Australian GP Thread - Will contain Practice/Qualifying/Race spoilers

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

2013 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
15-17 MARCH 2013

Once again Melbourne extends its welcome to Formula One as Albert Park prepares to host the Australian Grand Prix – the opening race of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship. Sixteen weeks after storm-lashed Interlagos and the drama-laden climax of the 2012 season, the teams reassemble for what is widely expected to be an incredibly close year of racing.

Stability in the technical regulations leads to a great deal of carryover from 2012 and, several notable exceptions aside, optimising existing designs has been the primary focus in the development of 2013 cars.

While the machinery has a familiar look, the same cannot be said for the driver line-up. Four of 2012’s field have switched teams in the off-season and five rookies will be making their F1 race debut in this weekend.

Albert Park is not the easiest place to make a good impression. Running on public roads through the park, the temporary circuit has a reputation for being slippery with several large bumps known to destabilise cars under braking. Gravel traps wait for the unwary and the unlucky – but being a street circuit there are also plenty of walls. Added to the limited and hazardous nature of overtaking opportunities at Albert Park, it means the safety car is often busy at the Australian Grand Prix.

Another variable to factor in are the new tyres on offer from Pirelli. Reports from winter testing suggest teams are not yet fully on terms with the revised compounds, raising the possibility of early races this year seeing shorter stints (and thus more frequent pitstops) than was usual in 2012.

As ever, winter testing did not provide any reliable evidence of a pecking order but did greatly add to the stock of speculation. Consensus points to a very tight battle ahead but without any hard evidence, this weekend will provide the first real indication of how the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship will unfold.

CIRCUIT DATA

ALBERT PARK CIRCUIT

Length of lap:
5.303km
Lap record
1:25.125 (Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004)
Start line/finish line offset
0.000km
Total number of race laps
58
Total race distance
307.574km
Pitlane speed limits
60km/h in practice;
100km/h in qualifying and race

CHANGES TO THE CIRCUIT SINCE 2012

► Kerbs on the exit of turns 14 and 16, which had subsided prior to last year’s race, have been repaired.
► Shade cloth will be used again, installed behind the debris fence in the section of track between turns two and three.


► This will be the 29th F1 World Championship running of the Australian Grand Prix. It is the 18th consecutive year of the race being run at Albert Park, 16 of which have opened the Formula One season.
► In 1996, when the race moved to Albert Park, it produced the oddity of Australia hosting back-to-back grands prix, the closing race of 1995 having taken place at Adelaide.
► Albert Park is a temporary circuit with parts of the track used by general road traffic for the majority of the year. As such, it features unusually high grip-evolution (and thus falling laptimes) over the course of the weekend, as the track ‘rubbers-in’.
► In common with Abu Dhabi, the Australian Grand Prix has a local start time of 5pm. Unlike the event at Yas Island, this race finishes in daylight – but the low angle of the sun and the lengthening shadows have been known to make the latter stages of the race difficult for drivers. ► Another perennial problem in tree-lined Albert Park is leaves and twigs being sucked into car radiators.
► Of the current grid, Jenson Button is the standout performer, having won three times in the last four years. It leaves him one victory short of equalling Michael Schumacher’s F1-era record. Schumacher won the race in 2000, ’01, ’02, ’04.
► On 11 occasions from 17 starts, the winning driver at Albert Park has gone on to lift the Drivers’ Championship trophy at the end of the season.
► The race winner has started on pole eight times at Albert Park. The lowest starter to win was Eddie Irvine, who started 11th for Ferrari in 1999.
► Four drivers start this race for new teams, having moved during the off-season. Lewis Hamilton has moved from McLaren to Mercedes; Sergio Pérez from Sauber to McLaren; Nico Hülkenberg from Force India to Sauber and Charles Pic from Marussia to Caterham. Also, Adrian Sutil is beginning his second stint with Force India. ► Five rookies will contest the Australian Grand Prix: Esteban Gutiérrez (Sauber); Valtteri Bottas (Williams); Giedo van der Garde (Caterham); Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi (Marussia).
► Reigning GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi is not among the rookie intake. He instead has signed as a test driver for Lotus in 2013. The only other GP2 champion to not move directly into an F1 race seat was 2008 winner Giorgio Pantano – who raced in F1 before going to GP2.
► Giedo van der Garde ends a barren spell for Dutch representation in Formula One. The Netherlands hasn’t had a driver in the Championship since Christijan Albers raced for Spyker for the first half of the 2007 season.
► The demise of HRT returns F1 to a 22-car grid for the first time since the opening rounds of 2008. During that season the withdrawal of Super Aguri after four rounds reduced it to 20. It expanded to 24 in 2010.

Source: FIA
Weather Forecast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2158177

Currently P:Sunny Q:Wet R:Sunny

[Guest]

Everyone should of expected this really, its just lotus poor qualifying maybe reduced the attention on the team. Grosjeans 20+ lap run in Barcelona test with no degradation told us everything. Red bull failed to do any long runs at all in testing, everyone just guessed they would be good on their tyres because of the previous seasons success and Newey`s reputation.

Still put Alonso as favourite this year, Ferrari have the car from the get-go and lotus qualifying will need to improve because coming through the field is not ideal. Still can`t get my head around Webber's KERS issues or believe in them. I think his times up, I mean if Hamilton was Vettel`s teammate and endured these problems he would be tearing into the team and talking to the media constantly and complaining. Webber just seems to put up with it which just smacks of no belief in his ability to compete and that he's entirely happy to just get paid. Embarrassing.

[GSC]

We can't all be gods among men like Hamilton

[dyrewolfe]

Everyone should of expected this really, its just lotus poor qualifying maybe reduced the attention on the team. Grosjeans 20+ lap run in Barcelona test with no degradation told us everything. Red bull failed to do any long runs at all in testing, everyone just guessed they would be good on their tyres because of the previous seasons success and Newey`s reputation.

Still put Alonso as favourite this year, Ferrari have the car from the get-go and lotus qualifying will need to improve because coming through the field is not ideal. Still can`t get my head around Webber's KERS issues or believe in them. I think his times up, I mean if Hamilton was Vettel`s teammate and endured these problems he would be tearing into the team and talking to the media constantly and complaining. Webber just seems to put up with it which just smacks of no belief in his ability to compete and that he's entirely happy to just get paid. Embarrassing.

I wouldn't call Webber embarrassing.

On the rare occasions when he's not had to play second fiddle to Vettel, through Seb having car issues, poor qualifying etc. he has demonstrated he's a very decent driver. His on-track tussles with Hamilton and other drivers has shown he's also happy to mix it up and race wheel to wheel.

I'd say its simply a case of him knowing when he's well off. He is coming to the end of his career. He knows that as long as Seb is in the team, he will not have a shot at winning the title. The only other teams who could offer him a competitive drive have got younger, very talented drivers in their cars, so his best option is to simply be the good No.2 driver he is.

Nothing embarrassing about it - he's simply making the best of the situation he's in.

That said, his starts have been pretty embarrassing of late. He really needs to do something about those.

[mystiroakey]

"Webber just seems to put up with it"

same with massa, same with all of them. They say and do for a few months and then eventually they accept the no.2 status..

15 mill helps ease the pain i suppose

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