2012 Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix 2012 ( officially 2012 Formula 1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix) was held on 18 March at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne instead and was the first race of the Formula 1 season in 2012.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
This year there was the Grand Prix of Australia instead of just one two DRS zones. For more overtaking should be generated. Here, the first zone ( 795 m) was back on the start -finish straight. The second zone (510 m) was on the subsequent straight line between the Brabham and Whiteford. For both DRS zones there was a single measurement point. This was before the Stewart curve.
The visually striking modification of this season has been a reduction in the maximum height of the body 15 cm in front of the monocoque of 62.5 cm to 55 cm, which was solved by most teams with a " nasal hump ". Only the McLaren MP4 - 27 and the Marussia MR01 went without the hump at the start.
At the Grand Prix of Australia presented Pirelli riders the tire compounds P Zero medium ( white) and P Zero soft (yellow), as well as for wet conditions Cinturato Intermediates (green) and Cinturato Full Wets (blue ) are available.
With the return of Kimi Raikkonen came into this season six drivers with at least one world title. These are with Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel all the world champions since 2000.
Three teams have switched to this season its chassis name: Renault enters 2012 as the Lotus F1 Team, formerly Team Lotus as Caterham F1 Team and Marussia Virgin F1 as a team. The shares of ownership in the teams remained unchanged.
At Williams Renault Cosworth took over from the engine manufacturer. Williams scored his final constructors' world title in 1997 with Renault engines.
Charles Pic ( Marussia ) and Jean- Éric Vergne (Toro Rosso ) gave their Formula 1 debut. Romain Grosjean ( Lotus ), Nico Hulkenberg ( Force India ), Narain Karthikeyan (HRT ), Kimi Raikkonen ( Lotus ) and Pedro de la Rosa ( HRT) returned to the Formula 1. Vitaly Petrov ( Caterham ), Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso ) and Bruno Senna ( Williams) started for the first time for their new teams.
For the first time since the Grand Prix of Germany 1973, no Italian drivers participated in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
With Michael Schumacher ( four times ), Jenson Button (twice), Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel ( once each ) were six former winners of this Grand Prix.
As stewards of this Grand Prix acted Steve Chopping (AUS ), Paul Gutjahr (SUI ), Johnny Herbert (GBR ) and Enzo Spano ( VEN).
The "passive F-duct " of the Mercedes F1 W03 was under the technical inspection judged on the Thursday before the race by the stewards as legal. The teams of Red Bull and Lotus announced over Charlie Whiting, to protest against the classification under certain circumstances. In this case, the results of the race would be temporary, the International Court of Appeal of the FIA would deal afterwards with the question of legality. Both Lotus and Red Bull for abandoning the race at a protest.
Training
In the first free practice session Button set the fastest time ahead of his McLaren team-mate Hamilton and Schumacher. The training took place first under wet conditions, but dried off the track and the driver finally used slicks. The HRT F112 and the Marussia MR01 were first used in this training at an official Formula 1 training. The HRT F112 by de la Rosa was taken just before the start of the first training. Since the car was not completely finished yet but he did not play. His team-mate Karthikeyan fell after three rounds of technical problems. In addition to the HRT drivers were also at Marussia driver is not within the 107- percent rule.
Also in the second free practice session started on a wet track. Toward the end, it dried off and the pilots set the fastest times on slicks. Schumacher posted the fastest lap time in front of Hulkenberg and Sergio Pérez. In addition to the HRT pilots managed all drivers for a time within the 107- percent rule. De la Rosa graduated this workout his first round. In the third free practice Hamilton took the lead ahead of Grosjean and Mark Webber. It succeeded except the HRT drivers all drivers for a time within the 107- percent rule.
Qualifying
In the first segment of qualifying, Kamui Kobayashi set the fastest time ago Vergne and Grosjean. The HRT pilots both progressed no time within the 107- percent rule and failed therefore to the qualification. In addition, the Marussia and Caterham pilots and Raikkonen not moved up into second segment. The second section was interrupted after a ride Alonso. Alonso had lost on the start -finish straight control of his vehicle and spun into the gravel of the Jones curve. Nico Rosberg ended up being the fastest rider ahead of Schumacher and Hamilton. Besides Alonso retired from the Sauber drivers and Felipe Massa, Paul di Resta, Senna and Vergne. In the last segment Hamilton finally went to the pole position ahead of his team mate Button and Grosjean.
After qualifying, had to clean the gear in Pérez change, which resulted in a transfer back to five positions. HRT, the pilots had not qualified, applied for a special permit at the start of the race organizers. The race stewards not granted them.
Race
At the start Button took the lead from Hamilton. Grosjean did not start well and lost in the first round a few positions. A good start, however, were the Ferrari drivers Alonso and Massa, who went into the race from further back. In midfield, there was a collision, were involved in the Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Senna. While Ricciardo and Senna made it back to the pits and drove on, Hulkenberg was eliminated. One lap later, it came to a duel between Pastor Maldonado and Grosjean. In the fast corner combination 11-12 Maldonado attempted an overtaking maneuver and Grosjean did not yield. The two pilots were touching and Grosjean damaged thereby his front suspension. This had to finish the race it.
While the McLaren drivers to settle at the top and also Button goal for the lead over Hamilton, Vettel worked forward. First, he overtook Rosberg and then unlocked the third-placed Schumacher. However, a longer duel it did not come as Schumacher retired in the eleventh round with gearbox problems.
Shortly thereafter, the phase of the first pit stops began, with the driver opted for different strategies. Most pilots were started with the soft tire compound. The leading McLaren and Alonso and Webber switched to the harder compound, Rosberg and Vettel opted for another set of the softer tire compound.
In the meantime, lay Pérez, who went from last place in the race, in second place. He decided to first use the harder tire compound and had completed at the time still not stop. However, he remained not long in this position and was overtaken by Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso and Rosberg. He eventually switched to the softer tire compound. It remained his only pit stop.
Finally Massa began again the phase of pit stops those pilots who wanted to stop twice. After Button and Hamilton were on the box, there was a safety car phase. Petrov had previously been left behind with technical problems on the start -finish straight. For the recovery of the vehicle had the safety car onto the track. Under yellow finally completed all the pilots their last scheduled pit stop. Button was in the lead ahead of Vettel, Hamilton, Webber, Alonso, Maldonado, Perez, Rosberg, Raikkonen and Kobayashi. Before the race was released, also Petrov Caterham team-mate Kovalainen was forced to retire in the pits with technical problems.
At the restart succeeded button, immediately stand out from Vettel. While the positions on the front seats remained unchanged, it came in the back of the pack to a collision between Senna and Massa. Both pilots had to abandon the race as a result of the box, with Senna previously could still do some laps.
Button was in the closing stages with several seconds ahead of Vettel, Hamilton and Webber had tight behind. Alonso and Maldonado drove very close behind one another, but a passing maneuver could not perform Maldonado.
The final round of the Grand Prix was turbulent. While Button win from Vettel, Hamilton, Webber and Alonso, Maldonado made a mistake in the amount of Lauda curve. To him, the stern was broken when accelerating and he went into the barriers. He was uninjured.
To view the other items there were several close battles in the last round. Rosberg and Perez touched it. As a result, Rosberg suffered a puncture and dropped out of the points. Kobayashi was finally sixth ahead of Raikkonen, Pérez, Ricciardo and di Resta. Ricciardo scored in his first race for Toro Rosso his first points in Formula 1 near this would also be his teammate Vergne succeeded, but he lost to tenth place in the last turn to di Resta. Pic next Vergne, the second debutant, was seen on the 15th Place.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
, The first ten of the race were 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point (s).