2012 Formula One season facts for kids

The 2012 Formula One season was the 63rd year of the Formula One World Championship. This exciting season had twenty races, starting in Australia on March 18 and ending in Brazil on November 25. A big change for 2012 was the return of the United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Also, the Bahrain Grand Prix came back after being cancelled in 2011 due to civil protests.

Sebastian Vettel became a three-time World Champion with Red Bull Racing.

Fernando Alonso finished second in the World Drivers' Championship, just three points behind Vettel.

Kimi Räikkönen – seen here at the 2010 Rallye Deutschland – finished the season in third place, driving for Lotus F1.

The start of the season was very unpredictable! Seven different drivers won the first seven races, which was a new record for Formula One. It wasn't until the European Grand Prix in June that a driver, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, won his second race of the year. Alonso led the championship for the next seven races. He won his third race in Germany and stood on the podium in the United Kingdom, Italy, and Singapore.

However, Alonso had to stop early in races in Belgium and Japan. This allowed his rivals to catch up. The defending World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, then took the lead in the sixteenth race of the season. Vettel also faced problems during the year. He finished outside the points in Malaysia after touching another car. Problems with his car's alternator in the European and Italian Grands Prix cost him valuable points. He also had to start from the pit lane in Abu Dhabi after a qualifying issue.

Vettel went into the final race of the season with a thirteen-point lead over Alonso. Alonso needed to finish in the top three to have a chance at winning the championship. But in a race that ended under the safety car, Vettel finished sixth. This gave him enough points to win his third championship in a row, making him only the third driver to do so! In the World Constructors' Championship, Red Bull Racing won their third title in a row when Sebastian Vettel finished second at the United States Grand Prix.

Besides the seven different winners at the start, 2012 also had the most races ever in a season with twenty. This beat the old record of nineteen, which was set in 2005. Six current or former World Drivers' Champions started the season: Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, and Michael Schumacher. This broke the record of five champions set in 1970.

Pre-Season Testing

Before the season began, teams tested their new cars. The pre-season testing started right after the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. There was a three-day 'Young Driver Test' for new drivers at the Yas Marina Circuit in November 2011. Toro Rosso test driver Jean-Éric Vergne was the fastest driver in every session, driving for Red Bull Racing.

This test also showed off Pirelli's new tires for 2012. Almost all the tire types used in 2011 were changed a lot. Some teams, like Williams and Mercedes, used these tests to try out new parts for 2012. This was important because there was a ban coming on a special car part called "exhaust-blown diffusers."

Teams and Drivers for 2012

After a disagreement between the Formula One Teams Association and the FIA in 2009, a new agreement was signed. This agreement, called the Concorde Agreement, was valid until the end of 2012.

The FIA released a list of all the teams and drivers for 2012 on November 30, 2011.

Team	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyre	No.	Race Drivers	Test/Reserve Driver(s)
Red Bull Racing	Red Bull	RB8	Renault	P	1	Sebastian Vettel	Sébastien Buemi
					2	Mark Webber
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes	McLaren	MP4-27	Mercedes	P	3	Jenson Button	Gary Paffett
					4	Lewis Hamilton
Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari	F2012	Ferrari	P	5	Fernando Alonso	Jules Bianchi Giancarlo Fisichella Marc Gené
					6	Felipe Massa
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes	F1 W03	Mercedes	P	7	Michael Schumacher	TBA
					8	Nico Rosberg
Lotus F1 Team	Lotus	E20	Renault	P	9	Kimi Räikkönen	TBA
					10	Romain Grosjean
Sahara Force India F1 Team	Force India	VJM05	Mercedes	P	11	Paul di Resta	TBA
					12	Nico Hülkenberg
Sauber F1 Team	Sauber	C31	Ferrari	P	14	Kamui Kobayashi	Esteban Gutiérrez
					15	Sergio Pérez
Scuderia Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso	STR7	Ferrari	P	16	Daniel Ricciardo	TBA
					17	Jean-Éric Vergne
Williams F1	Williams	FW34	Renault	P	18	Pastor Maldonado	Valtteri Bottas
					19	Bruno Senna
Caterham F1 Team	Caterham	CT01	Renault	P	20	Heikki Kovalainen	Giedo van der Garde
					21	Vitaly Petrov
HRT F1 Team	HRT	F112	Cosworth	P	22	Pedro de la Rosa	TBA
					23	Narain Karthikeyan
Marussia F1 Team	Marussia	MR01	Cosworth	P	24	Timo Glock	TBA
					25	Charles Pic

Team Name Changes

• In June 2011, Williams announced they would use Renault engines for 2012 and 2013. Renault had powered Williams to many championships before.
• Virgin Racing changed their technical approach and partnered with McLaren.
• Force India got a new owner, the Sahara Group, and became "Sahara Force India F1 Team."
• Several teams changed their names for 2012:

* Team Lotus became Caterham F1 Team. * Lotus Renault GP became Lotus F1 Team. * Virgin Racing became Marussia F1 Team.

• The old dispute over the "Lotus" name was finally settled.
• Mercedes GP changed its official team name to Mercedes AMG.
• HRT moved its headquarters to Spain and got a new team boss, Luis Pérez-Sala.

Driver Lineup Changes

Kimi Räikkönen – seen here at the 2010 Rallye Deutschland – will be one of six current and former World Drivers' Champions racing in 2012. Räikkönen will race for Lotus F1.

• Jaime Alguersuari and Sébastien Buemi left Scuderia Toro Rosso. Buemi became a test driver for Red Bull Racing.
• Jérôme d'Ambrosio left Virgin Racing.
• Rubens Barrichello left Williams and didn't have a race seat for 2012.
• Pedro de la Rosa returned to Formula One with HRT after being a test driver.
• Romain Grosjean, the 2011 GP2 Series champion, returned to Formula One with Lotus F1.
• Nico Hülkenberg returned to Formula One with Force India after being their test driver.
• Robert Kubica was still recovering from a rally accident and couldn't start the 2012 season.
• Vitaly Petrov left Lotus F1.
• Charles Pic joined Marussia.
• Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 World Champion, returned to F1 with Lotus F1 Team after two years in rallying.
• Daniel Ricciardo moved from HRT to Toro Rosso.
• Bruno Senna joined Williams.
• Adrian Sutil left Force India.
• Jean-Éric Vergne filled Toro Rosso's second racing seat.

2012 Race Calendar

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone wanted to have a record twenty races. A first calendar had twenty-one races, but the FIA later said there would be no more than twenty. On July 29, 2011, a new calendar was released, confirming that the Turkish Grand Prix would not happen. The final calendar was announced on December 7, 2011.

Round	Race Title	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	Australian Grand Prix	Australian GP	Albert Park, Melbourne	18 March
2	Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix	Malaysian GP	Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur	25 March
3	UBS Chinese Grand Prix	Chinese GP	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai	15 April
4	Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain GP	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	22 April
5	Gran Premio de España Santander	Spanish GP	Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona	13 May
6	Grand Prix de Monaco	Monaco GP	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	27 May
7	Grand Prix du Canada	Canadian GP	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal	10 June
8	Grand Prix of Europe	European GP	Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia	24 June
9	Santander British Grand Prix	British GP	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	8 July
10	Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland	German GP	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	22 July
11	Eni Magyar Nagydíj	Hungarian GP	Hungaroring, Budapest	29 July
12	Shell Belgian Grand Prix	Belgian GP	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa	2 September
13	Gran Premio Santander d'Italia	Italian GP	Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza	9 September
14	SingTel Singapore Grand Prix	Singapore GP	Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay	23 September
15	Japanese Grand Prix	Japanese GP	Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka	7 October
16	Korean Grand Prix	Korean GP	Korean International Circuit, Yeongam	14 October
17	Airtel Indian Grand Prix	Indian GP	Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida	28 October
18	Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Abu Dhabi GP	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi	4 November
19	United States Grand Prix	United States GP	Circuit of the Americas, Austin	18 November
20	Grande Prêmio do Brasil	Brazilian GP	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	25 November

Calendar Changes for 2012

The 2012 season saw the return of the United States Grand Prix after five years. The race was held at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas. The track design was inspired by famous circuits like Silverstone and Hockenheim.

• The United States Grand Prix returned in May 2010. It was the first US race since 2007. The race was held at a brand-new track called the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
• The Bahrain Grand Prix was moved to April after being cancelled in 2011. There were still some concerns about safety due to protests in the country.
• The German Grand Prix returned to Hockenheim. This was part of a plan to switch between Hockenheim and the Nürburgring each year.
• The Turkish Grand Prix was removed from the calendar because Formula One Management and the race organizers couldn't agree on a new contract.
• The United States Grand Prix was moved to later in the season. This was done to avoid the very hot Texas summer weather.
• Organizers of the Korean Grand Prix wanted to change their contract terms. They felt the fees were too high. However, Bernie Ecclestone said no to renegotiations.
• Organizers of the European Grand Prix in Valencia also wanted to lower their costs.

New Rules for 2012

Formula One often changes its rules to make racing fairer and safer. Here are some of the big changes for 2012:

Technical Rules

• Exhaust-Blown Diffusers Ban: In 2011, teams used a trick called "off-throttle blown diffusers." This meant they used exhaust gases to create more downforce (pushing the car down for better grip) even when the driver wasn't pressing the gas pedal. This was completely banned for 2012. Exhaust pipes had to be placed higher up on the car, away from the diffuser.
• "Reactive Ride-Height" System Ban: A system that could adjust the car's height during the race was banned. This system helped keep the car stable and at its best height for speed. The FIA first said it was okay, but then banned it a week later.
• Lower Nose Design: The rules for the car's nose were changed. The maximum height for the nose was lowered. This led to some cars having a unique "platypus" nose design.
• Helium Ban in Pit Stops: Teams were no longer allowed to use helium in the air guns that change tires during pit stops. Helium made the guns faster, but it was too expensive.
• Stricter Crash Tests: All cars had to pass tougher crash tests before pre-season testing. Before, they only needed to pass before the first race.

Sporting Rules

• Return of In-Season Testing: After being banned in 2009, teams were allowed to test their cars during the season again. A test was planned for May 1 at the Mugello track in Italy.
• Double-Waved Yellow Flags: Rules for yellow flags were updated. If two yellow flags are waved, it means a track worker is on or next to the track. Drivers must slow down a lot.
• Safety Car Rules: A rule was brought back that allows cars that have been lapped (fallen a lap behind) to unlap themselves under the safety car. This helps for a cleaner restart of the race.
• Staying on Track: Drivers were not allowed to leave the track without a good reason. This stopped them from using access roads to save fuel or tires. Also, drivers couldn't move back to the normal racing line if they took a defensive line into a corner.
• Race Time Limit: Races now had a maximum four-hour time limit. This was to prevent races from lasting too long, especially if there were many delays due to rain or accidents. This rule came after the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, which was over four hours long.
• Pit Lane During Suspension: If a race was stopped, any driver in the pit lane could return to the track and take their correct position on the grid.

Results and Standings

Grands Prix Winners

Rd.	Grand Prix	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning constructor	Report
1	Australian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton	Jenson Button	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	Report
2	Malaysian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton	Kimi Räikkönen	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Report
3	Chinese Grand Prix	Nico Rosberg	Kamui Kobayashi	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	Report
4	Bahrain Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel	Sebastian Vettel	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	Report
5	Spanish Grand Prix	Pastor Maldonado	Romain Grosjean	Pastor Maldonado	Williams-Renault	Report
6	Monaco Grand Prix	Mark Webber	Sergio Pérez	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	Report
7	Canadian Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel	Sebastian Vettel	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	Report
8	European Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel	Nico Rosberg	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Report
9	British Grand Prix	Fernando Alonso	Kimi Räikkönen	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	Report
10	German Grand Prix	Fernando Alonso	Michael Schumacher	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Report
11	Hungarian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton	Sebastian Vettel	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	Report
12	Belgian Grand Prix	Jenson Button	Bruno Senna	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	Report
13	Italian Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	Report
14	Singapore Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Hülkenberg	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	Report
15	Japanese Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel	Sebastian Vettel	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	Report
16	Korean Grand Prix	Mark Webber	Mark Webber	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	Report
17	Indian Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel	Jenson Button	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	Report
18	Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton	Sebastian Vettel	Kimi Räikkönen	Lotus-Renault	Report
19	United States Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel	Sebastian Vettel	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	Report
20	Grande Prêmio do Brasil	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	Report

Driver Standings

Points are given to the top 10 drivers in each race.

• 1st place: 25 points
• 2nd place: 18 points
• 3rd place: 15 points
• 4th place: 12 points
• 5th place: 10 points
• 6th place: 8 points
• 7th place: 6 points
• 8th place: 4 points
• 9th place: 2 points
• 10th place: 1 point

Pos. Driver AUS MAL CHN BHR ESP MON CAN EUR GBR GER HUN BEL ITA SIN JPN KOR IND ABU USA BRA Points 1 Sebastian Vettel 2 11 5 1 6 4 4 Ret 3 5 4 2 22† 1 1 1 1 3 2 6 281 2 Fernando Alonso 5 1 9 7 2 3 5 1 2 1 5 Ret 3 3 Ret 3 2 2 3 2 278 3 Kimi Räikkönen 7 5 14 2 3 9 8 2 5 3 2 3 5 6 6 5 7 1 6 10 207 4 Lewis Hamilton 3 3 3 8 8 5 1 19† 8 Ret 1 Ret 1 Ret 5 10 4 Ret 1 Ret 190 5 Jenson Button 1 14 2 18† 9 16† 16 8 10 2 6 1 Ret 2 4 Ret 5 4 5 1 188 6 Mark Webber 4 4 4 4 11 1 7 4 1 8 8 6 20† 11 9 2 3 Ret Ret 4 179 7 Felipe Massa Ret 15 13 9 15 6 10 16 4 12 9 5 4 8 2 4 6 7 4 3 122 8 Romain Grosjean Ret Ret 6 3 4 Ret 2 Ret 6 18 3 Ret 7 19† 7 9 Ret 7 Ret 96 9 Nico Rosberg 12 13 1 5 7 2 6 6 15 10 10 11 7 5 Ret Ret 11 Ret 13 15 93 10 Sergio Pérez 8 2 11 11 Ret 11 3 9 Ret 6 14 Ret 2 10 Ret 11 Ret 15 11 Ret 66 11 Nico Hülkenberg Ret 9 15 12 10 8 12 5 12 9 11 4 21† 14 7 6 8 Ret 8 5 63 12 Kamui Kobayashi 6 Ret 10 13 5 Ret 9 Ret 11 4 18† 13 9 13 3 Ret 14 6 14 9 60 13 Michael Schumacher Ret 10 Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 3 7 7 Ret 7 6 Ret 11 13 22† 11 16 7 49 14 Paul di Resta 10 7 12 6 14 7 11 7 Ret 11 12 10 8 4 12 12 12 9 15 19† 46 15 Pastor Maldonado 13† 19† 8 Ret 1 Ret 13 12 16 15 13 Ret 11 Ret 8 14 16 5 9 Ret 45 16 Bruno Senna 16† 6 7 22† Ret 10 17 10 9 17 7 12 10 18† 14 15 10 8 10 Ret 31 17 Jean-Éric Vergne 11 8 16 14 12 12 15 Ret 14 14 16 8 Ret Ret 13 8 15 12 Ret 8 16 18 Daniel Ricciardo 9 12 17 15 13 Ret 14 11 13 13 15 9 12 9 10 9 13 10 12 13 10 19 Vitaly Petrov Ret 16 18 16 17 Ret 19 13 DNS 16 19 14 15 19 17 16 17 16 17 11 0 20 Timo Glock 14 17 19 19 18 14 Ret DNS 18 22 21 15 17 12 16 18 20 14 19 16 0 21 Charles Pic 15† 20 20 Ret Ret Ret 20 15 19 20 20 16 16 16 Ret 19 19 Ret 20 12 0 22 Heikki Kovalainen Ret 18 23 17 16 13 18 14 17 19 17 17 14 15 15 17 18 13 18 14 0 23 Jérôme d'Ambrosio 13 0 24 Narain Karthikeyan DNQ 22 22 21 Ret 15 Ret 18 21 23 Ret Ret 19 Ret Ret 20 21 Ret 22 18 0 25 Pedro de la Rosa DNQ 21 21 20 19 Ret Ret 17 20 21 22 18 18 17 18 Ret Ret 17 21 17 0 Pos. Driver AUS MAL CHN BHR ESP MON CAN EUR GBR GER HUN BEL ITA SIN JPN KOR IND ABU USA BRA Points

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Light blue Practiced only (PO) Friday test driver (TD) (starting in 2003) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrew entry before the event (WD) Bold - Pole position Italics - Fastest lap

Notes:

• † — Drivers did not finish the Grand Prix, but were still ranked because they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Constructor Standings

Pos. Constructor No. AUS MAL CHN BHR ESP MON CAN EUR GBR GER HUN BEL ITA SIN JPN KOR IND ABU USA BRA Points 1 Red Bull-Renault 1 2 11 5 1 6 4 4 Ret 3 5 4 2 22† 1 1 1 1 3 2 6 460 2 4 4 4 4 11 1 7 4 1 8 8 6 20† 11 9 2 3 Ret Ret 4 2 Ferrari 5 5 1 9 7 2 3 5 1 2 1 5 Ret 3 3 Ret 3 2 2 3 2 400 6 Ret 15 13 9 15 6 10 16 4 12 9 5 4 8 2 4 6 7 4 3 3 McLaren-Mercedes 3 1 14 2 18† 9 16† 16 8 10 2 6 1 Ret 2 4 Ret 5 4 5 1 378 4 3 3 3 8 8 5 1 19† 8 Ret 1 Ret 1 Ret 5 10 4 Ret 1 Ret 4 Lotus-Renault 9 7 5 14 2 3 9 8 2 5 3 2 3 5 6 6 5 7 1 6 10 303 10 Ret Ret 6 3 4 Ret 2 Ret 6 18 3 Ret 13 7 19† 7 9 Ret 7 Ret 5 Mercedes 7 Ret 10 Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 3 7 7 Ret 7 6 Ret 11 13 22† 11 16 7 142 8 12 13 1 5 7 2 6 6 15 10 10 11 7 5 Ret Ret 11 Ret 13 15 6 Sauber-Ferrari 14 6 Ret 10 13 5 Ret 9 Ret 11 4 18† 13 9 13 3 Ret 14 6 14 9 126 15 8 2 11 11 Ret 11 3 9 Ret 6 14 Ret 2 10 Ret 11 Ret 15 11 Ret 7 Force India-Mercedes 11 10 7 12 6 14 7 11 7 Ret 11 12 10 8 4 12 12 12 9 15 19† 109 12 Ret 9 15 12 10 8 12 5 12 9 11 4 21† 14 7 6 8 Ret 8 5 8 Williams-Renault 18 13† 19† 8 Ret 1 Ret 13 12 16 15 13 Ret 11 Ret 8 14 16 5 9 Ret 76 19 16† 6 7 22† Ret 10 17 10 9 17 7 12 10 18† 14 15 10 8 10 Ret 9 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 16 9 12 17 15 13 Ret 14 11 13 13 15 9 12 9 10 9 13 10 12 13 26 17 11 8 16 14 12 12 15 Ret 14 14 16 8 Ret Ret 13 8 15 12 Ret 8 10 Caterham-Renault 20 Ret 18 23 17 16 13 18 14 17 19 17 17 14 15 15 17 18 13 18 14 0 21 Ret 16 18 16 17 Ret 19 13 DNS 16 19 14 15 19 17 16 17 16 17 11 11 Marussia-Cosworth 24 14 17 19 19 18 14 Ret DNS 18 22 21 15 17 12 16 18 20 14 19 16 0 25 15† 20 20 Ret Ret Ret 20 15 19 20 20 16 16 16 Ret 19 19 Ret 20 12 12 HRT-Cosworth 22 DNQ 21 21 20 19 Ret Ret 17 20 21 22 18 18 17 18 Ret Ret 17 21 17 0 23 DNQ 22 22 21 Ret 15 Ret 18 21 23 Ret Ret 19 Ret Ret 20 21 Ret 22 18 Pos. Constructor No. AUS MAL CHN BHR ESP MON CAN EUR GBR GER HUN BEL ITA SIN JPN KOR IND ABU USA BRA Points

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Light blue Practiced only (PO) Friday test driver (TD) (starting in 2003) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrew entry before the event (WD) Bold – Pole position Italics – Fastest Lap

Notes:

• † — Cars did not finish the Grand Prix, but were still ranked because they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Images for kids

• 

  Kimi Räikkönen finished the season in third place on his return to F1, driving for Lotus F1.

• 

  The Red Bull RB8 was the car used by defending World Constructors' Champion Red Bull, and it helped them win the World Constructors' Championship in 2012.

• 

  Romain Grosjean returned to Formula One with Lotus, the same team – then known as Renault F1 – with whom he first raced in 2009.

• 

  Kimi Raikkonen (pictured in 2017) returned to Formula One with Lotus after two years competing in rallying.

• 

  Because of new rules, all teams had to change how their car's exhaust exited.

• 

  The new rules for nose height led to some teams using a "platypus" nose design, like the Force India VJM05 (top). However, McLaren did not use this design, as seen in the McLaren MP4-27 (bottom).

• 

  HRT failed to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix for the second year in a row.

• 

  Fernando Alonso said driving the Ferrari F2012 was "like walking on a tightrope."

• 

  Sergio Pérez earned the first podium finish of his career in Malaysia.

• 

  The legality of the Mercedes F1 W03's rear wing was a big topic early in the season.

• 

  The Bahrain Grand Prix was affected by civilian protests against the ruling Al Khalifa family.

• 

  Sebastian Vettel won his first race of the 2012 season in Bahrain.

• 

  Lewis Hamilton became the seventh different winner of the season when he won the Canadian Grand Prix.

• 

  Heavy rain caused qualifying for the British Grand Prix to be stopped.

• 

  Reigning World Constructors' Champion Red Bull was involved in several technical arguments about whether its car was legal.

• 

  After the mid-season break, Ferrari's Felipe Massa was in fourteenth place in the championship, 139 points behind his teammate and championship leader Fernando Alonso.

• 

  Lewis Hamilton's future was talked about a lot during the second half of the season, as he was negotiating contracts with McLaren and Mercedes.

• 

  Jérôme d'Ambrosio – seen here at the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix – replaced Romain Grosjean for the Italian Grand Prix.

• 

  Paul di Resta finished in a career-best fourth place in Singapore.

• 

  Romain Grosjean (left) was criticized for causing another first-lap crash, this time spinning Mark Webber at the start of the race.

• 

  Kimi Räikkönen took Lotus's first victory of the 2012 season in Abu Dhabi after Lewis Hamilton had to stop his car.

• 

  Lewis Hamilton retiring from the Brazilian Grand Prix.

See also

In Spanish: Temporada 2012 de Fórmula 1 para niños