Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

News from at the Jerez Circuit , Spain :

Ferrari catches fire as de la Rosa debuts
Ferrari's new car caught fire just two laps into Pedro de la Rosa's Friday testing programme at Jerez. The Spaniard, who is correlating the F138 with its simulator version, ground to a halt in a ploom of smoke between Turns 7 and 8.
"Difficult start of the day for De La Rosa: F138 stopped on track after the second installation lap," Ferrari, which completed the opening three days of pre-season testing at Jerez with Felipe Massa, explained via Twitter after the technical gremlin hit. Following the incident, which occurred at 10.10am local time (GMT +1), de la Rosa's car was covered and returned to the pit lane. The Ferrari mechanics quickly unloaded it, putting up barriers outside the garage before working to diagnose the cause of the fire. The Italian outfit has not yet confirmed if de la Rosa will be back out on-track later today. If the problem cannot be rectified in time, the second gathering at the Circuit de Catalunya from 19-22 February will be the team's next chance to complete mileage .

Red Bull will not run two design teams
Red Bull will not be splitting its design teams for the 2013 and 2014 Formula 1 campaigns, Team Principal Christian Horner has confirmed. With the V8 engine era ending in favour of turbocharged V6 units, the pressure is on to end development for the current season at a suitable time to ensure competitiveness next year.
Unlike Ferrari, which has partitioned its efforts in a bid to optimise the transition phase in the sport's regulations, Horner says his team will be 'juggling both developments' because it does not hold the resources required to mirror its rivals. "No, we don’t have that big amount of resource," Horner told the official Formula 1 website when asked if two design teams are an option for the outfit. "It is a matter of balancing your resource between 2013 and the challenge of 2014 - which is a significantly different car with a big regulation change. That is one of the major challenges of this season - to juggle both developments." Reflecting on the opening three days of pre-season testing at Jerez, Horner reports that 'an encouraging start' has been made with the evolutionary RB9 chassis. "The feeling of the car is pretty much the same as its predecessor - just more refined," he explained. "But overall it was an encouraging start of the life of the RB9."
Vettel is completing the final day of the Jerez pre-season gathering for Red Bull.

Brawn - 'Hamilton is part of the solution'
Ross Brawn has described new recruit Lewis Hamilton as a key ‘part of the solution’ to Mercedes’s performance deficit, explaining that the former World Champion has started the process of driving the team forward at this week's Jerez pre-season test. Although his opening day programme was scuppered by a brake failure, Hamilton enjoyed a large amount of running at the wheel of the new F1 W04 on Friday, with Brawn adamant that his arrival has had an extremely positive on the outfit.
"I think we’ve made it very clear to Lewis that he’s part of the solution," Brawn told reporters at Jerez. "You have a choice in a team; are you the problem, or are you the solution? He’s part of the solution to get us where we want to be. I think he knows that and understands that, and I think he’s relishing it.
"It’s correct that he gives us reference points and helps us understand what we have to focus on. I think some of it we already knew, and that’s why we restructured the aerodynamic group. I welcome that approach. It needs to be positive and it needs to be constructive. Criticism of the right sort is always helpful to drive a team forward."
Brawn added that there have been ‘lots of encouraging signs’ displayed by Mercedes over the winter break, particularly in terms of efficiency at the team's Brackley factory.
"The step we have to make from the end of last year to the beginning of this year is pretty substantial, and it’s a moving target as well," he said. "From what I’ve seen it’s very encouraging. It’s the first car (Engineering Director) Aldo (Costa) has designed, and the aero group seems to be working well. So, lots of encouraging signs. "We know what we have got to do, and Lewis has really helped to confirm it. That will be something that we will strive to do, but it won’t be overnight."
Hamilton completed 145 laps in the cockpit of the F1 W04 at Jerez on Friday, just three shy of the impressive total new team-mate Nico Rosberg managed 24 hours

Kimi Raikkonen calm about Lotus gains
Kimi Raikkonen says there are no guarantees that Lotus will do better than last year in 2013, despite the Finn feeling the new E21 is a step forward. Raikkonen returned to Formula 1 last year after a two-year absence, and was one of the stars of the season, taking one win and finishing in third place in the standings.
The Lotus driver got behind the wheel of the new car for the first time on Thursday and he felt the car was stronger than last year's machine. The former world champion admitted, however, that it was no guarantee of a stronger season. "We try to do better and hopefully we manage to do it. Everybody is aiming to do better they did the previous years," said Raikkonen.
"Even if you win the championship you try and improve things and I cannot promise that we will manage to do that, but hopefully that is our aim and hopefully we can do that."
Raikkonen did concede he feels more comfortable at Lotus now that he is starting his second season with the team. "It is more easy because I know the team, and I know the people, and they know me. But it doesn't mean we will suddenly be better and do better," he said. "There are an awful lot of things that can work in your favour or go against you. "In theory it should be more easy. But I don't count on it that we are suddenly going to start to turn it around and start to be something different to how we finished last year.
"Time will tell. It is definitely more easy to come here and be here than it was a year ago because I know the team."


Ferrari denies Alonso absent in Jerez because of injury
Ferrari on Friday denied rumours Fernando Alonso is nursing an injury. Most suspect that the Spaniard is sitting out the Jerez test this week so that the new F138 car can be 'shaken down' by Felipe Massa and Pedro de la Rosa ahead of Alonso's debut on the much more representative Barcelona track.
But one or two whispers in the Jerez paddock this week suggested Alonso may have injured a rib whilst karting last month. However, as the double world champion is currently running and cycling in Dubai and happily posting photos to Twitter to prove it, a Ferrari spokesperson said on Friday: "It's obvious how hard Fernando is training at the moment. This rumour (about the injury) is utter nonsense and totally untrue," Ferrari added.

Hamilton not impressed by Red Bull pace
Lewis Hamilton said he was not concerned by the pace shown by Red Bull so far on the final day of testing.
Sebastian Vettel set a time of 1’18.565 on hard tyres in the first half of the final day of testing but Hamilton wasn’t concerned by the show of pace from the RB9: “18.5, yeah, I don’t know how the hards behave but over the last couple of days people seem to get a decent time out of the hards. Yeah, I mean the Red Bull’s always quick so it’s not a surprise, it doesn’t impress me at all.” He said Mercedes were unsure where they stood compared to the rest of the field at the moment: “I’ve asked the guys to try and predict it but they don’t know. We don’t know what fuel loads people are on so it would be just a guess.”
Hamilton completed 59 laps on the morning of his second day in the Mercedes. He lost most of his first day of running on Wednesday after a brake failure caused a high-speed crash.
“It’s much, much better than what we started with,” he said. “The car’s obviously been capable of that we’ve just had a couple of issues.” “I feel like the mileage, of course it will count,” he added. “Because by the time we get to the end someone’s done 5,000 kilometres or whatever it is and we would have done four or something like that. “But we’re catching up. Nico did 150 laps yesterday so he already caught kind of a day back up with people doing 80 laps, something like that. “We’re probably not going to be able to get to 150 laps today because Nico had already done close to 100 by now. But we’ll still try and get as much time in as possible.”
Hamilton spoke to media at Jerez while the final day of testing was red-flagged when a hole appeared in one of the kerbs. Hamilton said the delay, which lasted almost an hour, didn’t affect him:
“It works out well because i just had lunch,” he said. “The guys are working on changing some things on the car so we just shifted our lunch earlier. “I didn’t even see what was on I heard it was a manhole or something on the track. It wasn’t an issue for me while I was out there but as long as they fix it and we get out hopefully quite soon.” He said Mercedes are “at the level we hoped we’re at” with the W04. “I couldn’t really ask for more.”
“The guys have done a great job to add downforce to the car and understand where they’ve been and take the car in the direction they really wanted to go.” However he added he needed more running to give them team the direction they need: “I wouldn’t say I was clear, no. With time and more testing I think I’ll become more clear.”

Rossiter: Test shows value of simulator work
Force India simulator driver James Rossiter says his tests for the team this week show the value of using a simulator for car development. Rossiter, who was previously a test driver for BAR, said his run in the VJM06 on Wednesday and Thursday at Jerez was “massively useful”.
The test driver was struck by how much has changed since he last drove a real, rather than virtual, F1 car:
“Obviously the tyres are very different and I had to get used to the systems, working with DRS and KERS. Obviously I’ve been doing that in the simulator so that was relatively easy.
“Trying to understand the tyres has been the biggest thing we’ve been trying to do and just get me up to speed in a current Formula One car.” “For me it was more about running on a sensible amount of fuel with new tyres and then running with an awful lot of fuel just so I can feel that difference,” he added. “I never got to experience super-high fuel levels they have at the start of a race.”
“Now I’ve got to experience that and see what that’s like, that’s certainly pretty interesting, it’s very different from what I remember about Formula One.
“So there wasn’t too much focus on performance, there was no need to push hard, make any mistakes or anything like that. It was all about me getting up to speed and just learning as much as I can to take back and correlate with the simulator.” Pedro de la Rosa is running for Ferrari on the final day of the test, which Rossiter takes as further indication that simulator work is becoming more valuable for teams:
“I think it shows the importance the fact that Pedro’s driving at Ferrari as well, that I’ve been driving, it really is starting to highlight that you can get performance with the simulator and we hope to exploit that as much as possible. Whether that means I get to run later in the year we’ll have to wait and see.”
Force India is the only team left to confirm its driver line-up for 2013. Rossiter acknowledged that uncertainty had given him the chance to return to the cockpit:
“We discussed it even at the end of last year, if an opportunity would arise, and everyone sort of agreed it would be a good idea. I’ve been very fortunate in the situation that without the second driver being confirmed there was an opportunity for me to drive. I’m very appreciative of the team for the chance and it was nice to get back in there.” The test hit a snag when Rossiter knocked over one of the team’s mechanics, who fortunately only suffered minor injuries. “I hold my hands up that was totally my fault,” said Rossiter.
“I came in, we were doing some aero runs and everything was cold, brakes too cold, tyres too cold. And I came in too fast and thank God Marcus is OK and he’s just got a few bruises. I’m sure I’ll be buying him many beers and he won’t be forgetting it soon.”
“There’s no reset button in real life unlike the simulator – there’s no mechanics stood in front of the car in the simulator either. So it was quite unfortunate but luckily he’s OK.”

Pic: Engine and KERS biggest changes from Marussia
Charles Pic says the change of engine and the addition of KERS marks the biggest difference from the Marussia he drove last year and the Caterham he is driving now.
“I think the biggest difference is coming from the engine side and KERS,” he told reporters in Jerez.
“Last year we didn’t have KERS, it’s quite different, you have to learn how to use it and where you decide to take back the energy to decide it. Yeah it’s a new part but it’s quite fun.” “It’s coming step by step. I’m sure there is still a lot of work to do on it.” Pic added that managing the effect of KERS on braking was a particular challenge: “For sure it is different because it’s giving you more locking because when you recharge it it’s like extra rear braking. “I think you have to learn how to use it and where you recover the energy so where you have this extra rear braking depending the circuit and where you want it to not disturb your balance.”
Pic said he wasn’t drawing any conclusions on the basis of his first day’s running:
“The first day I was very happy because I didn’t drive since Brazil so I was looking forward [to] this day.
“It was a good day, we lost some running time unfortunately but I think it’s like that. We made the best we could and the mechanics work very fast. “Now it’s too early to say anything, I don’t know what is the performance of the car compared to others. I think what is important is follow the programme you have, get the answers from the test and prepare a lot.” Pic starts his second year of F1 alongside rookie team mate Giedo van der Garde, but said he doesn’t feel under pressure as a de facto team leader:
“So first time I’m not alone there is a lot of engineers at the tracks,” he said. “For me it’s changing nothing I just give my best, give the best feedback I can to help them the maximum and that’s it.”

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

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? if 2big ;some1 delete it

Short News :

Massa quickest on third day at Jerez
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa set the pace on the penultimate pre-season test day at Jerez, producing a time of 1:17.879 on the Soft Pirelli tyre. The Brazilian led Mercedes rival Nico Rosberg - who completed a mammoth total of 148 laps - by 0.887 seconds, while reigning Champion Sebastian Vettel marked his return in third.
Much chillier conditions greeted the Formula 1 fraternity at the gates of the Jerez circuit on Thursday morning, with the air and track temperatures taking a significant amount of time to reach a meagre 10°C (10°F). Massa was the early pace-setter as the session got underway, being usurped only breifly by the F1 W04 of Rosberg. The latter recovered his team's lost ground with a series of long-distance stints, completing more than two and a half Grand Prix distances in his new car.
Vettel had a quiet first day at the Spanish venue, much like Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber's introduction to the RB9 chassis earlier in the week. The German completed two long and consistent high fuel runs at the end of the day to end on a total of 102 laps. He wound up just ahead of fourth place man Kimi Räikkönen, who ran through aero runs early on before a clutch issue curtailed his running in the afternoon.
Aside from the former title winners, there were a number of returning names at Jerez on Thursday. Toro Rosso's Jean-Éric Vergne was one of them, finishing the day fifth fastest after signalling a brief red flag period when his STR8 stopped at the end of the pit lane. However, the biggest drama of the day came when Force India development driver James Rossiter (sixth) collided with the team's front jackman upon returning to the pits. Luckily, nobody was injured as a result of the accident.
Jenson Button (seventh) was back in the cockpit for McLaren this morning, taking over from Sergio Pérez. Massa had described the McLaren driver's time as 'incredible' on the opening day, but the tables were turned this afternoon. Esteban Gutiérrez (eighth) made his first appearance of the week for Sauber, racking up 110 laps with a focus on brake materials and cooling methods. He was trailed by Marussia's Max Chilton, who bounced back from his Tuesday crash to finish within 3.5 seconds of Massa.
Valtteri Bottas, Charles Pic and Paul di Resta brought up the rear of the field, the final two drivers both suffering issues. Pic stopped at Turn 2 with a technical gremlin just before the lunch break, while di Resta was unable to complete more than 7 laps after taking over from Rossiter - the Scot's car being sidelined with an exhaust problem.
Testing day 3 :
1. Felipe Massa Ferrari F138 1:17.879 / 85 laps
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP W04 1:18.766 / + 0.887 / 148 laps
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing RB9 1:19.052 / + 1.173 / 102 laps
4. Kimi Räikkönen Lotus E21 1:19.200 / + 1.321 / 40 laps
5. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso STR8 1:19.247 / + 1.368 / 85 laps
6. James Rossiter Force India VJM06 1:19.303 / + 1.424 / 42 laps
7. Jenson Button McLaren MP4-28 1:19.603 / + 1.724 / 83 laps
8. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber C32 1:19.995 / + 2.116 / 110 laps
9. Max Chilton Marussia F1 Team MR02 1:21.454 / + 3.575 / 78 laps
10. Valtteri Bottas Williams FW34 1:21.575 / + 3.696 / 86 laps
11. Charles Pic Caterham CT03 1:22.353 / + 4.474 / 57 laps
12. Paul di Resta Force India VJM06 1:23.729 / + 5.850 / 7 laps

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

News from at the Jerze Circuit :

Ecclestone calls meeting with teams
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is meeting with Team Principals on Thursday in a bid to finalise the sport's future. The 82-year-old, who has already discussed key areas such as a new Concorde deal and the V6 engine era with Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes heads, will talk to the remaining teams in London.
In addition to the Concorde Agreement - which officially binds teams to the sport - and the new turbocharged V6 engine units which are set for introduction next season, debated subjects such as the use of customer cars and entry fees will be looked at. Talking about the situation at this week's opening test in Jerez, McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh says the teams 'need to have' a new Concorde deal in place, but is unsure as to how the negotiations are going to progress as the first race approaches.
"We're good a creating crises in our sport and we're good at not sorting them out," Whitmarsh told reporters. "We need to have somebody come out and say 'peace in our time', wave a bit of paper and say 'here's a new Concorde Agreement'. We need to have that, but I'm not sure everyone is motivated to do it."
Ecclestone stated this week that the upcoming campaign will feature 19 races, with the 7 July slot remaining unfilled. The German Grand Prix, which went through a phase of uncertainty amid financial problems, has been confirmed at the Nürburgring .

Rosberg delighted with mileage total
Nico Rosberg declared himself 'very happy' after getting Mercedes's testing programme back on track at Jerez on Thursday. the German completing a total of 148 laps. After two troublesome days at the Andalusian circuit, the outfit was able to cover 655 kilometres of trouble-free running; more than two and a half race distances.
"I'm very happy with today and I think it was probably a personal record for me to do almost 150 laps," said Rosberg. "I've never been so well prepared physically as I am this season; I feel on top form and it was no problem to complete the programme.
"To drive the distance from Silverstone to Spa in one day with no problems whatsoever is a fantastic achievement from the team. It really made up for the last two days and put a smile on everybody's face."
Rosberg said he felt comfortable in the car en route to the second fastest time on Thursday, but says the team still has 'plenty of work to do' before the opening race.
"In terms of driving the car, I have a good feeling, I can push it and feel comfortable - but obviously we still have plenty of work to do to continue improving," he concluded.
Lewis Hamilton will get back behind the wheel of the F1 W04 chassis tomorrow morning, with the Briton completing the fourth and final test day for Mercedes.

Vettel - 'We've made another step forward'
Sebastian Vettel says Red Bull has made 'another step forward' with its new RB9 chassis. The reigning World Champion, who took over from team-mate Mark Webber at the Circuito de Jerez on Thursday, enjoyed a smooth introduction to his 2013 challenger, posting the third quickest time on his way to an overall lap total of 102. "So far, I think we can be pretty happy," said Vettel. "Mark had a good couple of days to start with and I took over today. It was great to get back in the car, to get rid of the rust and to get back in the groove again.
"It's an evolution and I think we've done another step forward, but that's all we can say at the moment," said Vettel. "The first feeling is good and the car is working well. It’s difficult to judge the speed, but reliability looks pretty good. For today we accomplished what we set out to achieve – which was to put a lot of laps on the car.
Despite his positive first impressions, Vettel was cautious about making any predictions for the season ahead, reiterating that tests never show the full picture.
"It’s very difficult to judge anything else," he added. "It could be that there is a favourite after these three tests, but it could turn out to be completely different in Australia because it’s a different track with different characteristics. I expect the Championship to be at least as tight as last year, as the regulations haven’t changed so much."
Vettel will bring the first pre-season test of the year to a close for Red Bull on Friday.

Jerez struggling without Alonso
Jerez is struggling without Spanish hero Fernando Alonso. The 2012 runner-up and Ferrari driver elected to sit out the opening test of the pre-season in favour of cycling training in a hot country -- possibly the Canary Islands. His absence has led to mostly "empty grandstands" as the rest of the Formula One world tests at Jerez in southern Spain, Brazil's Globo reports.
"We have 25 to 30 per cent more journalists this year," Jerez's media boss Raul Zarzuela said.
"Everyone wants to see the new cars -- it's almost like a Grand Prix," he added.
But "The absence of Alonso has hurt the interest here (in Spain)," Zarzuela admitted. "We (Spain) are in (economic) crisis, of course, but it only costs 10 euros for the whole day."

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Christian Klien 7th February 1983
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Time: 07.02.2013, 14:30)


1. F. Massa Ferrari F138 1:17,879
2. N. Rosberg Mercedes F1 W04 1:19,004
3. J. Rossiter Force India VJM06 1:19,303
4. K. Raikkonen Lotus E21 1:19,539
5. J. Button McLaren MP4-28 1:19,603
6. S. Vettel Red Bull RB9 1:19,676
7. J. E. Vergne Toro Rosso STR8 1:19,707
8. E. Gutierrez Sauber C32 1:19,995
9. V. Bottas Williams FW34 1:21,578
10. M. Chilton Marussia MR02 1:23,938
11. C. Pic Caterham CT03 1:25,365

Short News

Testing day 2 ,Grosjean fastest, Hamilton crashes at Jerez
Lotus driver Romain Grosjean topped the timesheets on the second day of testing at Jerez, clocking a 1:18.218 to overtake Jenson Button as the overall pace-setter for the week. Paul di Resta wound up three quarters of a second adrift in second place, while Lewis Hamilton ended his day in the barriers after just 15 laps.
Similar conditions to those experienced 24 hours ago greeted the drivers this morning, with a cold start soon passing amid clear blue skies. One of the biggest stories of the day came before the on-track action started, with 2012 GP2 runner-up Luiz Razia being announced as Max Chilton's team-mate at the Marussia F1 Team.
Soon after the news broke, it was time for the test to continue. Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo caused a brief red flag period early on, before the field set about their first full runs of the day. However, there was drama for Hamilton at the two-hour mark when his F1 W04 lost rear brake pressure and sent him straight into the barriers at Turn 6. The accident, which damaged the car's front wing and suspension arms, left Mercedes with no choice but to end early for the second consecutive day.
Following Hamilton's return to the pit lane, Grosjean set about delivering his promise of an 'even better' E21 performance. He wasted little time in moving to the top of the timing screens, a position he would hold and improve upon throughout the day. His personal best effort, putting him comfortably clear of nearest rivals di Resta and Ricciardo, was 0.643 seconds quicker than Button managed on Tuesday afternoon.
Webber kept a low profile in the new RB9, racking up a total of 101 laps before his team-mate Sebastian Vettel steps into the car tomorrow morning. The Red Bull man finished just ahead of Sauber driver Nico Hülkenberg and the sidelined Hamilton, while McLaren's Sergio Pérez got accustomed to his new surroundings with a series of medium-length stints in the MP4-28 chassis.
Felipe Massa, who set the eighth quickest time of the day, spent his afternoon testing a number of exhaust systems on the F138. Fellow South American Pastor Maldonado completed tyre and component evaluations in the 2012 Williams, while James Rossiter made a late appearance to begin Force India's simulator correlation. Rookies Giedo van der Garde and Luiz Razia brought up the rear, the latter stopping along the pit-straight in the middle of the day and losing a large amount of track time .

1. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - E21 1:18.218 laps 95
2. Paul di Resta : Force India - VJM06 1:19.003 + 0.785 laps 95
3. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - STR8 1:19.134 + 0.916 laps 83
4. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - RB9 1:19.338 + 1.120 laps 101
5. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - C32 1:19.502 + 1.284 laps 99
6. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes - GP W04 1:19.519 + 1.301 laps 15
7. Sergio Perez : McLaren - MP4-28 1:19.572 + 1.354 laps 81
8. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - F138 1:19.914 + 1.696 laps 78
9. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - FW34 1:20.693 + 2.475 laps 71
10. James Rossiter : Force India - VJM06 1:21.273 + 3.055 laps 19
11. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - CT03 1:21.311 + 3.093 laps 88
12. Luiz Razia : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 1:23.537 + 5.319 laps 31

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

News from at the Jerez Circuit , Spain

Razia confirmed as second Marussia driver
Luiz Razia has been confirmed as the second member of Marussia's driver line-up for 2013, with the Brazilian stepping up to secure the vacancy left by DTM-bound Timo Glock. The 23-year-old, who graduates from the GP2 Series, first enjoyed a reserve spell with the team when it was known as Virgin Racing back in 2010.
Luiz Razia: Multiple GP2 race winnerHaving finished runner-up in the GP2 category last year, Razia was one of the candidates for the initially spare seat alongside Glock. His chances appeared to be over once Max Chilton had signed, but the driver reshuffle has paved the way for his promotion.
"The past two seasons in GP2 have been all about proving that I have what it takes and that I’m ready," explained Razia, who picked up a total of four victories and a further five podium finishes in the feeder series last year. "This coming season will be all about rewarding the faith the Team have shown in me. I am looking forward to beginning that process in Jerez where we are testing the MR02 for the first time.
"I am also looking forward to the first race in Melbourne and I’m excited to be racing alongside Max, who I competed ‘against’ last season. This is an important year for the Marussia F1 Team in terms of maintaining the momentum from a very positive 2012 season. I look forward to making a valuable contribution to that."
Marussia Team Principal John Booth believes that although his team will be running an all-rookie pairing this season, both men have an 'incredibly ambitious' attitude.
"He is a very quick and tenacious driver who battled hard to the runner-up spot last year," Booth said of his latest signing. "Together with Max, we are fielding a young but incredibly ambitious pairing and we look forward to seeing what they can achieve."
Razia will get his first taste of Marussia's new MR02 chassis on Wednesday morning, with the team managing to recover from the rear-right suspension failure suffered by Chilton on the first day of testing.
Razia has tested for Virgin Racing (Marussia), Team Lotus (Caterham), Toro Rosso and Force India during dedicated Formula 1 test days over the past three seasons.

Hamilton crashes on first day at Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton crashed during his first official day of testing for Mercedes at Jerez, with the 2008 World Champion losing rear brake pressure at the wheel of the new F1 W04 on the approach to the Dry Sack corner. It is currently unclear whether or not the Briton will be able to make it back out on-track in the afternoon session.
"Lewis suffered a loss of rear brake pressure, the front brakes enabled him to slow the car but he couldn't avoid the barrier," the team explained after the accident.
Moments before the crash occurred, Hamilton had posted his personal best time of the day, which stands as a 1:19.519. Locking up after the long back straight due to his now confirmed brake issue, the former McLaren driver slid uncontrollably through the gravel and hit the trackside barriers head-on. He stepped out of his car unharmed, but there was notable damage to the front wing and suspension setup of the F1 W04.
Hamilton's off-track moment follows on from team-mate Nico Rosberg's Tuesday gremlins, when a panel at the rear of the team's new car set alight. This was later put down to a wiring loom issue, which restricted the team's Day 1 running to just 11 laps .

Pirelli has done a great job, says Button
Jenson Button has praised Pirelli for doing 'a great job' with its new tyre compounds, explaining that the company's target of increasing temperature operating windows has beeen accomplished. The McLaren driver, who topped the opening day of pre-season testing at Jerez, says optimal lap times are now much easier to achieve.
"It will be tricky again in terms of laps and degradation, but Pirelli has done a great job getting a wider range for the tyres," Button told the official Formula 1 website after driving the MP4-28 for the first time. "One thing that I have noticed - you are able to go fast immediately, even on lap one. That is something that we couldn’t do last year." Button also mentioned the high level of degradation he experienced on Tuesday, with Pirelli vowing to remove the possibility of one-stop races throughout the 2013 season.
"When I ran the Super Soft doing some basic installations I was graining the tyres after one lap, so yes, this compound deserves the name Super Soft!" he added. "We also ran the Medium and Hard tyres and it’s a different feeling compared to last year." Button, who has brought his motorhome to the Circuit de Jerez for the duration of the test, will be back behind the wheel of McLaren's latest design on Wednesday.

Mercedes to sit out rest of second day
Mercedes has been forced to finish early for the second day in a row at Jerez, with the team needing to carry out repairs to its F1 W04 after Lewis Hamilton's crash. The Briton, who was completing his first offcial laps for the team, suffered a loss of rear brake pressure before the Dry Sack bend and slid into the barriers.
After inspecting the F1 W04, which was returned to the pit lane on a flat-bed truck, Mercedes mechanics confirmed damage to front-left aerodynamic elements and suspension arms. Although this could be fixed in time for the afternoon session, a more serious hydraulic issue was also picked up and has ruled out further running.
Hamilton had completed a total of 15 laps at the wheel before his accident, which occurred shortly before 11am local time (GMT +1). Following on from new team-mate Nico Rosberg's troubled 14-lap debut with the F1 W04 on the first day of the Jerez gathering, the grand testing total for Mercedes currently stands at just 29 laps.

'My feeling is very positive' – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton was left encouraged by the pace of the new Mercedes F1 W04 at Jerez on Wednesday, despite being restricted to just 15 laps behind the wheel. The Briton, who described his initial feeling in the car as 'very positive', ended his day in the barriers after a rear brake failure on the run down to the Turn 6 hairpin.
"We had a good start but then unfortunately we had a failure which brought our day to an early end," explained Hamilton, who finished sixth on the timing screens. "These things happen and it's all part of testing. Of course, it's better that we get these small issues out of the way sooner rather than later, and the guys are working really hard to overcome them.
"From the few short laps that I completed this morning, my general feeling was very positive. I got a good understanding of where the base of the car is and, whilst we need to do work in certain areas, it was good to have some laps to get a feel for what those areas are. I've told the guys that we just need to keep pushing and I know we all will be doing that."
Hamilton, who clocked a best time of 1:19.519, will hand the car back to team-mate Nico Rosberg on Thursday, before returning to the cockpit for the final day of the test.

Successful second day for Hülkenberg
Nico Hülkenberg enjoyed more trouble-free running in Sauber's new C32 chassis on Wednesday, racking up a total of 438 kilometres (272 miles) at the Jerez circuit. The German, who finished fifth on the timesheets with his best effort of 1:19.502, spent the majority of the day focusing on comparisons with Pirelli's tyre compounds.
"For the second day in a row it was pretty successful," Hülkenberg commented. "We went through a lot of items and did a comparison of the compounds - Soft, Medium and Hard - which was quite interesting. "Otherwise I continued my familiarisation with the car and I did some long runs. Like yesterday, it was a positive day."
Hülkenberg will now make way for Mexican team-mate Esteban Gutiérrez, who is set to complete the remaining two days of the opening pre-season test for Sauber.

Car changes delay Ferrari's progress
Felipe Massa spent more time than he had initially anticipated confined to his garage on Wednesday, with the Ferrari driver being given the task of working through a range of aerodynamic and exhaust configurations on the new F138 chassis at Jerez. Having to wait for significant changes to be made on numerous occasions, Massa was unable to complete a flying lap until the afternoon session. However, according to the Brazilian, the final few hours of track action yielded three 'very important' runs.
"We concentrated 100 percent on the aerodynamic side and on the exhausts," Massa said of his day. "In the morning, I didn’t even do a flying lap because we used the time available to do constant speed runs and to analyse various aerodynamic solutions.
"All the changes to the car took longer than planned, but in the afternoon, I managed to do three long runs which were very important in order to understand which direction we need to follow in the coming days."
Massa finished his day at the wheel eighth fastest, completing a total of 78 laps. He will get behind the wheel of the F138 for the third time this week on Thursday, before Ferrari's new development driver, Pedro de la Rosa, takes over for the final day.

Grosjean upbeat after Jerez performance
Romain Grosjean has been filled with optimism after completing two successful days of pre-season testing for Lotus at the Circuito de Jerez, with the Frenchman handing over to team-mate Kimi Räikkönen as the 2013 pace-setter at the Andalusian circuit. Despite admitting to a small amount of uncertainty over the new Pirelli tyres, Grosjean says he instantly felt comfortable in the E21 chassis; guiding it to a time of 1:18.218 on Wednesday afternoon, 0.643 seconds faster than Jenson Button's previous best.
"It was good today; the programme went to plan and we showed good reliability," explained Grosjean, who racked up 149 laps at Jerez. "For me, the whole test has gone well which bodes well for the year ahead. My feeling in the car is good and it was great to be at the top of the times. Even if it doesn't mean anything during testing, it's still good to be at the front.
"We used the Soft, Medium and Hard compounds and whilst we're not 100 percent yet on the differences between each we have a good idea. Kimi will be working on this area so we'll have a better understanding when we head to Barcelona (for the second pre-season test). It's not easy to understand everything about the car and tyres yet, but I think we're working quite well and it's up to us to find the best solutions."
Räikkönen will conduct the final two days of testing for Lotus at Jerez this week, where he is set to work with new Chief Race Engineer Ciaron Pilbeam for the first time.

Red Bull 'in a better position' than 2012
Red Bull's Mark Webber believes his team is in a better position than it was at this stage last year, describing two 'very good' days behind the wheel of the RB9 at the Circuito de Jerez. The Australian will make way for team-mate Sebastian Vettel on Thursday and is confident that the German driver will inherit a well prepared car.
"I think in terms of consistency it’s great," explained 36-year-old Webber, who ended up fourth quickest at the end of Wednesday's track action. "I’m very happy with the car and myself. I might have bombed a few laps here and there, but I’ve done 170 or more, which is a good total for the first two days with a new car. Overall, it’s been very good. The car gives me the confidence to push pretty hard and that’s always an indication that you have something you can build on.
"We’ve learned a lot more since yesterday and I’m sure that will continue tomorrow with Sebastian. I think we’ve put the car in a good position for him. If you ask me where I think we are compared to this time last year, I’d say we’re in a better position, but of course a lot of that is down to a lack of regulation changes."
Webber completed the first two days of testing at Jerez with new race engineer Simon Rennie, the man who served the same role for Kimi Räikkönen at Lotus in 2012.

Williams hoping to make up for lost time
Williams is looking to claw back lost mileage at Jerez later this week, with its 2012 car suffering a clutch problem on Wednesday. Opting to launch its new design at the second pre-season test in Barcelona, the Grove-based outfit has been focusing on tyre and aerodynamic evaluations with Pastor Maldonado over the past two days.
"We had a clutch installation problem this morning which was a bit disappointing considering it was the same as we ran last season," explained Technical Director Mike Coughlan. "We quickly remedied this but it lost us time during our aero evaluations. We will look to recover this time over the next two days.
"This afternoon the focus was back on tyre work; we also made some set-up changes which has given us a good direction for the new car. The new technical team is working well and we will now prepare to change drivers with Valtteri (Bottas) taking over for the final two days, something he is very much looking forward to."
Williams will launch its new car, entitled the FW35, at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday 19 February, shortly before the second pre-season test gets underway.

Pérez instantly feels MP4-28's potential
Sergio Pérez says he felt ‘good potential’ from McLaren’s new MP4-28 as soon as he left the pit lane at Jerez on Wednesday, with the Mexican getting his 2013 testing programme underway at the Spanish circuit. The 23-year-old notched up 81 laps on his way to seventh on the timesheets, 1.5 seconds off Romain Grosjean’s lead pace.
"The feedback is good straight away," he said. "When I drove out of the garage and did the first laps I knew that this car has good potential. We don't know how competitive we are, but the car feels quite good.
"We've got a lot of work to do during the next five days (of testing) that we have. We have to keep our heads down as I think we are going in the right direction. Today we managed to do a good programme and hopefully we can do the same over the next five days for the start of the season."
Pérez went on to explain that it is almost impossible to compare the MP4-28 with Sauber’s 2012 car due to the new Pirelli tyres and the unique nature of the Jerez circuit, but admitted that McLaren is in good shape mechanically and aerodynamically.
"It's difficult for me to compare the cars right now because we have different tyres and Jerez is a very different type of circuit," he added. "But I think the mechanical grip is good and also the aero is very complete, so I'm happy with the car I've got."
Pérez will hand the MP4-28 chassis back to new team-mate Jenson Button on Thursday, before stepping into the cockpit again for the final day of the Jerez gathering.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

jerez de la frontera
testday 2 results
1. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m18.218s 95
2. Paul di Resta Force India 1m19.003s + 0.785s 95
3. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m19.134s + 0.916s 83
4. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m19.338s + 1.120s 101
5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1m19.502s + 1.284s 99
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m19.519s + 1.301s 15
7. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m19.572s + 1.354s 81
8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.914s + 1.696s 78
9. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m20.693s + 2.475s 71
10. James Rossiter Force India 1m21.273s + 3.055s 19
11. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m21.311s + 3.093s 88
12. Luiz Razia Marussia 1m23.537s + 5.319s 31

Short News Circuit de Jerez ,Spain:

Testing day 1: Button on top, false start for Mercedes
The first testing day of was a mixed day for Jenson Button. With a big delay after a stop in the morning, after just three laps, Button could spend some laps is his new car in the late afternoon. The Briton has set the fastest lap time of the day, followed by Webber and Grosjean.

1. Jenson Button : McLaren - MP4-28 : 1:18.861 laps 37
2. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - RB9 : 1:19.709 + 0.848 laps 73
3. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - E21 : 1:19.796 + 0.935 laps 54
4. Paul di Resta : Force India - VJM06 : 1:20.343 + 1.482 laps 89
5. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - STR8 : 1:20.401 + 1.540 laps 70
6. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - F138 : 1:20.536 + 1.675 laps 64
7. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - C32 : 1:20.699 + 1.838 laps 79
8. Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP - W04 : 1:20.846 + 1.985 laps 14
9. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - FW34 : 1:20.864 + 2.003 aps 84
10. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - CT03 : 1:21.915 + 3.054 laps 64
11. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 : 1:24.176 + 5.315 laps 29


Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

News :

New Marussia MR02 Formula 1 car unveiled at Jerez :
Marussia unveiled its latest Formula 1 car, the MR02, on the Jerez pits straight on the morning of the first winter test of the season.The car is the first true product of the team's revamped technical structure, following its mid-2011 decision to split with Wirth Research and the all-CFD philosophy and to take design in-house using more traditional windtunnel techniques.
Former Benetton/Renault technical chief Pat Symonds also came on board as a consultant.
Those changes, plus the 2012 progress that took Marussia to the brink of beating Caterham to 10th place in the constructors' championship, meant plenty of optimism at the team going into the new campaign.
But on the eve of the first tests the team had to release lead driver Timo Glock for financial reasons. GP2 graduate Max Chilton is the only driver signed so far, with fellow rookie Luiz Razia heading the queue for the currently vacant second seat.
No deal has yet been done, though, and the team remains non-committal about who will drive at the test after Chilton's initial two-day stint.
Here's link to watch some fotos of the new Marussia F1 car
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Caterham CT03 Formula 1 car presented at Jerez
Caterham joined arch-rival Marussia in launching its 2013 Formula 1 car in the Jerez pitlane in the hour before winter testing began on Tuesday morning. The Renault-powered CT03 is an evolution of last year's car.
In its early years, Caterham began most seasons promising steady progress towards the midfield and eventual points. But 2013 looks more like a campaign of consolidation for the Leafield-based team.
Last season it only just fended Marussia off for the lucrative 10th position in the constructors' championship standings. And having begun F1 life with a pair of grand prix winners in its cockpits in the shape of Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli, financial realities have now forced Caterham towards less experienced drivers with financial backing. Kovalainen followed Trulli out of the door at the end of 2012, and Caterham lines up for '13 with Marussia convert Charles Pic and promoted test driver Giedo van der Garde.
Here's a link to watch some fotos of the new Caterham F1 car :
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Toro Rosso eyes Renault engines for '14
Toro Rosso is hoping to split from current engine suppliers Ferrari for the 2014 Formula 1 campaign, with the squad eyeing up Renault units to move in line with Red Bull's drivetrain setup and 'use the synergies' of a potential deal to its advantage.

Ahead of a major overhaul to the sport's technical regulations, which includes the introduction of turbocharged V6 engines, Team Principal Franz Tost says his team is close to a deal with the manufacturer, but insists that nothing has been signed. "It is our target to have the same engine as Red Bull, to use the synergies that are possible from the regulations" Tost explained at Jerez on Tuesday. "We are in negotiations with Renault and then we will see. No contract has been signed so far." While explaining that an agreement does not need to be signed immediately, Tost went on to stress the importance of knowing future partners well in advance.
"Next year's drive train package is very complicated, not so much from the engine side but much more from the turbo because of the heat, for the ERS, and the gearbox," Tost added of the upcoming rule changes. "This complete package has to become one unit and you need to know as early as possible who your partners are (going to be)."
Alongside Red Bull, the Lotus, Williams and Caterham teams use Renault engines.

Mercedes ends opening test day early
Mercedes has been forced to cut short its planned programme for the opening day of testing at Jerez, with the team's F1 W04 chassis suffering an electrical problem. The issue presented itself in the morning session, when Nico Rosberg stopped on-track soon after a section of bodywork at the rear of his new car caught fire.
In order to ensure that a faulty wiring loom is fixed in time for Lewis Hamilton's first full-speed laps in the car tomorrow, the outfit will sit out the rest of Tuesday's running.
"After identifying the cause of the problem, we will not be running again today whilst parts are modified ready for tomorrow," the team said of the problem, which occured at around 10am local time (GMT +1). "The part which requires modification is the wiring loom where the electrical fault originated this morning."
As the afternoon session enters its final two hours, Rosberg sits fifth on the timing screens with a slender total of 11 laps to his name. The German driver is due to alternate with new team-mate Hamilton for the remaining three days of the test.

Rosberg upbeat despite electrical issue
Nico Rosberg refused to be downbeat after Mercedes suffered an electrical issue at Jerez on Tuesday, with the German having to end his day prematurely. The 27-year-old says he 'had a good feeling' during his 11 laps at the wheel, before a faulty wiring loom caused a small fire at the rear-end bodywork of the new F1 W04 chassis.
"At the start of winter testing, you often encounter small issues because the car you're running is a brand new design," Rosberg said of the situation. "We had an electrical problem this morning and, once we had found the root cause, chose to modify the parts to make sure it didn't happen again.
"Of course, at this time of year all you want to do is spend time in the car and get a feeling for how it's working, but these hiccups are just part of the game. During the laps I completed this morning, I had a good feeling with the car and it felt solid."
Rosberg's team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, will drive the Mercedes F1 W04 tomorrow, having completed his first tentative laps in the car during a filming session on Monday.

'2013 calendar to remain at 19 races' !!!
The 2013 Formula 1 calendar will remain at 19 races, with Bernie Ecclestone stating that it is ‘too late’ to organise a replacement for the postponed New Jersey event.
Despite Turkey, France and Portugal expressing an interest in the 21 July slot that governing body the FIA added at the end of last year, a deal has not come to fruition.
"The calendar has been formed already, it's too late," Ecclestone told The National. "(I’m) disappointed that it didn't happen before; we can't suddenly slot it in."
This year's German Grand Prix, which also went through a phase of uncertainty amid severe financial issues, was finally confirmed at the Nürburgring last week.

Di Resta 'very comfortable' on first day
Paul di Resta says he felt 'very comfortable' at the wheel of the VJM06 on Tuesday, with the Scot getting his first opportunity to test Force India's new car at Jerez. After a trouble-free day in the cockpit, the former DTM Champion ended up fourth quickest.
"A positive first day and we managed to cover lots of laps," said di Resta, who completed 89 tours of the Jerez circuit. "I felt very comfortable all day and we got through the programme as we focused on collecting aero data and understanding how well the car correlates with our simulation tools at the factory.
"We also started trying to learn as much about the tyres as possible so that we can carry that into tomorrow and optimise the set-up. The new compounds are quite different with the new construction and I’ve already felt a difference with the balance of the car in the low and high speed parts of the lap."
Di Resta will be back in action at Jerez on Wednesday morning, before development driver James Rossiter takes over for the afternoon session. The pair will alternate again on Thursday, before Jules Bianchi drives the car on the final day of the test .

'E21 quick from the first lap' - Grosjean :
Romain Grosjean says he instantly felt at home in the Lotus E21 chassis on Tuesday, explaining that the car 'feels very similar' to its race-winning predecessor. The Frenchman, who kicked off his team's 2013 testing programme at Jerez, topped the timesheets for most of the day before Mark Webber and Jenson Button moved ahead. "The feeling is good from the E21; it feels very similar to the E20, even if it does look different from the outside," said Grosjean. "Once again Enstone has produced a car that is quick from the very first lap.
"We spent a little bit more time than ideal in the garage, but that's normal in testing. I'm happy we completed 54 laps, and even happier that all of them were quick. We now have a good idea of the new tyres and we'll have some challenges from them; the grip level is there but performance does fall away with graining."
Grosjean also stated that he he did not respond to the late front running times posted by Webber and Button, tipping the E21 to perform 'even better' on Wednesday.
"The speed came easy today and we didn't respond to the other cars going faster in the afternoon," Grosjean began to sum up. "We should go even better tomorrow."

Chilton refuses to dwell on car failure
Max Chilton has described the new Marussia MR02 as 'a very promising package' after testing it for the first time at Jerez, refusing to dwell on the suspension failure that cut his opening day short. The 21-year-old completed 29 laps before the technical issue forced him into a spin at Dry Sack, ultimately ending the day in 11th place.
"This afternoon’s problem aside, I’m really happy with the start we have made to our 2013 campaign," said Chilton, whose team is running KERS for the first time at Jerez. "With a new car there is always the potential for something to crop up and cut short the programme, but for the morning everything went according to plan, which is just the start we needed.
"I’m sure the team will get on top of the suspension issue very quickly so we can all pick up where we left off and start putting some more miles on what is obviously a very promising package."
Chilton's team-mate for the 2013 campaign has not yet been announced by Marussia, but former GP2 rival Luiz Razia has been widely tipped to fill the vacant seat .

Webber: No big surprises for Red Bull
Mark Webber says there were 'no big surprises' for Red Bull during the first day of pre-season testing at Jerez, after working through a varied, 73-lap programe in the Andalusian region on Tuesday. Having briefly led proceedings, the Australian finished the day in second place, 0.848 seconds behind pace-setter Jenson Button.
"It was pretty good," Webber said after driving the RB9. "There haven’t been big changes to the regulations this year and the car is an evolution of the one we finished with last season, so there were no big surprises. I think most of the drivers will sit back and think today’s times were pretty competitive.
"It was actually like a Friday practice session in some regards. We started understanding the tyres and there were a lot of positives. There’s a bit of housekeeping we have to get on top of but, other than that, it’s been encouraging."
Webber went on to back up Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey's previous claim that the new Pirelli tyres pose the biggest change for the 2013 season, with the 36-year-old explaining that 'you're always on your toes' with the modified rubber. "The car feels similar to last year’s, so the main difference is the tyres," said Webber, who is set for his 12th term in Formula 1. "With these tyres you’re always on your toes. It was good that we had consistent temperatures; we got a lot of information and feedback to analyse, which is all good. Generally though, the car feels pretty good, so I’m happy."
Webber will be back in the cockpit of the RB9 on Wednesday, before handing over to team-mate and triple World Champion Sebastian Vettel for the remainder of the test .

Button 'surprised' by pace-setting time
Jenson Button says he was surprised with the pace-setting time he delivered during the first day of pre-season testing at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain, the McLaren driver ending up almost a full second ahead of nearest rival Mark Webber.
After an early fuel pump issue hindered his programme, Button bounced back to clock a personal best lap of 1:18.861 in the afternoon session and move 0.848 seconds clear of the field, but he also insists that 'it doesn't mean anything' at this stage.
"I don’t know how I did that time," 33-year-old Button admitted. "I was surprised when I saw the dash, but it doesn't mean anything. Some people run less fuel than others. Who knows? For a first day it felt good.
"Who knows whether it's a championship-winning car, but the important thing is that it has a nice feeling. Lap times mean nothing right now, not even at the last test. At the first race, that's when you need to show how quick you are. The car really does relate to the simulator, that’s something that is good."
Button will make way for team-mate Sergio Pérez at Jerez on Wednesday, before returning to cockpit of the MP4-28 on the third day of the opening pre-season test .

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Alain de Changy
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Born : 5th February 1922 - Died : 5th August 1994

Info :

Jerez pre-season testing: The line-up :
With most of the 2013 car launches out of the way, the focus is quickly shifting to the lights at the end of the Circuito de Jerez pit lane. The Andalucía venue will host the first of three pre-season tests this year, before the paddock heads north to Barcelona.

Jerez's timetable is as follows:

Tuesday: 9am - 5pm
Wednesday: 9am - 5pm
Thursday: 9am - 5pm
Friday: 9am - 5pm

Note: All times shown are local (GMT +1)

The Jerez testing line-up is as follows:

Red Bull Racing

Tuesday: Mark Webber
Wednesday: Mark Webber
Thursday: Sebastian Vettel
Friday: Sebastian Vettel

Scuderia Ferrari

Tuesday: Felipe Massa
Wednesday: Felipe Massa
Thursday: Felipe Massa
Friday: Pedro de la Rosa

McLaren

Tuesday: Jenson Button
Wednesday: Sergio Pérez
Thursday: Jenson Button
Friday: Sergio Pérez

Lotus F1 Team

Tuesday: Romain Grosjean
Wednesday: Romain Grosjean
Thursday: Kimi Räikkönen
Friday: Kimi Räikkönen

Mercedes AMG F1 Team

Tuesday: Nico Rosberg
Wednesday: Lewis Hamilton
Thursday: Nico Rosberg
Friday: Lewis Hamilton

Sauber F1 Team

Tuesday: Nico Hülkenberg
Wednesday: Nico Hülkenberg
Thursday: Esteban Gutiérrez
Friday: Esteban Gutiérrez

Force India F1 Team

Tuesday: Paul di Resta
Wednesday morning: Paul di Resta
Wednesday afternoon: James Rossiter
Thursday morning: James Rossiter
Thursday afternoon: Paul di Resta
Friday: Jules Bianchi

Williams F1 Team (2012 car)
Tuesday: Pastor Maldonado
Wednesday: Pastor Maldonado
Thursday: Valtteri Bottas
Friday: Valtteri Bottas

Scuderia Toro Rosso

Tuesday: Daniel Ricciardo
Wednesday: Daniel Ricciardo
Thursday: Jean-Éric Vergne
Friday: Jean-Éric Vergne

Caterham F1 Team

Tuesday: Giedo van der Garde
Wednesday: Giedo van der Garde
Thursday: Charles Pic
Friday: Charles Pic

Marussia F1 Team

Tuesday: Max Chilton
Wednesday: Max Chilton
Thursday: TBC *
Friday: TBC *

* To Be Confirmed

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Short News :

Mercedes officially presents F1 W04 at Jerez
Mercedes has officially presented its 2013 challenger, the F1 W04, at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain. The team, which will field Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton this year, formally launched the car after a morning of on-track filming.
Although the F1 W04 chassis, which features a less radical stepped nose than the F1 W03, is aesthetically similar to its predecessor, Team Principal Ross Brawn says the design is a 'clear step forward' in terms of overall detail and sophistication. "2013 marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team," said Brawn. "The restructuring we undertook at the team over the past 18 months are now growing in maturity and this is reflected in the F1 W04, which is a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication over its predecessor.
"Many thousands of hours of work have been invested by our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth to ensure that the new car delivers a step change in performance compared to last season."
Rosberg got his first taste of the F1 W04 this morning, while Hamilton will drive the car this afternoon during what is one of the team's dedicated 2013 filming days.

Here's a link to watch some fotos of the new Mercedes F1 car
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Mercedes joins forces with Blackberry :
Mercedes has signed a new partnership with leading mobile device manufacturer Blackberry. The agreement, which has been announced ahead of the official F1 W04 car launch, sees the company's logo appear on the cars of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, plus on the racewear clothing of the Brackley-based team's staff members. Nico Rosberg behind the wheel of the new Mercedes F1 W04 chassis at Jerez"On the day that our new Silver Arrow, the F1 W04, is launched, we are very pleased to announce our partnership with BlackBerry," Mercedes Team Principal Ross Brawn explained on Monday morning.
"We are looking forward to embracing the new BlackBerry 10 platform at both a technical and operational level, as well as collaborating with the team at BlackBerry to bring new mobile innovation to Mercedes AMG Petronas. It is especially pleasing to launch this exciting partnership today as our latest Silver Arrow takes to the track with BlackBerry branding."

Toro Rosso launches STR8 at Jerez:
Toro Rosso drivers Jean-Éric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo pulled the covers off the STR8 at Jerez on Monday afternoon. The Italian outfit's latest car, the design of which has been overseen by James Key, no longer features a stepped nose.
Presented to the gathered media in the Jerez pit lane at 5.30pm local time (GMT +1), the STR8 chassis has retained the heavily undercut sidepods that were featured on both the STR7 and STR6 designs, while a McLaren-style exhaust has been adopted.
Vergne and Ricciardo are preparing to enter a second season as team-mates in 2013, with the latter being assigned the first two days of testing at Jerez this week. It has also been confirmed that the pair will run with numbers 18 and 19 respectively.
Marussia and Caterham will launch their 2013 challengers tomorrow morning, shortly before the opening pre-season test of the year begins. Williams is the only team to bring its 2012 car to the gathering, with the FW35 set to be presented on 19 February

Here's a link that you can watch some fotos of the new Torro Rosso :
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Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Giorgio Pantano 4th February 1979
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]
Happy Birthday to your 34th anniversary