After four flyaway races to start the season, the Formula One World Championship returns to Europe to start the heart of the season. The European season runs from May through to mid-September will separate the pretenders from the contenders. Given that we’ve had a pretty varied set of results for the first four races, a little settling into a groove is probably due.
F1 2013
F1 Bahrain GP: Yes, They’re Still Running This Race
Since the Arab Spring protests that started in 2011, Formula One’s stop in a country with protests has been very controversial. Many think that the race should be cancelled because a Grand Prix is just a way to legitimize the Bahrain government because of the economic impact of the race. Other’s think that making a decision based on political reasoning isn’t something F1 should do because it’s a sport.
Still, the race took place again amid the protests. For the second year running we had an all Renault engine podium and it was actually the exact same podium in the exact same order as last year as Sebastian Vettel picked up his second straight Bahrain Grand Prix win.
F1 Power Rankings: Bahrain Grand Prix
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone likes to claim that the World Championship isn’t used for nor is allowed to be used for political purposes. However, the Formula One World Championship returns to the Kingdom of Bahrain, the land that the press covering the Arab Spring forgot. From the sounds of it, things haven’t gotten better for the people of Bahrain.
I’ll write a bit more about that during my race and news recap. For now, here are this round’s Power Rankings, assuming that this race is allowed to go ahead. Since Bernie appears to be oblivious to how Bahrain’s leadership is using the Grand Prix to portray a positive public image, let’s just assume there will be a race this weekend.
F1 Chinese GP: Time for Tyres
The talk about tyres has been growing since Pirelli took over as the sole tyre manufacture in Formula One. This weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix saw tyres and pit strategy play a significant part. Fernando Alonso won the race but he certainly wasn’t what people were talking about. Even on the podium, the drivers were talking amongst themselves about the effect the tyres had on the race.
F1 Power Rankings: Chinese Grand Prix
After a couple of weeks off, the 2013 Formula One World Championship returns to action with the Chinese Grand Prix. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I really hate the schedule’s two weeks on, two weeks off, two weeks on, two weeks off schedule to start the year. Still, I don’t hate it as much as Adrian Sutil must hate returning to the scene of the crime.
F1 Malaysia GP: Law and Disorder
Is Formula One a team sport or an individual sport? This has to be the question on everyone’s mind after this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Team orders played into the first four finishing positions. In one team, orders were ignored. For the other, team orders were followed when it was clear the other driver was faster.
In a surprise for many cynical race fans, it was the Red Bull Racing boys who ignored team orders. Sebastian Vettel went by teammate Mark Webber after the race was supposed to be over between them and went on to take the win.
F1 Power Rankings: Malaysia Grand Prix
We’re only days removed from the excitement of the season opener in Australia but it’s time to gear up for the second round of the 2013 Formula One World Championship. This time, it’s the Malaysia Grand Prix from the Sepang International Circuit. More often than not, the Malaysian round of the championship features heavy rain but will the forecast favour the Mercedes which is quite happy in the rain or the dry Tilke circuit loving Red Bulls?
F1 Australian GP: Not Wet but Wild
The first race of the season is always an interesting one. Teams are coming to grip with new tyres, figuring out how their cars work best and where they stand in the field this year. Some teams struggle when unloading to start the season, others have it well under control.
This year, it was the Lotus team that had it figured out when the lights went out for the first time this season. While Red Bull had dominated practice and qualifying, their pace didn’t seem to translate to the race. It was Kimi Raikkonen who was the only driver to really make a two-stop race work en route to opening the season with a win.
F1 2013 Season Preview: Predictions
It’s time for the final part of our 2013 Formula One World Championship season preview. Having gone through the new rules, new drivers and team previews for the season, it’s time to put it all together in our predicted results for the upcoming season.
As always, what we’ve seen so far isn’t exactly a complete picture of the upcoming season. The drivers, team bosses and pundits all say that we won’t know who has the best car until a couple of races into the season. But based on what we do know so far, we do have a slightly educated idea as to who will be quick this year. Continue reading
F1 2013 Season Preview: Expert Predictions (Infographic)
On Friday, I’ll be posting my predictions for the 2013 World Drivers’ and World Constructors’ Championships. Today, however, we have a look ahead to the season thanks to our friends at MoneySupermarket.
The crew at MoneySupermarket reached out to a number of prominent Formula One bloggers, including yours truly, for their predictions for the upcoming F1 season. The experts give you their picks for the two World Champions, the most improved drivers and teams, the winners of the battles between teammates and what will be the biggest news story of the season. Continue reading
The Lowdown 