2013 British Grand Prix at Indianapolis (June 30th)

These three-week breaks are dragging on way too long.....way too long...

steelmaker83 said:These three-week breaks are dragging on way too long.....way too long...

You wait, and you wait, and you wait... only to miss out in the end. 😁

Jason Campbell70 said:You wait, and you wait, and you wait... only to miss out in the end. 😁

Depends on what you're waiting for. Let's say Seb is waiting for a birthday present. Is he actually going to see it? It would be nice if Fernando sent him some congratulations from the top of the podium in Silverstone, and then maybe one more time in Germany—since Fernando is such a generous guy.

After the well-deserved toast, he can just hand over the rest of the champagne as his gift.

Gene: "Alonso isn't happy. He's dealing with tire degradation, poor traction, and a total lack of stability—basically, there's just no grip left in the rear."
:/

Exactly what time does the damn thing start? 😬

Olivia Martin12 said:Oh yeah, I totally forgot to mention one 🤦McLaren

Honestly, I think it would be less embarrassing if they just didn't show up at all—instead of this pathetic mid-grid wandering 🙄

People shouldn't even bother with the facepalms. They need a massive kick in the rear. This season is already a lost cause for McLaren, so there's no point beating your head against a wall over it. They should just bow out gracefully, focus entirely on next year, and try to finish this season with as little embarrassment as possible—though what we've seen so far is plenty. Jenson is sitting at 10th in the standings right now. If he manages to hold onto that top 10 spot until the end of the year, it’ll actually be a win, as bad as that sounds.

A few thoughts from some of the drivers following the first day of practice:

Webber: Seb and I were running on different tire compounds today, as we were primarily focused on dialing in our race setups. After all, nobody is going to just glide effortlessly to the front during the race, right?
Vettel: I’m feeling quite satisfied. We managed to get through both short runs and longer stints today, and tomorrow we will have to make a strategic decision during the third practice session regarding whether to prioritize qualifying trim or focus entirely on race pace.

Rosberg: We showed some real speed during one of the laps—one might even expect great things from us in qualifying—but I suspect our true challenge will be maintaining that pace under actual race conditions.
Hamilton: I am struggling somewhat with the balance of the car, though I remain hopeful that we can rectify those issues tomorrow.

Alonso: Tire behavior is going to be the deciding factor here. We simply have to account for the fact that the track conditions on Sunday will be significantly different from what we experienced today.
Massa: I must admit I am disappointed, having lost such precious time today after running wide and leaving the track. Fortunately, the car didn't sustain any major damage, and seeing the pace Fernando is showing during those longer stints gives me plenty of reason to be optimistic.

Grosjean: It was a solid day for us, and I am pleased with how the car feels. If we can just fine-tune a few specific details, we might find ourselves in a very strong position for qualifying.
Raikkonen: For the most part, we are satisfied with everything today. We spent a good deal of time testing a new device, which we are happy with. I only ran on the hard compound and the new development tires today; while we aren't the fastest on the grid yet, we certainly aren't falling too far behind.

Button: The car isn't bad at all, and honestly, the balance feels much improved compared to what we dealt with in Canada.
Perez: We have put in a significant amount of work, but we are still quite a distance away from the leaders.

steelmaker83 said:These three-week breaks are dragging on way too long.....way too long...

If my memory serves me right, there might be one more break coming up before we hit that standard four-week summer hiatus.😁🙂

Jerry Rogers6 said:🤣🤣

It actually looks quite good on him; he’s definitely channeling those Musketeers from the old movies.

A few more thoughts regarding the upcoming race:

Track profile

Silverstone – 3.7 miles kilometers. The full race distance covers 52 laps, totaling 306.227 kilometers. There are 18 corners in all. It’s a blistering high-speed circuit built upon the grounds of a former WWII airfield. With so many high-speed turns, it presents a massive aerodynamic challenge, yet it remains remarkably gentle on the brakes.

Aerodynamic configuration – med / high downforce. Top speed 193 miles/h (when utilizing the Drag Reduction System) – 187 miles/h when it's not.

Full throttle duration – 66% of the lap (medium). Total fuel load required for the race distance – 150 kilos (average/high). Fuel consumption rate – 2.36kg per lap (high)

Braking duration: 9% of the lap (very low). There are 9 distinct braking zones. Brake wear - Low.

Estimated total pit stop time: 25 seconds.

Fuel Effect (lap time penalty per 10kg of fuel weight): 0.38 seconds (high)

Pit stop strategy and projected windows

Since the updated pit lane at Silverstone is actually quite lengthy, a single stop feels a bit sluggish compared to typical F1 standards, clocking in at about 25 seconds total. You have to wonder—does this push teams toward fewer stops to minimize time lost? Most likely, yes.

Based on early projections—assuming we aren't washed out by rain—a two-stop strategy looks like the most probable path. We could see the first window opening between laps 10 and 15, followed by a second stop somewhere between laps 29 and 35.

However, the real deciding factor will be how they manage the medium and hard compounds. Since the medium tire is the go-to for qualifying, the top ten drivers will likely kick things off on those. But what will the strategists decide? They'll be hunting for the specific tire combination that yields the quickest overall pace over the 52 laps, especially since overtaking shouldn't be a major headache here.

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2013/0...sh-grand-prix/

Looking at the data, a two-stop strategy seems plausible, though I suspect it might be cutting it a bit close.
The track layout really invites passing, so I don't anticipate anyone getting stuck in a traffic jam.

ruggedfox28 said:Let's all just bask in the glory of Maestralan Obrvanov's eyebrows

🙂

Yep... just like I said... forget about rain this weekend. Saturday looks partly cloudy and Sunday should be sunny without a single cloud in sight...

Lotus would probably love this weather 🙏

McLaren won't care either way 🤣

Mercedes will be doing just fine

Red Bull can handle anything

Ferrari's got pure class 🙏

Honestly, Lotus would be way better off if the track was another 20-30C hotter.

Alex Fowler5 said:Honestly, Lotus would be way better off if the track was another 20-30C hotter.

Yeah, but since we're talking about the United Kingdom, this is basically the most heat the sun can cook up over there in any realistic scenario...

sukKi said:🤣🤣

Now he’s going to let a beard like that grow out for the annual vacation. 🙏

Alex Fowler5 said:Honestly, Lotus would be way better off if the track was another 20-30C hotter.

Boullier is claiming that the new upgrade package should work even in cooler conditions.🤷
We'll see. They made similar claims last year about major improvements mid-season, and it didn't exactly pan out the way they promised.

Raymond Anderson4 As the user provided only the prompt said:" (meaning "says:"), which serves as an introduction to a quote rather than the content itself, there is no text available to rewrite. Please provide the full content you wish for me to transform into a unique, US-based English piece while maintaining the specified persona and substitutions.
Boullier asserts that the upcoming upgrade package is specifically engineered to perform optimally in colder climates. One has to wonder, though—can a mere technical adjustment truly offset the fundamental challenges posed by dropping temperatures?🤷
We shall see, though I suspect history is destined to repeat itself. It was much the same last year when they arrived mid-season boasting about some massive technical breakthrough, only for that supposed advantage to vanish into thin air once the rubber actually hit the track. Why should we expect a different outcome this time?

One would assume that the Lotus should perform quite adequately under these damp and chilly conditions, yet by some inexplicable stroke of misfortune, Ferrari seems to be struggling just to get their tires up to temperature.

Last year, the rain was practically handing us victories on a silver platter, yet this season? If we aren't staring down a heatwave of 90 degrees with dead air and not a single cloud in sight, what exactly am I supposed to do with this car? Is there even a point in showing up?

What kind of car is that, exactly? One that only shows any semblance of competitive pace when the sun is out and conditions are absolutely perfect, yet the moment a light drizzle hits the track, it immediately collapses into the middle of the pack?

Is it not entirely reasonable to assume that by 2014, they will have successfully integrated the components of their 2012 chassis—which performed admirably in the rain—with the 2013 model, which was exceptional under the sun, to finally present a car capable of challenging Red Bull Racing?

Is it just my perception, or is this entire season already spiraling toward a complete disaster for Finger?

vividlynx68 said:Exactly what time does the damn thing start? 😬

at 2

Not great 😢

steelmaker83 said:What was the problem? He drove as hard as he could. In fact, he went even further than that.

He was absolutely brilliant.🙏
I don't see why anyone's bothering me about it—just let the guy keep going.👍

Jason Campbell70 said:It’s a shame I couldn't tune in to the qualifying session alongside Mladen Jergović and his expert analysis.

Lewis Hamilton was absolutely brilliant, even right in the heart of Northamptonshire. 🙏🙏🙏
I wonder if the equipment they use to support the younger crew is finally giving out? 🙏

Has Jergović really made his return to the booth? I was watching Sky, and somehow, the moment passed me by entirely.

Good sun out at Silverstone.