Saturday 30 March 2013

McLaren Anticipate Progress

Despite a turbulent start to the new season, McLaren proved that the MP4-28 had potential in Sepang, as Jenson Button challenged the Mercedes before a pit-stop calamity put pay to his progress. Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh states that the team are striving for further development ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

Williams Considering Exhaust Switch

After an exciting winter for Williams, the FW35 has failed to deliver on its promises. The team have slipped behind the likes of Force India, Sauber and even Toro Rosso and now, Williams are supposedly considering a switch back to their 2012 specification exhaust, in an attempt to correct the issues which have plagued the new car's performance.

Friday 29 March 2013

The Red Bull Dilemma

Red Bull Racing are a team which have been in the spotlight throughout the whole of this week. Sebastian Vettel's contentious victory in Malaysia has encouraged an array of ex-drivers and principals to speak out, with many demanding Sebastian to be heavily punished. However, Christian Horner is in an almost inescapable dilemma as he has seemingly lost control of the team.
In case you have been living in a cave for the past week, here is a brief recap of the events which have left Red Bull in disarray. Mark Webber led the race and was in a commanding position ahead of Vettel and the two Mercedes.

Thursday 28 March 2013

Force India Agree Merc Deal

Force India have today announced a long term deal has been struck, meaning that the team will run Mercedes engines and KERS units (plus all other associated ancillary) for 2014 and beyond. The deal is unsurprising considering the recent appointment of Adrian Sutil who famously has links with the German engine supplier.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Claire Williams Wins Promotion

After becoming a familiar face in the paddock over the past few years, Claire Williams, daughter of Sir Frank, has received a well earned promotion to the position of deputy Team Principal within the Williams team. This new role will mean that Claire is responsible for the day to day management of the team.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Boullier Predicted Sepang Struggles

Lotus Team Principal, Eric Boullier, has announced that the team predicted a drop in form following the Australian Grand Prix and were unsurprised by their poor race pace. Kimi Raikkonen could only reach P7 in Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix, from P10 on the grid. Meanwhile, teammate Grosjean could only finish one position higher in P6.

Sunday 24 March 2013

Malaysian Grand Prix: Race Analysis

An unbelievable Malaysian Grand Prix, described by David Croft as a "high speed game of chess" concluded in controversial fashion. Sebastian Vettel managed to take the win, at the expense of teammate Mark Webber, who had been told that his position was safe from Vettel behind. Subsequently, the Aussie turned the engine down and preserved the tyres, only to find that Sebastian was taking matters into his own hands. The total disregard for team orders meant that Vettel managed to fight his way past a furious Webber, however, his 27th career win is certainly an unsavory one.
After Mark Webber had controlled large portions of the race, he had the lead after the final round of pitstops. Since Red Bull had struggled with tyre wear all weekend, Christian Horner had asked the drivers to hold position and secure the one-two finish. However, Sebastian Vettel continued his assault on Mark Webber. A ferocious duel took place over two laps, where Horner told Vettel, "come on Seb, this is silly". Eventually, Vettel took P1 and went on to win the race.

Sunday 17 March 2013

Australian Grand Prix: Race Analysis

Well, after the dominate display from Red Bull during the morning qualifying session, the majority of people believed that the race would be more of a Red Bull procession. Some suggested that the RB9 would share a dominance similar to that of the RB7, however, the outcome was very different. Kimi Raikkonen came from P7 on the grid to claim the first win of 2013, with Fernando Alonso finishing 12 seconds behind. Despite the hype, Sebastian Vettel could only manage P3, while Mark Webber's Melbourne curse continued.
While the Australian GP is famous for its unpredictability, the events of today have shocked the entire paddock. Red Bull realized that their race pace was not quite as good as their qualifying pace, however, no-one expected such a vast turn around. Lotus used their tyre preservation advantage to gain a march on the field. Excellent strategy, coupled with sublime driving meant that it was Lotus' day down under.