547 replies to this topic

[Simon Arron]

Welcome back my friends to the post that never ends, as I believe Emerson, Lake & Palmer almost once said. Herewith the 2012 cars...


Simply Red Bull.


Woking back to happiness?


Felipe uses the kerbs because he is terminally inconsistent, Fernando does so because the F2012 is hard work.


Old bloke returns for yet more.


Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a Toleman? Is it a Benetton? Is it a Renault? Is it a Lotus? Who knows?


Team with two properly fast young drivers.


Circuit racing: still banned in Switzerland.


Italy might have vanished fromn the F1 driver map, but France is back (x3): this is Jean-Eric Vergne.


Just Williams.


Caterham makes its F1 debut (unless you count Lotus 7 driver Brausch Niemann's run to 10th in the 1962 Rand GP).


Like a Virgin (except it's a Marussia).


The lesser-spotted HRT - the team's third year in F1 and it has yet to be ready on the season's opening day.

[Simon Arron]

Also...


"Coo-ee, I'm back."


Things are so competitive that even the swans carry race numbers.


There's a busy support programme, with air displays...




...and rounds of the Australian V8 rallycross series.

[arttidesco]

Lovely pics Simon

Ref Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a Toleman? Is it a Benetton? Is it a Renault? Is it a Lotus? Who knows?

I read somewhere on the Intelnet that Raikoenen elected not to drive for Williams this year because they were unwilling to give him a share in the company, did you know if Eric Boullier of Genii, who IIRC was looking for partners not so long ago, was willing to give Kimi a share in the ownership of the team ?

[Vitesse2]

Felipe uses the kerbs because he is terminally inconsistent,

After his trip into the kitty litter today, should that perhaps read "incontinent"? I loved his excuse that there was something wrong with the back of the car. Yes Felipe, there was - you put the tyres on the wet grass and lost it!

Great pictures as usual, Simon. But who was the naughty historic driver who laid a Robin Hanson-esque oil slick before FP1?

[jj2728]

Great pics Simon thanks for taking the time to share them with us. I watched the SPEED channel FP1 stream last night, and, ok, the cars aren't beautiful, but they're not bad either......did I just say that?
Best get myself back to dad's archives......

[hogits2]

Simply Red Bull.


Woking back to happiness?


Old bloke returns for yet more.

Can someone please photoshop Phyllosan onto the rear wing of pic 3?

Edited by hogits2, 17 March 2012 - 01:00.

[Simon Arron]

Who was the naughty historic driver who laid a Robin Hanson-esque oil slick before FP1?

Not sure. It was one of the cars from the daily parade, rather than a historic touring car (no F5000 here this season).

[scags]

Great shots- i'm looking forward to another season of fun.

[cjpani]

My favourite thread is back! Cool pics as always, Simon!
Cj

[Barry Boor]

I must say I'm getting used to the look of the cars. But, a well done, to Virgin/Marussia for managing to 'do a McLaren' and produce a no-step' nose.

[E1pix]

Thanks Simon, wonderful.

Yours is a 'show' I will relish all year. [with all regards to Keith, Greg, and Carl ]

[David Lawson]

There's a busy support programme, with air displays...

During the first two wet practice sessions there was a lot of oil dropped on the track by some historic cars (according to the commentator), is there a race for these during the weekend?

David

[garyfrogeye]

Simply Red Bull.

I love the smooth Costin-esque uncluttered look of this redbull

[Simon Arron]

During the first two wet practice sessions there was a lot of oil dropped on the track by some historic cars (according to the commentator), is there a race for these during the weekend?

There's a daily parade, David, featuring everything from Bugatti T37s and McLaren M1s to assorted Austin Healeys and a Matich SR4. There are about 60 cars and it was one of these that coated the circuit. There is also a race for bygone touring cars...

[Duc-Man]

I guess we can allready give away the awards for the best looking cars of the season 2012.
The winneres are: Marussia and McLaren.

Can we please go back to 60s/70s design now?

[Phil Rainford]

Welcome back SA; for those who thinks Mr Arron spends the winter months decorating and painting the fence.

Here he last week at a Mallory Park Sprint




PAR

[elansprint72]

I bet we had more flies in the Media Box at Oulton today than you had in Oz!

[Barry Boor]

Malta is famous for its flies but I haven't seen one yet this year.

Saw my first small lizard today though.

Meanwhile, back in Oz......

[Doug Nye]

Fascinating to be able to study F1's latest generation in one place like this. Thanks Simon. There was a Renault - sorry Lotus - a black and gold thing, wotever? - from last year at Goodwood on Wednesday with the Lotus 49 standing nearby. The modern car looked simply ENORMOUS compared to the 1967 design. Of course it offers its occupant enormously greater protection but the contrast between the cars of these two eras is truly startling. A student of packaging design might say offensive. But that is what legislation demands.

DCN

[Gatmo]

The best thread on the board returns.

[Simon Arron]

The modern car looked simply ENORMOUS compared to the 1967 design.

Ditto with road cars, Doug. The VW Polo has morphed into the Golf... and just look at the svelte A-pillars of an E30 3-series alongside its modern-day counterparts...

[ryan86]

Welcome back my friends to the post that never ends, as I believe Emerson, Lake & Palmer almost once said. Herewith the 2012 cars...

I've always wonder whether some sports car owner with a mischevious sense of humour ever tried to get Fittipaldi, Speed and Dr Jonathan in a car together.

[Wirra]

Fascinating to be able to study F1's latest generation in one place like this. Thanks Simon. There was a Renault - sorry Lotus - a black and gold thing, wotever? - from last year at Goodwood on Wednesday with the Lotus 49 standing nearby. The modern car looked simply ENORMOUS compared to the 1967 design. Of course it offers its occupant enormously greater protection but the contrast between the cars of these two eras is truly startling. A student of packaging design might say offensive. But that is what legislation demands.

DCN

Thirty-one years of Williams evolution = thirty-one years of aesthetic descent.

Just Williams.

[Lee Nicolle]

Thirty-one years of Williams evolution = thirty-one years of aesthetic descent.

Someone mentioned uncluttered above. The 1981 pic is uncluttered, the 2012 is so stupidly cluttered and ugly.
The rule makers should make rules that the car has one wingt each end, not the mad boffins nightmare they currently make.
And in comparison the Williams is uncluttered, it only has about 8 elements, all with weird endplates unlike some that seem to have about 30!

[Redneb]

Great photos... but those cars are a bad joke aren't they? They're going to unveil the real body shapes soon and get rid of the painted beer crates and gee-jaws hung on the front.

[john aston]

Ditto with road cars, Doug. The VW Polo has morphed into the Golf... and just look at the svelte A-pillars of an E30 3-series alongside its modern-day counterparts...

Not if you drive a Seven - my 2007 R400 looks reasssuringly like its predecessors going back to 1957. And now we are an F1 team. Crikey : .Ish.

[David Lawson]

"Thirty years of aesthetic descent". I disagree as it has always been the case, it's just progress





David

[stuartbrs]

You think the cars are ugly.. you should have seen the Australian telecast... disgraceful.

[Phil Rainford]

Was convinced they GP was on the BBC .......... only to get up at 5.30am to find it was on Sky

Dislike Murdoch even more now


PAR

[Wirra]

"Thirty years of aesthetic descent". I disagree as it has always been the case, it's just progress...David

I think you are in fact agreeing with me, David. I only chose the Williams as I had the wet weather photo but I agree an even better case could be made with a series of marque images including front engines, e.g. Lotus or Ferrari... but perhaps this is not the thread.

[Mistron]

Things are so competitive that even the swans carry race numbers.

Is this the inspiration for the front of the cars?

No, sorry, they are actually based on the duck billed Platypus.

Schumachers' steed looks especially as though it's been visited by the head shrinkers. Fugly looking things........

[philhitchings]

Ah! now the season really has started. Cheers as always Simon

[GeoffR]

I presume the trusty K5 in action for these shots Simon? If I may ask, what lens do you use for the action shots?

[Gatmo]

Was convinced they GP was on the BBC .......... only to get up at 5.30am to find it was on Sky

Dislike Murdoch even more now


PAR

I'm sorry Phil, but that made me smile....... A schoolboy howler i'm afraid

[kayemod]

I'm sorry Phil, but that made me smile....... A schoolboy howler i'm afraid

As any fule kno...

[Simon Arron]

I presume the trusty K5 in action for these shots Simon? If I may ask, what lens do you use for the action shots?

A slightly unreliable Sigma 100-300mm f4 on this occasion, Geoff.

[philhitchings]

Not wishing to steal your thread (you can always take this over to the photogs or camera thread if you wish), why is the lens unreliable; slightly?

[GeoffR]

A slightly unreliable Sigma 100-300mm f4 on this occasion, Geoff.

This is getting slightly OT, but I picked up a Pentax 55-300mm f4 a while ago. Works in well with the Pentax 16-45mm.

[Simon Arron]

Why is the lens unreliable; slightly?

The electronic contacts aren't always as secure as I'd like (and the bloke using the lens is unreliable, too). More photos anon...

[D-Type]

The electronic contacts aren't always as secure as I'd like (and the bloke using the lens is unreliable, too). More photos anon...

As they say at the next two GP venues:


BORROCKS!

[Hamish Robson]

Great to see you back Simon

And the captions, as usual...

[Option1]

Great to have this thread back with Simon's skill and wit to the forefront. Almost serves as confirmation that finally after a too long winter break, the racing season has recommenced.

Neil

[vashlin]

The best thread on the board returns.

Agreed

Great to have you back, as always, Simon.

Looking forward to more!

Lin

[cpbell]

Agreed

Great to have you back, as always, Simon.

Looking forward to more!

Lin

Hear hear!

Edited by cpbell, 19 March 2012 - 20:37.

[Simon Arron]

Thanks, all, for the nice words. Sorry service has been a bit slow - I still havem't finished sifting through the historic touring car and V8 shots I took earlier in the weekend, such has been the consequence of much rustiness. Here, though, are a few more F1 shots...


Romain Grosjean: fleeting hero.


Look - it moves (just).


Suspect these were faster than the HRTs... and they were only doing parade laps.




Grace and elegance.


Hewn from Lego.

[Ralf Pickel]

The chap in the Williams above is not really conforming to the new FIA rollbar rules ? (2 inches from top of rollbar to top of helmet)

Edited by Ralf Pickel, 20 March 2012 - 09:14.

[Stephen W]

The chap in the Williams above is not really conforming to the new FIA rollbar rules ? (2 inches from top of rollbar to top of helmet)

Seeing as most 'historic; cars fail on this count I suspect the MSA may well have to allow "period" standards to apply otherwise the HSCC grids will be a bit thin!

[Ralf Pickel]

Have seen a few cars with "enlarged" rollbars - not helping their appearance, really...
Problem will be when HSCC competitors will do FIA snactioned stuff, Monaco Historic etc.

But I don´t want to derail this thread showing Simon´s great shots (plus the captions!).

[David McKinney]

All 1961-65 GP cars at Monaco this year have to have current-spec rollover bars

[Duc-Man]

All 1961-65 GP cars at Monaco this year have to have current-spec rollover bars

I kind of hope for the organizers that nobody shows up with that period cars. Might make them think about it...