To 2012 And Beyond

Only 2 days to get ready for FP1 at Melbourne and I'm woefully under-prepared this year. Not even decided what's going into the midnight snackbox of chocolatey goodness yet. No matter, it's time for #FanFormula again, albeit a bit later than usual.

Q1) HRT and Marussia, with only days remaining until the F1 returns, have passed the final FIA crash tests. What do you make of their delayed start to the season and will this have an effect on 2012 and future seasons for the teams?

A: It's never nice to see teams struggling, no matter who you support. The new rules requiring teams to pass all 18 FIA crash tests have obviously taken a big toll on HRT and Marussia's pre-season programme, so much so that it will be extremely difficult for them to improve their performances from last year. Yes, the tyre data both teams collected with their 2011-spec cars will be of some help, but they can't even begin to think of moving up the order if they can't get their cars ready for testing. It's just too crucial an event to miss now that in-season testing is banned, and it's plain to see that the very modest budgets of HRT and Marussia just can't deliver at the moment. Unless they see a substantial amount of investment in the future, I wouldn't be surprised if both teams pulled out of Formula 1 in a couple of years time.


Q2) With several teams completing several 'filming days' before the season begins, should this be allowed or is it just a way for the teams to get a few sneaky test laps in without being at a test session?

A: I'm a firm believer of 'filming days' being another term for private test days! But I don't think they're a bad thing, I imagine it's good for the teams to get some mileage away from the prying eyes of their competitors. It would be nice if they had a set number of filming days in a season, to do shakedowns of new parts and give third drivers some running time. But with in-season testing banned and Formula 1 trying to cut down on costs, that won't be happening anytime soon.

Q3) 2012 is rumoured to be the last year that both Catalunya and Valencia feature in the race calendar; what is your view on this and will this bring the end of the European GP?

A: It's a shame but it's the right thing to do. We all know that Spain has suffered quite badly from the Eurozone economic crisis and hosting two Grands Prix each year just doesn't seem to make sense right now, when they have much more important issues to deal with. And let's be honest, Catalunya and Valencia are two of the more processional races on the calendar, so having one less boring race each year is a good thing! As for the future of the European Grand Prix, it's looking a little bleak. There are plenty of tracks to choose from that could host the Grand Prix on a rotation basis, but it's a question of whether they can afford the huge costs of hosting a race, which in the current economic climate seems unlikely.

BONUS) Now that all of the liveries have been revealed, which is your favourite and which one do you like the least?

A: It's been a real mix with liveries this year. The McLarens always look nice in chrome but it's starting to get really boring now, and it's the same story with the Red Bulls and Toro Rossos.

The worst though, by far, is Sauber's offering:

As they don't have many sponsors you'd be inclined to feel a bit of sympathy for them. But, like last year, it feels like they haven't even tried. In fact it looks like they cobbled it together on Microsoft Paint as an afterthought, and as such it looks a complete mess. The new addition of the black nose-cone also accentuates how blunt their interpretation of the stepped nose is, making it one of the ugliest of the 2012 cars. If only they went back to one of their earlier designs...

As for the best, Lotus' livery is just scrumptious. Despite being sponsored by a deodorant company this year and the red end-plates spoiling things slightly, the black-and-beige (doesn't look gold to me!) JPS homage has looked every bit as gorgeous on track as it did in the launch photos. Under the floodlights of Singapore and Abu Dhabi, it'll be heavenly!

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