Formula 1 2013 Season Thread

[xraygun]

Well here we go again folks. Time for some Sport!

I happened to be awake for some of the Ferrari unveiling streaming live from Maranello.

I'm pretty excited about this season.

The Ferrari and McLaren look great. Can't wait to see the W04 and what Adrian has come up with.

I'd like to encourage folks to post links to any cool info they find on the new cars.

Here's the New VMJ06!

Happy Motoring!

 

[commanderkeen]

Here's all the car launches:

http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2013/1/14188.html

 

[ouch]

This is one of my favorite pictures of a car.



Hard to believe this is the back-of-the-pack Caterham.

Looking forward to a great season.

 

[ouch]

See? You can get old and still be cool. Here is Riccardo Patrese remaining calm and collected, and never taking his eyes off the road.

 

[TLetums]

That Caterham looks awesom!

 

[nole1]

That backmarker looks gorgeous. I'm really looking forward to this season and seeing what Perez can do in the MP4-28.

 

[xraygun]

His wife is hilarious.

 

[JDTTO]

Yep, that's a classic youtube video. I love the gesture his wife makes that he will not be getting any for a while (and his expression which suggests that he knows better).

Looking forward to Melbourne. I hope Kimi will be in the fight from the start. As the regulations change drastically for 2014, I expect some teams to drop back in the second half of the season when they decide to shift their attention to the 2014 car whilst others put in the extra work to finish 2013 on a high.

Maybe too early to predict but I expect Lotus to try to make the most of their solid car (building on their 2012 base) throughout this year and merc to give up on 2013 early.

 

[gegarrenton]

Giggity.

 

[gegarrenton]

I concur. They are a hell of a lot better looking!

 

[k2clones29]

Wow, can't believe racing is already back! The trend over the last few years has been one year of a close championship followed by a year of someone running away with it. I hope that trend is bucked this year. Can't wait for Australia!

 

[JDTTO]

I am personally so happy that they have allowed the "vanity panel" so the stepped nose is covered!

I never understood the purpose of the vanity panel. I must have been under a rock when it was explained. What is the aerodynamic advantage of the stepped nose when it's under a panel? It's not like many teams would use last year's chassis without modifications and would be stuck with it.

 

[Dalejr]

Since Micheals retired again, go Kimi...

 

[JDTTO]

The stepped nose, is simply a safety thing....the FIA last year changed the rules so that the nose needed to be lower in case of a side impact, protecting the "t-boned" driver from the high nose from entering the cockpit. Which lead the teams to the step nose, because the higher the nose, the better aero flow you get around the nose, so to make the FIA regs, the teams would step the nose. And that makes for ugly racing cars, so the vanity plate is simply the FIA allowing teams to cover the step if they so choose with a panel to improve the looks of the car. Aero wise it really doesn't effect a thing, and while the weight issue is also minute, some teams like Lotus this year have chosen not to use it, or at least the release car doesn't.......

Ok, but what is the advantage of a stepped nose under a panel to a nose which has been made without stepped nose?

 

[gegarrenton]

Because having to hold down the nose artificially at the measurement point to meet the rule resulted in the step getting the body work back higher being better aero in most team, McLaren the notable exception. The car still has to make measurement under the panel, the panel is not a measurement point.

 

[JDTTO]

Thanks, it starts to make sense now.

 

[JDTTO]

Some reasons why I like Kimi:
http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/11721/510/

 

[Memphis]

Time to see what Lewis can do in the Silver Arrow

And hopefully Alonso has a good car from the start.

Praying Vettel does not win again this year

And I wish F1 wasn't infiltrated by 'pay drivers'. Some good drivers out there with out a seat.

I'll be at the Canadian Grand Prix, my dad brings me every year. Love my F1

 

[nole1]

And I wish F1 wasn't infiltrated by 'pay drivers'. Some good drivers out there with out a seat.

Speaking of 'pay drivers', what are everyone's thoughts on Pastor now that Hugo has passed? I feel he will really need to prove himself to show he is worthy of a seat after the PDVSA money behind him runs out.

 

[Barbiere di Figaro]

I think this shows the maximum Raikkonen was willing to say in a commercial. Typical!