The Official 2013 F1 Thread. Spoilers possible!

[bxr140]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Sadly, the best of the trio didn't make the jump.

Yes, yes. Who will we get our obituaries from now?

[A. T. T-W]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Poppa Bear comes out of hibernation.

Not hibernation Sid, just partaking in "winter sports" between F1 seasons (the banter and repartee that is CS&M).

[g®eg]

not that it is really news, but it is now official

Mclaren says Paddy Lowe will perform a 'different' role with the team in 2013 - and Lowe will NOT travel to Australia

[wxwax]

Thanks. Good article in The Guardian explain the issues at McLaren and Mercedes. Not stable for either team.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Thanks. Good article in The Guardian explain the issues at McLaren and Mercedes. Not stable for either team.

good article.. but Hamilton: "the sport's top box office attraction"?

I'd imagine Alonso & Vettel would have something to say about that.
(speaking, of course, as a non-Hamilton fan... but you guys knew that)

[wannaklr]

Originally Posted by g®eg

good article.. but Hamilton: "the sport's top box office attraction"?

I'd imagine Alonso & Vettel would have something to say about that.
(speaking, of course, as a non-Hamilton fan... but you guys knew that)

The Guardian is a British paper so they are going to shove Hamilton to the fore.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by wannaklr

The Guardian is a British paper so they are going to shove Hamilton to the fore.

the shoved Button somewhere else "oh look.. he comes a bus..."

[wannaklr]

Originally Posted by g®eg

the shoved Button somewhere else "oh look.. he comes a bus..."

Poor Button, never gets any respect.

I really don't get the Lewis love fest.

[g®eg]

I guess this makes it a LOWE BLOW

ANALYSIS: Paddy Lowe's exit a blow to McLaren

Jonathan Noble
February 25, 2013




Technical shakeup at McLaren as Lowe leaves for Mercedes. (LAT photo)



McLaren may have been putting on a brave face on Paddy Lowe's defection to Mercedes on Monday, but there is no hiding from the fact that his departure is a blow.
That is not just a perception from those outside the corridors of the company's Woking HQ, either, because it was Jenson Button who prophetically suggested late last year that a Lowe exit would be a much bigger loss for the team than losing Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking about how upset he was that Hamilton had elected to jump ship, Button said: "I'm not disappointed, because there's always change. I'd be disappointed if Paddy Lowe moved from the team because that's the guy who's going to help me achieve in the future. Whereas with Lewis, drivers come and go and people change, and that's pretty normal in the sport."
Button's comments are no surprise, really. When McLaren elected last year to name Lowe as its first technical director in the post Adrian Newey era, it was based on the instrumental role he had played in driving the squad forward. Here was the man who as head of McLaren's R&D helped push on power steering, brake steer and a ramp-up of the team's simulator facilities.
As engineering director since 2005 and, for the past 12 months as technical director, he helped create cars that were good enough for numerous victories – even though titles remained elusive.
Lowe's future will now be focused on delivering those trophies for Mercedes instead, and most likely longer term as Ross Brawn's eventual successor when the current team boss elects to call time on his F1 career.
At McLaren, Tim Goss (RIGHT) is a more than worthy successor to Lowe. And although he may not have the high profile of other senior technical figures in the sport, his contribution to McLaren's recent successes should not be downplayed. Yet Goss and his engineering crew will know that they are without one on their biggest assets when they head into play in Melbourne, at a time when the team has already lost a star player from its driver lineup.
Red Bull, Ferrari and Lotus must all be rubbing their hands at the prospect of their toughest rival experiencing a lack of continuity on both the driving and technical front. Lowe's benefits to Mercedes will not be felt for nearly a year yet, but the impact of his decision to leave is going to be felt much sooner than that.



This article originally appeared in Autosport.com

[wxwax]

Makes you wonder why Lowe left. One assumes it was for money. Which means Mercedes is throwing money around. Which means the board will demand success. And if success isn't immediate? Will they do a BMW, a Ford, a Renault, a Toyota?

[wannaklr]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Makes you wonder why Lowe left. One assumes it was for money. Which means Mercedes is throwing money around. Which means the board will demand success. And if success isn't immediate? Will they do a BMW, a Ford, a Renault, a Toyota?

Yes.

[A. T. T-W]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Makes you wonder why Lowe left. One assumes it was for money. Which means Mercedes is throwing money around. Which means the board will demand success. And if success isn't immediate? Will they do a BMW, a Ford, a Renault, a Toyota?

Yes and it will give me the opportunity to repeat my opinion that it's why manufacturer teams are not good for F1.

[g®eg]

Engine clarification may hurt Red Bull, Lotus

Tuesday 26th February 2013, 14:28 by TF1T Staff
© Lotus F1 Team, LAT Photographic

Red Bull and Lotus may suffer as a result of the FIA's recent clarification on engine mapping in 2013 - a practice which is highly beneficial if unregulated.
Both the Renault powered outfits are believed to have designed their exhaust systems with 'off-throttle blowing' in mind, despite the FIA clamping down on the act during the latter stages of 2012.
In effect, thanks to clever engine mapping, the driver can come off the throttle in a corner, but the engine still delivers 100% of its power, thus creating large amounts of exhaust gasses to improve downforce.
A technical directive was released in August of last year to stop the practice, with teams having to adopt a standard map from the four they used in the opening four races.
Ferrari’s engine boss Luca Marmorini believes this still stands, whereby they must use one of the four maps from last season in 2013. He was quoted as saying: “Everything remains the same."
Remi Taffin, his counterpart at Renault Sport F1, thinks differently and believes they can start from scratch by running four maps in the opening four races, then electing to choose one of those for the remaining 15.
"The directive referred exclusively to last year," he added.
The governing body however, it seems, has agreed with Ferrari's stance and therefore both Red Bull and Lotus may be forced to adapt their exhaust systems as it's likely they have been designed to fully utilise the 'illegal' practice.

[wxwax]

So Renault (and Red Bull?) thought they could create a new map which circumvented the obvious intent by the FIA to prevent off-throttle engine emissions? And they designed their cars around this belief?

That seems like a risky way to go about their business.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by wxwax

So Renault (and Red Bull?) thought they could create a new map which circumvented the obvious intent by the FIA to prevent off-throttle engine emissions? And they designed their cars around this belief?

That seems like a risky way to go about their business.

well I dunno...

last season they had four maps and after the first four races they had to choose one and stay with it... I *think* they decided that they could claim that they expected this season to be the same, four maps / four races / choose one. It seems that their understanding of the rule versus the way Ferrari looked at it (same map as last year) were slightly "different".