Formula 1 2013: Round 18 - United States Grand Prix

Jordan 199

So F1 is visiting the Lone Star State for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend for the penultimate race of the 2013 F1 championship.

The main news is that Heikki Kovalainen will be taking Kimi Raikkonen's seat for this race and the last race in Brazil.

Sebastian Vettel started on pole for last years race, but Lewis Hamilton took the victory.

Lewis was joined on the podium by Sebastian Vettel who finished second and Fernando Alonso who finished third.

Cookie_Monster

Safety Solution: ... driver can rescue the situation in the expansive tarmac run off zone

Hurray!!
:pac:

Myrddin

Of all the new aero-dromes, this one seems the best imo

_rebelkid

For the penultimate race of the 2013 season, Formula One makes it way to Texas and Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, the second time the sport has visited the 5.513km track. Immediately popular with most F1 drivers on its inauguration last year, the counter-clockwise circuit is an intriguing blend of corner types, with sections modelled on famous stretches of some of the world’s most celebrated grand prix tracks.

The first sector in particular was singled out for praise by many drivers due to the challenge presented by its first corner, approached up a steep hill and featuring a blind apex, and because of the rapid changes of direction through turns four to six, said to resemble the Maggots- Becketts complex at Silverstone.

Sector two contains a long straight ending in a good overtaking opportunity at Turn 12, while the final sector is a more technical stretch similar in style to Hockenheim’s stadium section and the tricky Turn 19, a downhill mediumspeed left-hander which many branded the toughest corner on the track to get right.

Last year’s race was notable for high track evolution over the weekend and cold weather that made getting tyres up to optimum working temperature difficult.

With Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull Racing team untouchable in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships attention turns to the runners-up spots, particularly in the teams’ competition. There, Mercedes, on 334 points, have an 11-point lead over Ferrari. However, the momentum is marginally with the Silvers Arrows, who have scored 67 points over the last four races compared with the Prancing Horse’s 49.

In the driver’s battle, with third-placed Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus set to miss the final two rounds of the season, second-placed Fernando Alonso of Ferrari looks certain to claim the runners-up spot.

Fnd the Full Preview Here.

Jordan 199

Going retro here. This was back in 1991 when there was pre-qualifying for the 1991 United States GP at Phoenix, Arizona.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4kEgPDn3ZA

Zcott

Thanks for posting that...some great name it haven't heard of in a long time! I kinda miss the days of huge grids and having to pre-qualify...

Jordan 199

Zcott wrote: »

Thanks for posting that...some great name it haven't heard of in a long time! I kinda miss the days of huge grids and having to pre-qualify...

You're welcome

Pre-qualifying became extinct after the 1991 season when a few teams fell by the wayside.

I think it was around '89 when there was 37/39 drivers involved in F1 :eek:

Some teams back then only ran with one car too.

PopePalpatine

I heard the Port Imperial circuit will only have 24 garages if it goes ahead. If we do end up with 13 teams in some future season, would this lead to pre-Q returning?

Jordan 199

PopePalpatine wrote: »

I heard the Port Imperial circuit will only have 24 garages if it goes ahead. If we do end up with 13 teams in some future season, would this lead to pre-Q returning?

The bottom two teams might have to share a garage

There would be no need for pre-qualy to return though with 13 teams. If there was 14 teams for example, two cars wouldn't start the race and would be classified as DNQ.

_rebelkid

Jordan 191 wrote: »

The bottom two teams might have to share a garage

There would be no need for pre-qualy to return though with 13 teams. If there was 14 teams for example, two cars wouldn't start the race and would be classified as DNQ.

So they'd be HRT's....

Grim.

Zcott

Looks like FP1 might be delayed due to fog.



Image from McLaren on Twitter.

_rebelkid

Delayed until half past the hour twenty to. Medical Helicopter can't get to the circuit; still at the airport, along with the TV Chopper.

SCOOP 64

Why isn't Kimi Raikkonen's finishing the season with Lotus?

_rebelkid

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Why isn't Kimi Raikkonen's finishing the season with Lotus?

He's having surgery on his back after 2 injuries. And he hasn't been paid.

decisions

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Why isn't Kimi Raikkonen's finishing the season with Lotus?

He's having surgery on his back. And his relationship with lotus is probably pretty strained atm.

_rebelkid

Red Flag after 15 minutes. Helicopter still not there. Ridiculous.

SnowDrifts

_rebelkid wrote: »

Red Flag after 15 minutes. Helicopter still not there. Ridiculous.

Making them look very silly right now. Fog gone... also Helicopter gone...

_rebelkid

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Making them look very silly right now. Fog gone... also Helicopter gone...

Helicopter never came...

lolie

Will this delay FP2 aswell?

Lewis's new helmet for this race, like the colours, not sure about the pic on top though.

_rebelkid

lolie wrote: »

Will this delay FP2 aswell?

Lewis's new helmet for this race, like the colours, not sure about the pic on top though.

Shouldn't do. They've only said they're extending the session by 10 minutes, but seems wasteful by now. They can't just run it on either; regs and concorde say they need to have a gap between sessions, don't remember the timeframe. AND there's all the other formula's going on as well.

_rebelkid

The Helicopter has turned up..... that is, the TV helicopter. So now we can see the lack of helicopter from the air

GTE

Calls of it being ridiculous could be fairly ridiculous in their own right.

Given the weather problems, the helicopter could be delayed en route unexpectedly. It sounds as if it had set off from the airport but now it can not be contacted so lets hope all is well instead of slamming race organisers for having to deal with bad weather conditions.

_rebelkid

Session is back on. Replacement chopper has arrived.

SnowDrifts

bbk wrote: »

Calls of it being ridiculous could be fairly ridiculous in their own right.

Given the weather problems, the helicopter could be delayed en route unexpectedly. It sounds as if it had set off from the airport but now it can not be contacted so lets hope all is well instead of slamming race organisers for having to deal with bad weather conditions.

The fog cleared and the practice session started. 10 minutes later, it was red flagged because there was no Helicopter. Perhaps your suggestion of poster's observation is the ridiculous one.

GTE

SnowDrifts wrote: »

The fog cleared and the practice session started. 10 minutes later, it was red flagged because there was no Helicopter. Perhaps your suggestion of poster's observation is the ridiculous one.

Hardly Mr. Drifts. Fog clearing at the circuit is one thing but we don't know where the helicopter was departing from. I think I heard it was the airport which is just under 10 miles away so an unexpected change in what was anticipated could have just meant a delay. It could be possible that FIA probably anticipated it to arrive no later than 10 mins into the session and then a weather related issue caused more bother. It would be interesting to find out what caused it but it really is silly to start giving off about it.

Fog and visual flight rules do not mix :pac: Either that or technical issues meaning the main copter is unsafe to fly so still no grounds for giving out

EDIT: Sky report it was delayed from the airport so its possible things must not have cleared there in the same was as the track.

SnowDrifts

You're missing the point.... I understand fog prevents the medical helicopter from being able to take off/fly.... so in that case... don't start the practice session until the helicopter is there and able to fly. They started the session when there was no helicopter there and then almost as if they thought "hold on a minute, there is no helicopter here - red flag" and stopped the session 10 min later. That was the ridiculous part - not that fact that it's not safe for aviation in dense fog.

GTE

SnowDrifts wrote: »

You're missing the point.... I understand fog prevents the medical helicopter from being able to take off/fly.... so in that case... don't start the practice session until the helicopter is there and able to fly. They started the session when there was no helicopter there and then almost as if they thought "hold on a minute, there is no helicopter here - red flag" and stopped the session 10 min later. That was the ridiculous part - not that fact that it's not safe for aviation in dense fog.

It sounds like they were willing to accept a short absence knowing that it was en route and less than 10 mins flight time away. Risky but makes sense given the time constraints they have to deal with but not risky in that they stopped the session once the helicopter encountered its issues.

SnowDrifts

Karun Chandhok just tweeted - "Umm seriously - how can this happen in modern F1 ?? #MissingHelicopter"

Anyway... session has thankfully resumed...

_rebelkid

Rotating Camera on the nose of Bottas' Williams.

_rebelkid

3 Place Grid Penalty for Button: Overtaking under red flags.



Via David Croft.

Jordan 199

I see Nigel Mansell is a steward

_rebelkid

Martin Brundle speculating on Sky:

"There's definitely doing some clever stuff to make sure that car sticks to the ground", referring to the curious, almost 2011 sound from the RB9. And it's not just all hype, there is very much a different sound coming from it. Made a comparison to the Williams car, which has the same engine, and they sound totally different.

christy c

Kovalainen not wasting time getting up to speed, 5th in FP2

Frank Bullitt

He should be on the grid full-time, and not in a poxy Caterham!

Charlie-Bravo

Kovalainen is the new Hulkenberg. Take a year out/sh*t drive, come back reinvigorated. The Hulk better watch his Lotus seat. Ok,ok, someone please update me on where seats are at for next season's Lotus before I put my foot in it.

Jordan 199

I see Gutierrez has a new helmet for the race.

I might have said it before but I really wish a few drivers would just go proper buck-mad at the end of a season. They have nothing to lose, **** it. And did anyone notice how Vettel did burnouts and was still overweight? The whole thing about trying to stay underweight is ****e, get out there and do donuts ffs!

Charlie-Bravo

I'm going to stick my neck out and say: Top 5 finish for Kovalainen

_rebelkid

5 Place drop for Pic; changed his gearbox. Although, it'll only really be 3 places..

Max_Charger

Anyone else see the face on Valsecchi when they cut to him in the pits?! I understand his disappointment but he'd want to get over it now fairly fast.

_rebelkid

Definite penalty for Gutierrez: weaving in the braking zone, nearly hit Maldonado.

Sparks43

Bloody setanta cutting to ads just before the end of q1:mad:

Jordan 199

I love the esses at this track.

podmu80

pastor mouthing off. sooner he's out of Williams the better!!

Charlie-Bravo

podmu80 wrote: »

pastor mouthing off. sooner he's out of Williams the better!!

I missed that - what did he say?

podmu80

having a go at the team questioning the car, blaming them for his poor performance in qualifying compared to his team mate. great to see Bottas going well.

weekaizer

****ing ****ing vettel

podmu80

Ah feck!! hats off though, amazing last sector. not good for the race but he would have won from P2 anyway. happy to see Sergio out qualify jenson as well.

TCP/IP

What a last sector completely unreal. This guy is something very special.

GarIT

astrofluff wrote: »

I missed that - what did he say?

He said someone changed the air pressure in his tyres and implied it was done on purpose. I think what he felt was the same as what happened to every other driver in Q1.

Kov 8th without Kers for his last run of Q3 was impressive.