Formula One 2012

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/hami...1247--spt.html

Hamilton on pole as McLarens lock up front row

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - McLaren's Lewis Hamilton took pole position 4 the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday ahead of team mate Jenson Button as world champion Sebastian Vettel was banished 2 the 3rd row of the grid.

The Briton's best lap of 1 minute 24.922 seconds put him just ahead of compatriot & fellow 4mer world champion Button, who was 2nd quickest in 1.25.074 & will make up an all-McLaren front row 4 the 1st time since 2009.

French driver Romain Grosjean sprung the biggest surprise by steering his Lotus 2 the 3rd fastest lap & he will line up alongside the Mercedes of 7-times world champion Michael Schumacher on the 2nd row.

Vettel, who claimed a record 15 pole positions last season including on his way 2 victory @ Albert Park, was 6th fastest just behind his Red Bull team mate & Australian hope Mark Webber in 5th.

"It's an incredible feeling 2 be back here & 2 get off 2 such a good start," said Hamilton, who won @ Albert Park fr pole position in 2008.

"I think it's my & Jenson's 1st 1-2 in qualifying so it's fantastic 2 start the season tis way. It's going 2 be incredibly tight & tense in the race."

Button was equally delighted 2 lock up the front row 4 McLaren 4 the 1st time since Hamilton & Heikki Kovalainen @ the 2009 European Grand Prix.

"It is only the beginning but tis is great 1st result 4 us on a Saturday & it looks like it's going 2 be a very exciting season," Button, who won in Melbourne in 2009 & 2010, said.

Vettel said it was 2 early 4 Red Bull, who took 18 poles in 19 races last year, 2 panic despite Sunday marking the 1st time they will not hv a driver on the front row since the 2010 Italian Grand Prix @ Monza.

"We r not starting @ the front but we r not starting @ the back either, so it's far fr disastrous & regarding the car, we know wat we need 2 do," he said.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg & Pastor Maldonado of Williams will be on the 4th row of the grid aft finishing 7th & 8th quickest.

Ferrari's problems continued with both cars failing 2 reach the final round of qualifying.

4mer world champion Fernando Alonso spun off in2 the gravel in the 2nd session while running 5th fastest & will line up 12th on the grid, while Brazialian Felipe Massa's miserable run of form continued with the 16th fastest time.

Another 4mer world champion, Kimi Raikkonen, made a mistake on his final flying lap & failed 2 get thru the 1st phase of qualifying on his return 2 Formula 1 with Lotus aft 2 years away.

The 4mer Sauber, McLaren & Ferrari driver also suffered the embarrassment of being resoundingly outqualified by the inexperienced Grosjean, who has never raced @ Albert Park & will be starting his 8th race on Sunday.

"It's really nice 2 be back in Formula 1 & I enjoyed the time," said the 26-year-old, who last raced 4 the then Renault team in 2009.

"I'm very proud 2 be with those guys here & hope we can keep going tat way all season long & then it will be a very nice story."

The 2 HRT cars both failed 2 get inside 107 percent of the best time in the 1st session & therefore failed 2 qualify 4 the race for the 2nd successive year.

[joew2005]

odds @ sg pools: http://www.singaporepools.com.sg/en/...otor_odds.html

RACE WINNER - DRIVER
RACE WINNER - TEAM
TOP 3
FASTEST LAP
DUAL FORECAST
HEAD TO HEAD - TEAM
HEAD TO HEAD - DRIVER
WINNING MARGIN
NO. OF CLASSIFIED DRIVERS
Top Driver
CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER - DRIVER
CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER - TEAM


Calendar 2012 - Races
1) 16 - 18 Mar 2012 Australia (Melbourne)
2) 23 - 25 Mar 2012 Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
3) 13 - 15 Apr 2012 China (Shanghai)
4) 20 - 22 Apr 2012 Bahrain (Sakhir)
5) 11 - 13 May 2012 Spain (Catalunya)
6) 24 - 27 May 2012 Monaco (Monte Carlo)
7) 8 - 10 Jun 2012 Canada (Montreal)
8) 22 - 24 Jun 2012 Europe (Valencia)
9) 6 - 8 Jul 2012 Britain (Silverstone)
10) 20 - 22 Jul 2012 Germany (Hockenheim)
11) 27 - 29 Jul 2012 Hungary (Budapest)
12) 31 Aug - 2 Sep 2012 Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
13) 7 - 9 Sep 2012 Italy (Monza)
14) 21 - 23 Sep 2012 Singapore
15) 5 - 7 Oct 2012 Japan (Suzuka)
16) 12 - 14 Oct 2012 Korea (Yeongam)
17) 26 - 28 Oct 2012 India (New Delhi)
18) 2 - 4 Nov 2012 Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
19) 16 - 18 Nov 2012 USA (Austin)
20) 23 - 25 Nov 2012 Brazil (Sao Paolo)

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/mcla...5343--spt.html

McLaren's Button wins Australian Grand Prix

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - McLaren's Jenson Button won the Australian Grand Prix 4 the 3rd time ahead of world champion Sebastian Vettel in an incident-packed season opener on Sunday.

Button's fellow Briton & team mate Lewis Hamilton, who started on pole, finished 3rd behind the German 2 round out the podium while Vettel's team mate Mark Webber was 4th, his best ever finish in his 11th attempt 2 win his home race.

"Oh fantastic, wat a great way 2 start the year, guys! Seriously, fantastic!" former world champion Button said on the team radio aft his 13th career victory.

"Shows wat a winter does. The car is beautiful & she's quick. Thanks guys."

Fernando Alonso drove a spirited race 2 finish 5th 4 Ferrari ahead of the Sauber of Japan's Kamui Kobayashi aft Williams driver Pastor Maldonado crashed out on the final lap while running 6th.

Kimi Raikkonen, 1 of 6 former world champions in the field, also impressed on his return fr 2 years out of the sport 2 finish 7th 4 Lotus aft starting 17th on the grid.

Mexican Sergio Perez had started right fr the back aft changing his gearbox overnight but finished a creditable 8th - the same place he claimed on his Formula 1 debut here last year b4 he & Kobayashi were disqualified 4 technical infringements.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished 9th on his home race debut 4 Toro Rosso despite an accident @ the start, while the last point was won by Force India's Paul Di Resta in 10th.

[joew2005]

Driver & constructor standings aft (1)Australia Grand Prix

01) Jenson Button - 25
02) Sebastian Vettel - 18
03) Lewis Hamilton - 15
04) Mark Webber - 12
05) Fernando Alonso - 10
06) Kamui Kobayashi - 8
07) Kimi Räikkönen - 6
08) Sergio Perez - 4
09) Daniel Ricciardo - 2
10) Paul di Resta - 1

01) McLaren-Mercedes - 40
02) Red Bull Racing-Renault - 30
03) Sauber-Ferrari - 12
04) Ferrari - 10
05) Lotus-Renault - 6
06) STR-Ferrari - 2
07) Force India-Mercedes - 1

http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/teams/

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/form...133742435.html

Formula One: Fifth-place surprise for Alonso

Fernando Alonso surprised even himself on Sunday by finishing 5th in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix -- but he still 1s 2 see an upgraded Ferrari car asap.

Fr 12th on the grid, he produced 1 of the drives of the day, but he said it brought relief 2 finish behind the 2 McLarens & 2 Red Bulls rather than satisfaction.

"It was a tough race 4 us & we knew tat b4 the start," he said.

"We had some good battles, we had a good start so we recovered some positions, & aft yesterday's qualifying, 2 be 5th behind the 2 McLarens & 2 Red Bulls is a pretty good result in terms of points.

"But the priority is 2 improve the car. We were 2 far (behind) yesterday & we were fighting with Williams @ the end of the race. We'd prefer 2 fight @ the top & tis is our goal 4 the next race."

He added tat the team would not be able 2 make any significant improvements ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix & would hv 2 wait until the 3rd race in China 2 start 2 close the gap 2 the front.

"The cars will be nearly identical [in Malaysia] becos it is next weekend," he said.

"But we will try 2 improve something in the set-up 2 adapt the car 4 tat circuit & then I'm sure 4 China & Bahrain we will hv some updates.

"It'll be the same 4 the others, but hopefully ours will work alittle bit better."

He added: "We r alittle bit 2 slow @ the moment. We need 2 change the direction quickly if we r 2 challenge 4 the championship. We hv 2 react."

[hannson]

this will be interesting season with Kimi back.

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/vict...041031266.html

Victorious Button warns Vettel

Jenson Button warned Sebastian Vettel tat he plans 2 end the days when the German's trademark bent-finger salute is seen @ the end of Formula 1 grands prix.

The 32-year-old Englishman cruised 2 victory himself in Sunday's season-opening Australian race -- & admitted his new celebration, in which he forms a 'W' 4 winner with his hands, needed some practice.

"Yes, it was not ideal was it -- but I m planning 2 hv alot more practice. We don't 1 2 see the crooked finger any more tis year & I hope tat we can see the end of tat," Button said.

Vettel's celebration, in which he raises his slightly bent right index finger 2 signify number 1, was widely used last year as he took his 2nd title in a row. He finished 2nd on Sunday but never looked likely 2 win.

The good-natured Vettel laughed & warned: "I 1 2 win, every1 does, & I don't think it will be 2 long b4 I do again.

"Tis race proved tat aft all the worries on Saturday we still hv the pace. Every1 said we were in trouble, but if we were there r plenty of others in much worse & deeper trouble than we r.

"And I m pretty sure we can go well @ Sepang next race. There is no doubt tat Jenson deserved 2 win tis time -- we could not catch him -- but it will be different in Malaysia."

Sunday's opening showdown proved tat McLaren & Red Bull will be the 2 main forces in the early part of the season -- & tat Button is in excellent form already.

His composure & technique saw him take the lead @ the opening corner & leave McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton frustrated @ failing 2 exploit his pole position.

Victory brought Button his 3rd win @ Albert Park & his 13th in all, proving beyond doubt tat he will be a serious contender 4 his 2nd world title, providing he & Hamilton do not take 2 many points fr 1 another.

"It is 2 early 2 talk abt tat & we shall just hv 2 see how it pans out over the next few races," said Button.

"Lewis was very fast in qualifying & he was unlucky in tis race. Tat can change. We know wat Red Bull can do & we r not discounting any1 @ all."

While Vettel talked of bidding 2 bounce back, it is more likely tat Hamilton will find some luck in Malaysia next weekend.

Hamilton admitted he was not sure why he wheel-spun @ the start, allowing Button 2 take charge, but he was also unfortunate when a safety car intervention allowed Vettel 2 take 2nd spot.

"I feel pretty disappointed 4 myself, but the team hv done a great job over the winter & we r both on the podium @ the opening race," Hamilton said.

"Tat tells me we r going in the right direction & now it is up 2 me 2 work hard & keep my head down... & find the results. I don't know wat happened @ the start here, but I intend 2 find out & make sure we don't hv it again.

"Of course, I wanted 2 win, but @ the end of the day it is just the 1st race in a 20-race season. I m aiming 4 consistency. And I believe it is consistency tat wins world championships."

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit...054222557.html

Watch out for Jenson Button

The 1st race is always highly anticipated as it sets the tone 4 the rest of the season & every1 is curious abt the performance of each team & how they stack up against each other.

1. McLaren domination
The dual-champion British outfit of Jenson Button & Lewis Hamilton @ McLaren were relentless all weekend — 1st Hamilton took the pole position & then Button jumped 2 a good lead @ the start b4 charging 2 take the chequered flag. Hamilton was in 2nd place until the safety car was called out thanks 2 Vitaly Petrov & reigning champion Sebastian Vettel stole tat position fr him. Maybe avoiding the ducked-bill platypus nose design like the rest of the grid was a good decision fr McLaren...

2. Red Bull Racing settles for 2nd best
While Button & Hamilton claimed 1st & 3rd place, the boys fr defending champion team Red Bull Racing took 2nd & 4th place — Vettel & Mark Webber respectively. Expectations were high 4 the Bulls who unusually only managed 2 qualify in the 3rd row (Webber qualified 5th while Vettel qualified 6th). They probably just needed a little more time 2 warm up.

3. Mercedes GP controversy
Michael Schumacher's 4th place qualifying result was a nice surprise; then the controversy kicked in when other teams started calling 4 investigations abt the Mercedes W03 cars' inlets @ the top of the rear wing which activate when the DRS system is open. Tis probably gave the team an edge in qualifying, but clearly they hv other problems 2 deal with as seen during the race. Schumacher was up 2 P3 @ some point b4 his gearbox failed him. His team-mate Nico Rosberg qualified in 7th but suffered a rear puncture aft a racing incident with Sergio Perez on the last lap.

4. Decent return of the Iceman
Kimi Raikkonen was putting in good practice times, but an error on his part during qualifying sent him down 2 17th on the starting grid. He managed 2 fight his way up the order 2 finish in the points in 7th. It was reported tat he is aiming 4 a podium finish tis weekend.

5. Brazilian bull fight
The 2 Brazilians on the grid, Felipe Massa & Bruno Senna, made contact @ Turn 3 late in the race & both were subsequently forced 2 retire. The Ferrari had a broken suspension, while the Williams had a puncture. Both drivers however, agreed that the collision was a pure racing incident & no 1 in particular was 2 be blamed.

6. Ferrari failure
While Massa took himself out of the competition when he collided with fellow countryman Senna, Fernando Alonso's weekend started off wrongly when he ate grass & spun out into the sand during qualifying. Fr 12th place on the grid, he managed 2 fight 2o 5th place.

7. Promising starts from midfielders
The guys fr Lotus Renault, Toro Rosso, Sauber, Force India & Williams teams produced impressive results — while the top 4 teams took up the 1st 5 places, the remaining 5 places with championship points were grabbed by Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus Renault), Sergio Perez (Sauber), Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) & Paul di Resta (Force India). Romain Grosjean of Lotus Renault qualified in a shocking 3rd place, but lost his front right suspension within the 1st few corners of the 2nd lap & went crashing out of the race. Pastor Maldonado of Williams was headed 4 a 6th place finish when he lost control of his car on the last lap of the race.

Now tat the 2012 Formula 1 season has officially begun, every1 is looking forward 2 seeing how the months ahead would unfold. The Malaysian Grand Prix takes place tis weekend @ the Sepang International Circuit, which is known 4 its extreme temperatures of soaring heat or pouring rain.

Completed in 1999, which was the inaugural year of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang has large run-off areas & features a 15-turn 5.543-kilometre layout. There is a good combination of long high-speed straights & tight twists, & also ample space 4 overtaking with its wide track.

With the exception of Hamilton, the other 5 world champions on the grid hv won the Malaysian Grand Prix b4. Here r the past winners of the Malaysian Grand Prix:

2011 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing
2010 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing
2009 Jenson Button, Brawn
2008 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2007 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
2006 Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault
2005 Fernando Alonso, Renault
2004 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2003 Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren
2002 Ralf Schumacher, Williams
2001 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2000 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1999 Eddie Irvine, Ferrari

In the last 13 years of tis Grand Prix, the driver who scores pole position usually does quite well — 7 out of the past 13 race winners won fr pole. The worst result was when Massa finished 19th in 2008 aft securing pole position.

Aft winning the last 2 years, Vettel is eager 2 make it a hat trick, but the others r just as hungry 2.

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/form...171652284.html

Formula One: Vettel backs Red Bull to shine in Malaysia

World champion Sebastian Vettel said his 2nd place in Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix proved tat Red Bull r in better shape than their poor qualifying performance had suggested.

Aft dominating the 2011 season, Red Bull's Mark Webber & Vettel were knocked back 2 5th & 6th on the Albert Park grid.

But Vettel found the pace 2 make progress & was soon up 2 3rd when compatriot & 7-times champion Michael Schumacher was forced 2 retire his Mercedes.

He then grabbed 2nd when he took advantage of a safety car period 2 pass Lewis Hamilton of McLaren @ the final pit stops.

"I m happy 2 come away with 2nd. Alot of people did not expect it aft yesterday. It was a positive race 4 us, 1 we knew would be a difficult 1 - so 2 come 2nd with alot of points is important," said Vettel.

"The car has alot of potential. I would hv loved 2 be in a better position yesterday. Now we need 2 address problems & make sure we give them a harder time next week (in Malaysia)."

Webber, who finished 4th -- his best result in his home race -- said: "There r some positives 2 take out of 2day.

"Qualifying was difficult 4 us, but the race pace was better. It was just tat we didn't hv track position. I had a poor start, so I need 2 see wat happened there & then I got sandwiched @ Turn 1.

"I didn't 1 the race 2 be over; I was able 2 keep going & then started 2 build fr there."

Webber believes tat 3rd was a realistic outcome, but the lack of overtaking opportunites @ Albert Park made the challenge 2 difficult.

"We had abit of luck with the Safety Car & I was quicker than Lewis @ the end, but it's a difficult track 2 overtake here - in Malaysia it would hv been different."

[joew2005]

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlin...2/3/13158.html

Qualifying - Hamilton beats Button to Sepang pole
24 Mar 2012

Even McLaren had their doubts tat they could beat Mercedes in qualifying in Sepang on Saturday, but an almost perfect 1st-run lap by Lewis Hamilton & a great 2nd-run lap fr Jenson Button secured the front row 4 them.

Hamilton lapped in 1m 36.219s despite a late lock-up mistake in the final corner, 2 take his 2nd successive pole position of the season, while Button pushed thru 2 2nd with 1m 36.368s 2 edge out Michael Schumacher, who screwed 1m 36.391 out of his Mercedes on his 1st run. Neither he nor team mate Nico Rosberg made a 2nd run, however, suggesting tat the team need 2 conserve tyres as the W03 is known 2 be hard on its rubber in races.

Mark Webber & Kimi Raikkonen both lapped in 1m 36.461s, the Australian doing the time 1st 4 Red Bull, & the Finn’s gearbox change yesterday drops his Lotus fr an excellent 5th 2 10th place 4 the start.

Tat was the some consolation 4 Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who was only 6th on 1m 36.634s but had chosen 2 qualify on the hard Pirellis, & now moves into a fortuitous 5th place start. Romain Grosjean was right with the German, lapping his Lotus in 1m 36.658s ahead of Rosberg’s 1m 36.664s.

Fernando Alonso was 9th in the Ferrari on 1m 37.566s but starts 8th, as Sergio Perez starts 9th aft lapping his Sauber 10th in 1m 37.698s.

Pastor Maldonado didn’t help his chances with an off exiting Turn 11 @ the start of Q2, in which Raikkonen was fastest on 1m 36.715s. The Venezuelan continued aft the gravel had been cleaned fr his Williams but failed by a 10th 2 dislodge Perez & thus ended up 11th on 1m 37.589s.

Felipe Massa was closer 2 Alonso but still didn’t make Q3, with 1m 37.731s in the 2nd Ferrari, & behind him it was incredibly close. Williams’ Bruno Senna was 13th on 1m 37.841s ahead of Force India’s Paul di Resta on 1m 37.877s, Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo on 1m 37.883s & Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg on 1m 37.890s, with Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi 17th on 1m 38.069s.

As Mark Webber set the initial pace with 1m 37.172s, Q1 weeded out Jean-Eric Vergne, who had 2 abort his final run 4 Toro Rosso & was left 18th on 1m 39.077s. Behind him Heikki Kovalainen pipped Caterham team mate Vitaly Petrov, 1m 39.306s to 1m 39.567s, though the Finn takes a 5 grid place drop to 24th place 4 a Safety Car passing transgression in Melbourne.

Timo Glock fended off Marussia team mate Charles Pic, 1m 40.903s to 1m 41.250s, 4 21st and 22nd, & the HRTs made it beneath the 107 percent time of 1m 43.974s with 1m 42.914s for Pedro de la Rosa and 1m 43.655s for Narain Karthikeyan.

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/ferr...8300--spt.html

Alonso storms to victory in rainy Malaysia

SEPANG, Malaysia (Reuters) - Ferrari's Fernando Alonso scored a dramatic victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday when the Spaniard denied Sauber's Sergio Perez a 1st Formula 1 triumph in a race turned on its head by the weather.

The race started in torrential rain & was stopped for 51 mins aft 8 laps but Alonso took charge on its resumption 2 register a shock 28th career victory in a car tat had been outpaced in qualifying in the opening 2 rounds.

"A big surprise 2day the win," championship leader Alonso told reporters. "Our goal was 2 score as many points as possible. An unbelievable result, a great job fr the team."

Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton repeated his 3rd place finish fr the opening race of the season in Melbourne last weekend, with Red Bull's Mark Webber in 4th & 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen 5th in his Lotus.

Australia race winner Jenson Button & world champion Sebastian Vettel both suffered mid-race collisions with the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan & finished outside the points.

Alonso started the race in 8th place but worked his way up 2 5th by the red flag, passed Webber soon aft the resumption & capitalised on a well-timed pit stop 2 get past Hamilton.

The double world champion overtook Mexico's Perez on the 17th of the 56-lap race & aft initially dropping back, the Sauber closed 2 within a second of the Ferrari in the late stages & was on course 2 secure an unlikely victory.

His dreams of becoming the 1st Mexican 2 record a Formula 1 since 1970 were shattered with 5 laps remaining, however, when he ran wide on turn 13 & slipped 2 far behind Alonso 2 catch him b4 the chequered flag.

"I knew I had 2 get him soon becos in all the high speed corners I was losing my front tyres running behind him," said Perez, who was ordered by Ferrari-powered Sauber 2 "be careful" just b4 the error.

"Then I ran wide in the quick left hander. I touched the kerb & I went on2 the dirty side of the track. It was completely wet & I lost the win."

Nevertheless it was Sauber's best result as an independent team as Perez scored more points in 1 race than he did in the whole of last season.

Hamilton looked dejected aft he slipped fr pole 2 3rd just like in Australia but tis time, the 2008 world champion was delighted 2 just finish in the points.

"I can't complain as I'm on the podium 4 the 2nd weekend in a row. I was able 2 stay out of trouble with the conditions. We did a great job," he said.

The Mercedes duo of Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg flattered 2 deceive 4 a 2nd race in a row, struggling all day in the conditions 2 finish 10th & 13th respectively aft looking quick in qualification.

[joew2005]

Driver & constructor standings aft (1)Australia Grand Prix

01) Fernando Alonso - 35
02) Lewis Hamilton - 30
03) Jenson Button - 25
04) Mark Webber - 24
05) Sergio Perez - 22
06) Sebastian Vettel - 18
07) Kimi Räikkönen - 16
08) Bruno Senna - 8
09) Kamui Kobayashi - 8
10) Paul di Resta - 7
11) Jean-Eric Vergne - 4
12) Daniel Ricciardo - 2
13) Nico Hulkenberg - 2
14) Michael Schumacher - 1

01) McLaren-Mercedes - 55
02) Red Bull Racing-Renault - 42
03) Ferrari - 35
04) Sauber-Ferrari - 30
05) Lotus-Renault - 16
06) Force India-Mercedes - 9
07) Williams-Renault - 8
08) STR-Ferrari - 6
09) Mercedes - 1

http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/teams/

[GeMiNiZzzzZzz]

Lucky win for FA, they were outpaced since day 1 in Auzzie.....BUT...i take this win

Have been in all the 4 races in Singapore, this year cannot miss again..

Hope he isnt too far back in the points by Sept

[joew2005]

Calendar 2012 - Races
1) 16~18 Mar 2012 Australia (Melbourne) : Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes
2) 23~25 Mar 2012 Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) : Fernando Alonso / Ferrari
3) 13 - 15 Apr 2012 China (Shanghai)
4) 20 - 22 Apr 2012 Bahrain (Sakhir)
5) 11 - 13 May 2012 Spain (Catalunya)
6) 24 - 27 May 2012 Monaco (Monte Carlo)
7) 8 - 10 Jun 2012 Canada (Montreal)
8) 22 - 24 Jun 2012 Europe (Valencia)
9) 6 - 8 Jul 2012 Britain (Silverstone)
10) 20 - 22 Jul 2012 Germany (Hockenheim)
11) 27 - 29 Jul 2012 Hungary (Budapest)
12) 31 Aug - 2 Sep 2012 Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
13) 7 - 9 Sep 2012 Italy (Monza)
14) 21 - 23 Sep 2012 Singapore
15) 5 - 7 Oct 2012 Japan (Suzuka)
16) 12 - 14 Oct 2012 Korea (Yeongam)
17) 26 - 28 Oct 2012 India (New Delhi)
18) 2 - 4 Nov 2012 Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
19) 16 - 18 Nov 2012 USA (Austin)
20) 23 - 25 Nov 2012 Brazil (Sao Paolo)

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/f1s-...5717--spt.html

F1's Hamilton says consistency is key this time

Aft a year of roller-coaster emotions, with results 2 match, Lewis Hamilton said he has learned the value of consistency aft 2 podium finishes in the opening races of tis season's Formula One world championship.

The 27-year-old has taken pole position in each of the season-opening events in Australia & Malaysia 4 McLaren, but wound up 3rd each time.

"I won't deny tat I'm disappointed 2 hv had 2 pole positions & not 2 hv been able 2 convert either of them in2 victories.

"But I prefer 2 think of it tat luck just hasn't been on my side, & tat it will swing my way sooner or later.

"I also think tis last year has taught me the value of consistency -- it's no use chasing a great result if u can't back it up with another strong finish the following week.

"So maybe I'm just playing myself in gently. Aftall, in 2007, I didn't win a race until the 6th round & I was in the hunt 4 the title all thru the year.

"I still don't think the pecking order has settled down yet, so it's important 2 get some good results in the bag while we can.

"It will be very interesting 2 see how the order has shaken itself out over the last 3 weeks - it's going 2 be an interesting weekend when we go 2 China."

Hamilton believes tat he & his McLaren will be in a position 2 fight 4 victory again in China next week, but he conceded he is ready 2 settle 4 a points finish again if victory is out of reach.

"I'm looking @ the championship as a whole - although, of course, I'd love 2 win every race.

"It's more important 2 be in a good points-scoring position @ every race. I think the 1st 2 races hv shown tat, as a team, we're definitely in positions 2 win.

"I think Malaysia was a good example of how 2 pick up points when you're looking @ the championship - & tat was something I really took away as a positive fr tat race.

"But yes I'll be heading 2 China looking 2 win - but it's just as important 2 pick up some good points if, 4 whatever reason, a win isn't on the cards."

Hamilton won in Shanghai in his title-winning season in 2008 & again last year so he will chasing a 3rd victory @ the Chinese track. He is the only driver 2 win there more than 1s.