2013 F1 Season Discussion Thread - F1 Gossip goes here
05-17-2013, 05:54 AM
#1
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
2013 F1 Season Discussion Thread - F1 Gossip goes here
A lot of stuff going on currently in the world of F1. While we have race specific threads, there is information and events that impact the season as a whole.
At the moment we currently have
A) The Tire Drama - Pirelli has indicated they will alter their compounds from the Canadian GP in June 2013.
B) Bernie facing bribery charges in Germany. You know we all like to hate him.
Trivia and gossip along the lines of:
C) Vettel & Coulthard driving the new Sochi circuit in Russia
D) Lewis Hamilton's new pet bull dog and Fernando Alonso's whippet-thin Russian Girlfriend.
E) Bernie buying into the NJ Circuit with plans to get it going by next year
All those topics that are not race-related will go here, so we dont lose track of them once a race is done.
Also, please refrain from personal attacks. Lets all agree to disagree in an agreeable manner.
At the moment we currently have
A) The Tire Drama - Pirelli has indicated they will alter their compounds from the Canadian GP in June 2013.
B) Bernie facing bribery charges in Germany. You know we all like to hate him.
Trivia and gossip along the lines of:
C) Vettel & Coulthard driving the new Sochi circuit in Russia
D) Lewis Hamilton's new pet bull dog and Fernando Alonso's whippet-thin Russian Girlfriend.
E) Bernie buying into the NJ Circuit with plans to get it going by next year
All those topics that are not race-related will go here, so we dont lose track of them once a race is done.
Also, please refrain from personal attacks. Lets all agree to disagree in an agreeable manner.
05-17-2013, 05:55 AM
#2
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
Ferrari criticises move to change tires mid-season via the Horse Whisperer. Pokes fun at Red Bull
The Horse Whisperer said: "Maybe it's because of the huge amount of information available today that people are too quick to talk, forgetting things that happened pretty much in the recent past.
"Or maybe the brain cells that control memory only operate selectively, depending on the results achieved on track by their owners.
"A classic example of this is the current saga regarding the number of pit stops. Voices have been raised to underline the fact that various teams, some of whom got to the podium and others who were quite a way off, made four pit stops in the recent Spanish Grand Prix, making the race hard to follow.
"It's a shame that these worthy souls kept quiet two years ago when, at the very same Catalunya Circuit and on the Istanbul track, five of the six drivers who got to those two podiums made exactly the same number of pit stops as did Alonso and (Ferrari's second driver) Massa last Sunday in the Spanish Grand Prix.
"In fact, there's nothing new about winning a race making so many pit stops, even discounting those where it was down to changeable weather.
"One only has to look back to 2004, when Michael Schumacher won the French Grand Prix thanks to what was a three-stop strategy, later changed to a four stopper.
"That was the key which allowed the multiple champion's F2004 to get ahead of the then Renault driver, Fernando Alonso, who made three stops. And on that day and we remember it well, our strategy and the tyre supplier were showered with praise for allowing us to get the most out of the car.
"Today however, it seems one must almost feel ashamed for choosing a strategy that, as always for that matter, is aimed at getting the most out of the package one has available.
"On top of that, if this choice emerges right from the Friday, because all the simulations are unanimous in selecting it, then why on earth should one feel embarrassed when compared to those who have gone for a different choice, only to regret it during the race itself."
Ferrari's remarks come a day after Lotus team principal Eric Boullier expressed his frustration at Pirelli's decision.
The Frenchman, whose driver Kimi Raikkonen is four points behind Vettel in the championship, said: "There aren't many sports where there are such fundamental changes to an essential ingredient part-way through a season.
"Just imagine for a moment that, because a football team can't run as fast as its opponent, the dimensions of the pitch are changed at half time.
"That there are changes to come can be seen as somewhat frustrating, and I hope they are not too extreme. It's clear that Pirelli have found themselves in a difficult situation and under pressure from different quarters."
The Horse Whisperer said: "Maybe it's because of the huge amount of information available today that people are too quick to talk, forgetting things that happened pretty much in the recent past.
"Or maybe the brain cells that control memory only operate selectively, depending on the results achieved on track by their owners.
"A classic example of this is the current saga regarding the number of pit stops. Voices have been raised to underline the fact that various teams, some of whom got to the podium and others who were quite a way off, made four pit stops in the recent Spanish Grand Prix, making the race hard to follow.
"It's a shame that these worthy souls kept quiet two years ago when, at the very same Catalunya Circuit and on the Istanbul track, five of the six drivers who got to those two podiums made exactly the same number of pit stops as did Alonso and (Ferrari's second driver) Massa last Sunday in the Spanish Grand Prix.
"In fact, there's nothing new about winning a race making so many pit stops, even discounting those where it was down to changeable weather.
"One only has to look back to 2004, when Michael Schumacher won the French Grand Prix thanks to what was a three-stop strategy, later changed to a four stopper.
"That was the key which allowed the multiple champion's F2004 to get ahead of the then Renault driver, Fernando Alonso, who made three stops. And on that day and we remember it well, our strategy and the tyre supplier were showered with praise for allowing us to get the most out of the car.
"Today however, it seems one must almost feel ashamed for choosing a strategy that, as always for that matter, is aimed at getting the most out of the package one has available.
"On top of that, if this choice emerges right from the Friday, because all the simulations are unanimous in selecting it, then why on earth should one feel embarrassed when compared to those who have gone for a different choice, only to regret it during the race itself."
Ferrari's remarks come a day after Lotus team principal Eric Boullier expressed his frustration at Pirelli's decision.
The Frenchman, whose driver Kimi Raikkonen is four points behind Vettel in the championship, said: "There aren't many sports where there are such fundamental changes to an essential ingredient part-way through a season.
"Just imagine for a moment that, because a football team can't run as fast as its opponent, the dimensions of the pitch are changed at half time.
"That there are changes to come can be seen as somewhat frustrating, and I hope they are not too extreme. It's clear that Pirelli have found themselves in a difficult situation and under pressure from different quarters."
05-17-2013, 05:58 AM
#3
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
Great column by Gary Anderson of the BBC on the likely impacts of Pirelli altering tyre designs
But if you look at the data, things are not so different this year than they have been at any time since Pirelli became the sport's sole supplier in 2011, or even in the last year of Bridgestone tyres in 2010.
This year, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the Spanish Grand Prix making four pit stops, and there were 79 pit stops in the entire race.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner complained on Sunday that it was "too confusing for the fans", and that "it wasn't great" for his team to be heard telling their driver Sebastian Vettel not to race Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen when he came up behind him. Red Bull's owner Dietrich Mateschitz went further, saying F1 was not a sport any more.
In 2011, Vettel won the Spanish Grand Prix. He also made four pit stops and there were 77 pit stops in the entire race. There were no complaints from Red Bull then....
......So, you can say that Ferrari have done the best job of adapting their car to the demands of the tyres.
That's basically what a team's job is - to get the best out of the equipment at their disposal.
It's not really right to mess with that in the middle of the season. It will create a lot of work for the teams and, while we can't be sure, it could well undo all the good work some have done to the benefit of others, who have done their jobs less well.
Personally, I think if Pirelli were worried about the life of the tyres, a fairer choice would have been simply to go one stage harder on the compound - create a new 'hard' tyre and throw away the current 'super-soft'. The current 'soft' would become the 'super-soft', the current 'medium' the 'soft' and the current 'hard' the 'medium'.
The problem now is that the sport is open to accusations of meddling, and some people are going to be suspicious of the motives for it.
Inevitably, that will mean people will always wonder whether this change has affected the results - and, in the end, whether the right guy won the championship.
But if you look at the data, things are not so different this year than they have been at any time since Pirelli became the sport's sole supplier in 2011, or even in the last year of Bridgestone tyres in 2010.
This year, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the Spanish Grand Prix making four pit stops, and there were 79 pit stops in the entire race.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner complained on Sunday that it was "too confusing for the fans", and that "it wasn't great" for his team to be heard telling their driver Sebastian Vettel not to race Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen when he came up behind him. Red Bull's owner Dietrich Mateschitz went further, saying F1 was not a sport any more.
In 2011, Vettel won the Spanish Grand Prix. He also made four pit stops and there were 77 pit stops in the entire race. There were no complaints from Red Bull then....
......So, you can say that Ferrari have done the best job of adapting their car to the demands of the tyres.
That's basically what a team's job is - to get the best out of the equipment at their disposal.
It's not really right to mess with that in the middle of the season. It will create a lot of work for the teams and, while we can't be sure, it could well undo all the good work some have done to the benefit of others, who have done their jobs less well.
Personally, I think if Pirelli were worried about the life of the tyres, a fairer choice would have been simply to go one stage harder on the compound - create a new 'hard' tyre and throw away the current 'super-soft'. The current 'soft' would become the 'super-soft', the current 'medium' the 'soft' and the current 'hard' the 'medium'.
The problem now is that the sport is open to accusations of meddling, and some people are going to be suspicious of the motives for it.
Inevitably, that will mean people will always wonder whether this change has affected the results - and, in the end, whether the right guy won the championship.
05-20-2013, 07:40 AM
#4
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
FIA rejects Pirelli proposal to revert to 2012 tyres
After the last race in Spain, Pirelli said it wanted to make changes to the tyres amid complaints their fragility had made tyre-management too important.
It proposed reverting to the tyres run in 2012 but F1's governing body, the FIA, says this would break the rules.
Only changes to prevent the series of recent failures will be allowed.
The FIA said going back to last year's tyres would not be allowed as it amounted to a change of specification.
Article 12.6.3 of the technical regulations dictates that it would require the agreement of all the teams for such a switch to happen.
Another part of the rules, article 12.5.2, gives the FIA leeway to ask the tyre supplier to change the tyre specification if it proves to be "technically unsuitable", but the governing body does not consider this to apply in this case.
After the last race in Spain, Pirelli said it wanted to make changes to the tyres amid complaints their fragility had made tyre-management too important.
It proposed reverting to the tyres run in 2012 but F1's governing body, the FIA, says this would break the rules.
Only changes to prevent the series of recent failures will be allowed.
The FIA said going back to last year's tyres would not be allowed as it amounted to a change of specification.
Article 12.6.3 of the technical regulations dictates that it would require the agreement of all the teams for such a switch to happen.
Another part of the rules, article 12.5.2, gives the FIA leeway to ask the tyre supplier to change the tyre specification if it proves to be "technically unsuitable", but the governing body does not consider this to apply in this case.
05-23-2013, 04:28 AM
#5
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
THURSDAY PRACTICE ONE TIMES:
http://www.racer.com/rosberg-tops-fi...rticle/294542/
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m16.195s 30
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m16.282s + 0.087s 26
3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m16.380s + 0.185s 20
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m16.394s + 0.199s 22
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m16.469s + 0.274s 27
6. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m16.993s + 0.798s 26
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m17.020s + 0.825s 26
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.129s + 0.934s 28
9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.378s + 1.183s 24
10. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m17.380s + 1.185s 22
11. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m17.509s + 1.314s 25
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m17.548s + 1.353s 26
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m17.625s + 1.430s 20
14. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.193s + 1.998s 25
15. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.454s + 2.259s 24
16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.754s + 2.559s 27
17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m18.830s + 2.635s 27
18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m19.067s + 2.872s 24
19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m19.203s + 3.008s 20
20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m19.438s + 3.243s 27
21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m19.773s + 3.578s 19
22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m20.225s + 4.030s 20
http://www.racer.com/rosberg-tops-fi...rticle/294542/
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m16.195s 30
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m16.282s + 0.087s 26
3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m16.380s + 0.185s 20
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m16.394s + 0.199s 22
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m16.469s + 0.274s 27
6. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m16.993s + 0.798s 26
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m17.020s + 0.825s 26
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.129s + 0.934s 28
9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.378s + 1.183s 24
10. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m17.380s + 1.185s 22
11. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m17.509s + 1.314s 25
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m17.548s + 1.353s 26
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m17.625s + 1.430s 20
14. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.193s + 1.998s 25
15. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.454s + 2.259s 24
16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.754s + 2.559s 27
17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m18.830s + 2.635s 27
18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m19.067s + 2.872s 24
19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m19.203s + 3.008s 20
20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m19.438s + 3.243s 27
21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m19.773s + 3.578s 19
22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m20.225s + 4.030s 20
05-23-2013, 07:35 AM
#6
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
THURSDAY PRACTICE TWO TIMES:
http://www.racer.com/rosberg-fastest...rticle/294554/
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m14.759s 45
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m15.077s + 0.318s 50
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m15.196s + 0.437s 37
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m15.278s + 0.519s 38
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m15.404s + 0.645s 41
6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m15.511s + 0.752s 38
7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m15.718s + 0.959s 10
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.959s + 1.200s 39
9. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m16.014s + 1.255s 32
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m16.046s + 1.287s 42
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m16.349s + 1.590s 43
12. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m16.434s + 1.675s 40
13. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.823s + 2.064s 42
14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m16.857s + 2.098s 40
15. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.935s + 2.176s 44
16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.145s + 2.386s 37
17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.184s + 2.425s 42
18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m17.264s + 2.505s 46
19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m17.892s + 3.133s 40
20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m18.212s + 3.453s 43
21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m18.784s + 4.025s 40
22. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m19.031s + 4.272s 30
http://www.racer.com/rosberg-fastest...rticle/294554/
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m14.759s 45
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m15.077s + 0.318s 50
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m15.196s + 0.437s 37
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m15.278s + 0.519s 38
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m15.404s + 0.645s 41
6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m15.511s + 0.752s 38
7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m15.718s + 0.959s 10
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.959s + 1.200s 39
9. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m16.014s + 1.255s 32
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m16.046s + 1.287s 42
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m16.349s + 1.590s 43
12. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m16.434s + 1.675s 40
13. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.823s + 2.064s 42
14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m16.857s + 2.098s 40
15. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.935s + 2.176s 44
16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.145s + 2.386s 37
17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.184s + 2.425s 42
18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m17.264s + 2.505s 46
19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m17.892s + 3.133s 40
20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m18.212s + 3.453s 43
21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m18.784s + 4.025s 40
22. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m19.031s + 4.272s 30
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05-25-2013, 03:22 PM
#9
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I think Pirelli got a little carried away to make the races more exciting.
05-28-2013, 04:51 PM
#10
Former Moderator
Thread Starter
Looks like Sergio Perez is the 'bad guy' of the paddock this season
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/22675026
I personally think it would help him immensely to seek assistance from a driving coach like Jackie Stewart. Checo has the talent, he needs to hone his race craft. One too many races like Monaco and he may just lose his place with a top-tier team.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/22675026
I personally think it would help him immensely to seek assistance from a driving coach like Jackie Stewart. Checo has the talent, he needs to hone his race craft. One too many races like Monaco and he may just lose his place with a top-tier team.