Grand Prix 2013 Australian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Finally F1 is back! After three months without racing, waiting for car launches and testing, the first race of the 2013 Formula One season at Melbourne is just around the corner.

A quick look on what has changed compared to last year:

Teams:
HRT are not on the grid anymore.

Drivers:
- Lewis Hamilton replaces Michael Schumacher at Mercedes.
- Sergio Perez replaces Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.
- Sauber start this season with a completely new line-up as Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez replace Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi.
- Adrian Sutil replaces Nico Hülkenberg at Force India.
- Valtteri Bottas is Williams’ new driver, replacing Bruno Senna.
- At Caterham Vitaly Petrov and Heikki Kovalainen are being replaced by Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde.
- Marussia bring on Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton in favor of Timo Glock and Charles Pic.

For the complete line-ups please check this brilliant overview from teabagyokel http://cliptheapex.com/threads/2013-driver-by-driver-preview.6011/

Circuits:
- The German Grand Prix is being held at the Nürburgring instead of Hockenheim.
- There won't be a race in Valencia this year, as the Spanish Grand Prix will alternate between Barcelona and Valencia from now on, starting with Barcelona.

Pre-season testing suggests that (as almost always) it is almost impossible to predict which teams will be at the very front of the grid. Red Bull look as strong as ever. Ferrari look significantly better than at this stage last year. McLaren seem to be struggling a bit. Mercedes appear to have made some progress over the last weeks and might be able to surprise us all. Lotus look like they could be fighting at the top this year as well.

In the midfield battle it seems that Williams and Sauber could have the upper hand over Toro Rosso and Force India, who have waited a very very long time to announce their second driver, Adrian Sutil.

Caterham and Marussia will probably be at the back end of the grid again. It seems very unlikely that any of them is going to be able to fight for points consistently. What is interesting though is, since HRT aren’t on the grid anymore, there will now be six drivers eliminated in Q1, which means, that apart from the Caterham and Marussia guys, there will now be two drivers of other teams out of qualifying after the first part of it.

How will Lewis Hamilton do for Mercedes? Is Mercedes’ completely new structured team going to improve? Is Sebastian Vettel going to pave his way for a fourth consecutive championship? How will Sergio Perez settle in at McLaren? Is Jenson Button going to win for the fourth time in Melbourne? Will Ferrari be able to win races from the outset?

Many questions! At least some of them will be answered in two weeks’ time at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne!
Let’s get it on!!

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Melbourne is known for having four seasons in one day.... let's hope the winter bit is pre midday...

 

[downforce]

Having lived a while in the so called "rainy city" of Melbourne I would be shocked if we had a total wet race. Its still very warm and will dry quickly meaning we should get a good period of dry racing and see the relative speeds. The name of the game will being on the right tyre at the right time.

This is why Button stands a good chance of winning.

 

[snowy]

Oddly... a driver who has written himself out of title contention prior to the season beginning, is now saying things like:

I think Ferrari are going to be quick this year. He's the guy I want to beat.

and

"Trying to finish ahead of Alonso in a Ferrari, that is actually really competitive, is a really nice challenge. You also want to beat Seb as they are the ones with most titles."

For someone with so little aspiration for 2013 he is suddenly setting his sights very high...

I presume he was talking about 2014...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/21734798

 

[KekeTheKing]

I would expect nothing less from Lewis. He's just stating facts here.

 

[Bill Boddy]

First he needs to beat Rosberg, the man who was 0.4 seconds quicker than him in the final tests.

 

[Brogan]

All will be revealed soon.

Just over three days before P1 and we should have a better idea of where the teams and drivers are relative to each other.
The real show will start on Saturday though, when Q1 commences.

Here's hoping for a great season.

 

[racecub]

First he needs to beat Rosberg, the man who was 0.4 seconds quicker than him in the final tests.

On different days And both drivers leading the field on their day suggests not only two good drivers but a decent car as well. Nice!

 

[Bill Boddy]

I doubt that there was as much as 0.2 secs difference between the two days, but hey, it was only winter testing.

But whichever of them was the quicker in testing, the one who will be best placed in the WDC will have needed to beat his teammate, which may be more difficult than some are expecting.

 

[racecub]

Well you could look at the gap between the leading Mercedes and the next placed car on the two consecutive days a s a possible indicator as to what the difference in track might have been. I think Lewis was about a second clear, and Rosberg .3or .4 of a second clear, but like you say this is just testing and there are two many variables to make that comparison. I personally think Lewis will have Rosberg covered, but I don think it will be easy, not by any stretch of imagination. They're both excellent drivers, possibly the best driver pairing on the grid, so it won't be easy. But Mercedes will be the better for two drivers pushing each other and pushing the team. Exciting times.

 

[snowy]

Lewis 7 lap stints, Nico and Fernando 3 lap qualifying stints.

 

[Brogan]

For all you armchair experts out there, you can always put your money where your mouth is by entering the Teammate Prediction Game

http://cliptheapex.com/threads/2013-team-mate-prediction-sign-up-now.5994/

 

[RickD]

Brogan - Done, I do seem to be the only one that has gone for Rosberg as I think he may surprise Lewis this year.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I'm not to sure about the new side pods on the Williams...

 

[Brogan]

I saw a similar photo of the Toro Rosso yesterday.

I had no idea they shipped them like that, but I suppose it makes sense to stop them getting damaged, etc.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Me neither I thought the took them to bits for shipping...

 

[Vortex]

It is, as you say, to stop them getting damaged.

Go to 3 minutes in.

 

[Lewywo4]

Brogan - Done, I do seem to be the only one that has gone for Rosberg as I think he may surprise Lewis this year.

No suprise that I voted for Lewis, but Nico put on a show last year at China, and a teammate which Lewis can hardly discount.

 

[Kewee]

If Mercedes prove to be as strong as I think they might be and do end up challenging, their biggest problem will be Lewis and Nico taking points off one another. That's unlikely to happen with the other leading contenders.

 

[racecub]

That's true. It's a strong pairing. But I still prefer drivers to get equal treatment and may the best man win. I don't like it when ones favoured. Merc will just have to work on a super fast car so that the few points lost to a team mate still let them finish the championship P1 and P2( running to hide smilie definitely needed!!!)

 

[Kewee]

The truth is racecub virtually every past World Champion has benefited from being given number one status and to suggest they've been favored is to diminish their achievements. The fact of course is they haven't just been given that status, they've earned it through their ability to perform and rise to the top. When I see any number one driver win while his teammate is instructed to play a support role I know he earned that favoritism long before the race they're contesting at that moment. This is a team sport whether we like it or not and I would much sooner see, for example, Alonso in a Ferrari fighting Hamilton in a Mercedes, than either one of them fighting their teammate.