2012 Formula 1.5 Season

The 2012 Formula 1.5 season was the 63rd season of the Formula 1.5 World Championship. The season started at the 18th of March and ended on the 25th of November.

Nico Rosberg was the defending world champion. Nico Hulkenberg won the 2012 championship, whilst Force India won the teams championship.

## Teams and Drivers

The team previously known as Renault, now known as Lotus, had moved up to F1.0. The team previously known as Lotus also changed its name to Caterham, while Virgin now went by Marussia. Meanwhile, Williams made the swap to Renault engines rather than Cosworth.

Plenty of change on the driver front as well, then. Hülkenberg was back in a race seat after sitting out last year, though his frequent outings for Force India in practice sessions last year meant it wasn't as jarring a reintroduction as it could have been. Toro Rosso scrapped their successful lineup of the last few years and saved Ricciardo from an uncompetitive seat at HRT in the process. Teammate Vergne and Marussia's Pic were the rookies of the field, while de la Rosa was the opposite, a surprise signing for HRT in an attempt to revitalise the team's Spanish...ness.

## Season Calendar

### New and Returning races

* After the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled, the race was reinstated for the 2012 season with a provisional date in October. The final version of the calendar brought the race forward to April.
* The German Grand Prix returned to Hockenheim after the 2011 German Grand Prix was held at the Nürburgring, in line with the event's policy of alternating between venues.
* In May 2010, it was announced that Austin, Texas would host the return of the United States Grand Prix, the first since Indianapolis in 2007. Known as the Circuit of the Americas, the venue will be a brand-new, purpose-built permanent circuit designed by event promoter Tavo Hellmund and 1993 Grand Prix Motorcycle World Champion Kevin Schwantz with the assistance of German architect and circuit designer Hermann Tilke.

### Failed Races

* The Turkish Grand Prix was removed from the calendar after Formula One Management and the event organisers could not agree on a renewed contract.

## Changes

### Technical Regulations

* The 2011 season saw teams running "off-throttle blown diffusers", which created downforce by forcing fuel through the engine to produce exhaust gases and directing it over the diffuser when the driver was not applying the throttle. This concept was originally banned in incremental phases, with increasingly restrictive rules on what teams could and could not do, with a full ban to be applied from the 2011 British Grand Prix onwards. However, the incremental ban was controversial, with several teams applying for and receiving permission to circumvent the total ban. After discussion between the FIA and engine manufacturers, the original regulations were restored, with the full ban delayed until 2012. The regulations in 2012 governed the design of the exhaust with the teams agreeing to strict constraints on the position of the exhaust tailpipe. This resulted in the exhaust exiting the bodywork much higher up than in 2011, and no longer in the vicinity of the diffuser. Several teams, including Williams and Mercedes used the Young Driver Tests in Abu Dhabi as an opportunity to test parts for the 2012 season in the face of the ban. In October 2011, a clarification to the amended rules was issued, effectively banning "exotic" engine maps; in November, further amendments were introduced, completely banning the practice of blowing exhaust gasses over parts of the car to improve downforce, following a bid by several teams to allow it under certain conditions. Further amendments were made in February 2012 when Mercedes alerted the FIA to a loophole in the regulations that would allow teams to continue using a partially blown diffuser. The FIA responded by re-writing the software governing the engine's Electronic Control Unit to close the loophole.
* In January 2012, the FIA banned the use of "reactive ride-height". The system, first proposed by Lotus in 2010 (but not applied until 2012), used hydraulic cylinders located in the brake calipers and suspension push-rods to make minute adjustments to the ride height of the car, thereby keeping the ride height at an optimal level throughout the race and providing stability during braking. The FIA initially approved the device as being legal, and several teams, including Ferrari and Williams, submitted plans to the FIA for their own versions of the device before it was banned one week later. The FIA later confirmed that the reactive ride-height systems violated Article 3.15 of the technical regulations, which states that "any aerodynamic effect created by the suspension should be incidental to its primary function" and "any device that influences the car's aerodynamics must remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car" and further noted that the system's primary purpose was achieving aerodynamic gains as opposed to providing stability under braking, and that the use of reactive ride-heights could also be challenged under Article 10.2 of the technical regulations, which govern suspension systems.
* Technical regulations for 2012 include the reprofiling of the car's nose. The pre-2012 regulations allowed the nose to be as high as 62.5 centimetres (24.6 in) above ground, but the revisions to the sporting code lowered the maximum allowable height to 55 centimetres (22 in) 150mm ahead of the front bulkhead. This resulted in cars being launched with a "platypus" nose, as teams designed cars with a visible change in height along the nose assembly of the car. Mercedes AMG team principal Ross Brawn explained the distinctive nose shape as having come about from "several teams" wanting to use their 2011 chassis as the basis for their 2012 cars.
* Drivers were no longer permitted to have a "joker" gearbox change. Prior to 2012, drivers were entitled to change their gearboxes once over the course of the season without incurring a five-place grid penalty. This system was abandoned in 2012, with drivers only being allowed to change gearboxes once every five races.
* Starting in 2012, all cars were required to pass their mandatory FIA crash tests before being allowed to take part in pre-season testing. Previously, passing the crash tests was only a requirement prior to the first race of the season. Crash tests for the 2012 season will also be more rigorous than in previous years.
* At the meeting for the Formula 1.5 Commission in Geneva in November 2011, the use of helium in air guns used to change tyres during pit stops was banned. Despite increasing the rotation speed of the air guns by up to 30%, the practice of using helium was deemed to be too expensive to continue for the competitive gains it offered.
* At the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIA banned the use of "trick brake" devices, which used a bi-metallic strip that changed shape when heated by the brakes to open or close off braking ducts and improving braking efficiency under certain conditions. This was deemed to be in breach of Article 11.4 of the Sporting Regulations, which states that the only permissible changes to the braking system while a car is moving must be directly controlled by the driver.

### Sporting Regulations

* After being banned in 2009, in-season testing returned in 2012, with a test held at Mugello on 1 May ahead of the European leg of the 2012 championship. As teams were only be permitted to do fifteen days of testing over the course of the season, the pre-season winter testing schedule was cut back to accommodate the Mugello test.
* At the September 2011 meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, representatives of the member organisations voted to amend the rules for double-waved yellow flags in all FIA-sanctioned championships. The amendment means that double-waved flags will be shown when a track marshal is working on or beside the circuit.
* Tyre supplier Pirelli revised their tyre compounds for the 2012 season in an effort to encourage teams to use each of the compounds supplied for individual races. Pirelli predicted that the changes would translate into 0.7 seconds' difference per lap between the harder and softer compounds, down from 1.5 seconds per lap in 2011. According to Pirelli, the hardest tyre compound available is just 31% harder than the softest compound on offer; by comparison, the hardest tyres used in 2011 were 70% harder than the softest.
* Faced with several constructors applying for name changes, teams requested a clearer definition of what constitutes a "constructor". Under the rules set out in the Sixth Concorde Agreement, several teams have been forced to compete under names that do not necessarily reflect their ownership – such as Sauber competing as "BMW Sauber" in 2010, despite BMW withdrawing from the sport at the end of the 2009 season – in order to preserve their status as a current constructor and their claim to a share of the television rights paid to teams that placed in the top ten in the final World Constructors' Championship standings.
* At the final meeting of the World Motorsports Commission in December 2011, a series of amendments to the sporting regulations were published. Chief among these is the re-introduction of a rule that will allow all lapped traffic under the safety car (which remained the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG introduced in 2010) to be released from the queue before the car returns to pit lane, allowing the drivers to unlap themselves and to ensure a clean restart.
* Drivers were not permitted to leave the confines of the circuit without a justifiable reason, following a spate of incidents in 2011 when drivers were sighted using access roads around the circuit to shorten their reconnaissance and in-laps in order to preserve their fuel and tyres. Similarly, drivers will not be allowed to return to the normal racing line should they choose a defensive line going into a corner.
* Races were run to a maximum four-hour time limit to prevent the indefinite suspension of a race. This will stop the theoretical possibility of a race lasting more than eight hours. This rule was introduced in response to the rain-interrupted 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, which set a record for the longest race in Formula One history, at four hours, four minutes and thirty-nine seconds.
* Any driver in the pit lane when a race is suspended was permitted to return to the circuit and take up the position on the grid that they were running in at the time of the suspension.
* At the 2012 British Grand Prix in July, the FIA disabled the use of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) during a race while yellow flags were being shown in the same sector as the DRS zone. The move followed an incident at the European Grand Prix in which Michael Schumacher was observed to activate his DRS while yellow flags were being shown.

### Other Changes

In July 2011, a joint broadcasting deal for Formula One in the United Kingdom was announced between Sky Sports and the BBC. The announcement was controversial, being met with highly negative reactions from fans and observers as it had previously been believed that the terms of the Concorde Agreement prevented Formula One from being broadcast exclusively on pay-per-view, but the Agreement did not prevent a shared broadcast such as the proposal made by Sky Sports and the BBC. The controversial nature of the broadcast deal led to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons calling Bernie Ecclestone and "senior BBC figures" including director-general Mark Thompson to answer questions over the details of the broadcasting arrangement.

## Season Report

### Round 1- Australia

Melbourne had by now reasserted itself as the perennial home of the F1.5 season opener. Much like last year, though, more attention than expected was being given to HRT, whose operational problems had materialised yet again. Scrutineering and technical problems meant that the team failed to set a representative lap time until FP3, and the projections didn't look good. Sure enough, for the second year in a row neither car managed to qualify for the race. Up front, it was Schumacher who stormed to pole, some half a second clear of Rosberg. Maldonado and Hülkenberg came behind, with Ricciardo and Vergne taking the third row.

The start saw plenty of position shuffling and contact. The top three stayed the same, but Hülkenberg's first race since 2010 ended after getting squeezed by Vergne and an F1.0 car. Kobayashi and Pérez benefited from Senna and Ricciardo coming together to make up several places too. Schumacher retired from the lead on lap 11 with a gearbox failure, letting Rosberg into the lead just as the first pit stop phase came. The man to watch was then Pérez, attempting a one-stop strategy as he had so many times last year. The pivotal point of the race, though, was Petrov's retirement on lap 35. His stricken Caterham required the intervention of the Safety Car - disaster for Rosberg as he had just pitted for the second time. Maldonado got a free stop to stay in the lead on the restart, while Kobayashi also stopped and was now just behind Rosberg in 4th on fresher tyres. Pérez's strategy now left him 2nd but with 16 laps to go and no more stops. Traditionally Melbourne-style racing followed, with nobody able to make much of an impression on the guy ahead, but Pérez holding up Rosberg and co meant that Maldonado was stretching out a lead in front. That is, until the final lap. Perhaps due to over-exuberance in pursuit of a maiden win, the Venezuelan found himself instead spinning into the wall between turns 7 and 8. Further back, Rosberg tried a last-gasp move on Pérez that resulted in a puncture for the Mercedes, letting Kobayashi past both. A mistake from Vergne, 5th at the start of the lap, let Ricciardo and di Resta through as well.

After a mad final lap where several battles finally coalesced, Kobayashi started his season the best way with victory. Pérez took second for a Sauber 1-2, while Ricciardo was third. Di Resta and Vergne also beat the limping Rosberg, with Maldonado classified 7th ahead of Glock, Pic, and Senna.

### Round 2- Malaysia

The biggest round-to-round improvement as F1.5 moved to Sepang was at HRT, where they finally had working DRS that allowed them to qualify for the race. That change didn't mean it was any different up front, as Schumacher again took pole ahead of Rosberg. Pérez and Maldonado took the second row, with Senna and di Resta completing the top six.

Heavy rain fell before the start, leaving everyone bar the HRTs to start on the intermediate tyres - the Spanish squad opting for full wets instead. The first lap saw Schumacher come to grief with an F1.0 car, sending the polesitter well down the order. In addition, Pérez and Senna pitted immediately for full wets, a decision mirrored by nearly everyone by lap 5. The Safety Car came out on lap 6 due to the worsening conditions, and Pérez's gamble had paid off as he now led, with Vergne second after not stopping at all. The red flag was shown on lap 9, with Pérez leading the restart 50 minutes later from pole, and Senna last following a slow first stop and then another stop behind the Safety Car for some reason. Once the racing started again, everyone pitted for inters, and it was Rosberg who got the jump on the field on that one, emerging second behind Pérez. Unfortunately for the reigning champion, his Mercedes was shredding its tyres, and before the track dried he was forced to come in again for another set. On lap 37, Ricciardo became the first driver to switch to slicks, prompting everyone to do likewise. Pérez was still leading after the final stops, with di Resta now second and Senna third after fighting his way up from the back. The Brazilian's momentum continued as he passed di Resta on lap 44.

But it wasn't enough to stop Pérez. The Mexican won his first F1.5 race by an incredible 35 seconds in dire conditions. Senna was second - another impressive performance - and di Resta third. Vergne, Hülkenberg, Schumacher, Ricciardo, Rosberg, Petrov, and Glock completed the points.

### Round 3- China

A whirlwind opening couple of races left the championship in complete disarray. Mercedes down in 5th despite locking out the front row, Sauber winning both races out of nowhere, and Rosberg's third title defence so far leaving him only P7. The confusing state of affairs continued as *the entire grid* followed a two-by-two formation. Rosberg took pole with Schumacher second, Kobayashi and Pérez were on the second row, and Maldonado and Senna completed the top six. The Force Indias, Toro Rossos, Caterhams, Marussias, and HRTs followed. It wouldn't stay that way, as Vergne took to the pit lane following some car changes, but an interesting qualifying result nonetheless.

It was a perfect start for Mercedes, as Rosberg and Schumacher streaked away leaving the squabbles behind. With most of the grid on a two-stop strategy, the first stops started on about lap 11, but disaster struck for Schumacher as he was released with a loose front-right wheel, becoming the race's only retirement when he should have been fighting for victory. Rosberg had no such problems and continued to lead, as almost everyone began to struggle with keeping their tyres alive. Rosberg was able to take it easy, but everyone else had to try and manage their rubber and fight for position at the same time, causing a long train of cars that included most of the field by the closing laps. Sauber had gone contrary on their strategies, with Pérez pitting out of time with those around him - though a long second stop made his job a bit harder - and Kobayashi one of the few going for a three-stop. Williams, however, on a more traditional strategy, had managed to jump them and were on for a great result.

Rosberg finally opened his account for the season with victory in Shanghai, with Senna and Maldonado a long way back to complete the podium. Kobayashi, Pérez, di Resta, Hülkenberg, Vergne, Ricciardo, and Petrov completed the points.

### Round 4- Bahrain

A three-way tie for second in the championship at this early stage was the hope sign to many that 2012 would be this competitive all year. But whatever on-track activities happened in Bahrain, the weekend was held in controversy. The protests that had forced the cancellation of the race in 2011 were ongoing, and many felt that continuing to hold the event played into the government's hands to make the country look stable. Some of Force India's mechanics were caught up in a petrol bombing on the Wednesday, luckily with no injuries or damage, but the concern about night travel meant the team missed second practice on Friday.

Usual procedure continued on track regardless. Rosberg took pole, alongside Ricciardo who started from the front row for the first time. Pérez and di Resta came next, with Kobayashi and Hülkenberg completing the top six.

The start saw Ricciardo squander his great qualifying with a bad start and then contact with Kovalainen costing him a front wing. Di Resta passed Pérez for second before long, but things got shuffled around in the pit stops. With most drivers opting for a 3-stop strategy, di Resta and Kobayashi were championing a 2-stop. Di Resta took the lead through the stops, and eyes shifted to his eventual duel with Rosberg. Kobayashi was harder on his tyres than expected, and as his pace haemorrhaged, he was brought in for an emergency third stop. Sure enough, after the final stops, di Resta held the lead, but Rosberg's tyres were slightly fresher. The gap fell lap after lap, as di Resta's meejums began to wear towards the "cliff" and he began relying on KERS to defend on the straight. On lap 52, the move was made, and Rosberg took the lead to win his second race of the season and once again move into championship contention. Di Resta took second with Schumacher third, an excellent result after a DRS failure and grid penalty left him starting 14th. Pérez, Hülkenberg, Kobayashi, Vergne, Ricciardo, Petrov, and Kovalainen completed the points.

### Round 5- Spain

The season so far looked relatively similar to what 2011 had been - Mercedes struggling initially before hitting their stride just before the European season. All others had to hope that the similarities ended there, and they wouldn't dominate from here on. Qualifying in Barcelona gave continued hope for a competitive championship, as pole went to Maldonado for the first time, with Pérez on the front row. Rosberg and Schumacher took the second row ahead of Kobayashi and di Resta.

The start once again saw the second-placed man hit trouble at the first corner, as Pérez made contact with an F1.0 car that gave him a puncture and obliged an immediate pit stop. Once things had settled, it was all eyes on the pit strategies, with Kobayashi and the Mercedes duo among the first to stop. At the start of lap 13, Schumacher attempted to pass Senna on fresh tyres, but misjudged his braking and took the Williams out of the race with him. Maldonado continued to lead as it turned into a race for second between Rosberg and Kobayashi. No strategy differences this time around, and Kamui was being daring in his scraps with the F1.0 cars, so Rosberg had plenty to be worried about. By the time both made their final stops on lap 41, the chase was truly on. A daring move into turn 10 on lap 60 sealed the position for Kobayashi, as Rosberg's tyres cried enough.

But, incredibly, all of this action was a full minute behind Maldonado, who took his maiden victory in dominant fashion. Kobayashi and Rosberg completed the podium, with Hülkenberg, Vergne, Ricciardo, di Resta, Kovalainen, Petrov, and Glock taking the rest of the points.

### Round 6- Monaco

With Rosberg back at the top of the standings - a position he'd have got quite used to of late - it was time for the spectacle that is qualifying at Monaco. However, two drivers that ended up in the top positions were set back by grid penalties. Schumacher set the fastest time, but was penalised for his collision with Senna in the last race, while Maldonado went third fastest but was sent to the back of the grid for hitting Pérez during FP3 as well as taking a new gearbox. Ironically, the Mexican himself was also on the back row after crashing out in Q1. All of that meant the actual grid order was Rosberg on pole with Schumacher on the front row, Hülkenberg and Kobayashi behind, and Senna and di Resta completing the top six.

The start saw some good old Monaco chaos. An errant F1.0 car squeezed Schumacher into the wall and became stuck perpendicular to the field. Kobayashi made contact on the rear right as he passed, while Maldonado crashed in sympathy and took out de la Rosa for good measure. The Safety Car was brought out as Kobayashi pitted for repairs and usual Monaco procedure set in. The race presented the dual challenges of eking out tyres in the Pirelli era, while also accounting for the possibility of rain. Almost everyone stayed out longer than usual in the first stint, so that their tyres would be in as good a condition as possible should any rain come at the end of the race. The only real exception was Vergne, who pitted first on lap 17, some 10 laps before everyone else. That left him running third after the stops had shaken out, which became second after Schumacher retired with a fuel pressure problem. Toro Rosso then took the ultimate gamble of pitting Vergne for intermediates amid ever-darkening rain clouds above. Unfortunately, no rain fell, and the Frenchman was 7 seconds slower per lap than his rivals for the last 8 laps.

Up front, Rosberg had aced the challenging race. Another huge winning margin of 40 seconds was the difference to di Resta in second and Hülkenberg third. Senna, Pérez, Vergne, Kovalainen, Glock, and Karthikeyan were the only other finishers in a race with 7 retirements.

### Round 7- Canada

A pretty ominous sight in the championship as F1.5 stops in Montreal, as Rosberg has a full race win in hand. He kept that momentum going with pole on Saturday, with closest challenger di Resta alongside. Schumacher and Kobayashi took row 2, with Hülkenberg and Ricciardo on row 3.

The start saw a battle between Rosberg and di Resta, the Force India closing the early gap before passing for the lead on lap 3. Once again, strategy would play a major role for the rest of the afternoon, as di Resta pitted early, falling behind Rosberg after the championship leader made his own stop. Sauber looked to be doing something interesting, as Kobayashi and Pérez stayed out later than most. Kobayashi pitted on lap 24, but Pérez stayed out in the lead, with Rosberg in second. Pérez's first stint was so long that Rosberg had stopped for a second time before the Mexican had stopped at all! It was a gamble that looked to have worked, though, as he rejoined second behind Rosberg. By now, di Resta's early pace had dropped off, and Schumacher's awful run of luck continued as he retired due to a hydraulics failure that prevented him from closing his DRS. The question was now whether Pérez could take victory from 7th on the grid. His tyres were similar in age to Rosberg's, so it was about as fair a fight as you could get. Unfortunately, the ending was somewhat disappointing. Rosberg cut the final chicane on lap 55 in an attempt to pass an F1.0 car for position, and while slowing up to let the other car through, Pérez was close enough to follow. The lead had gone to Pérez without much of a battle, but Rosberg didn't have the pace to respond, dropping back another 8 seconds by the flag.

Pérez's second victory of the year was a strategic masterclass, but Rosberg in second meant the championship lead was still safe enough. Kobayashi completed the podium on a similar one-stop strategy. Di Resta, Hülkenberg, Maldonado, Ricciardo, Vergne, Senna, and Kovalainen completed the points.

### Round 8- Europe

F1.5's second visit to Spain this year saw many hoping that the chaotic nature of 2012's racing could inject some excitement into the Valencia circuit that had so far been missing it. Whether it would or not, Glock wouldn't be part of it, as he withdrew from the weekend before qualifying after coming down with food poisoning. For those who could compete, it was Maldonado on pole for the second time this season, with Rosberg alongside. Kobayashi and Hülkenberg took the second row, with di Resta and Schumacher on the third row.

At the start, Kobayashi rocketed into the lead, with Maldonado dropping to second and Rosberg dropping down to 5th. As pit stops started to come into play, the early stoppers like Kobayashi and Maldonado found themselves stuck behind the likes of Schumacher, one of only two drivers to start on mediums, and the late-stopping Senna. On lap 20, Kobayashi tried to pass Senna, but the Brazilian tried a late defence that caused both men to have to pit. Once everyone had finally stopped by lap 24, it was Maldonado leading from Hülkenberg and Pérez, but strategies continued to change things constantly, as Pérez immediately pitted for a second time. On lap 27, a botched move by Vergne on Kovalainen brought out the Safety Car due to debris from the Caterham's punctured tyre, during which Ricciardo took the lead from Rosberg and Schumacher. On the restart, Rosberg dropped back again with old tyres that couldn't give him the grip. Ricciardo was soon into the pits as well, as Schumacher led Maldonado and Hülkenberg before pitting himself on lap 41. The closing laps saw Maldonado lead the Force India duo, with Pérez and the Mercedes pair chasing. Schumacher's late stop gave him the pace to overtake Pérez, then the one-stopping di Resta, and then Hülkenberg on the penultimate lap. Ahead, Maldonado was scrapping with an F1.0 car, and made an ill-judged move off the circuit and back on that cost him his front wing. Continuing without it, he posed no threat to Schumacher, who took the lead for the final lap. The polesitter eventually fell to sixth before a post-race penalty made it eighth.

Schumacher finally took his first victory of the year after so much bad luck. Hülkenberg kept it together where others couldn't to take second, while Rosberg made a similar surge to his teammate in the final laps to take third. Di Resta, Pérez, Senna, Ricciardo, Maldonado, Petrov, and Kovalainen completed the points.

### Round 9- Great Britain

Qualifying at Silverstone was a rain-drenched affair, with a 90-minute red flag still not enough to get the track fully dry. Grid penalties for the likes of Hülkenberg and Kobayashi confused things further, but ultimately the grid ended up with Schumacher on pole ahead of Maldonado, with di Resta and Rosberg on the second row and Ricciardo and Senna completing the top six.

15 cars lined up for the start on Sunday, with Petrov suffering an engine failure on his lap to the grid. The start itself saw Schumacher maintain his lead, while di Resta had contact with an F1.0 car that saw his race come to an early end. Senna and Pérez had made great starts, both scrapping for third place in the early laps. Pérez was soon in pursuit of second-placed Maldonado, but their fight ended on lap 11 when the Williams slid into the Sauber during a move round the outside of Brooklands. Pérez was out on the spot, and though Maldonado could continue, he was forced to the back after pitting for repairs. Championship leader Rosberg was having an off day, nowhere near troubling Schumacher who continued to lead after the first pit stops. The new challengers at the front were now Hülkenberg and Kobayashi - who seemingly could have dominated the race if not for their grid penalties. Kobayashi's hunt for victory was thwarted when he came in too hot for his second pit stop, hitting several of his mechanics. Meanwhile, Hülkenberg was having to defend second place from Senna, with Kobayashi back to 4th. On the penultimate lap, Hülkenberg ran wide at Copse, giving both Senna and Kobayashi the opportunity to sneak past.

But it was Schumacher who'd dominated the weekend, taking his second victory of the season in fine fashion. Senna and Kobayashi completed the podium, with the other points going to Hülkenberg, Ricciardo, Vergne, Rosberg, Maldonado, Kovalainen, and Glock.

### Round 10- Germany

Hockenheim marked the halfway point of the season. If anyone's going to prevent Rosberg from becoming a record-equalling 4-time champion, they'll need to put something strong together very soon. Pérez may be the nearest challenger on points, but a grid penalty for blocking a couple of F1.0 cars in qualifying would make his job this weekend all the more difficult. The front of the grid ended up as Schumacher on pole ahead of Hülkenberg, with Maldonado and di Resta behind, and Ricciardo and Kobayashi on the third row. Rosberg would start 13th after a grid penalty of his own, so it was a great opportunity for his challengers to capitalise.

The start wasn't too dramatic, with everyone up front holding station. Rosberg started making up places from the back, and the Saubers had a bit of a scrap with Pérez passing Kobayashi. Once again, it seemed like the Swiss outfit had some strategy tricks up their sleeves, as they stayed out when everyone else came in to stop, appearing to be trying a 2-stop. Pérez pitted from the lead on lap 17, with Kobayashi following on lap 22. Schumacher's second stop came on lap 36, with Kobayashi passing his teammate on track a couple of laps later to take the lead. Pérez then pitted and emerged in 4th behind Hülkenberg, yet to make his final stop. Kobayashi's stop was a full second faster, and it was enough to get him out in front of his teammate. When Schumacher made his third stop on lap 52, Kobayashi took the lead for real. But Schumacher was blindingly fast in his final stint, and it was down to Pérez to defend second place - and the 1-2 for Sauber.

The tussle behind gave Kobayashi a comfortable gap as he took his second victory of the season. Pérez was able to defend second, but the gap to Schumacher at the line was less than a second. Hülkenberg, Rosberg, di Resta, Ricciardo, Vergne, Maldonado, and Petrov completed the points.

### Round 11- Hungary

The final race before the summer break saw a surprise qualifying result, as Williams locked out the front row, almost a second clear of all others. Maldonado took pole for the third time this season ahead of Senna, with Hülkenberg and di Resta on the second row, and Rosberg and Pérez completing the top six.

The start of the race saw a comedy of errors for Schumacher, causing an aborted start and obliging the German to start from the pit lane. On the second start, Maldonado lost several places off the line as Senna took the lead from Hülkenberg and Rosberg. As Senna set about building a gap out front, it was Nico vs. Nico behind. Hülkenberg pitted first, but Rosberg was quick enough on his lap in free air that he managed to take second for himself after he pitted the next lap. Attention then shifted to the battle for 4th between Maldonado, di Resta, and Pérez. Pérez was on a somewhat contra-strategy, staying out late for his two stops and hoping for a tyre advantage in the final stint, but on the same lap as he pitted for the second time, Maldonado slid into the side of di Resta as they disputed a net 4th. The Venezuelan was awarded a drive-through penalty, but he still had some serious pace in the closing laps and was right on the back of the Force India as the race came to an end.

But none of this troubled Senna, who managed to emulate his uncle by becoming an F1.5 winner. Rosberg was second, nearly 20 seconds behind, with Hülkenberg third. Di Resta, Maldonado, Pérez, Ricciardo, Vergne, Kovalainen, and Kobayashi completed the points - Kobayashi had been on for 7th before a hydraulic failure on the penultimate lap.

### Round 12- Belgium

Following a wet Friday that saw Pic go fastest in FP2, it was perhaps a given that the competitive sessions would see some strange results too. After being caught blocking Hülkenberg during qualifying, Maldonado was penalised off the front row, meaning the final grid order would have Kobayashi on pole for the first time this year, with Pérez alongside. Maldonado was sent to third, beside di Resta, while the third row featured Hülkenberg and Schumacher.

The headlines following the race were full of shots of the first-corner pileup, and while no F1.5 cars were sent flying in the smash, it was still very relevant. Pérez's ever-dwindling title charge took another blow as he ended up out on the spot after having his rear wing demolished, while Kobayashi's dreadful start from pole meant he was in the thick of it as the chaos began. Somehow, his car was still driveable, although he was in a distant last after pitting for repairs. Maldonado had significantly jumped the start and was tagged by the out-of-control Pérez at the first corner. After pitting for a new front wing, he was also well down the order - and facing a penalty for his start. Phew. The Safety Car revealed the new race order as Hülkenberg leading from di Resta and Schumacher, with Rosberg up to 8th after starting 15th.

Maldonado's day got worse on the restart, as he hit Glock and retired from the damage. Di Resta then had his race compromised by an early stop, struggling for pace so badly that Ricciardo was able to easily pass him. Out front, Hülkenberg had such pace that it looked as though strategy was the only route to try and beat him. Schumacher therefore went for a one-stop, while Rosberg (and Senna) did the same to further maximise their positions from low grid spots. Mercedes admitted defeat first - with Schumacher coming in on lap 34 and Rosberg on lap 35 of 44. Senna, meanwhile, was on for third place and another podium, before a slow puncture forced him to pit on lap 39. All of that left Hülkenberg free to claim his first F1.5 victory, 25 seconds clear of Schumacher and Vergne, taking to the podium for the first time. Ricciardo, di Resta, Rosberg, Senna, Kobayashi, Petrov, and Glock completed the points.

### Round 13- Italy

In the last 4 races, the winner has been from 4 different teams. Could a grandstand finish to this championship still be on? What could have been a great Saturday at Monza for Force India became a disappointing one, as Hülkenberg suffered a car failure in Q1, while di Resta took a grid penalty for changing his gearbox, demoting him from pole position. In his stead, it went to Schumacher, with Rosberg on the front row. Kobayashi was di Resta's new company on the second row, while Pérez and Senna completed the top six after Maldonado was penalised for his conduct at Spa.

The Mercs may have been together at the front, but their starts couldn't have been more different. While Schumacher kept a comfortable lead, Rosberg lost several places and was down to 5th by the end of the first lap. Pérez was very much on the move, picking off cars lap after lap to move into second by lap 7. When Schumacher pitted from the lead on lap 15, Pérez inherited the position and led until his stop on lap 29. Both Mercedes were suffering heavier tyre wear than most of the others, and so they needed to pit twice whereas a one-stop was the more preferred option. Schumacher led again for a few laps after Pérez's stop before coming in again on lap 37. Rosberg followed a lap later, and both had to pass cars on track if they were to get back to the podium places. Rosberg passed Ricciardo, both passed Kobayashi, and both passed di Resta. Now they were second and third - but despite the increasingly close championship, no team orders were imposed to put Rosberg ahead. So it was Pérez taking his third victory of the season ahead of Schumacher and Rosberg. Di Resta, Kobayashi, Senna, Maldonado, Ricciardo, Kovalainen, and Petrov completed the points.

### Round 14- Singapore

With the European season at an end, the championship remained in the same unusual shape as it has all year. No single driver or team has much momentum, but Rosberg's run of podiums with no retirements yet has so far been enough to keep him at the top of the standings. Under the lights of Singapore, Maldonado took his fourth pole of the season with di Resta alongside. Schumacher and Rosberg opted to save tyres in Q3 and took the second row, with Hülkenberg and Pérez completing the top six.

The only change off the line among the frontrunners was Rosberg passing Schumacher. Naturally, strategy is key in Singapore, and Schumacher's stop on lap 11 triggered stops for those around him, trying to avoid the undercut and keep track position. Ricciardo managed to jump Pérez in the stops, but on lap 33 a spanner was thrown into the works as the Safety Car came out after Karthikeyan crashed. Maldonado also retired from the lead with hydraulic issues, allowing di Resta to take the lead. He and Rosberg pitted under the Safety Car, meaning that on the lap 39 restart it was di Resta leading from Hülkenberg and Pérez. On that lap, however, Schumacher ran into Vergne at Turn 14, bringing out the Safety Car again. Hülkenberg and Pérez pitted then, but the closeness of the field meant they fell well down the order. Ricciardo was now third, with the likes of Senna, Kobayashi, Hülkenberg, and Pérez all bearing down on him. A late engine failure for Senna ended that challenge. Kobayashi lost his front wing in a battle with an F1.0 car and had to pit, while Hülkenberg's battle with Pérez got too close for comfort and gave the German a puncture. These retirements and dramas elevated Glock to a scarcely believable 5th place for Marussia.

Just as he had last year, di Resta took victory at Marina Bay ahead of Rosberg. Ricciardo took his second podium of the year with third. Pérez took 4th, but hats off to Glock for finishing an incredible 5th. Kobayashi, Hülkenberg, Kovalainen, Pic, and de la Rosa completed the points, with 10th place for de la Rosa meaning that all the drivers had now scored a point this year.

### Round 15- Japan

More grid penalties muddied matters for the top qualifiers at Suzuka. Schumacher was sent back for his Singapore misdemeanour, while Hülkenberg took a gearbox penalty. Kobayashi had no such troubles and surged to pole at home for the second year in a row, with Pérez alongside. Di Resta and Maldonado took the second row ahead of Rosberg and Ricciardo.

Much like Spa, a start-line crash in the F1.0 field had serious implications in the F1.5 race. A car perpendicular to the track at turn 2 required avoiding action from everyone, but unfortunately for Rosberg, he was in the path of Senna's. The two came together and the championship leader was out on the spot, prompting this video that evening. The Safety Car came out as Kobayashi led Pérez and Hülkenberg, who'd had an excellent start. Things remained pretty static on the restart until the first stops came on lap 13. The top three stayed as they were, until Pérez suddenly spun out of the race during a battle with an F1.0 car. The top two in the championship wouldn't be scoring! Now focus switched to Schumacher, who'd made his way back from the last row of the grid to 6th. Passing di Resta on lap 27, he now had Ricciardo to deal with. Following the final stops, he was still behind the Toro Rosso, and Maldonado was all over the back of Hülkenberg too.

Some 25 seconds up the road, home hero Kobayashi sent the Japanese fans into raptures with his third victory of the season, making up for the disappointment of last year. Hülkenberg held off Maldonado for second, with Ricciardo doing likewise to Schumacher, di Resta, Vergne, Senna, Kovalainen, and Glock.

### Round 16- South Korea

Rosberg must have been relieved that his challengers didn't really make the most of his exit from the Suzuka race. But there's still time for firsts in this season, as Hülkenberg took his first pole of the year in Yeongam, with Rosberg alongside. Schumacher and Pérez were behind, with Kobayashi and di Resta completing the top six.

Yet more drama hit on the first lap, as the fast-starting Kobayashi tried a move on Rosberg at turn 3. The closeness of the field, not helped by the F1.0 field as well, left contact inevitable. The damage caused Rosberg to retire on the next lap, while Kobayashi valiantly tried to continue but had to retire on lap 17. Hülkenberg led, therefore, from Pérez and Schumacher. As the pit stops loomed, the surprise pace was coming from the Toro Rossos. Both had passed both Williams, with Ricciardo jumping di Resta in the pit stops and passing Schumacher before long as well. Vergne followed through and by lap 25 they were second and third! Vergne led a few laps through the second pit stops, and was on the back of his teammate all through the final stint before passing Ricciardo for second with a few laps to go. Di Resta also lost 4th to Pérez at about the same time.

With all the drama behind him, Hülkenberg coasted to his second win of the season, with Vergne and Ricciardo surprise company on the podium. Pérez, di Resta, Schumacher, Maldonado, Senna, Petrov, and Kovalainen completed the points.

### Round 17- India

The beginning of the weekend at the Buddh circuit was a rollercoaster for Pérez - and not just because of the elevation change. After being taken ill on Friday morning and not being sure whether he'd be in a position to start the race, he recovered in time for FP2 and subsequently claimed his first F1.5 pole position - and at just the crucial point in the championship for it as well. Maldonado made the front row, with Rosberg and Hülkenberg behind, and Senna and Schumacher on the third row.

The man of the start was Hülkenberg, scything his way up to second as Rosberg stayed third and Maldonado fell to 4th. Schumacher and Vergne came to blows on the first lap, with both needing to pit immediately and Schumacher ultimately retiring near the end of the race having made no real progress. On lap 14, Hülkenberg passed Pérez for the lead, with the Sauber suffering a rare case of tyre troubles. Pérez pitted soon afterwards, seemingly requiring a two-stop where everyone else was content with one. A bold attempt at an overtake on Ricciardo to get back to the front ended in disaster as a punctured tyre caused terminal floor damage for Pérez. From there, it was a pretty processional affair as Hülkenberg led Rosberg and Senna, who'd passed Maldonado after the Venezuelan had contact with Kobayashi out of the pits and got a puncture for it. Senna was inching closer to Rosberg's second place lap by lap, and on lap 51 a small mistake from Rosberg at the top of turn 3 gave Senna the opportunity to pass under DRS.

Hülkenberg took his second consecutive win to put a real dent in Rosberg's championship advantage. Senna and Rosberg took the podium, with di Resta, Ricciardo, Kobayashi, Vergne, Maldonado, Petrov, and Kovalainen completing the points.

### Round 18- Abu Dhabi

The championship is getting tense now, with non-finishes this late in the game having serious effects on the drivers' title charges. Rosberg was looking to get back on top of things, but instead it was Maldonado who took pole, with the championship leader having to settle for second. Hülkenberg and Pérez took the second row ahead of di Resta and Schumacher.

A dramatic first-corner shunt saw Hülkenberg squeezed between di Resta and Senna, with the result being Hülkenberg out on the spot and di Resta needing to pit for a new front wing. Rosberg also suffered damage in a spat with an F1.0 car, and was down at the back himself. Maldonado now led Pérez and Kobayashi as Rosberg tried his best to make up positions from the back. On lap 8, as he came up to Karthikeyan, the HRT began suffering a hydraulic failure that made the steering heavy and thus made the already slow car even slower. Rosberg was not aware of the problems and made big contact, leapfrogging Karthikeyan's cockpit and ending in the barrier. The Safety Car came out to clean up the mess before the race resumed on lap 15. Through the pit stops, Pérez had jumped Maldonado for the net lead, but was involved in an incident with di Resta on lap 37. The Scotsman had pitted when the Safety Car came out and was now leading the race having been last on lap 1. Pérez was pushed off the circuit at turn 13, and caused a big F1.0 accident when he came on again. A second Safety Car was rich opportunity for di Resta to pit again, and Pérez had a penalty to serve now as well. A pit stop for a new front wing in addition was enough to send Pérez to the back, and give the lead back to Maldonado, as Schumacher gave up third place to his own stop.

Maldonado had kept his head, though, and won his second race of the season. Kobayashi had done his work at the start to take second, while Senna was third. Di Resta, Ricciardo, Schumacher, Vergne, Kovalainen, Glock, and Pérez completed the points.

### Round 19- United States

The ever-growing F1.5 calendar now arrived to the brand new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for the first race in the US since 2007. With the championship still mathematically up for grabs by anyone in the top 5, the race was bound to provide some drama whatever ended up happening on track. Schumacher took pole ahead of Hülkenberg, Maldonado, Senna, di Resta, and Vergne.

Schumacher initially held the lead off the start, but the heavy Mercedes tyre wear that has blighted their season so often was in full force once again in Austin; by lap 10, he'd fallen from 1st to 7th. Hülkenberg took his place at the front, with di Resta behind followed by Pérez. The two Williams ran 4th and 5th but were able to make the one-stop work, unlike di Resta and Pérez, both of whom needed a second stop. Rosberg and Ricciardo, starting 9th and 10th, stayed out late in the first stint to reasonable effect, rejoining much further up the field than they had been. By the final stretch of the race, Hülkenberg was leading Senna and Maldonado, with the Williams duo bearing down on the leader. Maldonado passed Senna for second on lap 52 of 56, but Hülkenberg held on by less than a second to claim the inaugural victory at COTA, with Maldonado and Senna on the podium. It was an equally close battle for 4th, 5th, and 6th, with Pérez, Ricciardo, and Rosberg finishing just 1.2 seconds apart. Kobayashi, di Resta, Schumacher, and Petrov completed the points.

The result promoted Hülkenberg to the lead of the drivers' standings, and made Force India the 2012 F1.5 Constructors' Champions, their first title in this guise.

### Round 20- Brazil

Incredibly, for the first time since 2005, the F1.5 Drivers' Championship was still undecided at the final race. Nico vs. Nico - one a proven, multiple champion with an all-time record to equal; the other in only his second season with no victories to his name before this year, but plenty of momentum now. Rosberg needed to outscore Hülkenberg by 11 points to win a 4th title, meaning that Hülkenberg's goal was a podium at Interlagos - whatever Rosberg's result, if Hülkenberg got a podium that would be enough.

When Maldonado missed a call to the weighbridge in Q2, he was given his third FIA reprimand of the season, and therefore an immediate grid penalty. How appropriate then that it put the championship rivals on the front row - Hülkenberg on pole ahead of Rosberg. Di Resta and Senna came behind, with Pérez and Schumacher on the third row.

Rainfall before the start only added to the tension. It was damp at the start, but not enough for anyone to forgo slicks. A collision between Senna and Pérez on the first lap put both out immediately, with Maldonado following them out on the second lap. Rosberg had slipped down to 4th, with di Resta and Kobayashi making strong starts to get past. Kobayashi then passed di Resta to move up to second before joining Schumacher in the pits for a set of intermediates. Rosberg was soon in as well, as was everyone - except for Hülkenberg. While the inters were faster at that point in the race, the rain wasn't set to last. All he needed to do was keep it together and the slicks would pay off. Sure enough, by lap 18 most of those who'd pitted for inters were coming in for more slicks, including Rosberg... who was back in the pits again on lap 20. What had happened? The weather drama had apparently made the rampant debris on track go unnoticed by the race director, and it was only when Rosberg got a puncture and fell to last place that the Safety Car was finally brought out - allowing Hülkenberg to pit for the first time! The bunching up at least allowed Rosberg to get on the back of the pack and start picking places up again, but by the time he pitted for inters again on lap 50 he'd only passed the HRTs and Kovalainen's Caterham. Meanwhile, Ricciardo had taken di Resta for third, with Hülkenberg still leading Kobayashi.

In the ever-difficult crossover period, where slicks and intermediates are about as quick as each other, racing for position is a dangerous game. At the start of lap 55, while challenging for the overall lead, Hülkenberg was caught out by the unenviable combination of the car he was racing, the slippery track, and the duelling backmarkers of Glock and Kovalainen. The result? Hülkenberg took a heavy blow and was lucky to be able to continue. Such was his mastery in the rest of the race, however, that he didn't even lose the lead! Schumacher was now up to second in all the chaos, and having not been on the podium since Monza he was going to fight to keep it. Kobayashi was third, until lap 69 when the timing screens suddenly reported that Vergne had jumped from fifth to third. Schumacher had pushed Kobayashi wide on that lap, but more importantly di Resta had crashed hard at the final corner, leaving his stricken Force India in the wall and on the racing line. Vergne had gone past both incidents to take third, and would keep it as the Safety Car came out for the final laps.

Hülkenberg capped off a magnificent charge in the second half of the season with victory at Interlagos to secure the 2012 F1.5 Drivers' Championship. Schumacher took second for what would be his final race, and Vergne took third after keeping his nose clean on a difficult afternoon. Kobayashi, Petrov, Pic, Ricciardo, Kovalainen, Rosberg, and Glock completed the points in a breathtaking finale.