
Mar.18. (PVM) Finally the time has come – when the flag drops the talking stops – and today as the lights switch from red to blank and the fields hurtles in to Turn 1 of the packed Albert Park circuit, we will have the start of the longest F1 season in history, the first of 20 races around the globe for what is set to be an epic season.
The 24 drivers assembled in Australia for the season opener posed for the traditional ‘class’ photo in Melbourne, some no doubt wondering how long their tenure in the sport will last. Non-performance is a sure ticket out of the sport and for sure by the time the circus arrives in Brazil for the finale the grid will have a few new faces, or at least faces that are not in this Class of 2012 photo.
For fans the hype and interest preceding the 2012 season start has been enormous, with Kimi Raikkonen making a welcome return, the pecking order debate, Ferrari crisis, the rules and bending thereof all of which have ensured non-stop column inches on websites, newspapers, magazines and of course hours of TV airtime.
It will be no different as each race will generate reams of information packed with intrigue and drama, which we at YallaF1.com remain committed to bringing to our growing legion of readers as often and as comprehensively as possible. If you want to overdose then this is the hangout for F1 junkies!
The 2012 F1 world championship drivers and teams are:
# | Drivers | Team/ Car | Engine |
1 2 | Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing RB8 Red Bull Racing RB8 | Renault Renault |
3 4 | Jenson Button Lewis Hamilton | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27 | Mercedes Mercedes |
5 6 | Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa | Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro F2012 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro F2012 | Ferrari Ferrari |
7 8 | Michael Schumacher Nico Rosberg | Mercedes AMG Petronas W03 Mercedes AMG Petronas W03 | Mercedes Mercedes |
9 10 | Kimi Raikkonen Romain Grosjean | Lotus F1 Team E20 Lotus F1 Team E20 | Renault Renault |
11 12 | Paul di Resta Nico Hulkenberg | Sahara Force India F1 Team VJM05 Sahara Force India F1 Team VJM05 | Mercedes Mercedes |
14 15 | Kamui Kobayashi Sergio Perez | Sauber F1 Team C31 Sauber F1 Team C31 | Ferrari Ferrari |
18 19 | Daniel Ricciardo Jean Eric Vergne | Scuderia Toro Rosso STR7 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR7 | Ferrari Ferrari |
18 19 | Pastor Maldonado Bruno Senna | Williams FW34 Williams FW34 | Renault Renault |
20 21 | Heikki Kovalainen Vitaly Petrov | Caterham F1 Team CT01 Caterham F1 Team CT01 | Renault Renault |
22 23 | Pedro de la Rosa Narain Karthikeyan | HRT F1 Team F112 HRT F1 Team F112 | Cosworth Cosworth |
24 25 | Timo Glock Charles Pic | Marussia F1 Team MR01 Marussia F1 Team MR01 | Cosworth Cosworth |