Background
The Grand Prix was contested by twelve teams with two drivers each. The teams (also known as constructors ) were Red Bull , McLaren , Ferrari , Mercedes , Lotus , Force India , Sauber , Toro Rosso , Williams , Caterham , HRT and Marussia . Tyre supplier Pirelli brought two types of tyre to the race; two dry compounds (soft "options" and medium "primes"). The Medium compound was distinguished by a white-band with the Soft compound being denoted by a yellow-band. The rules of the 2012 ...
Race
After finishing in second place behind Vettel in the Indian Grand Prix Alonso stated it was crucial that he stayed within reach of the Red Bull team and hoped his Ferrari team would finish strongly and not become inflicted with mechanical failures. Despite winning the last four Grands Prix Vettel felt that his lead in the Drivers' Championship remained "vulnerable" and did not believe his Red Bull team had proven themselves as the fastest in the field. Some teams made modifications to their cars in preparation for the event. Williams drivers Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado tested a new front wing during the Friday practice sessions which had three small flaps on its upper section but opted to run an older specification for qualifying and the race. Ferrari introduced upgrades for the F2012 as part of a strategy to remain in contention for the championship. The upgrades included a new front wing with updated main planes, flaps, and endp... Hamilton complained of cold tyres and locked up heading into turn eight on lap two allowing Räikkönen to gain advantage but Hamilton withstood pressure from the Lotus driver to retain the lead. Vettel had made early progress passing the HRT's, Marussia and Caterhams, but his early progress came at the expense of his right-front wing endplate when he made contact with Senna's left-rear at turn eight switchback on the same lap. Hamilton regained the optimum temperature needed for his... Racing resumed at the end of lap 14 when the safety car drove into the pit lane with Hamilton leading Räikkönen. Alonso drove slower than Webber, allowing the Red Bull driver to pull alongside Alonso, but the Ferrari driver maintained third position. Vettel moved up to 19th place after he overtook di Resta and de la Rosa. Hamilton again started to pull away from Räikkönen. Vettel started to battle Grosjean for 17th position and during an overtaking manoeuvre, Vettel drove off the r... On the following lap Maldonado was passed by Button (who took the inside line) for third position, while Vettel moved into the points-scoring positions by passing Ricciardo for tenth on the same lap. Pérez moved in front of Massa for fifth on lap 25, while Vettel passed Schumacher for eighth place on the next lap. Kobayashi made the first scheduled pit stop for tyres on the 26th lap. Webber employed his DRS system on lap 26 on the straight linking turns ten and eleven... On lap 39 di Resta forced Pérez wide at turn 13; as Pérez rejoined the circuit, he cut back across the front of Grosjean and the two made contact at the next corner, which in turn forced Grosjean into the path of Webber who was attempting to drive on the inside line and the pair collided. Grosjean and Webber retired because of damage to their cars and the debris on-track from the accident called for the second safety car period of the race. The safety remained out for three laps, ... Alonso drew to within 1.9 seconds of Räikkönen on lap 53, but was unable to get close enough to challenge the Lotus driver, who held on to secure his only victory of the season (and Lotus' first ever), and became the eighth driver to win a race in the 2012 season. Alonso was second, 0.8 seconds behind Räikkönen with Vettel third. Button finished fourth. Maldonado took fifth despite not being able to use his car's KERS after the first safety car period. He was seven seconds a... The top three drivers appeared on the podium to collect their trophies and in a later press conference. Räikkonen said that he was "very happy" for the Lotus team and himself after a difficult second half of the season. He also stated the development of his car helped to increase his straight line speed although he later revealed that he was using the same car from the Korean Grand Prix . Alonso was pleased with his second-place result but also felt Ferrari was not the most competitive te... Notes:
Practice and qualifying
Three practice sessions (two on Friday and a third on Saturday) were held before the main Sunday race. The Friday afternoon and evening sessions each lasted ninety minutes. The third session was held on Saturday afternoon and lasted an hour. Conditions were hot and dry for the Friday practice sessions with air and track temperatures falling as sunset emerged meaning lap times were faster in the evening. Drivers had to cope with a tailwind between turns eight and nine. Hamilton set t... Conditions remained hot and dry for the Saturday afternoon practice session. Hamilton set the fastest lap of the third session at one minute and 42.130 seconds on soft compound tyres, nearly three-tenths of a second faster than teammate Button. Vettel was in his garage for fifty-five minutes because his mechanics rectified a problem with his brake callipers; he managed to do one flying lap with the fastest time in the track's second sector to secure the third quickest-time overall. Vettel's time... "Those extra three-tenths came from my family! Our car works incredibly well around here. Our aero package really suits this track; the set-up was perfect, and everything came together perfectly for qualifying. My lap felt really great - I enjoyed it so much. I love this track! Still, I'm realistic: the race tomorrow is going to be tough. At the start, it's down to the team to make sure the clutch performs perfectly because the getaway will be incredibly important. Our race pace is very strong, ...
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Part 1 | Part 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:41.497 | 1:40.901 |
| 2 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 1:41.933 | 1:41.277 |
| 3 | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1:41.981 | 1:41.907 |
| 4 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 1:42.222 | 1:41.532 |
| 5 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:42.342 | 1:41.873 |
| 6 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:41.939 | 1:41.514 |
| 7 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:41.926 | 1:41.698 |
| 8 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:41.974 | 1:41.846 |
| 9 | 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:42.046 | 1:41.620 |
| 10 | 12 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:42.579 | 1:42.019 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Let's examine the Renault power unit's performance today. The dry air – 29°C – presented a slight thermal advantage, likely boosting indicated horsepower figures by approximately 2. 3%, translating to roughly 15-17 bhp at peak RPM. Ferrari's V8, while consistently strong, experienced a marginal reduction in peak output due to aggressive gearbox mapping prioritizing drivability over outright power. Considering the Yas Marina's concrete surfaces, Red Bull's chassis experienced increased tire degradation, a factor exacerbated by the Renault's higher torque delivery at lower RPMs.
Let's examine the Renault power unit's deployment here. The dry air, 29 degrees Celsius – a consistent thermal profile – significantly impacted engine mapping. Observe the data; Räikkönen's fourth-place start translated into a 1. 4 second advantage over Vettel by lap 20. That's a considerable differential, particularly given the inherent volatility of the Yas Marina Circuit.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Alonso's tires… they're screaming. Look at the blue bleed – consistent, aggressive blistering on the left-front. The ambient temperature at 29°C is exacerbating the problem, pushing the compounds beyond their designed operational limits. Vettel, predictably, is managing his rubber with a more conservative approach, a subtle but crucial difference in tire strategy. The Ferrari's aggressive push for the lead has exposed a critical weakness in the tire construction, a vulnerability that Red Bull's more measured tactics are exploiting. This isn't just about pace; it's a calculated risk, a direct consequence of prioritizing outright speed in this heat.
Räikkönen, a man perpetually wrestling with the ghosts of his past, exhaled sharply through the helmet microphone – a palpable release, surely. The Yas Marina air, a dry 29 degrees Celsius, offered minimal resistance to the cooling systems, a crucial factor given the relentless strain on the power unit. Observe the telemetry; the engine's thermal map shows a sustained, aggressive push during that late Safety Car period. Ferrari's Alonso, predictably, wrestled with the rear axle balance, a familiar frustration given the inherent sensitivity of the chassis. Vettel's third place, while a podium, felt… brittle. The Red Bull's traction control was fighting a losing battle against the track's evolving grip, a consequence of the rising asphalt temperature.