2013 Formula 1 thread

[Bob Holmes]

Less than two weeks to Australia!!

Its about damn time.

I hate Grand Am, but I had to watch them at COTA to get a decent racing fix.

[MikeFleming]

I'm happy to hear you've been able to resist resorting to NASCAR.

Ten days to practice (nine in West Coast time).

I need to order some new tyres before the first race. I like to have the smell of fresh rubber in the living room for I watch the first racer. More aura.

[Bob Holmes]

I think its more aroma...


I think I might have missed the boat on Mercedes.....nah, just kidding.

[MikeFleming]

Five more days.

I have updated the Calendar with the currently-scheduled 19 F1 events for 2013. Dates & times, track info, lap records, track map, etc.

[Bob Holmes]

Just a reminder, there are bets riding on this first race.

I'm going to be enjoying that cold beer you'll be buying me, Tony.

[MikeFleming]

Did Tony pick Force India again??

[Bob Holmes]

Worse, Mercedes.

[MikeFleming]

I will wager that Maldonado can still find it in himself to run into Hamilton. McLaren or Mercedes - no matter.

[Bob Holmes]

And we have Roman as a backup.

[MikeFleming]

Why we watch Formula 1:

Img_8193.jpg

[Patrick]

Them's are the brakes!

[Meotchh]

Them's are the brakes!

Stop it, Stop it...

[Patrick]

Malaysial GP notation:

I couldn't help but notice that the McLaren crew got Lewis Hamilton in and out of their pits much faster this year than last year, when he actually was their driver!

[MikeFleming]

It's amazing what a winter of practice can do!

[8T6 SVO]

I like the guy who damaged his front wing on the first lap and then failed to pit when he had the chance. On lap #2, he found that it is hard to steer when you can't turn your tires because the front wing in under your race car.

[8T6 SVO]

Malaysial GP notation:

I couldn't help but notice that the McLaren crew got Lewis Hamilton in and out of their pits much faster this year than last year, when he actually was their driver!

Still not much difference (2.4 sec). if you're swallowing a spot of beer, you'd have guessed that Lewis had the tires changed in the McLaren pit.

[MikeFleming]

Grosjean quote 2013-05-25:

"Yeah, a little too much touch with the barriers."

[Bob Holmes]

Well, maybe Mercedes will have a chance this weekend.


Button is a number 2 driver, always has been, always will be. If the FIA hadn't upheld Ross's interpretation of a diffuser rule Jenson would be considered just another Barichello or Weber. McLaren f'd up big time letting Hamilton go.

[Patrick]

What airplane does Rubens own that he uses to fly around the world? Is it a 727 or a 737? I forgot. It must be nice to make a living as #2!

[notacarlo]

My dogs name is Kimi. He barely speaks also.

For the past couple of years I have been fortunate enough to attend the Canadian Grand Prix in a privelieged capacity. I work (on occasion) for a third party race team involved in the Ferrari Challenge. This used to be my full time gig. I drove the transport for the race cars and managed the team directly for a dealer. I also work for FNA on occasion as a public liaison for the new car line up at race events.

I have wrecked a chinese scooter at speed on the hairpin at Gilles Villeneuve trying to find the beer tent after a race. I got to drive the race transport on the track because a traffic cop routed me to the casino where I could not back up. They brought a fork over to move the barriers. I did a multipoint turn and headed to the rowing basin. Now all the trucks enter this way. The "corkscrew" or entrance to the paddock has a very low overhang on the left side. I saw one of the Porsche cup trucks tear the entire side off the trailer exposing the cars inside.

The best was during a race and it started to rain very hard. We switched to rains and sent the car back out. We were standing on pit wall when Adrian Newey came over and told us to use the Red Bull pit stand and get out of the rain. I sat in his seat. He had the stand powered up so we could watch live timing. All of our radio frequencies are jammed at F1 races. We had no way to monitor our driver. We just had to wait and see if he came around each time. It was nerve racking.

On a couple of occasions I brought the SVO in the truck. (save on a rental) its been on Road Atlanta, Road America, Limerock, and Infineon. I wish I could have gotten the chance to get her on COTA before I moved to New England.

I have also been fortunate enough to travel to Mugello Italy. We did a finale at Mugello Circuit...Ferrari's F1 test track. We were (still are I think) closely tied to Risi and sponsor there GT1 car. (look for Boardwalk on the rear wing)
I pissed old man Risi off one year pretty good. Our driver wrecked his 430C and I bought $50k worth of parts from FNA and packed them in his truck. Risi has one of the only frame machines in the country certified by Ferrari SpA. He didn't get to make money on the parts and called me to let me know how he felt about that.

Never got to meet any F1 drivers. I did get to sit on Schumakers F1 Ferrari when it was off loaded at our shop to make room for another car. Horseless Carriage ALWAYS has something special in their trucks. That was unexpected. I have pictures of all this stuff. I'll dig them out one of these days.

Im glad there F1 followers on here. Makes me feel at home.

Dan