Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

17 min. to go and the top 5 is at the moment
1: Vettel , 2 : Massa ,3: Alonso ,4: Hamilton , 5 : Webber

37 minutes to go in this session ....10 drivers have set a time so far !

The weather is sunny in Australia

as usual...they do a installation run ....and stay in the box afterwards ....we are allready 25 min. away in this session and nothing to see on the track so far

Little info :
For those who are interrested ...tonight at 02.30u CET will be the 1st practice session ....you can watch it " live " at

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The schedule for tonight is :
01.00u - Australian Grand Prix F1 Drivers Press Conference Repeat
01.45u - Gear Up For Australia
02.30u - 04.00u :1st practice session
06.30u - 08.00u : 2nd practice session
10.30u - SkySports F1 : The F1 show

and for those who are not able to watch it " live " :
14.30u - 1st practice session replay
16.50u - 2nd practice replay
21.00u - SkySports F1 : The F1 show replay
22.00u - 1st practice session replay
00.20u - 2nd practice session replay

I will post this night the results as soon as they are released ...sooooooo it's going to be a fantastic night of Formula 1 for me ( ofcourse i have taken a vacation day on friday to watch the opening season )

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

the Melbourne Grand Prix takes place on a street circuit but a bit unusual, because the average speed in qualifying is more than 220 km, and there are some run-off area large enough. Traction and braking are important here. Two t DRS zones, during practice qualifying and race. Tyre: Supersoft and Medium.
Here only a podium for Ferrari(3° place)in the last five years

Winner (last 5 editions)
2008 L Hamilton – McLaren Mercedes
2009 J Button – Brawn Mercedes
2010 J Button – McLaren Mercedes
2011 S Vettel – Red Bull Renault
2012 J Button–; McLaren Mercedes

Pole position: (last 5 editions)
2008 L Hamilton – McLaren Mercedes
2009 J Button – Brawn Mercedes
2010 S Vettel – Red Bull Renault pole time 1m 23.919 – first free practice 1m 26.927 (gap: 3.008)
2011 S Vettel – Red Bull Renault pole time 1m 23.529 – first free practice 1m 26.831 (gap: 3.302)
2012 L Hamilton – McLaren Mercedes pole time 1m 24.922 first free practice 1m 27.560 (gap: 2.638)
the gap is the improvement between the first free practice session on Friday morning and pole position in the same year. So after the practice session on Friday morning it will be possible to have a first idea on the pole time.
much more interesting would be the comparison between the third free practice and the pole position
2010 (gap 0.800) 2011 (gap: 0.978) 2012(gap: 0,759)
Of course, the comparison is only possible in dry conditions.

good championship to pilots and teams
and good luck to everyone for the game here.
Best regards.

Last years pole position Lewis Hamilton 1:24.922 min.

last year melbourne results
1 3 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes --
2 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault +2.1 secs
3 4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes +4.0 secs
4 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault +4.5 secs
5 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari +21.5 secs
6 14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari +36.7 secs
7 9 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault +38.0 secs
8 15 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari +39.4 secs
9 16 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari +39.5 secs
10 11 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes +39.7 secs
11 17 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari +39.8 secs
12 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes +57.6 secs
13 18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault Accident
14 24 Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth +1 Lap
15 25 Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth +5 Laps
16 19 Bruno Senna Williams-Renault +6 Laps
Ret 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari +12 Laps
Ret 20 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault +20 Laps
Ret 21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault +24 Laps
Ret 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes +48 Laps
Ret 10 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault Accident
Ret 12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes +58 Laps

Short Info :

The Teams for this season together with there drivers starting number

Inifniti Red Bull
1. Sebastian Vettel (DEU)
2. Mark Webber (AUS)

Scuderia Ferrari
3. Fernando Alonso (ESP)
4. Felipe Massa (BRA)

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
5. Jenson Button (GBR)
6. Sergio Perez (MEX)

Lotus F1 Team
7. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
8. Romain Grosjean (FRA)

Mercedes Petronas AMG F1 Team
9. Nico Rosberg (DEU)
10. Lewis Hamilton (GBR)

Sauber F1 Team
11. Nico Hulkenberg (DEU)
12. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX)

Sahara Force India F1 Team
14. Paul di Resta (GBR)
15. Adrian Sutil (DEU)

Williams F1 Team
16. Pastor Maldonado (VEN)
17. Valtteri Bottas (FIN)

Scuderia Toro Rosso
18. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA)
19. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)

Caterham F1 Team
20. Charles Pic (FRA)
21. Giedo van der Garde (NDL)

Marussia F1 Team
22. Jules Bianchi (FRA)
23. Max Chilton (GBR)

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

brudgon wrote:hey shaky i'm looking forward yours new 2013 f1 games

The F1 games are having there final touch...i'm putting the last efforts in it so that they can be published on wednesday or thursday !!!
It's not that easy to try to make everyone happy / satisfied...but i'm trying to make the best of it for this season
The points system have given me some headache lately ,specialy today when it's the last time for a final touch & check-up

Kind Regards
Shaky

some remarks after the preseason tests and before the first race on 17 March
F1 cars are faster than last year; maybe it was recovered the gap created at the end of the 2011 season. For example: pole position at Bercellona GP 2012: Hamilton 1m21.707(but canceled due to a mistake of his team). Preseason tests 2013: best lap time Rosberg 1m20.130. The improvement was more than 1.5 seconds

Red Bull: Vettel and Webber have hidden the real potential of RB9 - E 'unthinkable that the two Red Bull drivers(Vettel 1.22.5 and Webber 1.22.6) are only 0.6 seconds faster than Caterham (Charles Pic - 1.23.1) and Marussia (Jules Bianchi - 1.23.1). But in last week in Barcelona, there were some difficulties. small details or something more?

Mc Laren: more or less the same thing even if Button closed the tests in fifth position. Perhaps with the new pull rod suspension, engineers and mechanics are faced with different problems, but the first GP is at Melbourne(Albert Park); usually a favorable track for Mc Laren. (3 wins in the last five years), and Button(first in 2009-2010 and 2012)

Ferrari: for sure better than 2012. The new F138 seems fast on a single lap and consistent in the long run, but Ferrari was behind in the final races of 2012. I hope they have recovered at least a large part of the gap; it would be very important to start from a good position on the grid.

Mercedes: Rosberg and Hamilton have been fast in Barcelona. Very well over a single lap, but also a good long-run pace. Maybe the new W04 will be close to the front row for qualifying in Melbourne. However will be important to understand if they have solved the big problem of the last year: tire wear and their right use, during the race.

During the preseason tests, a big issue for all the teams has been the high degradation with Pirelli’s new tyres. At Melbourne, probably we will see a lot of pit stop, also because it will brought the supersoft compound (red stripe) together with the medium (white stripe). Perhaps a bit risky choice. Last year had been brought soft tyres(yellow) and medium (white). One last note: two DRS zones for every circuit except for Monaco and Suzuka in 2013. More drs during the race and less drs during practice and qualifying.

Short Info :

Race 1 : Albert Park Melbourne - Australia
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Track info characteristic :
Course : Albert Park Melbourne
output : medium
Route length : 5.303 km
full throttle : 63 percent
Race distance : 58 laps = 307.574 km
Tire wear : medium
Lap record: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) 1:24,125 minutes
brake wear : high
fuel consumption : medium

Friday 15/03 :
1st Free Practice: 02:30 - 04:00 u
2nd Free Practice : 06:30 - 08:00 u
Saturday 16/03 :
3rd Free Practice :04:00 - 05:00 u
Qualifying: 07:00 u
Sunday 17/03 :
Race:07:00 u

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Short News :

Renault 'frustrated' by lack of recognition for F1 success :
Renault has admitted it is "frustrated" its world-beating efforts in formula one are going largely unnoticed. For the past three seasons, despite having pulled out of F1 as a constructor, the French engine supplier has been a crucial part of Red Bull's title successes. But operating chief Carlos Tavares admitted: "We are frustrated by the lack of recognition we get for beating the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes. It is true that I think we deserve better," he is quoted by autocar.co.uk. "It is clear that we must create a bigger buzz around what we do."
In 2013, Red Bull's title sponsor is Infiniti, the luxury arm of the Renault-linked carmaker Nissan. Renault also supplies engines to Lotus, Williams and Caterham.

Nico Hulkenberg plays down ongoing Ferrari rumours :
Nico Hulkenberg has played down continuing suggestions he has merely 'parked' at Sauber for a year, before possibly switching to Ferrari in 2014. Told that the rumours are still abounding in the paddock, the German driver said: "It doesn't concern me at all. I don't talk about the contents of my contracts and, anyway, I haven't even done a single race for Sauber yet," said the 25-year-old, who has moved from Force India to Ferrari-aligned Sauber for 2013. He continued: "Of course I hear the speculation, and it's even a form of recognition, but the whole thing leaves me completely untouched," Hulkenberg is quoted by the SID news agency. "I am concentrating completely on the coming season and, first of all, Melbourne." Told, however, that a driver of his rising stature and potential must be targeting a future seat at Ferrari, he answered: "But it doesn't mean I will go."

Hill - 'A bit ridiculous' to question Vettel greatness :
It is "ridiculous" that so many in formula one question the true ability of reigning triple world champion Sebastian Vettel. That is the view of Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion turned television pundit for British broadcaster Sky. "I find it a bit ridiculous," 52-year-old Hill, when asked about the widespread view that Vettel is not yet an all-time great, is quoted by Speed Week. "I mean, in his first 100 grands prix, he won 26 -- more than one in four. What else does he need to do? "Maybe some of it is because of his age. But if we already know what records he has broken, then one must inevitably ask the question -- what will his record be in ten years? Of course Vettel has an optimal environment with Red Bull, and with Adrian Newey probably the best designer in the business. "But the titles in 2010 and 2012 were definitely not a walk in the park. I can imagine him having the momentum for the world championship for another three or four years. I see no reason why Sebastian is not the favourite for the title in 2013 and beyond," added Hill.

Frank Williams' wife loses battle against cancer :
Sir Frank Williams' wife 'Ginny' died late on Thursday, the British formula one team announced on Friday.
Lady Virginia Williams, who had been battling cancer for the past two years, was 66.

FIA confirms 2013 calendar cut to 19 races :
With one week to go to the start of the new Formula One season the FIA has finally confirmed this year’s schedule. The 2013 F1 calendar will have 19 rounds instead of the 20 previously announced in September.
Plans for an additional race in Europe on July 21st have been scrapped after a host could not be found.
The sport’s governing body added that discussions over the new Concorde Agreement are still ongoing and will be “concluded in the near future”. A settlement on the commercial agreement which governs F1 was originally due to be reached last October.
Here is the final calendar for 2013:
1: Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park : March 15 – 17
2: Malaysian Grand Prix - Sepang International Circuit : March 22 – 24
3: Chinese Grand Prix - Shanghai International Circuit : April 12 – 14
4: Bahrain Grand Prix : Bahrain International Circuit : April 19 – 21
5: Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit de Catalunya : May 10 – 12
6: Monaco Grand Prix - Monte-Carlo : May 23 – 26
7: Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve : June 7 – 9
8: British Grand Prix - Silverstone : June 28 – 30
9: German Grand Prix - Nurburgring : July 5 – 7
10: Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring : July 26 – 28
11: Belgian Grand Prix - Spa-Francorchamps : August 23 – 25
12: Italian Grand Prix - Monza : September 6 – 8
13: Singapore Grand Prix - Singapore : September 20 – 22
14: Korean Grand Prix - Korean International Circuit : October 4 – 6
15: Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka : October 11 – 13
16: Indian Grand Prix - Buddh International Circuit : October 25 – 27
17: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina : November 1 – 3
18: United States Grand Prix - Circuit of the Americas : November 15 – 17
19: Brazilian Grand Prix - Interlagos : November 22 – 24

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Pastor Maldonado 9th March 1985
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Happy Birthday to your 28th anniversary

hey shaky i'm looking forward yours new 2013 f1 games

News Round Up part 3 :

F1 'heavyweights' call for Melbourne night race :
Leading formula one figures have called on organisers of the Australian grand prix to consider switching to a Singapore-style night race format. Keen to install a better television time for the bulk European audience, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has been pushing the idea for years, but the state government has always ruled it out. In fact, the Albert Park event is already highly controversial within Victoria, with opponents baulking at the cost to taxpayers and even the government refusing to commit to a new contract beyond the existing 2015 deal. Ecclestone said recently: "We hope we're going to be in Melbourne forever, although we do get a bit of criticism and I don't know why." Suddenly, a trio of what the local Herald Sun newspaper described as F1 'heavyweights' are proposing a flootlit night-race format for the grand prix. 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton said he backs the idea to see Melbourne alternate normal daylight races with a floodlit race once every three years. "I'd like to see things vary because every year is the same," he said. Agreed Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo: "It sounds like a good compromise." And Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was also quoted as saying: "A night race in Melbourne, when you consider where the viewing figures are, could be interesting."

Renault pushing for new engine maps to be allowed :
Helmut Marko has played down suggestions a clampdown on Renault's intended engine mapping solution for 2013 has hurt the performance of the new Red Bull. "Rubbish!" the team's outspoken Austrian told Sport Bild.

It emerged recently that, following the engine mapping clampdown of 2012, engine supplier Renault and works team Red Bull assumed they could revert to different engine maps for the new season. The story, culminating in the FIA banning Renault's 2013 maps, coincided with an apparent struggle with the RB9 last week in Barcelona, when Sebastian Vettel admitted he was having trouble setting the car up.
Marko denies it has anything to do with engine maps. "With the old settings, the car worked beautifully last year," he said. "The topic has been exaggerated (in the media)."
Renault's Remi Taffin agrees. "Because the exhaust systems have improved (since 2012), we also tried some new engine settings. This is quite normal for testing. Actually, the changes barely made a difference," he insisted. Marko said the setup problems with the RB9 encountered recently are not a big deal. "It is not nearly as serious as (early) last year," he insisted. "(It's) no great cause for concern."
Nevertheless, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that Renault is now pushing for its intended 2013 engine maps to be allowed, on the grounds of reliability. This would require the agreement of the FIA, and also the unlikely cooperation of engine rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and Cosworth.

Williams - Deal with PDVSA is watertight and will continue :
Williams on Wednesday played down fears the death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez could hurt the British team. Through 2012 Barcelona winner Pastor Maldonado, Oxfordshire based Williams is heavily sponsored by PDVSA, the state-controlled Venezuelan oil company.
The deal has always been closely associated with Chavez, the controversial Venezuelan president who was personally involved in the promotion of Maldonado's career. Chavez, 58, died of cancer on Tuesday, and despite winning a sixth presidential term only recently, it is possible his United Socialist party will lose power when new elections are held next month.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport estimates Williams' annual deal with PDVSA at around EUR 30 million. But "Williams fans need not worry," correspondent Tobias Gruner wrote on Wednesday. He quoted a Williams source as saying: "The (PDVSA) contract is watertight and will continue even after the death of Chavez."

Todt likely to remain FIA president beyond 2013 :
Jean Todt looks set to remain FIA president for a second term. The former Ferrari chief (135 votes) beat ex world rally champion Ari Vatanen (49 votes) to the post in late 2009. 67-year-old Frenchman Todt's first term ends late this year, and he is eligible to run for another four years.
Reports by the French-language AFP and La Presse claim Todt has secured the ongoing backing of the motoring federations in North, South and Central America. "When the people in North, South and Central America say with one voice that you must be present, it is clear that making the decision to continue will be easier," Todt is quoted as saying. "It will weigh heavily in my thinking. There is still some way to go, but if you have a team pushing you to continue, it is obvious that it makes you want to continue," he added.

Sergio Perez admits to feel added pressure at McLaren :
Sergio Perez has felt the added pressure of stepping up the F1 grid for 2013. Formerly the surprise podium-getter in a Sauber, the 23-year-old has now been signed up by McLaren, to replace the ultra high-profile Lewis Hamilton. "Of course the pressure is higher now," the Mexican is quoted by Speed Week, as he represented his new employer at the Geneva motor show. "But I have no problems with it. Anyone who can't handle pressure should not sign for McLaren," added Perez.According to most pundits, Perez has had a mixed first winter with the famous British team, complaining about "extreme" tyre degradation and a difficulty adjusting to the new MP4-28. "Of course I would have liked to collect more information before going to Australia," he admitted.
"Some days it was cold and really difficult to learn about the car," said Perez. "But I don't know anyone in the pitlane who had carefree winter testing. So it's the same for everyone, not a disadvantage for us."

Mercedes' Lauda to continue as German TV pundit :
Despite becoming Mercedes' major shareholder and chairman, triple world champion Niki Lauda will remain an expert commentator in 2013. RTL, the German free-to-air broadcaster, has announced that the famous cap-wearing 64-year-old Austrian has signed on for another season and beyond.
RTL's sports boss Manfred Loppe said he is confident the dual role as a television pundit and leading Mercedes figure will not alter Lauda's typically outspoken nature. "I have no doubt Niki Lauda will continue to think and talk as he always has," Loppe is quoted by SID news agency. Lauda's new RTL contract is through 2015.

Lotus welcomes CNBC as new official partner :
Lotus F1 Team welcomes CNBC, the world’s leading business and financial news network, as its Official Business Media Partner in a move which cements the team’s position as the number one Formula 1 team for business. CNBC takes business news to a global audience of 390 million homes around the world. Throughout the 2013 Formula 1 season, this new agreement will allow Lotus F1 Team's partners to benefit from CNBC's unmatched reach of affluent and influential business leaders with commercial advertising campaigns airing on its international network. This new relationship builds on the team’s recent partnerships with brands such as Microsoft, Unilever and The Coca-Cola Company. The partnership will see CNBC branding on the nose of the team's 2013 car, as well as on driver and pit crew overalls, team uniform, branding around the paddock and on marketing materials. Eric Boullier, Team Principal, Lotus F1 Team: "CNBC is a fantastic partner which highlights the growing importance of Lotus F1 Team as a vehicle for the business world. We are working with household brands such as Microsoft, Unilever and The Coca-Cola Company; brands whose actions are watched closely in the business world. Our partnership with CNBC brings us greater exposure in this environment and allows our business-to-business platform to flourish." Charlotte Westgate, VP Marketing & Communications, CNBC: "CNBC's partnership with Lotus F1 Team is extremely exciting. It's an innovative marketing solution which provides branding and commercial opportunities for both parties. The Formula 1 audience is complementary to our own influential and affluent viewer base around the world. We look forward to working with Lotus F1 Team and wish them success in the 2013 season."

PaucoPlast named as technical partner for Sauber :
PaucoPlast AG, a company specialising in the manufacture of carbon/composite parts, has been a supplier to Sauber since the early days. Indeed, the cooperation between the two parties has continued virtually uninterrupted since 1973. Now the partnership is set to reach new levels, with PaucoPlast named as a Technical Partner of the Sauber F1 Team. The PaucoPlast logo will be displayed on both the car (on the rear section of the sidepods) and the team's equipment.
"We have been working very closely with PaucoPlast for many years now", says Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal of the Sauber F1 Team. "For us, PaucoPlast represents a guarantee of production quality and delivery reliability when it comes to complex carbon-fibre parts such as the floor, brake ducts and body elements. The close geographic proximity of the two companies to one another also assists our partnership. I’m delighted that we’re now stepping up our cooperation another notch."
"The passion and efficiency of the Sauber F1 Team when it comes to a challenge as complex as Formula One excites and inspires us time and again", says PaucoPlast CEO Philipp Schranz. "It is a philosophy that we apply in every one of our projects. That’s why we’ve been keen to explore a more in-depth partnership."

McLaren expects 'incredibly close' season :
McLaren Sporting Director Sam Michael expects the 2013 Formula 1 campaign to be a fiercely competitive affair, having witnessed a number of impressive performances throughout the trio of pre-season tests at Jerez and the Circuit de Catalunya. Although Jenson Button and Sergio Pérez finished fifth and 15th in the combined standings for the final Barcelona test, Michael reiterated that times were not the focus for the Woking-based team and that most rivals will have masked their true potential.
"A large part of winter testing is taken up with methodically working through systems checks and verifying that the correlation between design and track is solid," he said. "That’s more important in modern F1 as track testing opportunities are so limited." With Friday practice in Melbourne the next time the drivers will get the chance to drive, Michael can point to the unspectacular testing results of the Red Bulls as further evidence that gaining data about the Pirelli tyres was more important than outright pace. As ever, this makes it almost impossible for the pecking order to be determined after the pre-season phase, but Michael insists that the mood at McLaren remains positive:
"We’re all really looking forward to the first race in Melbourne in two weeks – from the laptimes we’ve seen the season is going to be incredibly close!"

Vettel - Testing less conclusive than ever :
Sebastian Vettel believes pre-season testing has been 'less conclusive' than ever this year, with the reigning World Champion struggling to uncover any significant clues about the current Formula 1 pecking order after the trio of gatherings in Spain.The Red Bull driver, who has admitted to issues with Pirelli's new tyre compounds, says it is impossible to predict who is main rivals will be at the Australian Grand Prix.
"I would say that we never had a winter that was less conclusive than this one: the tyres last more or less, depending on how much temperature you are able to create," Vettel explained to the official Formula 1 website. "I think it is impossible for all of us to read the pace of the cars and to make out any favourites."
Vettel also discussed the pace-setting times posted by Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg on the final two days of last week's Barcelona test, but alluded to fuel loads making a significant difference.
"We all saw the lap times, but it is a bit unclear at this stage what kind of tyres give what step to you and, regarding the fuel load, I think it sure helps to have a bit less in the car!" Vettel added. "But honestly, we have to look after ourselves. We haven’t been able to tick all the boxes we would have liked to and the last two days weren’t as good as we had expected, but there is a bit of time left until the season starts."
Vettel is scheduled to spend some time in the Red Bull simulator before heading to Melbourne for the opening race of the season .

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi