2012 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX

Background

After experimenting with two drag reduction system (DRS) zones with a single detection point in 2011 , the FIA decided that the 2012 race would use a single, longer DRS zone, mirroring the approach used in Canada . The detection point was positioned on the approach to Turn 8, with the activation point located between Turn 10 and Turn 11, and was brought forward 70 metres (230 ft) from its position in the 2011 race, allowing drivers to activate the system sooner. The... Like the 2011 European Grand Prix , tyre supplier Pirelli brought its white-banded medium compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the yellow-banded soft compound tyre as the softer "option" tyre. Jules Bianchi replaced Nico Hülkenberg at Force India in the first practice session, while Valtteri Bottas drove Bruno Senna 's Williams once again.

Race

The top 10 qualifiers all started on the soft 'option' tyres which they used in Q3, as did most of those behind, though they had a choice. Michael Schumacher , Sergio Pérez and Mark Webber were the three who started on the medium tyres. Button, down in 12th place, was the first driver to make his pit stop for new tyres, doing so on lap 11, and he went for the medium compound whereas Massa, who was held up behind and unable to pass di Resta went for the soft tyre when he pitted one lap later. Maldonado was suffering from tyre wear towards the end of this stint, and was passed by Räikkönen and then Alonso, with the latter duo then setting off after Kobayashi. Kobayashi immediately decided to pit, with Räikkönen and Maldonado foll... Grosjean and Hamilton rejoined behind di Resta and Rosberg, who did not pit, but neither offered much resistance to them, and soon the duo were back up to second and third, though Grosjean was now 20 seconds behind Vettel. The rest of the early stoppers were stuck behind the trio of Schumacher, Bruno Senna in the other Williams and Mark Webber , all three of whom were yet to stop, and losing pace on their worn tyres, created a massive traffic jam as a number of drivers, led by Alonso with Räikkö... The intervention of the safety car not only just bunched up the field, erasing Vettel's 20 second lead at the front, but also sent most of the drivers, including all the leaders, in for their second tyre stop. There was more pit-stop trouble for Lewis Hamilton, as a problem with the front jack meant that he dropped behind both Alonso and Räikkönen after the stops. The safety car intervention also meant that Massa, Button and Pérez, the trio who made their second stops before it came out, lost a ... Schumacher was running fifth now ahead of Webber, but the latter was suffering from serious tyre problems and, after being passed by Maldonado and the two Force India cars within the space of a few corners, he went into the pits. Schumacher was also on older tyres and pitted for new ones three laps later, rejoining in 11th place, just ahead of Webber. The race at the front of the field took yet another twist when, on lap 41, Grosjean who was running within a second of Alonso had to retire with a... Alonso continued to lead comfortably at the front, with Hamilton continuing to hold off Räikkönen for second though the latter rarely allowed the gap to go over a second. Maldonado, Hülkenberg and di Resta began to spread out, and the action behind was from Schumacher and Webber, who on new softer tyres were going around 2 seconds quicker than those in front of them. The duo picked off Senna, before closing in on and passing Button on lap 49. As the tyres started to wear out for the other driver... Hamilton in second, in his attempts to hold off Räikkönen had pushed his tyres too much, and they started to wear towards the end of the race. Räikkönen patiently bided his time before passing Hamilton on lap 55 with two laps left, when Hamilton's tyres were worn out. Hamilton was now under attack from Maldonado, whose pace was strong enough for him to stay out of the reach of Schumacher and Webber. Maldonado attacked Hamilton at turn 1 on the penultimate lap, but some strong defensive driving b... Between the top three finishing drivers, this event set a record for the most number of World Drivers' Championships ever represented on a single podium at 10 (Alonso with 2, Räikkönen with 1, and Schumacher with 7). This record would stand until the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix , which would tie the record, and then was surpassed by the 2023 Australian Grand Prix . This event would prove to be the last held at the circuit. It has proved unpopular with drivers and fans for its unimaginative layout and lack of suitable overtaking places, leading to mundane races. From 2013 , the Spanish Grand Prix was due to alternate between Barcelona and Valencia , but Valencia later dropped out of the contract to host the race.