Kyle T
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Registered: 11th Sep 04
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New thread time yet?!
Dates of note:
Late Jan/Early Feb: 2013 cars unveiled
Winter Testing:
Jerez - 5th - 8th February
Barcelona Test 1 - 19th - 22nd February
Barcelona Test 2 - 28th February to 3rd March
Noteworthy Races:
March 17th: Grand Prix of Australia (first race)
June 30th: Grand Prix of Great Britain
August 25th: Grand Prix of Belgium
We've got flights booked to Brussels on the Thursday before the Spa GP. Reserved a holiday cottage thing which sleeps 12 people and is about 5 miles from Spa. Looks like the same 10 people will be going who I went to Monza with in 2012, plus/minus a couple of people. I'm taking the missus this time 
Thinking of going General Admission rather than Grandstand this time around - apparently the GA areas at Spa are superior to the grandstands... not to mention much cheaper!
Still no sign of Hamilton in his Mercedes gear, for £60mil I would have thought he'd be thrown out into the limelight on January 2nd 
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Dom
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Car Launches:
Jan 28th
Lotus - Online via Youtube and Sky Sports News @ 7.15pm
Jan 31st
McLaren - McLaren Technology Centre
Feb 1st
Force India - Silverstone Circuit
Ferrari - Maranello
Feb 2nd
Sauber - Hinwil Factory
Feb 3rd
Red Bull - Milton Keynes factory
Feb 4th
Toro Rosso - Jerez Circuit
Mercedes - Jerez Circuit
Feb 5th
Caterham - Jerez Circuit
Feb 19th
Williams - Barcelona Circuit
[Edited on 24-01-2013 by Dom]
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Dom
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Be interesting to see which teams run the 'nose panel' (more info) and if there is any aero advantage.
Should be a good season 
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kennySRi
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Can't see this being the most exciting season (will have to wait another year for that) but im genuinely looking forward to watching Hamilton. Im not expecting him to win a race but i'd love it if he did.
Has anything changed for this year? Apart from Hamilton there isnt any major team changes. Hopefully Vettell will have a tough start to make the rest of the season more interesting, can't see anybody else winning the title if there's been no changes.
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Kyle T
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Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
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RB reckon they may have to miss the first test, as they're so far behind due to their championship push... PR sandbagging though IMO.
Will keep a keen eye on Perez @ McLaren. I hope he does well but I think the pressure of having a decent car will hurt him rather than unleash his talent... just the impression I get from his performance since sealing the contract.
I think this will be 'Nando's year.
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JonnyJ
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Cant see anything other than RB dominance, like Kyle this bollocks about them struggling to get the car out will be just that.
Piece in some German magazine that Merc believe they need to pull back 3 seconds of time to be leading at the front and have so far pulled back 1.5 secs, if wind tunnel tests are to be believed.
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p
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Registered: 20th Apr 04
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Will there be any dramatic car changes, in terms of the look of the car? Or pretty much the same as last year, do we think? I remember when they changed the spoiler rather sporadically a while back thinking wtf! Like it now, though.
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JonnyJ
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No more stepped noses. Very few rules changes this year.
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Robin
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Not a lot of point I suppose, considering next year everything changes dramatically. Given the effort involved in starting from scratch last year to get 2014 to work, te FIA have obviously decided it's just not worth bothering this year.
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noshua
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Registered: 19th Nov 08
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I'd be surprised if Lewis didn't win a race this year tbh!
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Graeme
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Registered: 26th Jul 04
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RB have only recently got back there prototype fuel tank so will be pushed to see any changes they need to do for testing. (Friend works for the company that make all f1 tanks)
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Robin
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Read an article the other day that the STR was radically different but I can't find it now 
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Daveskater
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Registered: 29th Apr 08
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This one? http://www.thef1times.com/news/display/07126
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
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Dom
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quote:
Originally posted by JonnyJ
No more stepped noses. Very few rules changes this year.
They are still required to have a 'stepped' nose but, as i mentioned, they have the option of running a non-structural 'nose cover'. Apart from aesthetics i can't see it really doing a lot to aero as they aren't allowed to poke 'holes' (apart from drivers cooling, apparently) it in but then again, Newey/Brawn & co might spot something they can bend to get an aero-advantage.
But changes are minimal for this season - DDRS banned; (front) f-ducts banned, introduction of 'nose cover', tyre changes and redefining of the floor tolerances rule (teams were curving the front of the splitter).
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kennySRi
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Location: Lancashire
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quote:
Originally posted by p
Will there be any dramatic car changes, in terms of the look of the car? Or pretty much the same as last year, do we think? I remember when they changed the spoiler rather sporadically a while back thinking wtf! Like it now, though.
I used to think it was awful but love the way the rear spoiler looks now! Much nicer than the old wider style.
Kyle, i think Perez will be a flop, i honestly can't see him doing well at all. With him and Button McLaren are going to be nowhere, they'll be doing everything they can to beg Hamilton back so they'll be hoping he fails aswell.
Alonso will always be the top contender but i still can't see him winning the title. If he gets a better start then you'll think he can do it, but where Vettel got 1 win in the first 8 races or whetever, he'll get at least 4 this time round. Without Hamilton at the front it's just going to make it even easier for him. Suppose the only surprise could come from Kimi because he at least knows now that he can do so might focus more on that from the beginning rather than just being happy to get some decent points.
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JonnyJ
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Steady Kenny, you want to be careful about what you say about Button in here. Some people are a bit protective over him.
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Daveskater
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Registered: 29th Apr 08
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Just because you're jealous as it will be Button's year and Hamilton isn't going to get any wins.
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
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Aaron
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Steady Dave. JonnyJ doesn't like it when someone doesn't agree with his opinions on here. He gets a bit protective of them.
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JonnyJ
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I disagree with your opinion of me, Aaron.
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Robin
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I don't really understand Lewis' move, other than for more money.
If this season is anything like 2012, he'll end up finishing in about 7th place, if he's a better driver than Nico was last year.
Will be good to see if he is a good driver though, or if it was just another case of Schumacher syndrome.
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Steve jordan
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Location: Aldershot Hampshire
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This year will be the year of Mclaren, button to win championship.
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Aaron
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Location: Cottingham, East Riding
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quote:
Originally posted by JonnyJ
I disagree with your opinion of me, Aaron.
I disagree with your opinion to disagree with my opinion, Jonny.
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Kyle T
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Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Robin
I don't really understand Lewis' move, other than for more money.
If this season is anything like 2012, he'll end up finishing in about 7th place, if he's a better driver than Nico was last year.
Will be good to see if he is a good driver though, or if it was just another case of Schumacher syndrome.
McLaren have been the bridesmaid team for years - I think he's sick of winning races but not championships so it was time to move. RBR and Ferrari have no room for him while Nando and Vettel are "on it" so he chose a team with a MASSIVE budget, works engine and a few key tech guys - hoping it pays off.
It's a gamble, but he's got time in his career to risk it like Nando did at Renault... though the circumstances were rather different then!
My McLaren T-Shirts are now car washing t-shirts rather than hidden away for only Grand Prix weekends. I'm such a Lewis fanboy it's ridiculous
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Dom
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Registered: 13th Sep 03
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quote:
Originally posted by kennySRi
......they'll be doing everything they can to beg Hamilton back so they'll be hoping he fails as well.
After recent interviews with Dennis, who does sound a little bitter, i don't think McLaren will be doing anything of the sort. Plus, if Merc doesn't improve this year and their 2014 car turns out to be a dog, then would McLaren want a driver who hasn't be competitive for the last two seasons back? It'd be like Ferrari asking Schumacher to drive for them again.
Tbf, if it does go pear shaped at Merc for Hamilton then i can see him heading to RBR rather than back to McLaren. But this is on the basis that Seb makes the rumoured move to Ferrari.
But it could go the other way, Merc produce a blinder of a car either this season or next and Hamilton could do extremely well out of the move. But there's a huge amount riding on this....
quote:
Originally posted by Robin
I don't really understand Lewis' move, other than for more money.
Certainly money seemed to be one of the main factors but it wouldn't surprise me if there were a load of underlying issues, other than it getting stale for him at McLaren, that helped to make up his mind.
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Kyle T
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Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Dom
would McLaren want a driver who hasn't be competitive for the last two seasons back? It'd be like Ferrari asking Schumacher to drive for them again.
More comparable to Ferrari taking Alonso after a couple of seasons at Renault. Schumacher is old and was out of a car completely for three years.
Fighting in the midfield for a couple of years may make Lewis even stronger.
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