Spanish GP 2012 - Barcelona

[simos]

But it does make it odd to not really know who is where in the pecking order.

I think it's something like.

1.Sauber
2.Red Bull and Lotus
4.McLaren
5.Williams
6.Mercedes
7.Ferrari
8.Force India
9.Toro Rosso
10.Caterham
11.Virgin
12.HRT

(off course dependant on what the track characteristics are, but in general...)

I have *no* idea how you put sauber first... I think your pecking order is fairly accurate, except for that... I'd say...
1. Red Bull, Lotus, McLaren (mostly depending on the track)
4. Williams
5. Ferrari
6. Mercedes
7. Sauber
8. From here the same.

As an aside... how the hell did Hamilton, the master of wearing out tyres, manage to make a set of hards last from lap 34 until the end?

No way that Ferrari can only be fifth after latest updates. Alonso easily kept both Lotus cars behind and even came close to winning the race.

My list would be:

1. Mclaren, because of their Q pace
2. Ferrari, Lotus
3. Sauber, Bull, Williams, Mercedes, Merc coud be even lower, their race performance is pathetic, only their Q is keeping them here
4. Out of pace drivers from top teams; Schumacher, Massa, Senna
5. Force India

[kenny5]

Pre season testing showed lotus, williams and sauber toping the timsheets each day...
Pundits claimed that red bull had the fastest car - followed by Mclaren -- when they had times in the bottm half of the top 10...

--It now looks like perhaps they were not sandbagging as much as we (or They) thought!!

[zyphro]

I think the pecking order is:-

1. Whoever gets the best batch of Pirelli's that weekend.
2. Everyone else.

+1 this

+2

[zyphro]

I have *no* idea how you put sauber first...

Sauber had a bad strategy, but appart from that they were almost always under the wing of another car, and popping purple sectors from time to time.
Perez did a stint in clear air(10second gap) at the back during the first part of the race (I think after his first "real" pitstop) where he was the fastest man on track.

Yeah but he changed to the better tyre didn't he? The harder compound? So he was meant to be quicker.

[Hail22]

I think the pecking order is:-

1. Whoever gets the best batch of Pirelli's that weekend.
2. Everyone else.

+1 this

+2

+3...also

Bert is back people! super Bert!

[SiLo]

Car looked good in Hamiltons hands today, had a great race from the back of the grid. The updates certainly look like they have come good and they still managed to keep the nose sexy!

Wonder if we will see anything interesting for Monaco at the rear? And will the snow plough come back?

[raymondu999]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anA1_B6AbKc[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhkIFrfCe0w[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl_zxr_4O_s[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4a3NeKnXso[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGa60-Lo3gk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRt9uL8klJQ[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkTxZuGU5T8[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ys9j3yWzxc[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjp-r4aG-Jo[/youtube]

[sknguy]

Quite amazing really how five different drivers from different teams have each won in the first five races... and including two first timer winners... in a season where there's six former world championship drivers competing... and the drivers in 3rd, 4th and 5th places haven't even won a race yet. For all that has, and is happening I am enjoying this young season more than any other in recent memory. I say enjoy the season people, we may not see another 2012 again.

[raymondu999]

Am I the only one who thought Lewis was doomed to 3-stop when he pitted on Lap 33? (out of 66) with his 1st set of primes only lasting 17 laps?

[QLDriver]

Lap 35, but who's counting?

I thought it looked like a tall order, but thought it was not impossible, given that as the track rubbers in and the fuel goes down the tyre degradation will also go down.

[Chuckjr]

His car was just really dialed--like Vettle last race, and Nico before. Same could happen to anyone in Monaco. I don't think anyone can predict who it's gonna be. Complete crap shoot. Anybody's game.

[zyphro]

His car was just really dialed--like Vettle last race, and Nico before. Same could happen to anyone in Monaco. I don't think anyone can predict who it's gonna be. Complete crap shoot. Anybody's game.

[raymondu999]

Lap 35, but who's counting?

I thought it looked like a tall order, but thought it was not impossible, given that as the track rubbers in and the fuel goes down the tyre degradation will also go down.

Oops. Close enough

But the point stands though - having to do 31 laps when your previous set did 20, and Pirellis don't seem to tend to really rubber in much anyways - you don't really see black lines in braking, cornering and traction zones.

[ArchAngel]

Best chance ever in the history of F1 for any midfield team & driver to steal a win for their career resumé. The likes of Grosjean, Kobayashi, Di Resta, Hulkenberg, heck even the STR drivers, are all fancying their chances of getting their lottery tickets picked on race day for their first ever career win. Lots of money to be made from betting on those guys. Might also put some money on Schu continuing his binary pattern scoring (0,1,0,1,0...).

Fortunately the season is long, so Hamilton and Raikkonen still have a chance of lucking into a Gran Pirelli win before the season is over. As for the rest, force majeur might be necessary.

[raymondu999]

Forget the midfield. De la Rosa will win in Monaco You heard it here first