ltc

Not sure.
It's hard to keep track of these things, especially when there are always alarms going off due to folks pressing the "hurt feelings button" (aka Report Post button) like its the button to an elevator,

consolidated

+1, if all the RL F1 posts were just cheerleading or hating none of the discussions would be of any interest to us.

I was disapponted Schumi didn't get at least one win before he re-retired, at least there was Valencia.

RajDatta

Please post and whatever I said, I would be happy to honor. Won't miss much with you back anyway..

RajDatta

Oh yeah, I also forgot to add, since Mr Low Comprehension has admin right, he also tends to abuse them to his benefit. Something else you should be aware of.

multi21

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the kind words, i've loved F1 for many many years and it's still a passion of mine despite all its warts and controversy. As I always say, it'spart sport, part politics and part drama.

Moving on to the topic of this thread, here is some interesting insight from Domenicali. He believes that if teams are not competitive right out of the gate in 2013, they will abort their efforts and begin to shift their focus to the 2014 car before mid season. Newey is on record as saying that they are a little bit behind on their 2013 car because they focused all of their attention on winning the 2012 WDC, WCC right up to the 2nd to last race of the year in Austin.

This does not look good for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes as it is widely believed that they are 100% focused on the new turbo era that will start in 2014...

Domenicali sure of better start in 2013

5 January 2013

Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali is adamant that the Italian marque will enjoy a much stronger start to the 2013 Formula 1 campaign, having endured a troublesome pre-season testing period with its F2012 chassis last year.

Domenicali also believes the title race will be decided in the opening handful of races, explaining that most teams will switch full focus to the new 2014 ruleset by July.

Stefano Domenicali

"What happened to us at the first winter test in Jerez last year will not happen to us this year," he is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"The upcoming season will be decided in the first races. The teams will do their work for 2013 and then pretty quickly move on to the preparations for 2014. I think this switch will happen no later July, so it is important to have a good car for the beginning."

Ferrari is yet to confirm a date for the launch of its new design, although the team unveiled its 2012 car to the public before pre-season testing got underway at Jerez.

ltc

...

multi21

I'm sure Webber is a great guy in the paddock, but on track, he is not a team player and the fact he does not support his teammate when he himself is out of title contention speaks volumes to this Flavio Briatore managed driver.

If your team has to call you into the pits in Korea because your blocking your teammate from passing in the race, you've got a problem driver in your team. If you squeeze your teammate to the wall on the restart of the last race of the year when all he needs is a 5th place finish, you've got a problem driver in your team.

Finally, the team has had enough of Mark Webber, but are on the hook for another year because they signed him too early....





Marko lines up new replacement for Webber


Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has apparently earmarked the driver he would like to see replace the 'uncooperative' Mark Webber next season - in a move that could also spite main rival Ferrari....

Mark Webber's tenure at Red Bull Racing has been the subject of scrutiny for several years, but the Milton Keynes team may finally have settled on a replacement for the Australian should he not live up to expectation in 2013.

While both sides have been happy to ink single-year extensions to his contract over recent seasons, the belief is that Webber is now facing the exit from F1's top team, particularly if he does not toe the line when it comes to supporting team-mate Sebastian Vettel. The German has been top dog at RBR for the past three seasons – at least as far as the points tables are concerned – but Webber has done his best to try and prove team boss Christian Horner's tenet that there is no favouritism by refusing to make life easy for the German.

Matters appeared to take a twist when the Australian did not yield to Vettel's recovery drive in the decisive Brazilian Grand Prix – prompting one insider to claim that two drivers, Webber and Felipe Massa, were working in Fernando Alonso's corner at Interlagos – and Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that that could have been the final straw for the 36-year old.

Having already suggested that he does not expect the 'balance of power' to change at RBR in 2013 [ see separate story], Marko hinted that he had already lined up a replacement for Webber.

According to Germany's Sport Bild, that may not be either of the current Red Bull development drivers looking to step up to the 'first team' from Toro Rosso, with the Austrian apparently keen to ****** Nico Hulkenberg from under the nose of rival Ferrari.

The German swaps Force India for Sauber in 2013 in a move that many believe primes him to become the natural successor to Massa when the new F1 regulations come into force in 2014, but Marko was also clearly impressed by his showing last season.

"A few years ago, he was on the list of candidates for our junior team,” the Austrian explained, “However, Nico already had a main sponsor [Dekra] with which he didn't want to separate."

Hulkenberg's one-year deal with Sauber paves the way for him to move on at the end of the season and, given the chances of Vettel remaining at RBR for the foreseeable future – despite rumours of a move to Ferrari – could be bad news for both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, despite the pair having been given another year to impress at Toro Rosso in 2013.

Hulkenberg headed into the winter break having created a positive impression on many in the F1 paddock by leading comfortably at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Only an error while trying to retake the lead from Lewis Hamilton – which led to the Briton's retirement - blotted his copybook, but the German went on to finish fifth on the road, and featured prominently in end-of-season reviews.

Eifeler

Wish they would have paid out Mark and signed Nico this year.

ltc

It is hard to ignore what happened at Interlagos with regards to Webber.
He is the exact opposite of Massa and Barrichello when it comes to team vs teammate.
He has been consistent (ignoring his shoulder injury) at delivering solid finishes and helping RBR in the Constructors.
I believe they signed him for a 1 year extension due to this fact combined with the lack of a suitable replacement.

Marko IS the man reporting to Dietrich when it comes to RB Motorsports, so it is his job to make sure HIS rules are followed regarding how the team behaves and performs.

Webber had his shot at a WDC and blew it at Korea a couple of years back. His behavior ever since has been subject to much scrutiny; add in his association with Flavio and everything makes sense.

gums

I was at Silverstone two years ago (maybe three?) when they took Weber's front wing off and gave it to Vettel to qualify. I think that's when it all started.

ltc

Webber should have responded by cutting the seal on Vettel's gearbox.

9.5 Degrees

My first piece of advise for Webber is to practice your standing starts

Also can't believe that someone would actually link Flavio Briatore and Alonso with Webber helping Alonso just because both are managed by Briatore! Why is it always Alonso's fault? Facts are that team principals and fans voted Alonso the best driver in F1 despite the fact that Vettel won his 3rd straight and youngest to do so. If that doesn't tell you something I don't know what will. Put Alonso in the Red Bull and the season would have been wrapped up by August.

ltc

http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-new...m?artid=150624

"The only one who helped Ferrari was Webber," he added, referring to Vettel's Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, who is in Briatore's management stable.

multi21

Flava Flav is doing his client no favors when he talks like that

ltc

You're wrong Pete. Flavio would never have said such a thing. It's just another example of the Alonso haters fabricating lies, clearly the referenced article is fiction

Flavio was banned from the sport for what never really happened at Singapore GP, one of his drivers never knew what was going on

Nothing the man says surprises me anymore.