Formula One News Review

By Author: Gustavo Roche
Total Articles: 10
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As 2012 is soon to end, the first 20-race season has brought a lot of highlights around Formula One history. To trace them one by one, here are excerpts of the extraordinary 2012 year for F1.

January:

1. Toast for a New Year as Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey was one of the UK’s New Year Honours list. He received OBE (Officer of Order of the British Empire) for his loyal services to motorsport, while 1992 Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell garnered a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his humble services to children and young people in his role as president of charity UK Youth.

2. Caterham ended the month as the first team to unveil their 2012 car.

February:

1. Most of 2012 motor cars were launched including McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Red Bull, Mercedes, Sauber, Lotus, Toro Rosso and Force India.

2. HRT proclaimed Narain Karthikeyan as Pedro de la Rosa’s team mate for 2012.

March:

1. Frank Williams, founder of Williams announced his retirement from the board. However, he remained to be majority shareholder and team ...
... principal. His daughter Claire joined the board as director of marketing and communications.

2. FIA’s World Motor Sport Council proclaimed revisions on sporting regulations.

3. William’s chairman, Adam Parr quits the team.

April:

1. HRT team promoted engineer Toni Cuquerella as their technical director.

2. Williams placed DTM driver Susie Wolff as their development driver.

3. Nico Rosberg is Formula One third place race winner to win a Grand Prix.

May:

1. Ferrari announced an online auction to assist those affected by the two earthquakes which dismantled Northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region.

2. Blazing fire caused injuries to some of William’s team members when the fire broke on the William’s garage.

June:

1. The FIA Women in Motorsport Commission (WMC) announced Formula One racing first official Ambassadors including Sauber CEO Monisha Kaltenborn, Williams test driver Susie Wolff and Marussia counterpart Maria de Villota.

2. Some of the Formula One teams spend their time at race-free weekend to attend the UK’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Button and Hamilton demonstrated McLaren’s MP4-12C road car as well as driving the 2011 McLaren MP4-26.

July:

1. Marussia test driver Maria de Villota sustained serious head and facial injuries after crashing into a team truck during a straight-line test in UK.

2. To show their honor and support to De Villota, several drivers wore stickers on their helmets during British Grand Prix.

August:

1. The F1 racing fraternity annual mid-season break.

2. Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, the venue for November’s United States Grand Prix constructed the final base course and completed the entire first layer of pavement around the 5.513-kilometre track.

September:

1. Belgian Grand Prix

2. Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher joined an exclusive club by making his 300th Grand Prix appearance.

3. Rubens Barrichello made his 326 appearances when he bowed out of the sport at the end of the 2011 season.

4. Lotus’s Romain Grosjean received one-race ban and a 50,000 euro fine for causing a huge first-corner accident at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix.

5. Professor Sid Watkins, former FIA medical delegate who is credited for the improvements in safety and medical provision to Formula One racing passed away at the age of 84.

6. Lewis Hamilton left McLaren at the end of 2012 to join Mercedes.

7. McLaren proclaimed Sauber driver, Sergio Perez as Hamilton’s replacement.

October:

1. Seven-time Formula One driver champion, Michael Schumacher announced his retirement at the end of 2012.

2. Sauber founder and team principal, Peter Sauber also proclaimed his retirement at the Korean Grand Prix. Monisha Kaltenborn, the team’s CEO will replace him as the team principal.

November:

1. Cyril Abiteboul, who became Caterham CEO in September, was assigned as the team’s new team principal.

2. A spectacular new Formula One documentary is revealed in Austin during the the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. The documentary is entitled ‘1’.

December:

1. Sebastian Vettel clinched his third consecutive drivers’ championship award. The Red Bull driver becomes the youngest driver in history to win three titles.

2. FIA declared eleven 2013 team entry list. HRT is out of the list.

3. FIA also revealed changes to the 2013 calendar.

4. Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing visited Istanbul to gather their world championship trophies at the FIA’s end-of-season prize giving gala.

5. Mercedes announced retirement of Norbert Haug, their head of motorsport for more than 22 years.

6. In Bangkok, Thailand, Romain Grosjean won the Race of Champions whilst Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel won the Nation’s Cup for the sixth consecutive year.

7. McLaren and Force India declared the launch dates of their new 2013 cars.