F1 World Championship 2013 Thread

[MightyJordan]

Such a shame to hear about the marshall. :(

Mercedes will learn their fate in the FIA?s International Tribunal hearing on June 20th.

The Tribunal will examine whether Mercedes broke the rules by conducting a three-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya for Pirelli following the Spanish Grand Prix.

Red Bull and Ferrari protested Mercedes when news of the test broke during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

The FIA issued the following statement: ?On 5th June 2013, further to protests lodged during the 2013 Monaco GP by Red Bull Racing and Ferrari Scuderia Team against cars numbers nine and ten (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team) for having conducted with Pirelli a three day tyre testing using a 2013 car on 15th, 16th and 17th May in Barcelona, the President of the FIA, acting as the FIA Prosecuting Body, sent to the President of the International Tribunal a notification of charges against Pirelli and a notification of charges against Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.

?On 5th June 2013, Pirelli and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team have been convened by the President of the International Tribunal to appear before a judging panel of the International Tribunal.?

The hearing will begin at 9:30am on Thursday 20th June.

[MightyJordan]

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Horner recognised in Queen?s birthday honours list

Red Bull?s team principal Christian Horner has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the Queen?s birthday honours list. Horner, 39, has been recognised for his services to motorsport.

"I'm naturally shocked," the Englishman was quoted as saying by Reuters. "To be in the company of men and women who have achieved such great things for the country is something very, very special.?

Horner has been in charge of Red Bull since the team?s debut in 2005 and has led them to the constructors? and drivers? championship double in each of the last three years.

?This is right up there with what I have achieved in motorsport," he added.

Red Bull and their reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel currently lead the 2013 team and driver standings.

Source: Formula1.com

[Noir Angel]

Ugh, what a complete and utter joke. Horner is nothing more than an arrogant and irritating dip**** with the politician's touch for PR speak.

[Noir Angel]

If true, what a bunch of hypocrites

[Sjokkel]

Like i said in my last post : the redbull had some amazing acceleration. 

 

Renault has always been keen to show how well their engines repond to digital input. I've seen renault f1 engine play a symphony of beethoven. I would't be surprised if this is some sort of intelligent engine mapping. They were experts in that field when driving with the blown diffusor. How hard can it be to bypass that ECU?

On trottle the redbulls seem way more stable then the other cars. Vettels passing attempt on Alonso in 2012 in Monza also showed way better traction even on the dirty side of the curva grande. 

 

Hopefully time will tell ...

[MightyJordan]

Mercedes banned from Young Drivers? Test by FIA Tribunal

 

 

An FIA Tribunal has banned Mercedes from participating in this year?s Young Drivers? Test for conducting a three-day test ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.

 

The Tribunal also reprimanded the team for its participation in the test along. Tyre supplier Pirelli were also reprimanded.

 

Following the Tribunal hearing yesterday Mercedes had suggested the punishment of exclusion from the Young Drivers? Test.

 

The Tribunal ruled that Mercedes had ?misconceived ?qualified approval? which was given on behalf of the FIA?. The costs of the investigation and procedure were shared equally between Mercedes, Pirelli and the FIA.

 

In the first ever hearing of the FIA?s new International Tribunal the governing body?s prosecution denied Mercedes had been granted permission for the test and said they had failed to invite other teams to participate in it as they were instructed to. The FIA added there was no way of proving Mercedes could not have gained an advantage from the test.

 

Mercedes? defence claimed they were not in breach of the rules as the test was run by and for Pirelli. They insisted approval had been sought and obtained from individuals within the FIA.

 

They added that if their test was considered in breach of the regulations the test conducted by Ferrari three weeks prior to it should also be as the 2011 car Ferrari used was, in Mercedes? view, similar to those being raced at present.

 

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged a protest against their rival team during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend when it emerged they had used their 2013 car to cover over 1,000km in a tyre test for Pirelli.

 

The International Tribunal was presided over by Edwin Glasgow. The three members involved in the deliberations were Christy Harris, Patrick Raedersdorf and Anthony Scott Andrews.

 

 

So to sum up, the only person really being punished is Sam Bird (Mercedes' driver in the Young Drivers' Test), who wasn't involved with the secret tests. Mercedes effectively managed to exchange their spot in the Young Drivers' Test for three days of in-season testing in Barcelona. What a deal.  :wacko:

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

What kind of punishment did you expect? The FIA couldn't risk pissing Mercedes off with too harsh a punishment. This is F1 we're talking about, where commercial interests are the #1 priority. 

[MightyJordan]

What kind of punishment did you expect? The FIA couldn't risk ****ing Mercedes off with too harsh a punishment. This is F1 we're talking about, where commercial interests are the #1 priority. 

 

True. I do forget that sometimes...

 

 

 

Justice Malheureusement (chairman of the FIA International Tribunal hearing): Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation my colleagues and I have reached a verdict in this hearing. It is our view that, by taking part in the disputed three day tyre testing session in Barcelona, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team clearly and wilfully acted in breach of articles 1 and 151 of the International Sporting Code. We therefore have no choice but to punish the team to the full extent of our powers.

 

Sir Philip Ecspensyve (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 legal representative): My client regretfully understands your verdict and certainly hopes it won?t cause Mercedes to decide that they no longer want to participate in Formula 1.

 

Justice Malheureusement: The punishment is as follows; Mercedes is to pay a fine of 100 million dollars and will be stripped of all world championship points accrued?

 

Bernard Ecclestone: [coughs loudly]

 

Justice Malheureusement: Erm? accrued to date in the 2013 seas?

 

Jean Todt: [coughs very loudly]

 

Justice Malheureusement: I?m sorry, I appear to have mis-read my own writing. The punishment accorded to Mercedes F1 is to be told that they are very naughty and to spend the next five minutes looking at their shoes. Furthermore, they will be sent to bed tonight with no supper.

 

Sir Philip Ecspensyve: My client respectfully accepts this punishment.

 

Justice Malheureusement: Good. Oh, and they can?t take part in the forthcoming young driver test day.

 

Sam Bird: [anguished cry]

"Source"

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

In other news Renault published a sound clip of their 2014 V6 Turbo engine.

 

http://www.renaultsport.com/Come-on-feel-the-noise,2630.html?lang=en

 

Sounds kind of meh. :/

[HSoft]

In other news Renault published a sound clip of their 2014 V6 Turbo engine.

 

http://www.renaultsport.com/Come-on-feel-the-noise,2630.html?lang=en

 

Sounds kind of meh. :/

Sounds like a high powered fart...

[Noir Angel]

As far as I am concerned the punishment for an infraction should be roughly in line with the gains from it. From what I saw in Canada the long run pace of the car hasn't improved much, and the data was sealed away so the design team couldn't use it, as the test wasn't done with current type tyres I am not convinced that Mercedes gained all that much from it so I don't really think another draconian penalty was necessary.

[Buio]

In other news Renault published a sound clip of their 2014 V6 Turbo engine.

http://www.renaultsport.com/Come-on-feel-the-noise,2630.html?lang=en

 

Sounds kind of meh. :/

Indeed, sounded really meek. :(

[MightyJordan]

Yeah, it doesn't sound that good, but I reckon we should enjoy the engine sound while it's still there, as it'll be gone completely with the shift to electric motors, and as much as I like electric cars, an electric F1 car wouldn't sound as good as that V6 (naturally; of course you could have an artificial noise generator like Audi and some other manufacturers are doing at the moment, then you could make them sound like the old V10s of the 90s). Have a listen to the current Formula E car and compare...

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Yeah, it doesn't sound that good, but I reckon we should enjoy the engine sound while it's still there, as it'll be gone completely with the shift to electric motors, and as much as I like electric cars, an electric F1 car wouldn't sound as good as that V6 (naturally; of course you could have an artificial noise generator like Audi and some other manufacturers are doing at the moment, then you could make them sound like the old V10s of the 90s). Have a listen to the current Formula E car and compare...

 

 

Sounds like a Scalextric car. 

[philcruicks]

In other news Renault published a sound clip of their 2014 V6 Turbo engine.

 

http://www.renaultsport.com/Come-on-feel-the-noise,2630.html?lang=en

 

Sounds kind of meh. :/

Sounds very Meh...tho also sounds like they're short shifting, so might sounds a bit better at full revs.

[simonlang]

silverstone this weekend. my ferrari shirt is freshly washed and ready. i predict a surprising rain shower the last 10 laps forcing others to pit and massa gambling, staying out and get a surprising win :) 

[JoeC]

silverstone this weekend. my felipe baby shirt is freshly washed and ready.

 

Fixed :)

[simonlang]

the problem with fixing and fixation my dear friend is that it sooner or later leads you into hospital.  :iiam:

 

Fixed :)

[MightyJordan]

While you're here, mclaren2, got a quick question. How come your username is what it is when you're a Ferrari fan? Are you just a fan of both teams, or is it some joke that's gone completely over my head?

[simonlang]

it's some fact i have explained many many times over here. look, back in 2003 when i registered here, i was a big mclaren mercedes fan and devoted kimi raikkonen supporter. as mclaren as a username was already taken, i simply became mclaren2. 

now things have changed. raikkonen doesn't drive for mclaren anymore and spy-gate in 2007 has put some distance between me and mclaren, but the name is still there. i think just for historic reasons. i dunno. i will try to change it to my now more commonly used nickname if that works. if not, i have a backup plan  :woot:

 

 

name change worked, so backup plan is not needed - yet:

 

as for formula 1, i like ferrari as a team and massa as a driver, he fits there much better than alonso, whom i just can't stand.

like vettel as well and start to like raikkonen more again. my admiration for schumi probably came many years too late. thinking back the last driver i was a devoted fan was gerhard berger, later mika hakkinen. ######. time goes by it's crazy.  :(

While you're here, mclaren2, got a quick question. How come your username is what it is when you're a Ferrari fan? Are you just a fan of both teams, or is it some joke that's gone completely over my head?

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Mark Webber to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2013 season

 

Red Bull driver Mark Webber has decided to leave F1 at the end of this season.

 

The 36-year-old Australian is joining German company Porsche's new sportscar programme, which includes an assault on the classic Le Mans 24 Hours.

 

Webber had options to stay in F1, either with Red Bull or another top team, but feels it is time to move on in his career.

Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen is favourite to replace him, with Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo or Jean-Eric Vergne options.

Webber described it as an "honour" to race for Porsche, adding: "Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding performance and technology at the highest level.

 

"I'm very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world."

 

In 12 years in F1, Webber has won nine grands prix, achieved 36 podium finishes, 11 pole positions and 15 fastest laps and twice finished third in the World Championship.

 

Webber's best season was 2010, when he led the championship for much of the year before faltering in the final three races, falling behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

 

He has developed a reputation as a tough but fair competitor, with a direct and honest approach to the media, whose time at Red Bull has been characterised by an uneasy relationship with Vettel.

 

The German is championed by the company's motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, and Webber has often felt he has not benefited from the same support.

 

The tension has boiled over on several occasions during their five years as team-mates, most recently at this season's Malaysian Grand Prix, when Vettel ignored a direct team order not to overtake Webber to win the race.

 

The German initially apologised after the race, but subsequently said he would do the same thing again.

 

Webber was furious and it was widely believed that the drivers' fractious relationship meant he could not stay with Red Bull in 2014.

 

But Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz, with whom Webber has always had a close relationship, made it clear he could stay on if he wanted to, saying in April: "Whether he retires, only he will choose but Mark is definitely a candidate for 2014. He is always welcome with us."

 

Webber did consider staying with Red Bull for another season. But he has decided that with the big change in regulations next year that will dramatically alter the demands of F1 it is a good time to move on to a fresh challenge in a new category where he believes his long-term future lies.

 

He has never been a fan of the rapidly degrading Pirelli tyres that have been used in F1 since 2011 - Webber believes they prevent drivers pushing to the limit throughout the race, a characteristic he believes should be an integral part of the sport.

 

He is 37 this August, an age that for a Formula 1 driver he has admitted is "long in the tooth in some people's eyes", and recognised that even if he stayed on for another year, his time in the sport was limited.

 

Webber could have gone to another top team - at least one approached him - but felt that would be the wrong thing to do.

 

For one thing, Red Bull has produced the fastest car in F1 since 2009; for another he decided against a move to Ferrari last year partly because he felt that with time running out on his career the effort of getting used to a new environment was not worth it.

 

He will now spearhead Porsche's attempt to revive its glory days at Le Mans, a race it has won 16 times, the last in 1998.

 

Webber has raced at Le Mans twice before - with Mercedes in 1998 and 1999.

 

He was on pole position in 1998 but the car he shared with Germans Klaus Ludwig and Bernd Schneider retired after only 19 laps.

 

The following year an aerodynamic flaw in the Mercedes car caused him to flip on two separate occasions at more than 200mph, both times emerging without injury.

 

He said afterwards that he would never return to Le Mans because of the danger involved, but the lure of representing Porsche has proved too much to resist.

 

Source: BBC Sport

[Chasethebase Veteran]

:(

[Lingwo]

It will be interesting to see who replaces him. Hopefully someone like Kimi Raikkonen and gives Vettel a bit of a challenge next season. I still don't consider Vettel one of the great F1 drivers as he hasn't really been pushed properly yet.

 

I'll miss Webber in F1. He was always honest about things and seemed to be a voice in the back for all the drivers. Plus he still has the talent to be in F1.

[mps69]

The news Webber is leaving doesn't really shock me, it was only a matter of time given the last few encounters has had with Vettel.

A very talented guy who speaks his mind, he'll be sadly missed off the grid.