The Official 2013 F1 Thread. Spoilers possible!

[g®eg]

So it looks like Sutil will be getting the seat with Force India... More experience, and more importantly, more money than Bianchi...

[Clem Kevin]

Originally Posted by g®eg

So it looks like Sutil will be getting the seat with Force India... More experience, and more importantly, more money than Bianchi...

booo, I want to see new blood

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by Clem Kevin

booo, I want to see new blood

well there are quite a few new guys (five it seems)
helmets & official portraits

LINK

[Fajita Dave]

Does anyone know if NBC here in America will be airing practice and qualifying like Speed did?

[g®eg]

great shot of Big John in the Lotus



and a ton more here: LINK

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Fajita Dave

Does anyone know if NBC here in America will be airing practice and qualifying like Speed did?

Yes, looks like it.

The deal that begins next season will air four races on NBC. The remaining 16 races, and all practices and qualifying sessions will be on cable NBC Sports Network in what's expected to total more than 100 hours of annual programming.

[g®eg]

time is ticking away.... LINK

The Final Countdown

February 27, 2013
On the eve of the last, and most crucial, pre-season test of 2013, the teams are busy working away, readying their cars to start running tomorrow. Many will be at the track until late tonight as parts arrive, hot off the press, so to speak in an attempt to gain the last few tenths available before the freight heads off to Australia in a little over a week’s time.
With the test being in Barcelona, a track that everyone knows and one that’s, in Formula One’s relative terms, local to all of the teams, it’s normal for a steady stream of vans and trucks to arrive across the course of these next few days, delivering the latest upgrades to the cars.
Depending on the parts and their manufacturing schedule, some may not see them until the very last minute this week, but even if a team can get half a day’s running on something that’s due to be used at the first race, it’s incredibly valuable to them.
Expect to see teams putting miles on their latest chassis, although each one comes from the same mould and is built up to the same spec, they can all throw up their own little idiosyncrasies and just because the first two may have run smoothly at Jerez and at Barcelona’s last test, that’s no guarantee that chassis ’3′, which will go to Australia as a spare, will do the same. In this era of very limited testing, the teams want to try and give as many parts as possible at least some track time before they’re unleashed at a race weekend.
Most use various static rigs to put miles onto some parts at the factory, with safety critical items like a new brake pedal for example, having a higher ‘sign off’ mileage before they’ll be released to go racing than something like a barge board. A new exhaust may require something in the region of 900 track kilometres before the team, or engine manufacturer deem it ‘proven’ and race ready.
In the past of course, everyone was out testing each week in-between races, so it was never a problem to rack up the mileage on things like this, but now, if items aren’t signed off this week, the only other opportunity will be on Fridays at the first few Grand Prix.
Over the course of the test, we expect to see most people, particularly the larger outfits, trying new things with exhaust solutions, Melbourne spec aero packages and of course continuing their work on the new Pirelli range. Passive drag reduction systems also seem to be something more people are trying to perfect this season.
We’ll see full race teams in attendance, as race weekend simulations are carried out to run through the various procedures for qualifying and racedays. Plenty of live pitstops too, this is most likely to happen later in the days during the crossover period between day and night shift guys attendance at the track. It’s the last chance to carry out live stops before Melbourne and that’s crucial for the guys in the crew as well as the drivers, particularly the numerous F1 rookies this season and as we know, it’s an area that can gain or lose positions on Sunday afternoons.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how this test pans out and will be at the track on all four days to keep a close eye on proceedings. Follow me on Twitter for regular updates throughout the week.
Marc Priestley
Twitter: @f1elvis

[g®eg]

musical chairs....

Luiz Razia could turn out to be a rare driver who can say he had a full time F1 race seat, but never got a race in it
check bounced?

Kovalainen looks like he might be back...

[g®eg]

pile of new images from Barcelona testing

LINK

[g®eg]

Red Bull testing their DRD

[g®eg]

another good gallery of testing shots from Octane Photos

LINK

[g®eg]

exhaust changes at Ferrari

[wxwax]

Thanks, Greg, nice piccies. Interesting bumps on the red car. Where does a monkey sit on the Red Bull these days? Poor thing must get tired.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Thanks, Greg, nice piccies. Interesting bumps on the red car. Where does a monkey sit on the Red Bull these days? Poor thing must get tired.

I think the monkey just hangs on to the DRD upright.

[g®eg]

a very cool exhaust comparison for the beginning of the 2013 season

LINK