Formula 1 - 2013

[Unclefester]

China Race result : 1st Fernando Alonso, 2nd Kimi Raikkonen, 3rd Lewis Hamilton


... winners podium - Chinese themed trophy

Fernando Alonso won the strategy battle in Shanghai as the Grand Prix was another race of who calculated their sums correctly on Pirelli’s temperamental tyres. The drivers executed various methods for negotiating 56 laps of the circuit.

Mark Webber said of the secret of winning in this era: ‘Tyres, tyres, tyres, tyres…tyres.’

Webber had another day to forget. First he clouted into the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne and was forced back into the pits for a new nose. Then more trouble after his stop with a loose right-rear wheel. Limping back to the pits, the wheel worked its way free and rolled across the track in front of Vettel.

... Vettel avoids Webber's wheel


It has been said that ...

the only luck Webber has is bad luck

[Unclefester]

Talking about tyres and pit-stops ....

... how many people does it take to change 4 wheels ?


Red Bull claim their mechanics have set a new record for the fastest ever four-wheel tyre change in Formula One.

Mark Webber was stationary for just 2.05 seconds when it had all four wheels changed on lap 19 of the Malaysian Grand Prix. The previous pit-stop record was 2.31s, recorded by the McLaren team during the 2012 German Grand Prix.

A spokesperson for Red Bull Racing said ...

There’s always a quicker stop out there, and it’s possible this season we’ll see the magical two-second barrier breached at some point.

Perhaps quicker is not always best though if the tyre is not on properly ???

[Unclefester]

Bahrain Grand Prix - 21 April

Amid ongoing protests in and around the capital city of Manama, the Bahrain Grand Prix is going ahead in the Gulf state.

... Sakhir circuit - an oasis in the desert.

Building a circuit in the middle of the desert brings with it the problem of sand being blown all over the place, including onto the track.
Organisers spray glue on the sand around the circuit in an effort to limit the problem.

Nico Rosberg took pole postion in qualifying.

[LD]

Perhaps quicker is not always best though if the tyre is not on properly ???

was that the race where his wheel came off?

[LD]

Another F1 related tit-bit....

F1 Group's biggest shareholder, CVC Capital Partners recently made an offer for Betfair...$1.4 billion

Betfair's board knocked it back a few days ago

[Unclefester]

was that the race where his wheel came off?

No ... the fastest wheels did manage to stay on

With the push for faster wheel changes, and quick release mechanisms etc. mistakes do seem more inevitable. When refuelling was allowed the wheel changes were not so rushed as the fuel took longer.

[Unclefester]

Bahrain Race result : 1st Sebastian Vettel, 2nd Kimi Raikkonen, 3rd Romain Grosjean

I enjoyed the Bahrain race.

There were plenty of on track battles, including team mates Jenson Button and Sergio Perez ... Button wasn't so impressed
Lotus had a good result with both their drivers on the podium.

Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso celebrated their 200 Grand Prix.

... 200 club

[LD]

Packed your bags for Monaco yet Fester?

[Unclefester]

Packed your bags for Monaco yet Fester?

ssshhh it's supposed to be a secret !

... I told several dealers I would take them if I went. Although I think they only wanted to go to see celebrities etc

[Unclefester]

Spanish Grand Prix - 12 May

After a three week break the racing resumes in Barcelona at the start of the European season.

...The first race was held at Circuit de Catalunya in 1991.


Overtaking can be very difficult. In 1999 there was just one overtaking move in the entire race. Of the 22 races held at the circuit, the winner has started on the front row of the grid 20 times. Pastor Maldonado was last year's surprise winner for Williams, but they have gone backwards since.


Nico Rosberg took pole postion in qualifying, with Lewis Hamilton in second position to make it an all Mercedes front row.

... Nico celebrates pole number 2 of the season