Inside Lane....2012F1 Guide....

Go! Go! Go!!!

Welcome to the 2012 Formula One World Championship. It all starts here... After two consecutive World Championships from Sebastian Vettel, can the rest of the grid prevent it from being three on the trot?

New regulations make this years cars more of a handful and so it is all to play for. Old and new faces make up this years grid that promises a titanic battle between age and beauty.

See you at the checkered flag...

Burning Rubber

The change to Pirelli tyres in 2011 created a fantastic amount of action. The compounds required more pit stops and allowed for more overtaking opportunities due to their degradation. This year they have been improved by bringing the hard and soft compound closer together in terms of lap times. During a race teams must use both compounds!

There are 4 types of slick tyre (yellow, red, silver, white) and two for damp or rainy conditions (green, blue).

Just like any sport F1 has a strict set of rules that govern everything from the minimum weight of a car to the maximum race time. In 2012 there are a few key changes of note.

The first big change is one that has brought about the rather ugly “stepped nose” to many teams cars. The maximum hight of the nose has been lowered on safety grounds but the bulkhead it attaches to must stay the same as it was last year. The result is a sudden change in hight that either produces a very steep nose or these “ugly duckling” cars.

The blown diffuser that was used to great effect by Red Bull in 2011 has been banned. The idea was that teams would use exhaust gasses channeled towards the diffuser to produce more downforce. This is now illegal and will make the car less grippy through the corners as a result.

The last major revision to the rules regards race position. It has always been a unwritten rule that you may defend you position by making one maneuver. Most drives stuck to this but last year saw several simply weaving about to maintain position. The gentlemen's agreement is now an enforced rule.

Rule Changes...

Teams and Drivers

Red Bull Racing

Car: RB8Drivers: Sebastian Vettel, Mark WebberWorld Championships: 2

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Car: MP4-27Drivers: Lewis Hamilton, Jenson ButtonWorld Championships: 8

Car: F2012Drivers: Fernando Alonso, Felipe MassaWorld Championships: 16

Car: W03Drivers: Michael Schumacher, Nico RosbergWorld Championships: 0

Lotus F1 Team

Car: E20Drivers: Kimi Raikkonen, Romain GrosjeanWorld Championships: 0

Force India

Car: VJM05Drivers: Paul di resta, Nico HulkenburgWorld Championships: 0

Sauber F1 Team

Car: C31Drivers: Sergio Perez, Kamui KobayAshiWorld Championships: 0

Torro Rosso

Car: STR7Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Erric VergneWorld Championships: 0

Williams

Car: FW34Drivers: Pastor Maldonaldo, Bruno SennaWorld Championships: 9

Caterham

Car: CT01Drivers: Heikki Kovalainen, Vitaly PetrovWorld Championships: 0

HRT

Car: F112Drivers: Pedro De La Rosa, Narain KarthikeyanWorld Championships: 0

Marussia F1 Team

?“Due to the car failing crash tests it will not be seen until the first race of the season. As of writing this YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS OURS...”

Car: MR01Drivers: Timo Glock, Charles PicWorld Championships: 0

2012 Formula One Calendar