The F1 Thread 2013 Season

If he does, this will be such a huge blow for Mercedes. He has been the whole reason they are as high up as they are, and Hamilton could probably kiss any future World Championships goodbye if so. The guy is an utter genius, and F1 would miss him. It will be interesting to see how the FIA handle this one.

Paddy Lowe will probably take his role.

Saw a stat on SkyF1 yesterday, over the past 20 years Brawn and Newey have won 17 titles.
 
If he does, this will be such a huge blow for Mercedes. He has been the whole reason they are as high up as they are, and Hamilton could probably kiss any future World Championships goodbye if so. The guy is an utter genius, and F1 would miss him. It will be interesting to see how the FIA handle this one.

I have to agree, Brawn would of been a major reason Lewis went to Mercedes.
 
Awful to hear about the marshall. It was completely stupid to clear the car from that corner with only four laps left. No common sense was shown with that decision at all. I was angry when I seen it happen and now this terrible news has been a sad consequence of that ridiculous decision. A freak accident like that wouldn't have happened if they had waited just a few laps later. They were ordered out on to the track during the race to put their lives in danger for a car that was causing no threat to the other drivers and if another car did hit the stranded car the barrier would still have cushioned the impact.
RIP to the marshall

The marshal tripped up and could have done that after the race too so I don't agree that blame should be applied to whoever ordered the crane in.
 
The marshal tripped up and could have done that after the race too so I don't agree that blame should be applied to whoever ordered the crane in.
They wouldn't have been working as fast if the race was over, they would have taken their time. Did you see the crane driving out to get the car? It was racing out, I thought it was going to tip over because he was going so fast over the bumpy ground. It was a freak accident but there would have been a much smaller chance of it happening if they had waited till the end of the race
 
Guys, the marshall got run over by the truck AFTER the race, not when it was recovering the Sauber. It was right to call the crane out & shift it when it did, you can easily have 2 cars trying to overtake at that corner.
 
Vettel extends his contract with RBR till 2015.

I wouldve liked to see him in a different team.
 
Vettel extends his contract with RBR till 2015.

I wouldve liked to see him in a different team.

Not shocked really, who else would he have gone to?
There is not many teams that can offer him a car that will win him the title.
It is not beyond possibility that he will win the next 3 World Championships, if he did I see him calling it a day.
 
No way will he call it a day in 2015. He'll only be 28 then (that's mental isn't it).

He loves records, he's going to go after Schumacher's 7 titles and 91 wins and when/if he beats those he'll go about trying to make sure no one catches him anytime soon.
 
No way will he call it a day in 2015. He'll only be 28 then (that's mental isn't it).

He loves records, he's going to go after Schumacher's 7 titles and 91 wins and when/if he beats those he'll go about trying to make sure no one catches him anytime soon.

yeah you are right, for some reason I thought he was older than that.
2015 will be interesting, even in 2 year I don't see many teams being able to give him the wins he will want.
 
Murray Walker: F1 commentator diagnosed with cancer

Legendary Formula 1 commentator Murray Walker has been diagnosed with cancer.
The 89-year-old said he had a form of lymphatic system cancer, which was diagnosed during tests after a fall in which he broke his pelvis last month.

"They've caught it incredibly early. It's treatable, the doctors say my condition is mild and I'm very hopeful," Walker said.

Walker is to have a programme of chemotherapy over the next few months in an attempt to cure the disease.

He has cancelled his plans to attend the British Grand Prix over the weekend of 28-30 June.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/22946026
 
Mercedes has argued that its running of a 2013 car during the post-Spanish Grand Prix test at Barcelona was not a breach of the regulations.

After hearing the submissions of the FIA to the International Tribunal judges, Mercedes lawyer Paul Harris QC argued that the Brackley-based outfit did not break the rules because the track run was a Pirelli test.

The FIA believes that Mercedes may have breached Article 22 of the Sporting Regulations by running its current contender.

The rules state explicitly that testing is classified as "any track running time not part of an Event undertaken by a competitor entered in the Championship."

Harris says that the fact the test was organised, paid for and run by Pirelli means that Mercedes cannot be ruled to be in breach.

"This was not a test undertaken by Mercedes. They are critical words in text of Article 22 - 'undertaken by'," he said.

He added: "The Pirelli test was not a test undertaken by Mercedes, it is irrefutable it is a test undertaken by Pirelli."

Harris said that Pirelli directed, controlled and paid for the test, and that Mercedes was only doing what it was requested to by the Italian tyre manufacturer.

"This evidence is confirmed by Pirelli, so the people who were present on the day all unanimously given the same evidence about what was going on, who was doing it, and who was in charge of it. It is undeniable the testing was undertaken by Pirelli."

Harris said that Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn and team manager Ron Meadows did have permission from F1 race director Charlie Whiting and FIA lawyer Sebastien Bernard that it was allowed to run its 2013 car at the test.

Mercedes claims that its view that the test was being 'undertaken' by Pirelli and not Mercedes was backed in correspondence between Whiting and Bernard.

In an email on May 3 that Whiting wrote to Bernard, Harris quoted the F1 race director as saying: "In my view any such testing would not actually be undertaken by the competitors, it would be/could be be argued that this was done by Pirelli. Would we be able to take this position?"

Bernard replied: "Indeed we could take this position...[it is] not an undertaking from the competitor."


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/108155
 
Looks like Mercedes are trying to shift the blame onto everyone else, I still don't know why they turned up with a 2013 car.
 
If the FIA don't punish Mercedes on the technicality of who "undertook" the test, then it opens the floodgates for all the teams to do the same. It is a nice legal argument but don't think it will fly with the tribunal.

Also there was no reason for Merc to use their newest cars when Ferrari previously had used a two year old model.
 
I feel a bit sorry for Ross Brawn, because this surely wasn't his call -- it'll have come from higher up -- and yet he'll be made to take the blame.
 
I'm just gonna do this before anyone else makes the obvious joke.

Hamilton penalty.
 
Mercedes have got away with a reprimand.

They have also been banned for the upcoming 3 day young driver training tests.

So in the grand scheme of it all, sod all really.
 
Loads of bollocks.

But predictable, any harsher punishments would have had to be seen to apply to Pirelli, F1's only tyre supplier.
The FIA do not come out of it very well. I note that they had to foot some of the legal costs.Their procedures and in general the wording in the regulations that they put in place can be ambiguous, which encourages teams to push the envelope.Their procedures in regard to testing tyres is shambolic.


Having taken all such matters into account, the
Tribunal makes the following findings:

(1)The track testing, which is the subject of these proceedings, was not
carried out by Pirelli and/or Mercedes with the intention that Mercedes
should obtain any unfair sporting advantage.

(2)Neither Pirelli nor Mercedes acted in bad faith at any material time.

(3)Both Pirelli and Mercedes disclosed to FIA at least the essence of what
they intended to do in relation to the test and attempted to obtain
permission for it; and Mercedes had no reason to believe that approval
had not been given.

(4)The actions taken on behalf of FIA by Charlie Whiting (having
taken advice from the legal department of FIA) were taken in good faith and
with the intention of assisting the parties and
consistent with sporting fairness.

http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/press_release/file/(IT-2013-01)-Decision (EN).pdf
 
Bullshit decision.

The fallout will be far quieter than if it were Ferrari or Red Bull, though.
 
I await Christian Horner's inevitable whinging.

Rightly so as well.

The FIA showing once again what a joke they are.
Its a fact that had Ferrari or Red Bull done this test their would be much more of a reaction to the decision.
The only likeable person in the Mercedes team is Nico Rosberg.
 
Its a fact that had Ferrari or Red Bull done this test their would be much more of a reaction to the decision.


Well Ferrari did to some degree, i don't see much of a difference between a 2011 & 2013 car in order to get data from a test. Pirelli do the same test on a 2 year old car for tyres used in the current season. However the usual Ferrari International Assistance came into play & said they did nothing wrong.

Red Bull wouldn't get anywhere near a test with Newey still there.
 
However the usual Ferrari International Assistance came into play & said they did nothing wrong.

What a load of nonsense.

The 2011 car and 2013 cars are totally different and I doubt any of the data Ferrari collected would be helpful to them. Unlike Merc, who used their current car.

Complete nonsense decision by the FIA.
 
The 2011 car and 2013 cars are totally different.


You couldn't be further wrong. Aside from the blown diffuser concept (which would make 2011 cars much, much quicker than the coanda exhaust concepts currently), the only changes in the technical regs between 2011 and 2013 were very minor. Lower noses & increased front wing flexi tests ensuring.

Ferrari using a 2011 car shouldn't be dismayed as nonsense & unsurprisingly the FIA don't even look at them. Not saying Mercedes weren't wrong here, just Ferrari should have been given more than what they had.
 
Well Ferrari did to some degree, i don't see much of a difference between a 2011 & 2013 car in order to get data from a test. Pirelli do the same test on a 2 year old car for tyres used in the current season. However the usual Ferrari International Assistance came into play & said they did nothing wrong.

Red Bull wouldn't get anywhere near a test with Newey still there.

I would think there is a big difference in doing tests in a car 2 years old, surely the design is totally different.

Fact is Mercedes used a 2013 car to do tests for Pirelli, in season testing is NOT allowed.

Is this not correct?
 
I would think there is a big difference in doing tests in a car 2 years old, surely the design is totally different.

Fact is Mercedes used a 2013 car to do tests for Pirelli, in season testing is NOT allowed.

Is this not correct?


No it's not correct, do your homework on the technical regulations before posting. You just look clueless.
 
No it's not correct, do your homework on the technical regulations before posting. You just look clueless.

Not a lot of difference in speed (around .05secs) but data collected with a 2013 car will be more useful to the design team which is why there's suppose to be some sort rule about using a car that is two years old.
 
The sound of the 2014 engines.

http://www.renaultsport.com/Come-on-feel-the-noise?lang=fr

GP2ish isn't it.

Bit of a shame, but at the same time I agree with the rule changes.

Personally, I think they should switch to ethanol like Indycar did, too, since it's much better for the environment. I know this is racing, and on the face of it racing shouldn't care about the environment (it's all about going as fast as you can, with all the excesses that entails), but when people are using valuable natural resources for no purpose except to go round in circles quicker than one another then it makes sense to me to minimise both the usage and the waste of those natural resources.
 
Bit of a shame, but at the same time I agree with the rule changes.

Personally, I think they should switch to ethanol like Indycar did, too, since it's much better for the environment. I know this is racing, and on the face of it racing shouldn't care about the environment (it's all about going as fast as you can, with all the excesses that entails), but when people are using valuable natural resources for no purpose except to go round in circles quicker than one another then it makes sense to me to minimise both the usage and the waste of those natural resources.


Ethanol is not a bad idea. They are constantly slowing the cars done by many other means anyway. May as well make it clean and let the airdynam guys offset the loses by relaxing rules elsewhere.