Calendar
01 - GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRALIA (Melbourne) 16 Mar
02 - GRAND PRIX OF MALAYSIA (Kuala Lumpur) 30 Mar
03 - GRAND PRIX OF BAHRAIN (Sakhir)06 Apr
04 - GRAND PRIX OF CHINA (Shanghai) 20 Apr
05 - GRAND PRIX OF SPAIN (Catalunya) 11 May
06 - GRAND PRIX OF MONACO (Monte Carlo) 25 May
07 - GRAND PRIX OF CANADA (Montréal) 08 Jun
08 - GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRIA (Spielberg) 22 Jun
09 - GRAND PRIX OF GREAT BRITAIN (Silverstone) 06 Jul
10 - GRAND PRIX OF GERMANY (Hockenheim) 20 Jul
11 - GRAND PRIX OF HUNGARY (Budapest) 27 Jul
12 - GRAND PRIX OF BELGIUM (Spa-Francorchamps) 24 Aug
13 - GRAND PRIX OF ITALY (Monza) 07 Sep
14 - GRAND PRIX OF SINGAPORE (Singapore) 21 Sep
15 - GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN (Suzuka) 05 Oct
16 - GRAND PRIX OF RUSSIA (Sochi) 12 Oct
17 - UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX (Austin) 02 Nov
18 - GRAND PRIX OF BRAZIL (São Paulo) 09 Nov
19 - GRAND PRIX OF ABU DHABI (Yas Marina) 23 Nov
Rule Changes ENGINE - Gone are the 2.4 liter naturally aspirated V8's that have been in place since 2006. The new engines will be 1.6 liter turbocharged V6's, assisted by a new energy recovery system (ERS) that will provide 160hp over 33 seconds, as opposed to the current KERS system that provides 80hp over 6 seconds. The ERS will be automatic, so there will be no button that the drivers have to push to activate it. The engines will be limited to 15,000 RPM, and overall power with the ERS is expected to remain at 2013 levels, around 750hp.
Engine renault V6 turbo
FUEL AND WEIGHT - Each driver will be allowed no more than 100kg of fuel to use during the race. Estimated fuel usage during the 2013 season was 160kg, so this is a 60% fuel savings. To compensate for the new ERS, minimum weight has been increased from 642kg to 690kg.
EXHAUST - No more blown diffusers. The new engines will feature a single tailpipe angled upward, and there must be no bodywork in the way of the exhaust flow.
CHASSIS - The front nose maximum height will be reduced to 185mm down from 550mm, front wing width will be reduced to 1650mm down from 1800mm, and the rear wing is no longer allowed to have a lower beam. In addition, the noses must feature a gradual decline in order to avoid a repeat of 2012's stepped noses.
TESTING - The young driver test is unfortunately now a thing of the past. Instead, the first Friday practice will be extended from 90 minutes to two hours, and there will be four in-season test sessions at select circuits following the race weekend.
POINTS - The final round of the championship in Abu Dhabi will be worth double the points for both drivers and constructors.
NUMBERS - Drivers will now get to select their own number between 2 and 99, and may use it throughout the duration of their careers. The world champion will have the option of using the #1 the following year.
Driver 1: Sebastian Vettel
Driver 2: Daniel Ricciardo
2013 Review: Thirteen race wins for Vettel including the final nine in a row. Only once before has a driver ever been so dominant in a single season. Webber lost motivation after the Multi-21 saga in Malaysia, and wisely hung his helmet up at the end of the year.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Vettel 17, Webber 2
2014 Preview: Since Ricciardo wasn’t able to deliver the kind of giant killing performances that Vettel did during his time at Toro Rosso, I have a feeling he will have just as much trouble as Webber did trying to take down finger boy. Clearly Red Bull have the best car, how much of a snooze fest this season will be now rests in the hands of the engineers at Viry-Châtillon. We’ll also have to see if any of Red Bull’s engineering departures affect them as well.
Team: Mercedes
Driver 1: Lewis Hamilton
Driver 2: Nico Rosberg
2013 Review: Mercedes took a giant step forward in 2013, with both drivers recording race victories, and the team finishing a fine second place in the championship. Monaco was a high point, as was Hamilton's long awaited first victory for Mercedes in Hungary. Hamilton faded as the year wore on though, with no podiums in the last 8 races, while Rosberg kept his foot on the gas and recorded two podiums in India and Abu Dhabi.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Rosberg 8, Hamilton 11
2014 Preview: The time is now for Mercedes. They have two proven race winners, a decorated team of high profile engineers, and lots of money. It's world championship or bust in 2014.
Team: Ferrari
Driver 1: Fernando Alonso
Driver 2: Kimi Räikkönen
2013 Review: Four seasons with Ferrari, three second place finishes in the championship for Alonso. A promising start faded quickly after Alonso’s second triumph in his home grand prix, and he only scored one podium in the final six races. Ferrari said their season went awry in Canada, and it was plain to see that they had put their efforts toward 2014 long before the season was over. Massa only had one podium to Alonso’s nine.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Alonso 10, Massa 8
2014 Preview: Ferrari finally had enough of the underperforming Felipe Massa, and dumped him in favor of a second Ferrari stint for Kimi Räikkönen. Clearly this is a team move as the only thing Alonso needs to get over the hump is a faster car. Kimi can’t help that. Unless he pounds Kimi into the ground and is fighting for the championship at the last race, I think the McLaren-Honda combination will prove too tempting for Alonso to turn down, especially with Red Bull aero chief Peter Prodromou on board.
Team: Lotus-Renault
Driver 1: Romain Grosjean
Driver 2: Pastor Maldonado
2013 Review: Wow, what a difference a year makes for Romain Grosjean. After being the butt of most paddock jokes (and fears) in 2012, Grosjean put his head down and put in some fantastic drives, especially at the end of the season where he scored four podiums in five races. Raikkonen thrilled everyone with a great victory in Melbourne and six second places, but after his Ferrari departure was announced he became an afterthought.
2012 Qualifying Battle: Räikkönen/Kovalainen 10, Grosjean 8
2014 Preview: Super Maldonado Kart arrives for 2014 with his PDVSA dollarbucks. Unfortunately, due to the financial instability within the team they have been hemorrhaging engineers including James Allison and Dirk de Beer to Ferrari, and Dave Wheater to Williams.
Team: McLaren-Mercedes
Driver 1: Jenson Button
Driver 2: Kevin Magnussen
2013 Review: After possessing the best car at the season finale in Brazil in 2012, McLaren gambled on their 2013 design and rolled snake eyes. Jenson and Sergio each had a number of decent drives, but they were never in contention for a win, let alone a podium position.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Button 9, Perez 10
2014 Preview: After McLaren’s worst season since 1980, someone’s head had to roll, and unfortunately it was Sergio Perez’s. I said it last year, neither of these two is an exceptional driver. Hamilton, Vettel, and Alonso are exceptional. Jenson is exceptional in changing conditions, and that’s why Sergio got the boot despite outdriving the 2009 champ. McLaren believe Kevin Magnussen is exceptional. I think McLaren will bounce back in 2014 despite Mercedes’ best efforts to keep them in the dark. Honda power comes in 2015.
Team: Force India-Mercedes
Driver 1: Nico Hülkenberg
Driver 2: Sergio Perez?
2013 Review: The team took a step backward from 2012 unfortunately, scoring only 77 points compared to 109 the prior season. Sutil impressed in the season opener, leading for a number of laps, but never really showed the same grit thereafter. The team faded in the second half of the season. After posting six top 7 finishes in the first eight races, they only posted a single top 7 finish in the final eleven races.
2013 Qualifying Battle: di Resta 11, Sutil 7
2014 Preview: The Hulk is back for 2014, and it is rumored that Perez will be his teammate. Look for some giant killing performances from these two, who deserve much better than what Vijay Mallya and company will likely provide.
Team: Sauber-Ferrari
Driver 1: Sergey Sirotkin
Driver 2: Adrian Sutil?
2013 Review: After featuring on the podium four times in 2012, Sauber strugged mightily at the beginning of 2013. Nico Hulkenberg was able to find his footing though, and scored points on a regular basis throughout the rest of the year. His 4th place finish in Korea was the best of his career, and ensured that he would be on the grid this season. Gutiérrez had a dismal year and only scored points once, and isn't a favorite to return next year.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Hulkenberg 18, Gutierrez 1
2014 Preview: Like Lotus, Sauber has major money issues and they cannot keep drivers as a result, either because they don't have enough to pay them or the drivers themselves don't bring enough money. Sergey Sirotkin is the chosen one by their new Russian backers, and the game of musical chairs with Force India and McLaren will likely land Adrian Sutil in the second seat.
Team: STR-Renault
Driver 1: Jean-Eric Vergne
Driver 2: Daniil Kvyat
2013 Review: Ricciardo outqualified Vergne 15-4, and scored points on seven occasions to JEV's three. That was enough to earn him the second RBR seat.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Vergne 4, Ricciardo 15
2014 Preview: JEV is back and will be partnered by GP3 champion Daniil Kvyat. Probably the worst time to be a Toro Rosso driver as it doesn't look like there will be a vacancy in the A team anytime soon. We'll see if Renault power allows them to crack the top ten any more often.
Team: Williams-Mercedes
Driver 1: Felipe Massa
Driver 2: Valtteri Bottas
2013 Review: Just two top ten finishes for one of the most decorated teams in Formula One history. Bottas did a good job against Maldonado, who was pushed out despite bringing in $45 million a year.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Maldonado 7, Bottas 12
2014 Preview: Mostly change at Williams for 2014. A new Mercedes power unit, and Felipe Massa looks to re-energize after a four season thrashing at the hands of Fernando Alonso. Williams have also added some aero staff from Lotus and Red Bull. Anything will be better than 2013.
Team: Marussia-Ferrari
Driver 1: Jules Bianchi
Driver 2: ?
2013 Review: Two fifteenths and a thirteenth for Jules Bianchi had everyone singing his praises after the first three races. Fortunately it was enough to keep Marussia ahead of Caterham for the rest of the year, and enough to earn him a 2014 drive with the team. He also handily outqualified Chilton, who looks unlikely to retain his seat after finishing every single race of his rookie season.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Bianchi 17, Chilton 1
2014 Preview: Marussia gets Ferrari power for 2014, and they have yet to confirm a team mate for Bianchi. I'm sure their mouths are salivating at the prospect of unreliable 2014 engines, as this will be their best chance to finally score a point.
Team: Caterham-Renault
Driver 1: Heikki Kovalainen?
Driver 2: Esteban Gutierrez?
2013 Review: Pic had two 14th place finishes to van der Garde's one, but it was van der Garde who impressed more (in my opinion) with two ventures into Q2. Both didn't do enough to guarantee a return to the team.
2013 Qualifying Battle: Pic 11, van der Garde 8
2014 Preview: Caterham, like Marussia, won't be moving up the grid anytime soon, but they'll both be looking to score that elusive first point. I expected Caterham to have scored by now, especially with Gascoyne at the helm and plenty of sponsor logos on the car.
Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen were third and seventh quickest respectively in the second free practice session for the Australian Grand Prix. At Albert Park the Spaniard, who did 28 laps, posted a 1.30.132, half a second off the quickest time set by Lewis Hamilton, with his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg second. The Finn did 32 laps on his way to a best time of 1.30.898.
Both drivers worked on evaluating the Soft tyres for wear and performance, which appears to be almost two seconds quicker than the Mediums. They also worked on car set-up and in the final half hour, both drivers did a long run, practicing starts through the session. One small problem for Raikkonen when a failed sensor meant he could not select first gear at the end of pit lane. But the F14 T was brought back to the garage where it was fixed with no effect on the planned programme.
bagus TT, boleh dapat info pasal F1.
