Formula 1 2013

[sh@un]

don't suppose you've any news in your Santa-sack pertaining to drivers/teams ppl care about?

[Roy]

I have a bunch of Lotus clothing for the next season including some Kimi "Leave me alone" shirts

I just hope Romain gets confirmed. I can live without the others, Be good to see Prodrive or the likes of come sniffing around a tech partnership with Caterham but thats not going to happen whilst the costs are still so high

...edit...just read Romain Groinstrain has been signed up for 2013 Lets hope he has a better year in 2013

[25GTT]

Wow, so with Kobiyashi.. you donate and essentially you get an expensive wrist band for 2013??

.... balls up.

[sh@un]

just read Romain Groinstrain has been signed up for 2013 Lets hope he has a better year in 2013

everyone else on track will be hoping for same also

[tweety bird]

Max Chilton has signed to drive for Marussia next season, BBC Formula 1 chief analyst Eddie Jordan says.

Chilton's promotion from reserve driver to race seat was predicted by Jordan at the Singapore Grand Prix in September.

Jordan says the deal has now been signed and the 21-year-old will become the fourth British driver on the grid for 2013, alongside Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Paul di Resta.

Marussia have not yet formally announced Chilton's position.

Last month Frenchman Charles Pic opted to swap Marussia for rivals Caterham next year and Chilton, who finished fourth with two victories in the GP2 series in 2012, will partner experienced German Timo Glock.

The Reigate-born driver had his first experience of an F1 car on a race track when he drove for Marussia in first practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

That followed a 'straight-line' aerodynamic test earlier in the year.

Marussia finished 11th in the constructors' championship in 2012, losing out on 10th place at the final race of the season in Brazil to Caterham - but having struggled in their first two seasons in 2010 and 2011, closing the gap on Caterham represented conspicuous progress for the Banbury-based team.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...la-one/20760073

this has been confirmed by autosport.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104867

[89CAL]

I need Lotus Clothing

Edited December 19, 2012 by 89CAL

[tweety bird]

me too.

[djr81]

I need Lotus Clothing

http://www.classicteamlotus.co.uk/content/shop.aspx?sec=23

[89CAL]

All good, I'll get some at Melbourne GP 2013

[tweety bird]

Force India will launch their 2013 challenger at Silverstone on February 1 next year.

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/8342056/Force-India-announce-launch-date

[Roy]

Well pretty disappointed with the 2013 new blood. Chilton is a hack with Daddy's money ...ok hack is too strong a word but he is capable, thats about it. Gutierrez has been bested by Bianchi in 2011 and in 2012 his rookie team mate had the measure of him and some poor luck only saved him from being by his rookie team mate. h

All in all rather unexciting newcomers in 2012. Pic deserves a shot at Caterham and hope that Kobi or Petrov can hang around at the last Caterham seat.

[tweety bird]

Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that a grand prix in Thailand is likely to be added to the Formula One calendar in 2015.

http://www.planetf1....on-the-calendar-

Caterham's sporting director Steve Nielsen has resigned from the team.

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/104890

Sky Sports F1 online catches up with Lotus driver and Race of Champions winner Romain Grosjean who, after an up-and-down 2012, is hoping to learn from his mistakes and score consistent points next season.

First of all congratulations on retaining your seat at Lotus. How does it feel to know you will be staying for another year?

RG: "It feels very good. I have been waiting on this news for quite a while now and I was really hoping for it. When I got it I felt really good, really proud and it is a sign of the confidence the team and the owners have in me. I am really looking forward to starting the 2013 season."

A lot of people will look at the timing of this deal and think it perhaps had something to do with the Race of Champions. How long ago was the deal agreed?

RG: "It was just before the Race of Champions, so it was good to get there and have a weekend of fun with some good guys and really enjoy it."

And speaking of the Race of Champions, how did you enjoy that experience?

RG: "It was good fun, I really like the Race of Champions. It was great to get to the final with France the first day and then I won on the second day the Race of Champions itself. The atmosphere is great with all the drivers from different categories - Mick Doohan and Jamie Whincup from Australia and Jorge Lorenzo from MotoGP and of course (Michael Schumacher), (Sebastian) Vettel and (Tom) Kristensen - they are good drivers and winning it was awesome."

Is it a true test of driver skill seeing as everyone is in identical cars?

"It is pretty fair. Sometimes you will drive one car a little more than another, but we are all pushing hard when the helmet is on then in the evening having a drink, so it is nice to end the season with that competition."

How have you found working with Kimi Raikkonen? Have you been able to learn anything from him?

RG: "Kimi I have learnt a lot from - he is a very good team-mate. I think we are doing well together and I am trying to push him to go quicker and then learn a lot from him and his experience in F1."

You received some negative press during the season, perhaps unfairly sometimes. Were there any dark moments, or were you able to put it out of your head and feel self-assured in your own abilities?

RG: "The end of the year was pretty hard for me. After the ban at Monza and getting back into the car and having to deliver straightaway was not easy. But then I really worked hard to try and improve and not make mistakes again - the first one to blame himself is me and the first one to lose as well.

"I was very sorry for the drivers that were involved. But I am not stupid - I know the risks and I will try not to make the same mistakes again and learn from that."

On a more positive note, you put in a number of impressive drives. Third on the grid in the first race of the year and three podiums this season as well.

RG: "We had some fantastic races and fantastic podiums and some very good qualifying sessions and I think generally we were very quick. So I think if we can maintain this speed and improve the consistency - that is what we really want and we can go from there."

And finally what are you goals for 2013? Can you challenge for the title?

RG: "The objective is to do my best, my best race and the best job for the team - I need to get out of the car and know I did the best I could - and of course scoring points as well. But I am not going to put any big objective straightaway - I am just going to do things the best I can."

http://www1.skysport...in-Grosjean-Q-A

[Berk]

Great, another atmosphereless, underattended Asian GP on another standard boring Bernie spec track with no character that will no doubt come at the expense of one of the awesome European GP's, like Spa or Monza.

Can't farking wait......

[Roy]

A Thai GP will just be another European GP with all the English, Irish, German and Spanish backpackers that will attend. Wonder how many drunk Englishmen will get caught out by lady boys?

[dezz]

I'll go to Thailand for a GP

[wolverine]

Thai GP has some appeal to me.

[ctjet]

boooo... fcuk that place

bring back Austria

[tweety bird]

don't suppose you've any news in your Santa-sack pertaining to drivers/teams ppl care about?

McLaren have confirmed they will take the covers off their 2013 challenger on Thursday January 31, 2013.

After launching their 2012 car in Berlin, the team have decided that the unveiling of the MP4-28 will take place at yet to be named venue in the UK.

The Woking squad finished third behind Red Bull and Ferrari in the 2012 Constructors' Championship while Lewis Hamilton was fourth in the Drivers' standings and Jenson Button fifth.

The team, though, will have a new pairing next year as Button will partner up with Mexican Sergio Perez following Hamilton's departure to Mercedes

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/8345604/McLaren-To-Launch-MP4-28-In-UK

[sh@un]

only 42 days to go

woo and indeed, hoo

[tweety bird]

Jules Bianchi is one of those heading the queue to land a Force India drive, according to his manager.

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/8347800/Bianchi-to-Force-India-

Former MotoGP presenter Suzi Perry has been named as the new anchor of the BBC's Formula One programme.

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/8349221/Perry-gets-BBC-F1-gig

Timo Glock expects Pat Symonds' clearance to return to the Formula 1 paddock in 2013 to be a major boost to Marussia.

Symonds was banned from F1 in the wake of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal, in which he was one of those held responsible for Nelson Piquet being asked to deliberately crash his Renault to trigger a safety car that would help team-mate Fernando Alonso win.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104912