into him that is.

Fixed

[DanielPT]

I will not go into crazy predictions, but I will say that Maldonado is set for a very good Monaco race... Until Hamilton crashes into him that is.

Fixed

I first thought about that, yes, but I imagined then that Hamilton would be more busy causing havoc in Felipe Massa aerodynamics...

[RealRacingRoots]

If anything, all you need to do for a season preview podcast is say the ugly-ness rating for the HRT and the Marussia and you got your preview done since you did the ugly-ness rating for the rest of the teams already.

[mario]

I will not go into crazy predictions, but I will say that Maldonado is set for a very good Monaco race... Until Hamilton crashes into him that is.

Fixed

I first thought about that, yes, but I imagined then that Hamilton would be more busy causing havoc in Felipe Massa aerodynamics...

That depends, though, on whether Ferrari really is in as bad a position as is thought - it'll be hard for Hamilton to collide with Massa if there are several other cars in the way...

[DanielPT]

I first thought about that, yes, but I imagined then that Hamilton would be more busy causing havoc in Felipe Massa aerodynamics...

That depends, though, on whether Ferrari really is in as bad a position as is thought - it'll be hard for Hamilton to collide with Massa if there are several other cars in the way...

That didn't seemed to stop Hamilton last year! Ferrari was lagging behind McLaren (Although with no one in between) and Massa was usually battling for lower points position. Besides, it still his more probable to find a Ferrari than a Williams!

[TomWazzleshaw]

I first thought about that, yes, but I imagined then that Hamilton would be more busy causing havoc in Felipe Massa aerodynamics...

That depends, though, on whether Ferrari really is in as bad a position as is thought - it'll be hard for Hamilton to collide with Massa if there are several other cars in the way...

That didn't seemed to stop Hamilton last year! Ferrari was lagging behind McLaren (Although with no one in between) and Massa was usually battling for lower points position. Besides, it still his more probable to find a Ferrari than a Williams!

Unless said Williamses are being lapped for the 2nd or 3rd time that afternoon

[DanielPT]

That didn't seemed to stop Hamilton last year! Ferrari was lagging behind McLaren (Although with no one in between) and Massa was usually battling for lower points position. Besides, it still his more probable to find a Ferrari than a Williams!

Unless said Williamses are being lapped for the 2nd or 3rd time that afternoon

Well, yes... But don't forget we live in a sissy times which means that if a driver doesn't do nothing less than leave the track to let a faster car lap him he may face a fine/ban/license revoke which ever is more serious. I base my opinion in that not even Hamilton can crash into a lapped car these days...

[mario]

I first thought about that, yes, but I imagined then that Hamilton would be more busy causing havoc in Felipe Massa aerodynamics...

That depends, though, on whether Ferrari really is in as bad a position as is thought - it'll be hard for Hamilton to collide with Massa if there are several other cars in the way...

That didn't seemed to stop Hamilton last year! Ferrari was lagging behind McLaren (Although with no one in between) and Massa was usually battling for lower points position. Besides, it still his more probable to find a Ferrari than a Williams!

That is the potential difference between last year and this year - given that Hamilton was typically qualifying only one or two places ahead of Massa and the fact that the Ferrari's were generally quicker off the line, it meant that Hamilton would fall back far enough to be in close proximity to Massa. This year, though, it is quite possible that there may be at least one more team between him and Massa (Mercedes), perhaps more depending on where Lotus fit in (and perhaps Force India too) - so if Hamilton were to slip back in the early stages of a race, it is more likely that he'd be battling with somebody like Rosberg, Kimi or Alonso than Massa (assuming that Massa is still generally outqualified by Alonso this year).
On a serious note, though, I would be surprised if Hamilton is as error prone this year - asides from the fact that he has made some changes to his management team (such as hiring Hakkinen's former coach), the fact that the FIA will impose tougher penalties for repeat offences (10 place grid penalties if a drivers receives three official reprimands for his driving) means that the team will probably be taking a tougher line with him too.