And the 2012 Champion is.......

**Mia 01** · 19th May 12, 06:45

It´s kimi

**F1boat** · 28th May 12, 09:53

Well, while Red Bull looked good in Monte, one can't help but notice that Ferrari is the only team, which was truly competitive on both the Spanish and the Monaco GP - two very, very different tracks. Williams and Lotus were excellent in Barcelona and nowhere yesterday. Red Bull and Mercedes fought for the win yesterday and were slow in Spain. Ferrari now seems a very solid car, much different from the disaster in the early races. McLaren seems to fade in the races, they must be worried.

**SlowSon** · 28th May 12, 10:13

Well, while Red Bull looked good in Monte, one can't help but notice that Ferrari is the only team, which was truly competitive on both the Spanish and the Monaco GP - two very, very different tracks. Williams and Lotus were excellent in Barcelona and nowhere yesterday. Red Bull and Mercedes fought for the win yesterday and were slow in Spain. Ferrari now seems a very solid car, much different from the disaster in the early races. McLaren seems to fade in the races, they must be worried.

So Ferrari is well-balanced, equally slow everywhere

**F1boat** · 28th May 12, 10:52

Two podiums from two races and now Alonso is a WDC leader

**SlowSon** · 28th May 12, 10:56

Alonso's achievements are not thanks to, but despite Ferrari

**BMW_320_IRL** · 28th May 12, 14:23

hopefully it will be ALONSO.
best driver overall, and that for the last 10years, no matter which tyres, which car or circumstances, Nando was always on top

**F1boat** · 28th May 12, 14:26

Originally Posted by SlowSon

Alonso's achievements are not thanks to, but despite Ferrari

You can't deny, I hope, that Ferrari greatly improved since Oz.

**jens** · 28th May 12, 18:15

I have to say that right now the situation reminds a lot of 2010. Alonso and Red Bulls at the front with Hamilton close behind. It looks like they may be the main contenders, but with the competition changing so much it is difficult to say, who has the best chance. What seems clear – Ferrari has improved and is a podium-car on merit now, so consistently impressive Alonso is definitely in the game.

By the way, if we look at the points of 2010 after six races (also Monaco), the situation was almost the same:
Web – 78, Vet – 78, Alo – 75, But – 70, Mas – 61, Ham – 59, Kub – 59, Ros – 56.

The main difference is that the McLarens have swapped positions and Massa is nowhere. Kubica has been replaced by the new Lotus #1 driver.

Button’s season is starting to remind Fisichella from 2005 or Coulthard from 2003. Both achieved an euphoric win in the season opener, but after that everything fell apart. Hopefully Button can still come back strong.

**Garry Walker** · 28th May 12, 18:56

Red Bull is still the best car to have.

**F1boat** · 30th May 12, 10:15

Red Bull are most likely the best team, but there is no single best car, at least that's what I think.

**Mr Alca-Tazizzle** · 5th Jun 12, 17:10

IMO some interesting data (though not altogether definative) about relative gains and losses of all the teams as they’ve developed their cars. Not too surprising considering how far off the pace they started, Ferrari has gained .977 seconds. This begs the question; how much of this improvement can we directly attribute to six tenths?

Listed in the order of last year's championship standings, this piece demonstrates where teams have gained and lost pace. Taking each squad's outright fastest qualifying times, we have been able to put together a host of revealing facts based on ultimate speed at each venue.

Feature: Biggest improvers of the season - GPUpdate.net

**jens** · 9th Jul 12, 08:34

Almost halfway through the season and it is hard to look past Alonso at this stage. His performance has been truly spectacular this season, reminding some of the all-time classics, like Prost in '86, Senna in '91 or Schumacher in late 90's. Also Ferrari has developed a really good and consistent car by now. Pace-wise they still haven't got Red Bull covered, but looks like they are really close to managing it.

Red Bull is really good on most circuits and seems to have improved their consistency as well after some early-season struggles in qualifying/cold weather, but I don't think Webber can match the consistency of Alonso during the rest of the season. Vettel could have a chance, but he has dropped a bit behind in the points and needs to have a flawless run from now onwards.

After the Chinese GP we were discussing, which McLaren driver is going to win the title. Well...

By the way, it should be added that Lotus is still really fast and crucially quite consistent across different circuits (were struggling only at Monaco), but it doesn't look like the team as a whole (including drivers) is ready to challenge for the title this year at least.

**steveaki13** · 9th Jul 12, 17:59

I agree Jens

Its been a great season with alot of changes as you mentioned.

Mclaren were looking unbeatable, but now it looks as though Red Bull is the fastest car, but its Alonso who is the class of the field at the moment, regardless of Webbers win yesterday.

Alonso dominated a large chunk of the race and had he not gone for the tyre strategy the opposite way to the Red Bulls, he could have won it.

I think Lotus must win a race this season surely given their speed and their two drivers.

But above all I think a Alonso & Vettel battle for the title. With a sneaky challenge by Webber and maybe just maybe an outside challenge from Lewis.

From all this I think Fernando looks so much under control and has such class he will be the world champion.

**steveaki13** · 9th Jul 12, 18:09

Another thing looking at the potential champion. I was looking at the world champions.

Alonso is so good, and yet he hasn't won a title for 5 seasons.

Raikkonen one of the quickest around. 1 title.

Lewis looked so much like he was going to be multiple champion yet after 5 seasons. 1 title.

Vettel obviously now is one of the best.

But go back in time and after Alonso had won his 2 titles in 2006 for Renault and you asked how many he would have by 2012. I would have said have said 3 at least.

The same for Raikkonen he would have been multiple champion.

Lewis after his first year of brilliance in 2007 and then a title in 2008. I thought he may be a 3 time champion.

All of these drivers in a certain time may have been a dominant force in F1. However such is the quality around and the strength of F1 at the moment, none have won as many titles as I thought they would have.

We really are lucky to have so many class and fast drivers to watch these days.

**jens** · 9th Jul 12, 18:33

Originally Posted by aki13

But go back in time and after Alonso had won his 2 titles in 2006 for Renault and you asked how many he would have by 2012. I would have said have said 3 at least.

The same for Raikkonen he would have been multiple champion.

Lewis after his first year of brilliance in 2007 and then a title in 2008. I thought he may be a 3 time champion.

So going by that maybe after five years it would be said that surely I expected Vettel to be a 5x WDC by now, but he is still on two.

**Garry Walker** · 9th Jul 12, 19:36

Originally Posted by jens

Almost halfway through the season and it is hard to look past Alonso at this stage.

He will have to drive at an incredible level to beat the RedBull (the best and fastest car for the 4th straight year)

After the Chinese GP we were discussing, which McLaren driver is going to win the title. Well...

No, some were. Some were not. Namely me. I maintained that Red Bull was the car to have and McLaren was very overrated. Who has been proven right I ask you? Yeah, that would be me. Again. Never doubt me again.

By the way, it should be added that Lotus is still really fast and crucially quite consistent across different circuits (were struggling only at Monaco), but it doesn't look like the team as a whole (including drivers) is ready to challenge for the title this year at least.

Lotus needs to improve in qualifying, but they probably have the best driver pairing out there since Button decided to become a buffoon. But due to bad qualifying they tend to get stuck behind slower cars for the race (as happened to Kimi yesterday).

Originally Posted by aki13

Mclaren were looking unbeatable,

When? There has been no such race this year.

Alonso dominated a large chunk of the race and had he not gone for the tyre strategy the opposite way to the Red Bulls, he could have won it.

He dominated only because he is much better than either of the Red Bull fools and because of his gamble on the primes at the start.

**jens** · 9th Jul 12, 19:59

Originally Posted by Garry Walker

No, some were. Some were not. Namely me. I maintained that Red Bull was the car to have and McLaren was very overrated. Who has been proven right I ask you? Yeah, that would be me. Again. Never doubt me again.

Lol.

Proven right? The situation has changed compared to the situation we had three races into the season. I am not going to rewrite the history based on what has happened later and how the teams have developed the cars during the season. In the beginning McLaren was very good, but have been unable to develop for some reason.

**Garry Walker** · 9th Jul 12, 20:15

Originally Posted by jens

Lol.

Proven right? The situation has changed compared to the situation we had three races into the season. I am not going to rewrite the history based on what has happened later and how the teams have developed the cars during the season. In the beginning McLaren was very good, but have been unable to develop for some reason.

The McLaren was the best car along with RB in the first race of the year. After that they were nothing special. They were not that good at Malaysia (Ferrari, Sauber, RB were all faster in the race), they were nothing special at China (mercedes was faster and RB was at least as fast, probably faster). People thought that because they took the 2 pole positions in the first two races they are suddenly the car to have. So this has nothing to do with development, McLaren just never was that good to begin with (although in comparison to others they have probably developed less, but the fact remains, they were behind to start with). I said it back at the start of the year they are not special, some said they were just by far the fastest. Well, I was right again and some others were left with brown stuff on their faces, again.

**steveaki13** · 9th Jul 12, 20:53

Originally Posted by jens

So going by that maybe after five years it would be said that surely I expected Vettel to be a 5x WDC by now, but he is still on two.

The point I was making was that any of these drivers are so good, you wouldn't be supprised if any of them had won more. But there are so many great drivers they are thankfully taking championships off one and other.

**Mr Alca-Tazizzle** · 10th Jul 12, 18:40

I don't in any way want to take away from Mark or Fred’s races, but Vettel drove almost the entire race with a damaged FW (end plate). I can't help but think he would have had Alonso if it was intact, though beating his teammate would have been very tough. The Red Bull is still the fastest car in most situations, and I still think Seb is the favorite for the WDC, but I would prefer to see Mark beat him, as well as FA of course.