Alonso Wins European Grand Prix, Schumacher Scoops Third

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Spanish Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso won an exciting European Grand Prix on Sunday in Valencia, Spain, fighting back from 11^th on the grid to secure the win on home soil. Alonso is the first repeat winner for the 2012 F1 Grand Prix season.

Second through the blocks was Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen. It may come as a surprise to some, and it was for Michael Schumacher, who managed to cross the line in third place in his Mercedes-Benz. For Schumacher, a place on the podium was a big deal since he was last there almost six years ago in China 2006.

Schumacher, who is now 43 became the oldest driver on the podium since Australian triple champion Jack Brabham’s second place in Britain in 1970 at the tender age of 44.  Schumacher is F1’s most successful driver in the history of the sport with 91 races wins to his name.

Fernando Alonso leads the drivers’ standings with 111 points with Mark Webber on 91 and Lewis Hamilton with 88 points.

 News Source: IOL Motoring

F1 News: Nico Rosberg looking good in Bahrain

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Nico Rosberg of Mercedes came out on top in the second practice round at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain ahead of the Bahrain GP race tomorrow. Rosberg seems to be coming back stronger than ever after winning his first Grand Prix in China last week.

In the second practice round on Saturday, Rosberg was comfortably faster ahead of Redbull drivers Mark Webber and defending champion Sebastian Vettel. Track temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, dramatically effecting tyre degradation. After the practice session Rosberg commented on the conditions saying “We are having to make changes because out there it's very unusual - conditions are very tough.”

Teammate, Michael Schumacher, who placed 5^th in the practice session, had the following to say “The tyres are a big issue because they are just going away like nothing, but it's the same problem for everybody. It will improve a bit, but let's see how many tyres we are going to need in the race.”

The Bahrain GP is set to be a tough race and literally anything can happen and it should be an exciting race to watch.

 Here are the results for the second practice session that took place today.

 Bahrain Grand Prix - Second Practice

1. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:32.816

2. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull - Renault 1:33.262

3. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1:33.525

4. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1:33.747

5. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1:33.862

6. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1:34.246

7. Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber - Ferrari 1:34.411

8. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1:34.449

9. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1:34.615

10. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1:34.893

11. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:34.895

12. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1:34.941

13. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus - Renault 1:35.183

14. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:35.229

15. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams - Renault 1:35.459

16. Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham - Renault 1:35.913

17. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham - Renault 1:35.968

18. Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams - Renault 1:36.169

19. Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia - Cosworth 1:36.587

20. Charles Pic (France) Marussia - Cosworth 1:37.803

21. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT - Cosworth 1:37.812

22. Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT - Cosworth 1:39.649

Bahrain GP in Turmoil

Tweet Anti-government protests to oust the Bahrain monarchy are reason for concern ahead of the Bahrain GP to kick off on Sunday. Two members of the Force India Team have decided to go home following a petrol bomb incident on their way back to their hotel on Wednesday evening.

More than this, protesters have threatened ‘days of rage’ to coincide with the Bahrain GP, not good news for the drivers or the sport. Germany's Nico Hulkenberg said "It is obviously not right that that sort of stuff happens, we're here to race. The F1 business is about entertainment and these sorts of things should not really be happening to us. Whether it is right or not, I don't really know. I am not a politician, I am an F1 driver.” In 2011, the Bahrain GP was cancelled due to political unrest in and around the capital, Manama.

Tough Track Conditions

Other drivers seemed calm during a media briefing held on Thursday and are looking forward to a challenging race come Sunday. The Bahrain GP is considered to be the toughest race in the F1 calendar. The Sakhir International Circuit will be the battleground for Sunday’s race, offering good grip and medium abrasion. However, the elements on this particular track are something to consider. Temperatures often exceed 35 degrees with the track temperature easily reaching 60 degrees. Drivers experience rapid dehydration, as much as 3 litres during the race’s 57 laps and tyre wear is more drastic in these harsh conditions. Desert sand sweeping across the track can cause problems in terms of grip but also may clog air intake and cooling systems on the cars.

Who Will Win?

Statistically speaking Fernando Alonso is considered the most successful driver in Bahrain with three wins out of seven races, two with Renault and one with Ferrari. Felipe Massa has recorded two wins in Bahrain with Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher with one win each. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has been out-qualified three times in a row by Mark Webber and will look to improve this time round in Bahrain. Kimi Räikkönen reckons Lotus will be on the podium but it’s anyone’s guess as to who will win in Bahrain.

Petrol bombs and all, the Bahrain GP is set to be a show of explosive driving, hold on to your seats…