Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

News Part 1 :
New Mercedes passes FIA crash tests
The Mercedes AMG W04 chassis has passed all of the necessary FIA crash tests ahead of the new year, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. The Brackley-based squad's new design is expected to feature a heavily-modified rear end, built in time to hit the track during the opening pre-season test at Jerez.
Lewis Hamilton, who replaces Michael Schumacher at the famous German marque, will race alongside former karting team-mate Nico Rosberg in 2013.

Hülkenberg completes seat fitting at Sauber :
Nico Hülkenberg had a seat fitting for Sauber's new C32 chassis this week, beginning his transition phase from Force India. The German outlined his desire to achieve podium finishes at the team.
Hülkenberg, who has two Formula 1 seasons under his belt, met with engineers and sat in a base tub at the outfit's Hinwil factory. The 25-year-old will race alongside Esteban Gutiérrez next season, the Mexican graduating from feeder series GP2.
Sauber has already announced that its 2013 car will be ready in time for the opening pre-season test at the Circuito de Jerez, taking place from February 5-8.

Bribery case could force Ecclestone out :
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he may be forced into retirement if he is charged in a bribary case surrounding the sale of the sport to private equity firm CVC back in 2006. The business magnate is alleged to have paid German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky a bribe of around 27 million pounds during the deal.
Ecclestone insists that the payment was not corrupt, instead arguing that Gribkowsky had been threatening to give tax information to HM Revenue & Customs. However, since the latter's arrest in 2011, the 82-year-old has also been under investigation.
"(CVC) will probably be forced to get rid of me if the Germans come after me," Ecclestone explained to The Sunday Telegraph. "It’s pretty obvious, if I’m locked up."
Ecclestone added that CVC has also hired head-hunting agency Egon Zehnder to draft up a list of potential replacements should he leave his post in the near future.
"They said they had hired a head-hunter to find somebody in the event that I was not going to be there - if I was going to die or something," Ecclestone said of the situation. "It is the normal thing they do to keep people happy." Earlier this month, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo argued that if found guilty, Ecclestone has no other choice but to resign: "If Bernie is accused under process, I think he will be the first to give a step back in the interests of Formula 1."

Five key themes to look out for in 2013 :
Formula 1 2012 has been and gone in a flash, with Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull crowned triple World Champions. Now the attention turns to the 2013 campaign, with plenty of talking points to mull over. Here are five key themes to look out for...
Hamilton's switch to Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton's move to Mercedes conjured up one word with most Formula 1 fans: money. However, there is more to the deal than meets the eye and the 2008 World Champion could surprise quite a lot of people in 2013. Switching to the Silver Arrows for what has been titled a 'fresh start', he certainly has a difficult task on his hands, but his rollercoaster career with McLaren will have prepared him well.
Although Hamilton has enjoyed front-running machinery during many of his McLaren years, it is easy to forget his heroics from 2009 when driving a sub-standard car. Much like Alonso in 2012, the Briton has proven that he can get the most from a slower package and so an early performance deficit should not unduly concern him. The 27-year-old clearly wanted a new challenge and Mercedes has provided him with that opportunity. He has new-found focus and, most importantly, the speed to deliver. Sergio Pérez, who is still a slightly unknown quantity, has big boots to fill this season .
A changing of the guard?
"CVC will probably be forced to get rid of me if the Germans come after me," are Ecclestone's own words on the bribery case which could ultimately drive him out of Formula 1. The business magnate transferred a sum of around 27 million pounds to German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky to push through the sale of the sport to private equity firm CVC in 2006, with Ecclestone claiming that the latter had threatened to supply tax information to HM Revenue & Customs if he was not paid.
What will come of the situation? We know this much: Gribkowsky was arrested in 2011 and Ecclestone is now under investigation for his role in the deal. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo says stepping down is the only option for the 82-year-old if found guilty, but the situation looks likely to drag on for some time. One thing is for sure, no matter how controversial a figure Ecclestone has been during his long reign, Formula 1 would endure a massive structural loss if he leaves.
Pirelli's 'more aggressive' tyres
With seven different winners from the first seven races of 2012, Pirelli was hailed for its large part in producing an almost unpredictable Formula 1 spectacle. However, teams and drivers eventually got on top of the complex tyre situation as the races passed by and at the end of the season the Italian company was being described as overly cautious.
Despite this anti-climax, fans need not fear ahead of the 2013 season. Speaking to GPUpdate.net last month, Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery said: "There’s a more rapid warm-up and more temperature going into the tyres. With the changes we’re making to the compounds we’re trying to bring back some degradation levels." This is definitely something to look forward to as the first race approaches.
In-season development
Formula 1 has long been known as a constant development race, but there will be a big twist this year. A major engine overhaul, amid further regulation tweaks, will come into play in 2014. This will force teams up and down the grid to perform a balancing act; the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus can't let up in their bid for title glory, whereas teams further down the grid could opt for a strategic gamble.
Highlighting the issue facing the entire field, Ferrari has already announced that two separate designers will be leading its respective 2013 and 2014 projects, meaning the staff at Maranello can be split equally in the chase for those crucial tenths of a second. The differing strategies will be extremely interesting to follow.
The real Romain Grosjean
A string of silly errors may have tarnished Romain Grosjean's reputation in 2012, but the Frenchman remains one of Formula 1's most exciting prospects. It must be reiterated that the 26-year-old, who claimed the 2011 GP2 title, contested his first full F1 season last year, with his 2009 stint at Renault not worthy of being described as a genuine opportunity to shine.
Dotted around his mistakes were performances even the most established of drivers would have savoured. A stunning lap to claim third on the grid for the opening race of the season well and truly marked his return to the Grand Prix scene, with podiums in Bahrain and Canada following. If it wasn't for an alternator failure in Valencia, he may well have become France's 13th Grand Prix winner. Lotus will have a championship contender on its hands if his lapses in concentration can be eradicated.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Analysis: Fight for Force India and Caterham F1 seats nears end :

The fight for Formula 1's leading seats may have been over months ago, but the battle for cockpits further down the field remains intense as judgements loom on the final two vacancies.
Force India and Caterham are the only remaining outfits that have yet to finalise their line-ups, but with just one month to go before the start of 2013 testing, decisions are now expected within days.
The increasingly tough economic climate worldwide means that teams at both ends of the grid have had to be more mindful of commercial considerations when it comes to drivers, which is why neither outfit is having an easy time making its choice.
Force India: Bianchi vs Sutil
The Force India vacancy is a plum seat, with Nico Hulkenberg having shown at the Brazilian Grand Prix that the team has the capability to fight right at the front. Although Paul di Resta has not yet been confirmed, his performances last year left the team in no doubt that he justified another opportunity for 2013, so his place is secure. Towards the end of last season, the list of candidates for the seat alongside di Resta stretched to double figures though, as youngsters like Luiz Razia, out of work men like Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi, and current racers like Bruno Senna and Kamui Kobayashi vied to fill Hulkenberg's place.
Although each driver had varying amounts of sponsorship behind him, Force India CEO Otmar Szafnauer told us at the end of last season that the decision would ultimately rest on ability rather than backing.
He made it clear his preference was for speed to ultimately win out, because that would be the only way of ensuring both its men performed.
"I am a believer that you need someone like that," he said. "Not everyone does, and it is a subconscious thing.
"You think you are driving the best you can, but there is nothing like competition for us humans to really sharpen our focus, attention and skills in all sort of stuff. If you have competition you end up driving yourself more." That process has culminated in the selection whittling down now to what appears to be a straightforward decision between veteran Adrian Sutil and rising star Jules Bianchi
Sutil has the experience and speed to keep things moving forward after Hulkenberg, and would bring some funding from his long-term backers. Bianchi would be more of a gamble on the driving front - because he has yet to race in F1 – but he has the added attraction of closes ties to Ferrari. The Frenchman has been retained as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy for 2013, and a long-term deal could tie in to a potential engine partnership for 2014 and beyond. Ferrari is currently working on sorting out its future customer engine plans, and may need to secure another partner with Scuderia Toro Rosso likely to make the move to Renault after this season. The final call on Force India's drivers rests with team principal Vijay Mallya, who will need to weigh up both the short-term and long-term benefits of either candidate.

Caterham: Petrov, Senna or van der Garde?
At Caterham, there is an equally tough decision to be made as to who will partner youngster Charles Pic.
The Leafield-based outfit may have secured its 10th place in the constructors' championship at the 11th hour with Vitaly Petrov's result in Brazil, but it remains eager to bolster its commercial situation even more.
Heikki Kovalainen is unlikely to be kept on for another year, with the leading candidates for the role now being Petrov, Bruno Senna and Giedo van der Garde.Petrov added nearly $10 million to Caterham's coffers with his 11th-place finish at Interlagos that got the team back in the top 10 of the constructors' championship, so there is an obvious reason to retain him.Furthermore, Petrov has the potential to unlock more sponsorship from Russia with the Sochi Grand Prix looming on the horizon for 2014.However, Senna has valuable backing behind him right now, and has the kind of profile and attitude that the team would benefit from.
Like the decision facing Mallya, Caterham has candidates who each easily justify their place, but in the end there is only space for one man.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Franck Montagny 5th January 1978
(Super Aguri driver in 2006)
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Happy Birthday to your 35th anniversary

Michael Schumacher 3rd January 1969
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Happy Birthday to your 44th anniversary

These are the days that the Teams will test there new car for the 2013 season !!!
These will be held in Spain

5 feb 2013: Circuito Permanente de Jerez
6 feb 2013: Circuito Permanente de Jerez
7 feb 2013: Circuito Permanente de Jerez
8 feb 2013: Circuito Permanente de Jerez

19 feb 2013: Circuit de Catalunya
20 feb 2013: Circuit de Catalunya
21 feb 2013: Circuit de Catalunya
22 feb 2013: Circuit de Catalunya

28 feb 2013: Circuit de Catalunya
1 mrt 2013: Circuit de Catalunya
2 mrt 2013: Circuit de Catalunya
3 mrt 2013: Circuit de Catalunya


Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

26/12/1958 adrian newey red bull engineer
[Verstecktes Bild - Registrierung notwendig]

Chrstmas at Ferrari



Christmas at Caterham



Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

25/12/1943 wilson fittipaldi former brasilian f1 driver
[Verstecktes Bild - Registrierung notwendig]

Onofre Augustin Marimón
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Born : 23rd December 1923 - Died : 31st July 1954

Lorenzo Bandini
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Born : 21st December 1935 - Died : 10th May 1967

Norbert Haug leaves Mercedes-Benz job

Norbert Haug is to leave Mercedes-Benz at the end of 2012 after 22 years as the company’s head of motorsport.

The company said that “his contract will come to an end by mutual agreement with the Board of Management. Preparations for the forthcoming season continue as planned.”

The news comes a few months after Niki Lauda was made chairman of the board of the AMG Mercedes F1 team, a move that appeared to weaken Haug’s position.

Former magazine editor Haug joined Mercedes in October 1990, when the company was competing in the World Sportscar Championship with Sauber and Michael Schumacher.

Dr Dieter Zetsche, Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars and CEO of Daimler AG, said: “Norbert Haug was the face of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for more than 20 years. For me, he put his stamp on a whole era and, as a highlight, he was responsible for the successful comeback of the Silver Arrows to Formula One. In the name of the Board of Management and the whole motorsport family, I would like to thank Norbert for his extraordinary commitment to the three-pointed star.”

Haug added: “I would like to thank the best car company in the world for more than 22 years, which never had a single moment without passion for me. I particularly wish to thank the Board for the trust and freedom they have always given me with all my activities.

“Since 1991, we had tremendous achievements and wins, for which I want to thank all of my colleagues. Unfortunately, with one victory in 2012 since founding our own Formula One works team in 2010, we couldn’t fulfil our own expectations. However, we have taken the right steps to be successful in the future. Our team and our drivers will do everything to achieve these goals.”

Brian McGuire
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Born : 13th December 1945 - Died - 29th August 1977

André Milhoux 9th December 1928
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Happy Birthday to your 84th anniversary

Robert Kubica 7th December 1984
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Happy Birthday to your 28th anniversary

Roberto Mières
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Born : 3rd December 1924 - Died : 26th January 2012