Formula 1 2012 #1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kimi Räikkönen

Michael Schumacher was one of the World Champions who had raced in 2011. His brother Ralf was neither a World Champion nor returned to Formula One. Roman Grosjean returned to Formula One race driver in 2012 after a two year absence; however he was not a former World Champion either.

Answer: Neither Buemi nor Alguesuari

In a move that surprised many commentators, Toro Rosso released both of their 2011 drivers and hired the Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne as their replacements.

Alguesuari became test driver for tyre manufacturer, Pirelli and assisted the BBC Radio Five Live coverage. Buemi was retained by Toro Rosso as test driver.

Answer: Renault supplied Williams with engines

In 2012, Jean Todt was president of the FIA and Ron Dennis was the Executive Chairman at McLaren. Whilst both were present at various Formula One races, neither returned to their previous position. Although McLaren had success using Honda engines in the late 1980s, it was the partnership between Renault and Williams that resumed that year.

In the 1990s, Williams-Renault won the World Driver's Championship with Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. They also won the World Constructors championship on 5 occasions that decade.

Answer: No

In 2011, the HRT drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Vitantonia Liuzzi were not permitted to start the first race of the season. In 2012, the new line-up of Pedro De La Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan (who rejoined after being dropped) were unable to meet the qualifying time either. Prior to both seasons, HRT had not been able to take part in the preceding testing sessions.

Answer: 1st

In Malaysia, Fernando qualified ninth in his Ferrari with a time that was 1.3 seconds slower than the pole sitter, Lewis Hamilton.

On race day, however it was raining and Alonso's experience saw him overcome a race-suspension (due to the weather), a drying track and being rapidly caught by Sergio Pérez in the Sauber. At the end of the race, Alonso led the World Championship by five points.

Answer: Rosberg

Driving for Mercedes in his 111th race, Nico Rosberg recorded his first win in a Formula One Grand Prix in his seventh season, having started in pole position. It was a good weekend for Mercedes as their engines powered all of the top three cars as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished second and third respectively, racing for McLaren.

Answer: Pastor Maldonado

Maldonado was the not the first driver from Venezuela to compete in Formula One, however he was the first driver from his country to win a round of the world championship.

Answer: 7

Unlike 2011, when the Sebastian Vettel won five out of the first seven races, each of the first seven races of the 2012 season were won by a different driver. It was such a close start to the season that in the first five races, all 5 drivers drove for different manufacturers.

The winners were:
Australia - Button (McLaren)
Malaysia - Alonso (Ferrari)
China - Rosberg (Mercedes)
Bahrain - Vettel (Red Bull)
Spain - Maldonado (Williams)
Monaco - Webber (Red Bull)
Canada - Hamilton (McLaren)

Answer: Sebastian Vettel

For the 2012 season, drivers were told that they must stay between the white lines that marked the width of the track at all times and adjudged that Vettel had gained an advantage by running off the track.

The 20 second time penalty dropped Vettel from second to fifth position.

Answer: Romain Grosjean

Grosjean had been involved in several incidents on the first lap of Grands Prix in the 2012 season. In Belgium, he misjudged the gap between himself and Lewis Hamilton and by doing so, his car was launched into the air passing dangerously close to Fernando Alonso's head.

Grosjean was replaced in the Lotus-Renault by Jérôme d'Ambrosio at the Italian Grand Prix before returning for Singapore.