2013 British Grand Prix at Indianapolis (June 30th)

This weekend, the F1 circus returns to the very grounds where it all kicked off back in the 1950s: Indianapolis. It is a beautiful, classic circuit originally constructed on a WWII military airfield; instead of hosting heavy bombers, it now plays host to racing machines, often providing us with some truly exhilarating battles. One can only hope Sunday delivers something similar.

After several turbulent years plagued by concerns over financial viability (a struggle shared by most international races, perhaps with the exception of Monaco), Indianapolis seems to have finally found a bit of stability. The track layout itself has been altered on multiple occasions, though since 2010, it has maintained this specific configuration:



For those who might have missed last year's action, or perhaps those who have just recently joined our ranks, it is worth noting that Webber took the victory ahead of Alonso and Vettel. Alonso secured pole position the day before—setting what remains the fastest lap ever recorded on this modern layout—while during the race itself, Kimi clocked the fastest lap (though he holds the record for the quickest qualifying lap set back in 2004 on the old configuration).

As for the weather, we can only hope it remains typically unpredictable for the UK.

If anyone is looking for more granular details, I suggest letting Google be your guide.





I haven't come across any particularly interesting photos of the grid girls, so I shall leave that task to the superior Google users among us. 😁

William Bennett53 said:This weekend, the F1 circus returns to the very grounds where it all kicked off back in the 1950s: Indianapolis. It is a beautiful, classic circuit originally constructed on a WWII military airfield; instead of hosting heavy bombers, it now plays host to racing machines, often providing us with some truly exhilarating battles. One can only hope Sunday delivers something similar.

After several turbulent years plagued by concerns over financial viability (a struggle shared by most international races, perhaps with the exception of Monaco), Indianapolis seems to have finally found a bit of stability. The track layout itself has been altered on multiple occasions, though since 2010, it has maintained this specific configuration:



For those who might have missed last year's action, or perhaps those who have just recently joined our ranks, it is worth noting that Webber took the victory ahead of Alonso and Vettel. Alonso secured pole position the day before—setting what remains the fastest lap ever recorded on this modern layout—while during the race itself, Kimi clocked the fastest lap (though he holds the record for the quickest qualifying lap set back in 2004 on the old configuration).

As for the weather, we can only hope it remains typically unpredictable for the UK.

If anyone is looking for more granular details, I suggest letting Google be your guide.





I haven't come across any particularly interesting photos of the grid girls, so I shall leave that task to the superior Google users among us. 😁

Is that photo from Indianapolis?
Or just wishful thinking for the race?😬🤣

stormybadger8 said:Is that photo from Indianapolis?
Or just wishful thinking for the race?😬🤣

Looks like that shot from Spa last year to me.
😁
Doesn't matter—just hoping people stop reading the nonsense posted during this break, though after a comment like yours (classic), everyone will probably just move over here anyway!

tntntntntntnntn Brace yourselves.

Good morning to my fellow forum members, and everyone else can go jump in a lake. 😍
Whichever way you want to spin it... honestly, I don't care. 😍

Man... I was dreaming big.
Both Ferraris finishing in the top three, both fighting for the win...
Even Massa actually making it onto the podium.

Andiamo Ferrari, let's go Fernando!

Jason Campbell70 said:Good morning to my fellow forum members, and everyone else can go jump in a lake. 😍
Whichever way you want to spin it... honestly, I don't care. 😍

Man... I was dreaming big.
Both Ferraris finishing in the top three, both fighting for the win...
Even Massa actually making it onto the podium.

Andiamo Ferrari, let's go Fernando!

We're in the same boat here. Pretty much the same situation at my place.
I just don't get what Jerry Rogers6 is on about. 🤷 What exactly are we supposed to be afraid of?

Amanda Kelly said:We're in the same boat here. Pretty much the same situation at my place.
I just don't get what Jerry Rogers6 is on about. 🤷 What exactly are we supposed to be afraid of?

So you dreamed about the United Kingdom too? 😁

Amanda Kelly said:We're in the same boat here. Pretty much the same situation at my place.
I just don't get what Jerry Rogers6 is on about. 🤷 What exactly are we supposed to be afraid of?

Empty stands?

Amanda Kelly said:We're in the same boat here. Pretty much the same situation at my place.
I just don't get what Jerry Rogers6 is on about. 🤷 What exactly are we supposed to be afraid of?

Man, I just hope Ferrari finally pulls it off and lands a double podium.
Jerry Rogers6 is probably hinting at potential rain or just cold weather—which usually means tire warm-up issues and general race pace struggles. 🤷 On the flip side, Red Bull is looking pretty solid; they're basically squeezing every ounce of performance out of the car—especially Mr. Finger.

If Ferrari could get their hands on last year's tires, they’d hit the jackpot...
My prediction for this year is
1. Vettel
2. Alonso and Webber
3. Webber
I have my doubts about whether Mercedes will perform well in these previous races. In my opinion, they tend to favor those "stop-and-go" tracks rather than these fast left-right corners... though I could be wrong. We'll see how it plays out.

Raymond Anderson4 said:If Ferrari could get their hands on last year's tires, they’d hit the jackpot...
My prediction for this year is
1. Vettel
2. Alonso and Webber
3. Webber
I have my doubts about whether Mercedes will perform well in these previous races. In my opinion, they tend to favor those "stop-and-go" tracks rather than these fast left-right corners... though I could be wrong. We'll see how it plays out.

Yeah, lucky for them, they aren't shredding those rear tires like crazy.

Jason Campbell70 said:Yeah, lucky for them, they aren't shredding those rear tires like crazy.

I don't think it's really about the tires. It's more about the FRIC system, which helps prevent the front end from diving. By doing that, it stabilizes the aero balance and keeps the car at the right ride height.
To be clear, I'm not saying Mercedes isn't struggling with tire wear—that's obviously still an issue.

Webber takes the win, while Vettel pulls out

Raymond Anderson4 said:I don't think it's really about the tires. It's more about the FRIC system, which helps prevent the front end from diving. By doing that, it stabilizes the aero balance and keeps the car at the right ride height.
To be clear, I'm not saying Mercedes isn't struggling with tire wear—that's obviously still an issue.

What does he mean, "it isn't about the tires"?

Raymond Anderson4 said:I don't think it's really about the tires. It's more about the FRIC system, which helps prevent the front end from diving. By doing that, it stabilizes the aero balance and keeps the car at the right ride height.
To be clear, I'm not saying Mercedes isn't struggling with tire wear—that's obviously still an issue.

Then what exactly is he downplaying?

Indianapolis is a track where Red Bull usually shows some serious pace.
That’s why this weekend serves as a real benchmark for everyone else—it'll show us if they can actually hold their own on Red Bull's home turf.
So, I won't act shocked or overly dramatic if Red Bull pulls off another win.
But honestly? If anyone manages to go toe-to-toe with them and actually takes the win, that would be a massive statement of intent for the field (especially for Ferrari, though I'm rooting for Kimi too).

Amanda Kelly said:Indianapolis is a track where Red Bull usually shows some serious pace.
That’s why this weekend serves as a real benchmark for everyone else—it'll show us if they can actually hold their own on Red Bull's home turf.
So, I won't act shocked or overly dramatic if Red Bull pulls off another win.
But honestly? If anyone manages to go toe-to-toe with them and actually takes the win, that would be a massive statement of intent for the field (especially for Ferrari, though I'm rooting for Kimi too).

Personally, I see this as a 50-50 toss-up between Ferrari and Red Bull. Honestly, wouldn't surprise me if they locked out the top four spots. I expect The Mercedes to struggle—they'll likely be fighting off Lotus and STR, which might actually be a pleasant little surprise.

I won't even attempt a prediction for McLaren; I can only hope...

Keeping my fingers crossed for Ferrari, though they always seem to find a way to screw things up.

Man, what did this three-week break do to me? I'm acting like a total crystal ball enthusiast here. 🤷 😁

Hamilton absolutely thrives on this track, it's like he was born for it.☕
That makes Mercedes the No. 1 favorite, regardless of anything else.☕

But hey, considering Red Bull's private😉test, who really knows?😁
Jerry Rogers6, just so you know, Webber was better on day one, while Vettel took the lead for the next two... but the gaps are tiny. We're talking maybe a second or two at most.😬 🤣

Pirelli predicts various pit strategies for the upcoming Grand Prix

Formula One teams will be using Pirelli tyres for the Grand Prix this weekend. Even with a conservative mix of hard and medium compounds, expect plenty of pit stops.

Paul Hembery, motorsport director for the Italian tyre manufacturer, suggests we could see three or even four stops if the weather turns.

http://www.etyres.co.uk/news/pirelli...rix-14030.html

Just give me more. 🍿

stormybadger8 said:Hamilton absolutely thrives on this track, it's like he was born for it.☕
That makes Mercedes the No. 1 favorite, regardless of anything else.☕

But hey, considering Red Bull's private😉test, who really knows?😁
Jerry Rogers6, just so you know, Webber was better on day one, while Vettel took the lead for the next two... but the gaps are tiny. We're talking maybe a second or two at most.😬 🤣

The No. 1 truth is that he was absolutely brilliant in the junior categories. But that’s exactly the problem—he’ll probably convince himself he's untouchable back home, and instead of driving in sync with the car's optimal resource management (read: tire wear), he’ll just go out there and do his own thing.

I’m certain Levi's is going to end up finishing behind dear Rosberg—assuming they even finish at all. And those high-speed corner combinations... hmm. I suspect the rear tires on The Mercedes are going to be screaming this weekend.

Honestly, if McLaren can just scrape together a single point, I’ll call it a win...

It’s kind of wild that Jenson Button has never actually stood on the podium at Indianapolis Motor Speedway...😁

Who knows, maybe this is finally the year.🤣
It would be absolute comedy if he pulled it off in one of those absolute garbage McLarens instead of doing it with Brawn.😁