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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Hamilton Flies High in Hungarian GP Qualifying

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

As the 2013 Formula 1 season passes its halfway point, the Hungarian Grand Prix sits in an unusual spot in the schedule. Last competing three weeks ago at the Nurburgring in Germany, the late July trip to Hungary will be Formula 1 teams' final outing ahead of a nearly one month break for the open wheel tour. The 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix is held as the closest event to the middle of the summer season in the northern hemisphere frequently taking place in hot conditions.

A tight 4.381-kilometer race course placing a heavy premium on car handling, the Hungaroring remains favourable to top the Formula 1 race teams who can adapt to the circuit through the weekend. In qualifying, the Hungaroring served in the creation of more of the same results we've grown accustomed to witnessing as the 2013 season progresses.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the summer heat baked the Hungaroring with an air temperature of 33 degrees Celsius at the beginning of Formula 1 qualifying (rising through the latter sessions up to 35 degrees). Battling the heat and tricky Hungarian race track, the Mercedes AMG's Silver Arrows soared to another time trial triumph. With a lap time of 1 minute, 19.388 seconds, Lewis Hamilton claimed a narrow advantage over Sebastian Vettel. Lewis Hamilton has won the last three pole positions and four overall in the 2013 Formula 1 season. However, the 2013 Mercedes AMG newcomer is still chasing his first victory for his new team. Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes AMG car recorded a fourth-fastest time in Q3 after leaving the Q2 session at the top of the time chart.

While Mercedes AMG cars have taken ownership of the pole through the 2013 Formula 1 season, second-place in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull-Renault has remained remarkably consistent through the 10 events. Winning three pole overall this season, Vettel has only missed the podium place starting spot once at the Chinese Grand Prix. Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying allows Vettel to extends his top-three in qualifying streak to seven consecutive race weekends.

Demonstrating a swift qualifying pace once-again, Romain Grosjean has placed his Lotus-Renault race car third on the starting grid for Sunday's main race. A driver connected to controversy planned on his erratic performances on the race track, Grosjean's third place qualifying was almost taken away by race stewards because of a technical infraction. His Lotus-Renault's floor failed a post-qualifying examination but it was ruled the surface was caused by damage when Grosjean ran over a curb. Quickest in the third practice session ahead of qualifying, the Hungaroring is proving to be one of the Frenchman's more favorable tracks. Last season, he claimed a third-place spot on race day.

Lotus F1 Team's more veteran pilot Kimi Raikkonen will start the grand prix on the third row in sixth place. Raikkonen is sandwiched by Scuderia Ferrari cars with Fernando Alonso in fifth and Felipe Massa slotting into seventh place on the grid.

A 70-race event for Sunday, the Hungarian Grand Prix is shaping up to be a test against the dog days of summer. The temperature highs for Sunday's race day forecast is scheduled to reach a scorching 36 degrees Celsius. Pirelli estimates that teams will make two or three pit stops. Out of the top-10 qualifiers in Hungary, Only ninth place Sergio Perez recorded his grid position on medium compound tires. Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber did not record a lap in Q3 allowing the 10th place team to select their preferred tire compound for Sunday.


2013 Formula 1
Hungarian Grand Prix
Qualifying Results

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine





1 10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Renault
3 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus Renault
4 9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
5 3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari Ferrari
6 7 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus Renault
7 4 Felipe Massa Ferrari Ferrari
8 19 Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
9 6 Sergio Perez McLaren Mercedes-Benz
10 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Renault
11 15 Adrian Sutil Force India Mercedes-Benz
12 11 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber Ferrari
13 5 Jenson Button McLaren Mercedes-Benz
14 18 Jean-Eric Vergne Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
15 16 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1 Renault
16 17 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Renault
17 12 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber Ferrari
18 14 Paul di Resta Force India Mercedes-Benz
19 20 Charles Pic Caterham Renault
20 21 Giedo van der Garde Caterham Renault
21 22 Jules Bianchi Marussia Cosworth
22 23 Max Chilton Marussia Cosworth

Monday, July 8, 2013

A Deutschland Dream: Vettel Captures First German Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Earlier in the Formula 1 season, Fernando Alonso accomplished an eye-catching feat of worthy of patriotism. At the Spanish Grand Prix in May, crowds were thunderous with the sight of Alonso's Ferrari passing the start/finish line first at the Circuit de Catulunya. It because evident right off the bat at the 2013 German Grand Prix the Nurburgring could serve as the next moment where fans will be applauding with national pride.

On Saturday, a Mercedes AMG race car driven by Lewis Hamilton claimed the pole ahead of the 60-lap main event. In addition to the star badge belonging to Germany's more prominent auto company, the German Grand Prix's front row also featured the country's famed superstar athlete Sebastian Vettel. Despite 29 wins and 3 world driving titles in Formula 1, Vettel was still seeking his first-career German Grand Prix.

When the lights went out to signify the German Prix Grand Prix on Sunday, the front row battle of the grid matched the winless in 2013 driver against a reigning champion wanting to claim victory at his nation's highest-ranking motor race. A mix between a bad start for Hamilton and Vettel's quenching desire to delight his home crowd ended with the Red Bull-Renault taking the lead into turn one. Vettel's teammate Mark Webber was also able to carve his way around the pole-sitting Mercedes AMG car. Falling to third on the first lap, Lewis Hamilton would never exist as a force for victory on Sunday.

The Ferrari handled by Felipe Massa participated in a short 2013 German Grand Prix. Despite a good start, Massa veered off track on lap three stalling his engine. Unable to return to action, Massa became the first retirement of the race.

Unlike the British Grand Prix, Pirelli tires held together on the race track. However, a tire would become a source of a scary incident in Germany. During Mark Webber's first pit stop on lap 8, a right-rear wheel wasn't properly attached to the hub of the race car. When Webber left his pit, the tire flew off his Red Bull-Renault and was launched into a cameraman filming the pit crew actions for another team. A violent-looking hit, the cameraman named Paul Allen was knocked to the ground. Requiring medical attention at both the on-course infirmary, Allen was later transported to an off-site hospital. Formula 1 stated that Allen remained conscious and that the trip to a hospital was for observation. 

The Red Bull Racing team was immediately fined 30,000 euros for the pit road incident. Christian Horner stated after the race, "We need to understand what went wrong in that first pit stop for Mark, but as I said, our main concern today is knowing that the cameraman is okay.”. As a result of the incident, Mark Webber's Red Bull-Renault lost enough positions in the race to place the Australian one lap down. However, with a safety car period caused by a firey blow-up of the Marussia-Cosworth driven by Jules Blanchi on lap 23, Webber was able to regain a lead lap position. Mark Webber was surge his way back into the points ending up with a seventh place result after 60 laps at the Nurburgring.

Despite Sebastian Vettel leading for almost the entire German Grand Prix, the Lotus-Renault of Kimi Raikkonen maintained hot pursuit of the blue Red Bull race car. However, Raikkonen's best efforts would not be enough to deny the German of his 30th victory. His fourth Formula 1 event win in 2013, Vettel proudly celebrated the honour of winning a major grand prix on home soil. Sebastian Vettel becomes the first national driver to win the German Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in the 2006 season. The win also erases another grand prix from a list of races not won by the three-time world drivers' champion. A month ago, Vettel added his first Canadian Grand Prix to his career tally.


Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

For the Lotus-Renault race cars, the Nurburgring served as a major confidence builder for drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Starting fourth, the Lotus F1 Team's lead driver Raikkonen was almost able to steal the home country victory away from Sebastian Vettel. Kimi Raikkonen finished second by a mere one-second gap. Importantly for Grosjean, his third-place finish is the Frenchman's first championship points since the Bahrain Grand Prix. Ironically, the podium order for the Bahrain Grand Prix mirrors the Grand Prix finish in Germany running Vettel, Raikkonen and Grosjean. After the strong start for the Lotus F1 Team, the Formula 1 group had been suffering a gradual downfall until the results at the Nurburgring.

Missing the podium, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari accepted a fourth place finish after 60 laps at the Nurburgring. A three-time winner of the German Grand Prix, Alonso crossed the starter's stand 7.7 seconds behind the winning Red Bull piloted by his championship adversary. Despite gaining ground in the points after Silverstone, the Ferrari driver saw the gap grow 13 points with the conclusion of German event. Sebastian Vettel now holds a 34-point advantage over Fernando Alonso after nine Formula 1 races.

In fifth place, Lewis Hamilton trotted home in the Mercedes AMG with disappointed. The unfortunate start and a set of Pirelli tires that proved incompatible with his race car's handling were mentioned as set-backs. From 11th to 9th, the second Mercedes team car of Nico Rosberg collected an additional two points proving handy for keeping the team in second-place in the constructors' standings. Mercedes AMG is only three points ahead of Ferrari for the position behind the out of reach Red Bull Racing lead.



Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service


After two Formula 1 rounds concluding with finishes outside of the top-10, McLaren rebounded somewhat at the German Grand Prix with both cars scoring point-paying positions. With Jenson Button in sixth and Sergio Perez settling with eighth, the Mercedes-powered McLaren race cars executed a two-pit stop strategy involving a long stint on Pirelli medium compound slick tires. However, the McLaren organization is still far from the competitive team of seasons past. After the German race, the British based team is trailing Force India by ten points in the constructors' championship standings.

In tenth place, there was a reason for German driver Nico Hulkenberg to celebrate. For the second race in a row, Hulkenberg and his Sauber-Ferrari collected useful points.

For the tenth race on the 2013 Formula 1 schedule, teams race once again in three weeks taking part in the Hungarian Grand Prix.



2013 Formula 1
German Grand Prix
Race Results 


Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine





1 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Renault
2 7 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus Renault
3 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus Renault
4 3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari Ferrari
5 10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
6 5 Jenson Button McLaren Mercedes-Benz
7 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Renault
8 6 Sergio Perez McLaren Mercedes-Benz
9 9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
10 11 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber Ferrari
11 14 Paul di Resta Force India Mercedes-Benz
12 19 Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
13 15 Adrian Sutil Force India Mercedes-Benz
14 12 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber Ferrari
15 16 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1 Renault
16 17 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Renault
17 20 Charles Pic Caterham Renault
18 21 Giedo van der Garde Caterham Renault
19 23 Max Chilton Marussia Cosworth
20 18 Jean-Eric Vergne Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
21 22 Jules Bianchi Marussia Cosworth
22 4 Felipe Massa Ferrari Ferrari

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Silver Arrows Striking Target: Is Mercedes AMG the New Top F1 Team?

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

Mercedes-Benz could be enjoying a moment of greatness in Formula 1 not experienced since grand prix greats like Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Sterling Moss drove competition cars baring the three-pointed star.

Winner of two of the past three Formula 1 races, the PETRONAS sponsored Mercedes AMG team has presented a new challenge to the defending constructors' champion Red Bull Racing. In addition, Mercedes AMG race cars driven by 2013 drivers Nico Rosberg and former Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton have collectively taken six of the last seven pole positions. Since the Australian Grand Prix, Mercedes AMG is one of four teams who have scored points in every 2013 Formula 1 event. Mercedes AMG is working on establishing the much-needed front-running consistency needed to be a lead Formula 1 organization. It has been a result of four seasons of mid-pack struggles that the current factory Mercedes team has hit a lasting stride.

Born from the spirit of Mercedes-Benz's grand prix team that first raced in the 1930s, the Silver Arrows' participation in motorsports has long been a source of pride for the German company. Tainted by the fact the Nazi German government has funded pre-war racing efforts, Mercedes-Benz would return to grand prix racing as a part of the infant Formula 1 championship in 1954. The creation of the Mercedes-Benz W196 was piloted by German drivers Hermann Lang and Hans Herrmann but was most noted for being wheeled by two other competitors. Five-time Formula 1 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio won two of his titles in seasons where he drove the W196 race car. Fangio won all but one of the Mercedes-Benz W196 wins during 1954 and 1955. Sterling Moss would have also found victory lane in the car at the 1955 British Grand Prix. The 1955 fatal disaster at the 24 Hours of Le Mans where 83 spectators died as a result of a collision involving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR sports car would cause the German company to reconsider their motorsport efforts. Leaving Formula 1 after the 1955 season, Mercedes-Benz would return in the 1990s as an engine supplier for Sauber and successfully McLaren.

In the conclusion of the 2009 season, Mercedes-Benz was one again willing to be a full-fledged team in Formula 1. When Daimler-Benz bought up controlling interest in the Brawn GP team from Ross Brawn (who stayed on as a Team Principal). after the 2009 Formula 1 season, many observers of the sport would have expected the returning Silver Arrows to be an instant season-long contender. Reasoning that the large auto company will invest heavily into the team, the signing of seven-time Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship Michael Schumacher was seen as a major ingredient to motorsport success. In addition to young, talented but winless German driver Nico Rosberg, Schumacher and the 2010 Mercedes GP team would find out they're starting off as a new team.

Possessing the remnants of what was the 2009 Constructor's Championship winning Brawn GP team, Mercedes GP would go without a victory for 2010 and 2011 Formula 1 seasons. Fighting against several long running teams such as Ferrari and McLaren as well as a matured Red Bull Racing team, the history of Formula 1 racing has taught that some teams can be hot one season but go completely dormant the next. In 1997, the Williams F1 team took team championship honours while fielding the year's Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve. The following season resulted in a winless, lackluster effort. In the case of Mercedes GP, 2010 was an awakening. 2011 was actually a worse season for Mercedes GP as the team scored fewer constructor points than the previous year.

In the 2010 and 2011 Formula 1 seasons, it was also becoming surreal to look at the driver performances. The grand prix legend Michael Schumacher was not the lead producer for Mercedes GP. Instead, it was Nico Rosberg who frequently outpaced and outscored Schumacher. Rosberg was the first Mercedes GP driver to step on the podium in 2010 while it took Schumacher the 2012 season's European Grand Prix in order to match that benchmark. By that time, Nico Rosberg headed the team the two most prized items for a mostly mid-marker Formula 1 effort. At the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix, Rosberg clinched the team's first pole on route to the first Mercedes-Benz factory Formula 1 victory since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix won by Juan Manuel Fangio. “This is a truly special and historic day. I am so delighted for Nico, he has deserved to take his first victory several times, and has now done so by driving a perfectly judged race from pole position. I am excited to see how he develops now he has that win under his belt." commented Mercedes' Formula 1 team principal Ross Brawn who recognized it also as Rosberg's first grand prix victory. Having described the start of a his 2010 season as "...a child looking forward to Christmas.", Schumacher's three seasons ended in 2012 with retirement from Formula 1. "Even under these difficult conditions, my final Formula One race was tremendous fun, and I would once again like to thank the team and all my fans for their support over the past years. I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together very much indeed.", said Schumacher on his round race with the team in Brazil.

The 2013 season was constructed as the next frontier for the Formula 1 now known as Mercedes AMG. With Michael Schumacher officially retiring from the sport following 2012, the team replaced the driver role by scooping up Lewis Hamilton as a teammate to Nico Rosberg. On the presentation of the new F1 W04 race car at Jerez, Hamilton commented, "It´s a very special day for me to officially present our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow to the world. There is no company with a longer history in Grand Prix racing than Mercedes-Benz and it is an honour for me to tread in the footsteps of legends like Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher." Hiring the former McLaren driver, it was intended that Hamilton would be the important balance of youth and championship-capable experience needed to be a serious contender.

After eight races, the duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has given the Mercedes AMG team a higher amount of constructor points in 2013 than in the whole 2012 season. Two wins by Nico Rosberg including last week's British Grand Prix at Silverstone is helping to fortify the driver and team as a meaningful force in Formula 1. With three poles and a trio of podium finishes, Hamilton's presence in the team has been a positive one. It not for a tire problem in the British Grand Prix, the second Mercedes AMG victory of the 2013 season may have been his.

As the Silver Arrows are flying with race winning precision, the Mercedes AMG organization is not spending too much time basking in their success. Second in the 2013 Constructors' Championship, they are closely followed by the Scuderia Ferrari team. Going race-to-race, the entire team is focused on the German Grand Prix hoping to put together an effort granting Mercedes-Benz factory team their first such victory since 1954. 

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Hamilton Hottest in German Grand Prix Qualifying

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Racing on back-to-back weekends, the Formula 1 teams of the 2013 world championship tour left the United Kingdom for Germany to run the storied Nurburgring race track. Despite the turmoil resulting from some high profile tire problems at the British Grand Prix, Mercedes AMG driver Nico Rosberg gained headlines for the race victory. Staged in the home country of Mercedes-Benz, the German Grand Prix is the perfect place for the Mercedes-AMG to continue their recent emergence as a consistent Formula 1 front-runner. Qualifying for the German round of the 2013 Formula 1 season, one Mercedes-AMG car has delivered a patriotic display.

Taking pole for the German Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton outran Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel with a lap time of 1 minute, 29.398 seconds. The German Grand Prix pole position for Hamilton grants the Brit his second-straight race starting from the prime grid spot. The Formula 1 at the Nurburgring will also be the fifth consecutive event where Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes AMG car is starting on the front row. As for the team, Mercedes-AMG has become a real force to be reckon with in 2013 Formula 1 qualifying. Six of the last seven Formula 1 events have involved one of the Mercedes-Benz so-called "Silver Arrows" starting from pole for Sunday's main race. While Lewis Hamilton was at the top of the time sheet after Q3, Mercedes AMG teammate Nico Rosberg is positioned 11th after just missing the final 10-car timed session.



Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

While the 2013 German Grand Prix will feature a national manufacturer in on the pole, the front row contents an additional German presence. Three-time and reigning Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel was a little more than a tenth of a second short of Hamilton. Despite failing to finish the British Grand Prix last week, the German Red Bull-Renault pilot continue to preside over a 21-point lead in the 2013 Drivers' standings.

One-tenth of a second slower than Vettel, the second Red Bull-Renault of Mark Webber will start 3rd. Webber is starting alongside Kimi Raikkonen. With Raikkonen in fourth and Lotus F1 Team partner Romain Grosjean in fifth place are quickly trying to regain the early season promise in the organization.

From sixth through eighth place, Ferrari engined vehicles featured one of the Italian car company's customers gaining an advantage over the factory effort. Taking sixth in Q3, the Toro Rosso-Ferrari wheeled by Daniel Ricciardo was half a second faster than Fernando Alonso's Ferrari race car. Felipe Massa joins teammate Alonso creating an all-Ferrari fourth row for the start of the German Grand Prix Sunday.

Sunday's running of the 60-lap German Prix Grand Prix is expected to take place in warm, sunny weather.


2013 Formula 1
German Grand Prix
Qualifying Results


Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine





1 10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Renault
3 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Renault
4 7 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus Renault
5 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus Renault
6 19 Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
7 4 Felipe Massa Ferrari Ferrari
8 3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari Ferrari
9 5 Jenson Button McLaren Mercedes-Benz
10 11 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber Ferrari
11 9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
12 14 Paul di Resta Force India Mercedes-Benz
13 6 Sergio Perez McLaren Mercedes-Benz
14 12 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber Ferrari
15 15 Adrian Sutil Force India Mercedes-Benz
16 18 Jean-Eric Vergne Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
17 17 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Renault
18 16 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1 Renault
19 20 Charles Pic Caterham Renault
20 22 Jules Bianchi Marussia Cosworth
21 21 Giedo van der Garde Caterham Renault
22 23 Max Chilton Marussia Cosworth

Friday, July 5, 2013

Rosberg Wins Bizarre British Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG



For the eighth time in 2013, 22 Formula 1 cars lined up to start a grand prix event. This time, attention turned on the popular Silverstone Circuit as the British Grand Prix would act as the stage for the world's greatest open wheel drivers. In addition to the Italian Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix has been a mainstay on the Formula 1 calendar every year since the inception of the World Championship in 1950. The 2013 edition of the grand prix would be another stand-out race at Silverstone. We have a deputed winner, a World Championship leader in trouble and a tire fiasco.

At the start, the Mercedes AMG car of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg started on the front row. On the start, it was Hamilton who used has pole-sitting grid position to take an early lead. In the second row on the starting gird, the Red Bull Racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were itching to break the Mercedes-Benz brigade but could not find an advantage early.

The tone of the 2013 British Grand Prix would be dominated by the unexpected failure of tires supplied by Pirelli. On lap 8, the first victim would emerge as the race leader. Lewis Hamilton's left rear slick tire had begun to disintegrate on his Mercedes race car. Able to drive his crippled car to the stops on three tires, Hamilton would drop to last in the running order. Two laps later, Felipe Massa would also suffer a similar tire issue. After three tire failures by lap 16, a safety car needed to be deployed so track crews could clean a debris littered on the Silverstone Circuit attributed to the decaying rubber. Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Jean-Eric Vergne and Sergio Perez were all burdened by effects of a left-rear tire problem over the course of the 52-lap race. Hamilton and Massa survived their incidents to collect top-10 finishes. On the other hand, Perez and Vergne suffered early retirements from the grand prix due to their blown Pirelli tires.


Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG



When the race progressed after the safety car, the Red Bull-Renault of Sebastian Vettel had once again found his way to the front of a grand prix race. Having won the 2009 British Grand Prix, that victory dates back to before Vettel was ever a Formula 1 champion. In pursuit of his fourth-straight driver's title, the German was looking forward to another major points day to add to what is an impressive lead already in 2013.
Unfortunately for Sebastian Vettel on the 41st lap of the 2013 British Grand Prix, his Red Bull-Renault would suddenly stop just as the German drove past the pit entrance. For the second time in the race, a safety car needed to be called as Vettel's powerless Red Bull-Renault was in a position where it could obstruct the event.

When the final safety car period ended, Nico Rosberg found himself inheriting the lead. Behind Rosberg, the second Red Bull-Renault in the hands of two-time British Grand Prix winner Mark Webber charged furiously towards the Mercedes Formula 1 car but simply came up short. At the line of 0.7 seconds, Nico Rosberg took his third Formula 1 victory. “This is a great moment for me and our team to win in the home of motor racing at Silverstone”, said Rosberg  in post-race comment. Webber came a close second while the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso completed a quiet march from a ninth-place start to finish on the podium. Alonso's third-place finish was only a 0.6-second advantage over a resurgent Lewis Hamilton.  



Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Unfortunately for Nico Rosberg and the Mercedes AMG team, both victories this season have been tainted by protests and accusations of the team not playing by the rules. As the Monaco Grand Prix race win left competing teams alleging Mercedes AMG team unfairly benefitted from a Pirelli tire test, the post-race buzz around Silverstone had to do with a possible penalty due to a race infraction. When a local yellow flag is displayed at one corner of the race track, it was deemed Rosberg did not sufficiently slow down. While the race stewards did the discretion to levy a time penalty on Rosberg's car deleting it from even a podium position, the outcome of the incident was left with a reprimand allowing the German to keep his victory.

While the Pirelli tire issue and a potential penalty threatened to mar the race victory, Nico Rosberg relished his third Formula 1 victory (his second in three races). Rosberg's win driving a factory-based Mercedes-Benz race car is the first such accomplishment since Sir Sterling Moss won the British Grand Prix at Aintree with the Silver Arrows back in 1955.

While the German Mercedes team celebrated, the British Grand Prix was not kind to national teams. McLaren and Williams had both been accustomed to victory at Silverstone on multiple occasions in the past. For 2013, neither Formula 1 organization was successful in even placing a car within the top-10. For the Williams F1 Team, a nine-time constructors' champion, they are still without points in the 2013 championship. It has been since the 2012 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas when the Williams organization cars last scored in points-paying positions.

Following the race, the tire supplier to the Formula 1 series has been put under scrutiny. Paul Hembery, Pirelli's motorsport director, offered a statement following the grand prix stating, "There have obviously been some issues with rear-left tyre failures which we have not seen before. We are taking the situation very seriously and we are currently investigating all tyres to determine the cause as soon as possible, ahead of the next Grand Prix in Germany." The tire construction, compound and even the Formula 1 teams themselves have been the target for the investigation that quickly needs to bare results. Racing at the Nurburgring just one week after the British Grand Prix, the situation is tense for teams and drivers.

The last race for the 2013 Formula 1 series is a trip to Germany's famed Nurburgring. A race set for July 7th, Fernando Alonso is the defending German Grand Prix winner.   


2013 British Grand Prix
Formula 1
Race Results

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine





1 9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Renault
3 3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari Ferrari
4 10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
5 7 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus Renault
6 4 Felipe Massa Ferrari Ferrari
7 15 Adrian Sutil Force India Mercedes-Benz
8 19 Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
10 11 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber Ferrari
11 16 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1 Renault
12 17 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Renault
13 5 Jenson Button McLaren Mercedes-Benz
14 12 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber Ferrari
15 20 Charles Pic Caterham Renault
16 22 Jules Bianchi Marussia Cosworth
17 23 Max Chilton Marussia Cosworth
18 21 Giedo van der Garde Caterham Renault
19 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus Renault
20 6 Sergio Perez McLaren Mercedes-Benz
21 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Renault
22 18 Jean-Eric Vergne Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
22 14 Paul di Resta Force India Mercedes-Benz