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Thursday, March 14, 2013

The 2013 Formula 1 Grid: Prospects and Promises


Photo credit: Sauber Motorsport AG


The 2013 Formula 1 season starts this weekend. The 2013 Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit is a heavily-anticipated opening round not only fans but for the teams will are striding to better the grid through off-season engineering and testing. New look teams and race cars will assemble eager to clamor for the unclaimed glory of the unwritten season.

Teams are aware of of completely new car building regulations scheduled for the 2014 season. Therefore, 2013 will be the last time Formula 1 cars will likely for powered by naturally-aspirated V8 engines. For the few three years, the consistency in the race formula has placed increased emphasis in gaining advantages in other aspects of competition. Cars built to exploit the edge of legality and driver changes are popular ways to set a team up for winning grand prixs. Sponsorship also plays a part under the axiom of "money buying speed".

Presented below is our 2013 Formula 1 grid: 


Infiniti Red Bull Racing
Chassis: RB9
Engine: Renault

#1 Car: Sebastian Vettel
#2 Car: Mark Webber

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: Accepting a new team inviting Nissan's luxury brand Infiniti as a stronger sponsor partner, everything else to the team structure remains the same for the 2013 season. Infiniti Red Bull Racing enters another Formula 1 as defender of the constructor's championship. Reigning world driving champion German superstar Sebastian Vettel once again wheels the team's first car. In the second Red Bull-Renault again in 2013, Mark Webber may rest in Vettel's shadow but should not be underestimated. The 36-year old Australian has shown repeated instances of potential title contention. Either sameness will be a blessing for Red Bull Racing or it potentially leaves a chance for the competition to overhaul them.
 

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti


Scuderia Ferrari
Chassis: F138
Engine: Ferrari

#3 Car: Fernando Alonso
#4 Car: Felipe Massa

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: The Scuderia Ferrari team was dogged by two concerns during the 2012 season. The first hovered around the early season performance of the Ferrari race car. In 2013, a completely new F138 chassis holds a lot of promise for the coming year. The 2012 Formula 1 campaign also held the future of Ferrari's second driver Felipe Massa under a microscope. Confidence from the team and improved on-track performance through last season has allowed Massa to safely reclaim his seat in 2013. Leading Scuderia Ferrari will be Fernando Alonso who missed the driver's championship by just three points. The 2013 Formula 1 tour could be prosperous fight if minor tweaks and luck runs in favour of the team.


 

Photo Credit: Ferrari North America


Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Chassis: MP4-28
Engine: Mercedes-Benz

#5 Car: Jenson Button
#6 Car: Sergio Perez

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: Though Vodafone McLaren Mercedes did not have a terrible 2012 season, the British Formula 1 team struggled with reliability during races. Jenson Button returns for his fourth season with McLaren taking the #5 car for 2013. Biggest news for McLaren is the acquisition of Formula 1 driving prospect Sergio Perez. The McLaren MP4-28 car is said to be heavily revised car incorporating an entirely unique component list compared to the 2012 predecessor.


Lotus F1 Team
Chassis: E21
Engine: Renault

#7 Car: Kimi Raikkonen
#8 Car: Romain Grosjean

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: The Lotus F1 Team showed consistent podium-contending performance last season. Lotus F1 Team's 2012 season was highlighted Kimi Raikkonen pulled off a mild upset victory at the Abu Dbahi Grand Prix. Consistency from Kimi Raikkonen concluded with a seven podium results which played a pivotal part to the team's fourth place in the constructor points. Although fast on track, Frenchman Romain Grosjean's 2012 season was riddled with controversy for questionable moves made during races. Grosjean returns to the second Lotus-Renault race car with many expecting improved consistency and better decision-making in competition. Most of the team's troubles have been positioned off-track as financial concerns for parent company Group Lotus leaves the future in question.


Photo Credit: Lotus F1 Team/Renault Sport

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
Chassis: W04
Engine: Mercedes-Benz

#9 Car: Nico Rosberg
#10 Car: Lewis Hamilton

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: In 2012, Nico Rosberg won the first race for the Mercedes-owned Formula 1 organization since it returned to the sport in 2010. After the early season victory for the Mercedes team in China, drivers Rosberg and the new-retired Michael Schumacher struggled to finish races due to reliability problems or on-track incidents. The Mercedes Formula 1 race team ended the year unable to score a constructor point in five of the final six races. Losing their provocative double DRS system layout in 2013, the W04 race car is still designed to maximize aerodynamic flow. Popular 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton joins the team after spending his entire Formula 1 career with McLaren.


Sauber F1 Team
Chassis: C32
Engine: Ferrari

#11 Car: Nico Hulkenberg
#12 Car: Esteban Gutierrez

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: Sauber F1 Team has underwent various changes in personnel on and off the track. Monisha Kaltenborn assumes command of the team for the first full season. The driver line-up for the Sauber F1 Team has also been resorted for 2013 with Nico Hulkenberg joining the organization and 21-year old Mexican driver Esteban Gutierrez arrives as a Formula 1 series rookie. Using last year's C31 race car as a reference, Sauber's C32 chassis has been refined for more intentional airflow for better performance. New livery will also see the Sauber F1 Team do away with their white/black colour scheme for a richer black and red.

 

Photo Credit: Sauber Motorsport AG

Sahara Force India F1 Team
Chassis: VJM06
Engine: Mercedes-Benz

#14 Car: Paul di Resta
#15 Car: Adrian Sutil

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: For the past few seasons, the Sahara Force India F1 Team has been effective in scoring points is still fighting to reach the next level in Formula 1. With the all-new VJM06 chassis, the race car includes more adjustments for tuning race weekend performance. Losing Nico Hulkenberg to Sauber F1 Team, Force India has recalled German driver Adrian Sutil to team to drive alongside Paul di Resta.


Williams F1 Team
Chassis: FW35
Engine: Renault

#16 Car: Pastor Maldonado
#17 Car: Valtteri Bottas

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: Last year was the first time since 2004 when a Williams F1 car scored a Formula 1 race victory. Pastor Maldonado's Spanish Grand Prix win was a crucial step for an organization who claimed nine constructors' championships. Despite the impressive win from pole, Williams F1 Team enters 2012 still searching for the performance to keep itself consistently in point-scoring positions for 2013. Maldonado returns to a Williams-Renault seat. Veltteri Bottas joins the Williams F1 Team's race weekend roster after three years spent as test driver. William's FW35 chassis is said to be largely new with focus on weight redistribution.

Photo Credit: Williams F1/Renault Sport


Scuderia Toro Rosso
Chassis: STR8
Engine: Ferrari

#18 Car: Jean-Eric Vergne
#19 Car: Daniel Ricciardo

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: Existing as a mid-mark race team in Formula 1, the Scuderia Toro Rosso organization has excelled at contending for the lower point-paying positions in grand prix events. Preserving the driving lineup from the 2012 season, the efforts of Scuderia Toro Rosso was immediately positioned in the development of the STR8 race chassis. The STR8 race car is designed with emphasis on resolving aerodynamic and weight balance issues.


Caterham F1 Team
Chassis: CT03
Engine: Renault

#20 Car: Charles Pic
#21 Car: Giedo van der Garde

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: Caterham F1 Team is one of two surviving organizations originally existing as a group of four constructors entering 2010. Caterham F1 Team is still chasing an elusive constructor point in a Formula 1 grand prix event. It is the goal of the team for the CT03 chassis to be the vehicle meant to claim that most important honour. Since introducing the 2013 race car, Caterham has been forced to redesign their exhaust system after the FIA ruled it to be illegal. In 2013, the Caterham F1 Team employs an all-new driver lineup consisting of sophomore year Formula 1 Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde.


Photo Credit: Caterham F1 Team

Marussia F1 Team
Chassis: MR02
Engine: Cosworth

#22 Car: Jules Bianchi
#23 Car: Max Chilton

2013 Formula 1 Season Prospect: In past years, Marussia F1 Team has been fighting to climb from the back of the Formula 1 field. The 2012 season showed some promise for the race organization as their Cosworth-powered cars collected a pair of 12th place finishes. The MR02 chassis is said to be extensively-shaped with CFD technology. The latest Marussia F1 race car will also incorporate a KERS unit in accordance with 2013 Formula 1 regulations. The team's driver line-up consists of two young pilots making a debut in Formula 1 for the 2013 season. Max Chilton is promoted from the job of team test driver to the number 22 car while Frenchman Jules Bianchi arrives with a resume containing references to years of formula car and GP2 Series participation.

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