A lot of things happened in 2012. The season saw records broken – seven different winners in the opening seven races – Kimi Raikkonen returned and impressed everyone, Sebastian Vettel became a three-time world champion after fighting until the very end and controversy struck on numerous occasions.
We’ve chosen our top ten stories from the year based on the number of reads they’ve attracted. Here’s what was most popular on The F1 Times.
01. Did Vettel overtake Vergne under yellow flags?
Controversy erupted just days after the final race of the 2012 season after a video appeared to show Sebastian Vettel overtaking Jean-Eric Vergne illegally under yellow flags. The matter was however cleared up by the FIA after Ferrari probed the matter further. [Read Story]
02. Kubica fractures leg after falling on ice
Robert Kubica suffered yet more drama following his 2011 rally accident. The Polish driver slipped at his home in Italy and fractured his right tibia, extending his initial rehabilitation period. He has however gone on to win various local rallies as he looks to return to competitive motorsport. [Read Story]
03. Red Bull RB8 floor declared illegal by FIA
Red Bull failed to escape the wrath of the governing body after complaints from several rival teams led to a clarification on a small hole at the rear of the RB8’s floor. The team were forced to amend the design in time for the next race just days later. [Read Story]
04. Hamilton and Vettel forced to modify helmets
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel angered Formula 1 management with their helmets at the United States Grand Prix and were asked to amend them for Sunday’s race. [Read Story]
05. McLaren test complex pit stop light system
McLaren unveiled a highly-technical pit stop light system during pre-season testing to improve the efficiency of their stops. We analysed the system which featured various lights to alert the ‘lollipop’ man as to when each mechanic had finished his job. As it turns out, McLaren recorded the fastest stop ever at 2.31 seconds. [Read Story]
06. Shock as Williams garage explodes in flames
Our sixth most read story was an unfortunate event following Williams first race victory since 2004. As the team celebrated in their garage, a fire took hold, engulfing their equipment and injuring nine people. [Read Story]
07. Alonso’s £24m salary dwarfs entire grid
Reports about driver’ salaries are always popular and the revelation that Fernando Alonso is paid almost double that of Lewis Hamilton, meant this story was our seventh most popular. Alonso earnt £24 million in 2011 compared to Hamilton’s £12.8m. [Read Story]
08. Teams preparing for Bahrain cancellation
The controversial Bahrain Grand Prix may have gone ahead, but that didn’t stop the teams preparing for its cancellation at the last minute. Contingency plans were put in place in the event the FIA chose to scrap the race due to violent protests. [Read Story]
09. Scheckter shuns Alonso for Vettel and Hamilton
Jody Scheckter rated Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton as the two best drivers in Formula 1, shunning Fernando Alonso with whom he says he has lost respect for since his McLaren days. [Read Story]
10. Ferrari disappointed with Schumacher in Brazil
Luca di Montezemolo wasn’t happy with Michael Schumacher in Brazil after he appeared to move over for Sebastian Vettel, prompting the Ferrari president to say he expected more considering their history together. [Read Story]
