Toro Rosso Launch STR8 With High Expectations

Toro Rosso have become the latest team to unveil their new 2013 challenger ahead of the new season, with Red Bull proteges Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne taking the wraps off of their new STR8 machine. The duo will be entering their second full seasons in the sport, with high expectations on their shoulders.

Only several hours after the unveiling of the new Mercedes W04, Toro Rosso revealed the car they hope will propel them further up the pecking order once the season gets underway next month. Last year saw Toro Rosso initially struggle towards the rear of the order, however minor improvements were made in the latter half of the season. For 2013, team boss Franz Tost is aiming for 6th in the Constructors’ Championship. This would be a major improvement from last season, when Toro Rosso only managed 9th ahead of Caterham, Marussia and HRT, all of whom failed to score any points.

“It’s very emotional,” explained Franz Tost. “The team has worked with a very high level of effort to come up with a great car and met the high expectations for this year. The goal is to finish sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. The STR8 is the first car under James Key and Luca Furbatto. Both drivers did a really good job last year, and I’m convinced if we supply them with a good car they’ll come up with surprise results.”

Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo suffered a lackluster 2012 season for the Faenza-based outfit, struggling to score any points whatsoever between the Chinese and Hungarian Grands Prix. However, the team is optimistic that such a lack of consistency will change in the coming season. For 2013, Toro Rosso have elected to implement the modesty panel to cover up the step-nose design, including an aggressive sidepod layout which culminates in an semi-coanda exhaust layout reminiscent of the design towards the end of last season.

This unveiling by Toro Rosso leaves only three teams on the grid to reveal their 2013 challengers, two of which are scheduled to be unveiled tomorrow morning prior to the start of pre-season testing. Marussia and Caterham will launch their new cars early in the morning, which will then leave Williams as the only remaining outfit to be unveiled prior to the second test at Barcelona.

Picture Copyright © Toro Rosso F1 Team

Mercedes Reveal New W04 Machine & Major Sponsor

Mercedes have unveiled their new 2013 challenger, the W04, ahead of the opening day of pre-season testing at Jerez in Spain. The new car was revealed to the F1 media on the main straight of the circuit, by drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Mercedes also unveiled a new partnership with Blackberry.

After an embarrassing failed attempt to reveal their new car on the internet on Sunday afternoon, Mercedes were able to greatly redeem themselves with a flawless unveiling which was broadcast live on YouTube. The launch saw the German marque’s new driver pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg take the covers off of their new W04 car, before then speaking to the media.

The new W04 is yet another evolution of the team’s previous car, featuring many similarities to the outfit’s W03. However, Mercedes have modified the front nose somewhat, with the step-nose design being smoothed out slightly with the introduction of the modesty panel. However, with the ridges along the front nose section, a minor step is still visible at the front of the car.

Mercedes will continue to utilize a semi-coanda exhaust layout, similar to that used on the team’s W03 machine throughout the 2012 season. The layout has been slightly modified, and the team will once again incorporate a push-rod suspension system at the front of the car. Ross Brawn believes Mercedes have the strongest driver line-up on the grid, and is hopeful that such a line-up will help move the team forward.

“The F1 W04 is a clear step forward in sophistication.” Explained Ross Brawn, “2013 marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team. The restructuring we undertook at the team over the past 18 months are now growing in maturity and this is reflected in the F1 W04, which is a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication over its predecessor. With Lewis and Nico, we have what I believe to be the strongest driver line-up in Formula One and I know that a healthy level of competition between them both will help drive the team forward.”

Probably the biggest attraction to the new Mercedes W04 launch was the introduction of Lewis Hamilton to the team, after the 2008 World Champion completed a controversial move from McLaren to replace Michael Schumacher. The Briton is understandably eager to begin competing for the German marque, and follow in the footsteps of some of the sports greatest drivers.

“I have never seen a team hungrier for success than this one.” Enthused Lewis Hamilton, “It’s a very special day for me to officially present our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow to the world. There is no company with a longer history in Grand Prix racing than Mercedes-Benz and it is an honor for me to tread in the footsteps of legends like Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher. This is a new start for me with the team in Brackley but I have worked with Mercedes-Benz for a very long time now, and I learned one thing most of all: Mercedes-Benz doesn’t know how to lose. We are playing a long game here but I know we will have success together and I’m excited to be a big part of making it happen.”

Although pre-season testing for the forthcoming season officially gets underway tomorrow, Mercedes have already run their W04 machine. Nico Rosberg took the new car for a spin around the Jerez circuit earlier this morning prior to the launch, and Lewis Hamilton will get his first taste of his new car later today. The outfit will then begin their pre-season testing plans tomorrow, along with the majority of the 2013 grid.

Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas

Red Bull Reveal New RB9 Car

Red Bull have revealed the machine they hope will be able to retain the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, after a slightly secretive unveiling at their factory in Milton Keynes ahead of the new season. The team will run the car for the first time this coming week at the first pre-season test at Jerez, with Mark Webber behind the wheel on day one.

The reigning Constructors’ Champions became the fifth consecutive team to unveil their car earlier today, following on from McLaren, Ferrari, Force India and Sauber. Although very few images of the RB9 have been officially released, illustrations of the new car reveal slightly slimmer sidepods reminiscent of Sauber, a minor step in the nose in comparison to the RB8 and no “letterbox” slot on the nose of the car which was one of the major attractions this time last year.

With Red Bull securing a more prominent collaboration with Japanese car manufacturer Infiniti, the new RB9 features an increased amount of Infiniti logos on the car, most visibly across the sidepods. The car has also undergone a slight color change during the winter period, with the new RB9 now featuring an increased amount of purple along with the traditional blue.

“Our stronger link with Infiniti from 2013 is part of the natural evolution of our team and demonstrates its growth.” Explained Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, “We are still a young racing outfit and this title partnership is a very welcome aspect of our development. I firmly believe it will prove to be of enormous benefit on both sides over the coming years.”

The new RB9, like with many other new machines already unveiled up and down the grid, is not hugely different to its predecessor. This is largely due to the lack of regulation changes for the forthcoming season, which has therefore forced Adrian Newey to design what he has dubbed an evolution of the successful RB8 machine. The new challenger features only subtle modifications in comparison to last year, but is still regarded as the car to beat in 2013.

“It’s an evolutionary car.” Said Adrian Newey, “There were no big regulation changes over the winter. The most significant change is not the regulations, it’s the new Pirelli tyres. We had a quick test in P1 in Brazil but it was very hot and on a green track and in truth we didn’t learn a lot. It’s really been a case of refining the RB8. There are no huge changes. It’s very much an evolutionary car. All the principles [are] the same as last year. The devil has very much been in the detail with this car. We’ve tidied up some bits that we felt could be improved on. Development is now the key through the year.”

The Milton Keynes-based outfit will run the new RB9 machine for the first time during testing at Jerez in Spain, which gets underway in only a couple of days time. This will be the majority of the teams’ first chances to run their new challengers, as they strive to prepare for the coming season. Mark Webber will get the first taste of the new Red Bull on Tuesday, before handing over to team-mate and reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel on Wednesday.

Picture Copyright © Getty Images for Red Bull Racing

Red Bull RB9 Rhythm Of The Factory (Video)

Video Copyright © Red Bull Racing

Sauber Unveil C32 Machine With New Color Scheme

Sauber today unveiled their new Ferrari-powered C32 machine, in a short but sweet launch at the team’s windtunnel in Hinwil. The team’s new driver partnership Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez together took the covers off the car, which most prominently features a revised color scheme of mainly graphite-grey.

Apart from the startling new color scheme for the C32, the new car also features several rather interesting design modifications in comparison to last year’s highly competitive C31 machine. The new car features a smooth nose section, incorporating the modesty panel to hide the step-nose design but also including “ridges” running along the side of the nose to assist the channel of airflow.

The sidepods for the new C32 car have also been modified, becoming slightly slimmer in comparison to last year’s machine. The car also features a very slim rear-end, incorporating a McLaren-style semi-coanda exhaust layout which appears rather different to that of the team’s previous C31 challenger. The sidepods for the new C32 were a major influence on the rear of the car, however the team’s Chief Designer Matt Morris has praised his design and production team.

“The airflow in this area [the sidepods] has a major influence over everything that happens at the rear of the car.” Explained Matt Morris, “It is one thing the aerodynamicists coming up with great ideas, but they are often difficult to make into reality. In this respect, the design and production team has done a fantastic job on the side pods, both from a structural and packaging perspective.”

Sauber’s team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn, believes the team is well prepared for pre-season testing, which begins in only several days time at Spain’s Jerez circuit. Despite Kaltenborn understandably optimistic that the Swiss-outfit can continue to build upon their extremely competitive 2012 season, she is realistic in understanding that the true pecking order will only surface during the opening race weekend in Australia next month.

“This is another of those questions one is asked every year, and it’s always a tricky one to answer.” Said Monisha Kaltenborn, when asked what her expectations were on the season ahead. “What I can say is that we’re well prepared, that we’ve got the new car finished in good time and that we’ve met the performance targets we set ourselves internally. That puts us in a confident frame of mind. But we’ll only really find out what it all amounts to at the first race of the season in Melbourne. We put some good foundations in place last year. And now we want to build on that base and continue to improve as a team.”

With Sauber sporting a completely driver new line-up for the season ahead, featuring Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez as well as reserve driver Robin Frijns, the Swiss-outfit is understandably hopeful of further success. Last season both Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi finished on the podium, with the former only narrowly missing out on victory at Malaysia. Both Hulkenberg and Gutierrez will be striving to emulate such success, once the lights go out in Melbourne.

Picture(s) Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG

Ferrari Reveal ‘Evolutionary’ F138

Ferrari took the covers off of their new and ‘evolutionary’ F138 machine earlier today at Maranello in Italy, as the Italian giants begin their preparations for the 2013 season ahead. After coming so very close to Championship glory last season with Fernando Alonso, the Scuderia is hopeful 2013 will be a successful year for the team.

Amid a flurry of car launches throughout the next few days, Ferrari’s new F138 challenger was unveiled to the world of Formula 1 earlier this morning revealing what the team are dubbing an ‘evolutionary’ version of their F12012 machine from last season. This is the 59th Formula 1 car produced by Ferrari, and the Italian squad is optimistic that success can be secured with this new machine.

Naturally the car has remained the traditional color of red for the new season, despite some minor additions of white and black on several parts of the car. The F138 has also undergone several modifications in the design department, with the team opting to utilize the modesty panel to hide the unsightly step-nose design as well as a revised exhaust and sidepod layout. Unlike last season the Maranello-based squad hope to start the year in winning fashion, instead of a repeat of 2012’s disastrously uncompetitive opening race weekend in Australia.

“There are areas of development on the car which will be very important, from now until the end of the year.” Explained Ferrari’s team principal, Stefano Domenicali, “We have a clear goal, which is to give Fernando and Felipe a competitive car, at the highest level. Then, it will be our drivers and the team that can make the difference. Our approach from the first race on must be the right one and we must be mentally ready to deal with very tense moments. We definitely don’t want to find ourselves having to fight like last year to close down a 1.6 second gap to the fastest.”

Felipe Massa will become the first person to drive the new Ferrari F138 once pre-season testing gets underway next week at Jerez, before handing over driving duties to the team’s new development driver Pedro de la Rosa. Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso has elected to skip the first, therefore allowing Felipe Massa the opportunity to begin what Ferrari hope will be a prosperous new season.

“The first test is very useful to understand the direction in which we should go and where we need to do the most work,” said Felipe Massa. “Last year, I had a very positive second half to the season and I really want to get back on track and continue with the work that has seen me improve a lot over the past years. My aim is always the same, to give my all, right from the start of the season.”

Ferrari last won a season opening Grand Prix back in 2010, when Fernando Alonso triumphed on his debut for the Scuderia in leading home a 1-2 finish ahead of eventual Champion Sebastian Vettel. The Maranello-based outfit will be hoping for a repeat of such success next month at Melbourne, when Ferrari resume what they hope will be a season-long Championship battle.

Picture Copyright © Ferrari

Romain Grosjean: “I Want To Score A Lot Of Points For The Team”

Romain Grosjean is aiming to score more points for Lotus in the forthcoming 2013 season, as the Frenchman prepares for what will be his second full season in the sport. After a topsy-turvy 2012 season for the 26-year-old, which featured a combination of incidences and podiums, Grosjean is after a much more consistent year in 2013.

After securing both the GP2 Asia and GP2 Series Championships in 2011, Romain Grosjean returned to Formula 1 to compete in his first full season last year, after a slightly unsuccessful debut with the same outfit back in 2009. The Frenchman instantly showed his return to the feeder categories had paid dividends during the opening race of the weekend when he qualified an excellent 3rd behind the McLaren duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

However, the bouts of competitiveness witnessed at Melbourne were tarnished throughout the majority of the 2012 season by a collection of opening lap incidents between Romain Grosjean and other drivers, which unfortunately resulted in the Frenchman receiving notoriety by the majority of the grid. Despite Grosjean’s unfortunate tendency to find carnage during the opening laps of a Grand Prix in 2012, the Frenchman is adamant that 2013 will be a different and much more prosperous affair.

“I can clearly say I want to score a lot of points for the team – everybody knows that – but I think it would be wrong for me to say I want to finish in a particular position in the Championship.” Explained Romain Grosjean, “I really want to jump out of the car as many times as possible thinking that I did a good job. Knowing that everything I could do, I did, and feeling proud of my race or session. I hope to feel that way as many times as possible this year. I think everyone is waiting to see if I’m able to be consistent, which is where I was lacking a little bit last year. I know it and I’ll do everything I can to prove to people that I’m able to achieve this goal.”

Romain Grosjean is no stranger when it comes to taking victories in motor sport, with the Frenchman having done so six times in both GP2 Asia and GP2 during his dominance in 2011. Kimi Raikkonen showed that Lotus are equally capable of securing victories in Formula 1 last season, and Romain Grosjean will be striving to show his worthiness at the Enstone-based outfit in 2013 as Lotus aims for the top.

Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Lotus Becomes First Team To Unveil 2013 Car

Lotus have become the first Formula 1 team to unveil their new 2013 car ahead of the new season, after the Enstone-based outfit took the covers off of their new E21 machine at their factory. The car will once again be driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, and features several modifications in comparison to their 2012 car.

After a relatively competitive 2012 season for the Enstone-based outfit, which included numerous podium finishes for both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, including a sensational victory for the Finn at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lotus are understandably hopeful that their E21 machine can propel them to new heights this season.

The returning duo will be partnered by reigning GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi, who becomes the team’s third driver after a successful 2012 season which culminated in GP2 Championship supremacy and a Young Driver Test outing with Lotus. The Enstone-based outfit have also retained both Jerome D’Ambrosio and Nicolas Prost, who will once again carry out reserve and development driver duties respectively in 2013.

“I think it is fair to say that great things are possible [in 2013].” Explained Lotus team principal, Eric Boullier. “The leap we made from 2011 to 2012 showed what we are capable of. Add to this the continuity and potential of our driver line-up and we have a very powerful cocktail for the season ahead. Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in Formula 1 is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results.

“Enstone knows how to win Championships, but it is a while since we have won so we are very eager to taste glory again.” Continued Eric Boullier, “We have a fantastic facility at Enstone and one which has benefitted from significant and strategic investment over the past couple of years. We have a highly accomplished technical and design team who last year produced a fantastic car, the E20. The E21 builds on this. We have a superb driver line-up with the 2007 Champion, Kimi, and a hungry young gun in Romain. We have further strength in our partners and we are certainly primed and ready for action.”

Despite the teams’ being permitted to implement a modesty panel to hide the step-nose design at the front of the car, Lotus have elected against such a design and have retained the step-nose feature on their 2013 machine. Although the E21 may look similar to its E20 predecessor, several new features include the passive double-DRS device which the team developed throughout the latter half of last season as well as revised suspension layouts at both the front and the rear.

“Depending on where you look, some parts of the new car are a ground-up redesign and in other areas we have further optimized the best bits of the philosophy we’ve adopted for several seasons.” Explained the team’s technical director James Allison, when asked about the differences between the E20 and E21. “The front and rear suspension layouts are substantially revised to try and give us better aerodynamic opportunities. The front wing is a continuation of the concepts we have worked on since the 2009 rules were published. For the rear wing system, we’ve continued work on having a satisfactory level of rear downforce stability, whilst having a maximum DRS switching potential.”

Lotus were a prominent figure throughout the majority of the 2012 season, however for the 2013 season the Enstone-based outfit have intentions on battling with the likes of McLaren and Red Bull on a more regular basis at the sharp-end of the order. A minimum of 3rd place in the Constructors’ Championship is expected by the team’s owners, which would potentially see the team leapfrog either Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren should their predictions for the forthcoming season come to fruition.

Picture(s) Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Lotus Elect For Online Unveiling Of 2013 Car

Lotus have elected to unveil their new 2013 challenger, the E21, live on their YouTube channel on January 28th. This date will make Lotus the first team to unveil their 2013 car ahead of the new season, with McLaren following several days later on January 31st.

After a sensationally competitive 2012 season, in which Kimi Raikkonen stormed to victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, including numerous podium finishes for both Raikkonen and Grosjean, the Enstone-based outfit are confident they can continue to fight at the sharp-end of the field. The team have retained the same driver line-up for the forthcoming season, with Iceman Kimi Raikkonen set to partner Frenchman Romain Grosjean once again.

The unveiling will begin at 19:15 UK time on the team’s YouTube channel, and will also be broadcast on Sky Sports News HD within the UK. Once pre-season testing gets underway the following week at Jerez in Spain, Lotus have confirmed that Romain Grosjean will get behind the wheel of the E21 for the opening two days, before relinquishing his seat to allow Kimi Raikkonen to drive the new machine for the first time.

Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Caterham Confirms Launch Date For CT03

Caterham have confirmed that their new 2013 challenger, the CT03, will be unveiled to the world of Formula 1 on February 5th in the pit-lane at Jerez. This unveiling will come on the morning of the opening day of the first pre-season test, as preparations for the new season step up a gear as the teams begin running their new cars for the first time.

The new CT03 machine will be the first car to have been designed at Caterham’s new Leafield factory, after the outfit completed the move from their old factory in Hingham last year. Caterham currently have only one driver officially confirmed for the forthcoming season, with Frenchman Charles Pic preparing for his second season in the sport after a relatively successful debut season with Marussia last year.

With only Charles Pic confirmed at the outfit for 2013, speculation has understandably been ripe as to who will eventually team-mate the 22-year-old at the Leafield-based outfit. Amongst the leading candidates for the vacancy are established drivers such as Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov, alongside rising stars of the future Giedo van der Garde and Luiz Razia. However, Bruno Senna has also been linked with a move to Caterham after being replaced at Williams by Valtteri Bottas.

Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team