2013 Car Reveal & Winter Testing Kickoff

Amanda Kelly said:😁
God forbid Ferrari actually performs well enough to make Massi redundant. That would be too much luck for me.

And what about how things wrapped up at the end of last season?

Tyler Bennett5 said:For teams like Haas or Williams, the real game-changer is going to be resource management.
It all boils down to how they kick off the season and whether they have the bandwidth to keep pace with the technical evolution
of the rest of the field. There’s also the massive question of whether they can secure enough funding.
And ultimately, we have to look at when they decide to pull the plug on current upgrades and pivot entirely toward developing the 2014 car.

Williams showed last year they have the pedigree. Engineering-wise, at least, and I suspect elsewhere too. That's why I'm keeping an eye on them.

Of course, Kimi needs to find that 2012 form again. Some will say that's a given, a total no-brainer. But things don't always work out that way, so I'll believe it when I see it.
2012 was his standout year. To me, he seems to find more inspiration—maybe even his only real spark—when he isn't stuck in one of those top-tier cars.
Looking back, the top three from 2012 all drove their absolute best races. Though, Kimi being in that mix still feels a bit like a surprise to me. I guess I'm just still thinking about that messy exit from Ferrari.

Nathan Jones98 said:And what about how things wrapped up at the end of last season?

I’ve been running on zero sleep lately. Remind me again.
But should he have shut him down? 🤷 Honestly, I wouldn't have missed a moment like that.

Amanda Kelly said:I’ve been running on zero sleep lately. Remind me again.
But should he have shut him down? 🤷 Honestly, I wouldn't have missed a moment like that.

What about those races in Austin and Brazil?
He practically ate Alonso alive for breakfast. No idea where he found that kind of momentum all of a sudden, but man, you gotta respect it.

Nathan Jones98 said:What about those races in Austin and Brazil?
He practically ate Alonso alive for breakfast. No idea where he found that kind of momentum all of a sudden, but man, you gotta respect it.

South Korea 😬

William Bennett53 said:It seems far easier to simply root for the mainstream drivers. 😁Vettel always has this dedicated core of supporters who never seem to find anything to complain about. Alonso, on the other hand, has an endless crowd behind him, including at least one individual who reports every single minor slip-up... honestly, if you follow the usual online forums—which I find myself forced to do—you'll occasionally see these soap opera fans bickering among themselves, demanding penalties for any perceived insult directed toward their favorite icons. 🤣

But let's move past all that and get back to our own discussions.

What are your thoughts on the general consensus that Sauber and Renault were the standout performers of the first round of testing? Personally, those two are my absolute favorite teams, and seeing them actually become competitive this season would be nothing short of a dream come true. 🙏

And that one guy is just as loud as all these Alonso fans combined. Of course he isn't complaining when everything is going his way—which, so far, it always is.😁

I guess since I didn't cast my vote during the first round (not that anyone actually voted😢), I’m now officially voting IN FAVOR of insulting drivers.

It’s certainly never a problem to take a little jab at Kimi’s drinking habits.😁

steelmaker83 said:And that one guy is just as loud as all these Alonso fans combined. Of course he isn't complaining when everything is going his way—which, so far, it always is.😁

I guess since I didn't cast my vote during the first round (not that anyone actually voted😢), I’m now officially voting IN FAVOR of insulting drivers.

It’s certainly never a problem to take a little jab at Kimi’s drinking habits.😁

Look, complaining will always win the volume contest🤣 even if, by some miracle, there was actually a reason to do it.😁
It doesn't matter how much noise he makes.😬

William Bennett53 said:It seems far easier to simply root for the mainstream drivers. 😁Vettel always has this dedicated core of supporters who never seem to find anything to complain about. Alonso, on the other hand, has an endless crowd behind him, including at least one individual who reports every single minor slip-up... honestly, if you follow the usual online forums—which I find myself forced to do—you'll occasionally see these soap opera fans bickering among themselves, demanding penalties for any perceived insult directed toward their favorite icons. 🤣

But let's move past all that and get back to our own discussions.

What are your thoughts on the general consensus that Sauber and Renault were the standout performers of the first round of testing? Personally, those two are my absolute favorite teams, and seeing them actually become competitive this season would be nothing short of a dream come true. 🙏

If Sauber actually manages to become a consistent points-scorer all season, I’ll eat my hat. I have this weird, irrational soft spot for them, and I’d love to see them fight, especially since they took such a massive risk with their design this year.

But then again, watching them perform while knowing someone like Kamui Kobayashi could be sitting in that seat—not because of talent, but just because of money and marketing—ugh. It makes me lose all faith in this sport and the world in general.

swiftstag66 said:If Sauber actually manages to become a consistent points-scorer all season, I’ll eat my hat. I have this weird, irrational soft spot for them, and I’d love to see them fight, especially since they took such a massive risk with their design this year.

But then again, watching them perform while knowing someone like Kamui Kobayashi could be sitting in that seat—not because of talent, but just because of money and marketing—ugh. It makes me lose all faith in this sport and the world in general.

Don't sweat it. Hulkenberg is right there, and he's proven more times over that Kobayashi ever could. Let's be real, besides making flashy moves, Kobayashi hasn't shown much.

So, they have one rock-solid, high-quality driver in Hulkenberg. The other guy is basically a second-tier driver who brings in the massive sponsorship checks needed to fund this radical new design. And hey, who knows? Maybe this little Gutierrez kid turns out to be better than Perez.

In theory, Sauber's lineup might actually be better than their 2011 squad. Hulkenberg beats Kobayashi hands down, and Gutierrez is just another wildcard, much like Perez was back in 2011.

What if Gutierrez is the next Vettel? You never know. There’s always going to be a "next Vettel" popping up somewhere. Who knows who it is? It doesn't say on his forehead.

Listen, even Vettel didn't have "Vettel" written on him when he jumped into that BMW—well, technically it was Sauber, crazy how things work—and replaced Kubica in 2007. And we all know how that turned out.

So just let it go. You never truly know.

Paul Hall25 said:Don't sweat it. Hulkenberg is right there, and he's proven more times over that Kobayashi ever could. Let's be real, besides making flashy moves, Kobayashi hasn't shown much.

So, they have one rock-solid, high-quality driver in Hulkenberg. The other guy is basically a second-tier driver who brings in the massive sponsorship checks needed to fund this radical new design. And hey, who knows? Maybe this little Gutierrez kid turns out to be better than Perez.

In theory, Sauber's lineup might actually be better than their 2011 squad. Hulkenberg beats Kobayashi hands down, and Gutierrez is just another wildcard, much like Perez was back in 2011.

What if Gutierrez is the next Vettel? You never know. There’s always going to be a "next Vettel" popping up somewhere. Who knows who it is? It doesn't say on his forehead.

Listen, even Vettel didn't have "Vettel" written on him when he jumped into that BMW—well, technically it was Sauber, crazy how things work—and replaced Kubica in 2007. And we all know how that turned out.

So just let it go. You never truly know.

I'm a huge fan of Hulk.

As for Kamui, here’s the thing: as an average fan just watching the races, I have the luxury of overthinking things without having to worry about sponsors, money, driver potential, or business plans. From my perspective, I couldn't care less what Kobayashi's ceiling is or how much value he brings to his team this season or next, financially or in points. And look, it's not like he doesn't have some results under his belt.

From my comfortable little bubble, I can't help but feel bad when drivers like Kamui get kicked off the grid. He's spectacular, making overtakes in places you wouldn't even dream of, yet he's still a driver who respects everyone else on track.
...unlike last year's rookies who all showed up with massive hype only to drive like absolute garbage.
...unlike Hamilton, who spent years at a top-tier team without really growing up, only now starting to build the character of a true champion.
...unlike Vettel, a three-time champ who won't grab a position illegally—he plays it by the rules. Look at his performance in Germany.

That's what happens when you start romanticizing F1. I'm not out here waiting for a new Vettel every season; I'm looking for the next Raikkonen, Kobayashi, or Kubica.

swiftstag66 said:I'm a huge fan of Hulk.

As for Kamui, here’s the thing: as an average fan just watching the races, I have the luxury of overthinking things without having to worry about sponsors, money, driver potential, or business plans. From my perspective, I couldn't care less what Kobayashi's ceiling is or how much value he brings to his team this season or next, financially or in points. And look, it's not like he doesn't have some results under his belt.

From my comfortable little bubble, I can't help but feel bad when drivers like Kamui get kicked off the grid. He's spectacular, making overtakes in places you wouldn't even dream of, yet he's still a driver who respects everyone else on track.
...unlike last year's rookies who all showed up with massive hype only to drive like absolute garbage.
...unlike Hamilton, who spent years at a top-tier team without really growing up, only now starting to build the character of a true champion.
...unlike Vettel, a three-time champ who won't grab a position illegally—he plays it by the rules. Look at his performance in Germany.

That's what happens when you start romanticizing F1. I'm not out here waiting for a new Vettel every season; I'm looking for the next Raikkonen, Kobayashi, or Kubica.

But Vettel is better than Raikkonen, Kobayashi, and Kubica combined.

Look, it's not his fault if he grabs pole and then disappears into the distance, making the race for first place boring. But if we complain about that, we shouldn't be wishing for the next Clark or Senna either, because that's exactly how they won: pole position and pure blitzkrieg style.

If Vettel has a weakness, it's his personality; he lacks charisma. But once he puts on one of those million helmets over that blank expression and climbs into an Adrian Newey masterpiece, he becomes a mix of Clark, Senna, Fangio, Andretti, and Mario all rolled into one.

And let's be real, Kobayashi and Kubica aren't even in the same zip code as that. Kimi is close, but Vettel is still the superior driver. Period. Most importantly, Vettel never loses his edge.

Paul Hall25 said:But Vettel is better than Raikkonen, Kobayashi, and Kubica combined.

Look, it's not his fault if he grabs pole and then disappears into the distance, making the race for first place boring. But if we complain about that, we shouldn't be wishing for the next Clark or Senna either, because that's exactly how they won: pole position and pure blitzkrieg style.

If Vettel has a weakness, it's his personality; he lacks charisma. But once he puts on one of those million helmets over that blank expression and climbs into an Adrian Newey masterpiece, he becomes a mix of Clark, Senna, Fangio, Andretti, and Mario all rolled into one.

And let's be real, Kobayashi and Kubica aren't even in the same zip code as that. Kimi is close, but Vettel is still the superior driver. Period. Most importantly, Vettel never loses his edge.

Wow, thanks. A "new me." That’s just great. 😍.

William Bennett53 said:It seems far easier to simply root for the mainstream drivers. 😁Vettel always has this dedicated core of supporters who never seem to find anything to complain about. Alonso, on the other hand, has an endless crowd behind him, including at least one individual who reports every single minor slip-up... honestly, if you follow the usual online forums—which I find myself forced to do—you'll occasionally see these soap opera fans bickering among themselves, demanding penalties for any perceived insult directed toward their favorite icons. 🤣

But let's move past all that and get back to our own discussions.

What are your thoughts on the general consensus that Sauber and Renault were the standout performers of the first round of testing? Personally, those two are my absolute favorite teams, and seeing them actually become competitive this season would be nothing short of a dream come true. 🙏

In what way exactly is Renault the star of this test?

Is it because they tried to pass off last year's car as a "brand new" model?

Baton’s got way more muscle behind him than Vettel ever did, seriously 😁

That helmet of his is basically his whole identity at this point, and honestly, the damn thing was custom-engineered for a reason.

Jason Campbell70 said:In what way exactly is Renault the star of this test?

Is it because they tried to pass off last year's car as a "brand new" model?

nah, mostly because even their old junker from last season was clearly fast.

personality🤣
As far as I'm concerned, who cares about Vettel's personality? Let him grab his poles, wins, and championships. If we're talking about a "personality fail," that could be anyone else in my book.😁🤣

Nathan Jones98 said:nah, mostly because even their old junker from last season was clearly fast.

Are you talking about the lap times they just clocked in Austin?

Jason Campbell70 said:Are you talking about the lap times they just clocked in Austin?

Isn't that basically the only benchmark we've got so far?

Nathan Jones98 said:Isn't that basically the only benchmark we've got so far?

A reference? Definitely.
Relevant? Not even close.

Jason Campbell70 said:In what way exactly is Renault the star of this test?

Is it because they tried to pass off last year's car as a "brand new" model?

What makes you think the E21 is just a rebranded E20??
Look, it’s an evolution of last year’s design—that’s how almost every team does it—but calling it the exact same car? No. Absolutely not. 🙂