Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Otto Stuppacher
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Born : 3rd March 1947 - Died : 13th August 2001

Short News :

Hamilton tops penultimate day for Mercedes :
Lewis Hamilton ended the third day of the final pre-season Barcelona test on top of the timesheets.
The weather was the best seen so far and the Mercedes driver's morning effort of 1m20.558s, set on Pirelli's soft tyre, proved quicker than anyone could manage in the afternoon. It is also the fastest lap seen at the Spanish circuit in 2013. For some time nobody got within a second of Hamilton, but Felipe Massa eventually did in the afternoon. The Ferrari driver had several short runs on both soft and supersoft rubber.
His best of 1m21.266s on the supersoft moved him ahead of Adrian Sutil's Force India, just before a wheel came off the F138 and brought out the red flags. Sutil, who was second fastest in the morning, ran a race simulation in the afternoon, but his earlier 1m21.627s effort was still good enough for third.
Despite delays in the arrival of new Williams parts, and his subsequent late start to the day, Pastor Maldonado ended up fourth. He handed the FW35 over to F1 rookie Valtteri Bottas for the afternoon. After several runs on harder tyres, he got within 0.2s of his team-mate to finish fifth.
Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez was next thanks to his efforts in the morning. Like Sutil and Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne, he focused on longer runs in the afternoon.
Mark Webber spent much of the day doing aero work or trying the harder tyres. After the late red flag, he had a quick run on the soft tyre and set 1m22.658s to end the day seventh fastest for Red Bull.
Thanks to Kimi Raikkonen's illness, Romain Grosjean returned to the Lotus for the afternoon and set a best of 1m23.380s for 10th spot.

1. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP - W04 : 1:20.558 laps 117
2. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - F138 : 1:21.266 + 0.708 laps 94
3. Adrian Sutil : Force India - VJM06 : 1:21.627 + 1.069 laps 109
4. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - FW35 : 1:22.305 + 1.747 laps 34
5. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - FW35 : 1:22.468 + 1.910 laps 31
6. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber - C32 : 1:22.553 + 1.995 laps 99
7. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - RB9 : 1:22.658 + 2.100 laps 59
8. Sergio Perez : McLaren - MP4-28 : 1:22.694 + 2.136 laps 101
9. Jean-Eric Vergne : Toro Rosso - STR8 : 1:23.223 + 2.665 laps 114
10. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - E21 : 1:23.380 + 2.822 laps 46
11. Davide Valsecchi : Lotus - E21 : 1:23.448 + 2.890 laps 16
12. Jules Bianchi : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 : 1:24.028 + 3.470 laps 74
13. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - CT03 : 1:24.235 + 3.677 laps 126
14. Kimi Räikkönen : Lotus - E21 : no time : laps 0


seriously ?
Felipe Massa Loses a Wheel


Tomorrow will be the final and last day of testing ,before they ship everything to Melbourne -Australia for the first race of the 2013 season !!!

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

i'm looking forward to see the new season

Short News :

Grosjean quickest for Lotus on day two :
Romain Grosjean topped the second day of the final pre-season Formula 1 test at Barcelona.
The Lotus driver had brought the morning session to a premature halt when his car stopped out on the circuit, but he ended up fastest with a 1m22.716s lap on soft tyres in the afternoon.
Jenson Button's McLaren had set the pace in the morning and he looked strong for most of the afternoon.
With the day starting wet and gradually drying until a shower at the very end, Button's morning time was soon surpassed in the afternoon. But runs on the medium-compound slick Pirellis kept Button near the top of the timesheets and his 1m23.181s was the day's best medium-tyred time.
Pastor Maldonado's Williams jumped to third in the closing minutes, just getting his run in before the rain, which has dogged Barcelona testing this year, returned. That left him ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who also made a late improvement, and the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg in fifth.
Adrian Sutil, recently confirmed as Force India's second driver, actually topped the times after lunch, but the squad elected not to do as much running later and he slipped to sixth.
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso concentrated on longer runs, with Alonso in particular running consecutive stints on the hard tyre when the track was at its best. That meant he ended up at the bottom of the times. An otherwise clean session was interrupted twice in the last 20 minutes. First, Giedo van der Garde's Caterham stopped and then, after the restart, Maldonado's Williams brought the day to a slightly early conclusion.

1. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - E21 : 1:22.716 laps 88
2. Jenson Button : McLaren - MP4-28 : 1:23.181 + 0.465 laps 72
3. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - FW35 : 1:23.628 + 0.912 laps 75
4. Sebastian Vettel : Red Bull Racing - RB9 : 1:23.743 + 1.027 laps 65
5. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - C32 : 1:23.744 + 1.028 laps 79
6. Adrian Sutil : Force India - VJM06 : 1:24.215 + 1.499 laps 62
7. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - STR8 : 1:25.483 + 2.767 laps 61
8. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 : 1:25.598 + 2.882 laps 75
9. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - CT03 : 1:26.316 + 3.600 laps 48
10. Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP - W04 : 1:26.655 + 3.939 laps 120
11. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari - F138 : 1:27.878 + 5.162 laps 102
12. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - FW35 : no time set : laps 0

Jules Bianchi to replace Luiz Razia in Marussia Formula 1 team :
Jules Bianchi will race for Marussia this season after the team was forced to terminate Luiz Razia's contract .
The Frenchman will test for the team at Barcelona on Saturday and then complete half a day of running on Sunday. Although the deal is not believed to have been signed yet, Bianchi will make his debut in the Australian Grand Prix later this month. Bianchi is known to be able to bring some money to Marussia, although he will struggle to match the starting price being quoted by the team, believed to be just over the £5 million mark.
Razia was announced as a race driver during the first pre-season Formula 1 test at Jerez after his backer made an initial payment for the seat. F1 newsflash understands that second scheduled payment deadline was missed, which led to the team pulling Razia from the car in last week's Barcelona test and running team-mate Max Chilton for all four days. Marussia allowed extra time for the agreed backing to appear and held off on making a decision until the Friday of the final test, but has now been forced to take the decision to drop Razia.

Kind Regards
Shaky-schumi

Short News :

Summary: Who test when during the last winter test ? :
Red Bull:
- Thursday : Mark Webber
- Friday : Sebastian Vettel
- Saturday : Mark Webber
- Sunday : Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari:
- Thursday Felipe Massa
- Friday : Fernando Alonso
- Saturday : Felipe Massa
- Sunday : Fernando Alonso

McLaren:
- Thursday : Sergio Perez
- Friday : Jenson Button
- Saturday : Sergio Perez
- Sunday : Jenson Button

Lotus:
-Thursday : Romain Grosjean
- Friday : Romain Grosjean
- Saturday : Kimi Raikkonen
- Sunday : Kimi Raikkonen

Mercedes:
- Thursday : Lewis Hamilton
- Friday : Nico Rosberg
- Saturday : Lewis Hamilton
- Sunday : Nico Rosberg

Sauber:
- Thursday : Esteban Gutierrez
- Friday : Nico Hülkenberg
- Saturday : Esteban Gutierrez
- Sunday : Nico Hülkenberg

Force India:
- Thursday : TBC *
- Friday : TBC *
- Saturday : TBC *
- Sunday : TBC *

Williams:
- Thursday : Valtteri Bottas
- Friday : Valtteri Bottas
- Saturday : Pastor Maldonado
- Sunday : Pastor Maldonado

Scuderia Toro Rosso:
- Thursday : Jean-Eric Vergne
- Friday : Daniel Ricciardo
- Saturday : Jean-Eric Vergne
- Sunday : Daniel Ricciardo

Caterham:
- Thursday : Charles Pic
- Friday : Giedo van der Garde
- Saturday : Giedo vand er Garde
- Sunday : Charles Pic

Marussia:
- Thursday : Max Chilton
- Friday : TBC *
- Saturday : TBC *
- Sunday : TBC *
TBC = To Be Confirmed

Official: Force India signs Sutil for 2013 :
Adrian Sutil has been confirmed as a Force India driver for the upcoming Formula 1 campaign, with the Silverstone-based outfit announcing his comeback at the final pre-season test in Barcelona. The German reunites with Paul di Resta and will make his first race start since the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix later this month.
Sutil, whose Formula 1 debut came under the Spyker guise back in 2007, beat Jules Bianchi to the vacancy. He returns after being replaced by Nico Hülkenberg at the end of 2011, the year in which he was charged with grievous bodily harm for attacking Genii Capital Chairman Eric Lux with a champagne glass in a Shanghai nightclub. Speaking of his new deal, Sutil says he is overjoyed to be given 'a second chance'.
"I’m delighted to be back in Formula 1, especially with a team I know so well," explained Sutil, who turned 30 last month. "I’m very happy and I want to thank Sahara Force India for giving me a second chance. Having been away from the sport, I’m even more determined to achieve my goals in Formula 1.
"Things went really well at the Barcelona test last week and it almost feels as though I’ve never been away. Driving the car felt so natural and I was able to get back in the groove quickly and find the limit. Now my focus is on making the most of the final test this week, working with the team in the simulator and getting myself in the best possible shape for Melbourne." Force India's Team Principal, Dr. Vijay Mallya, added that the choice between Sutil and Bianchi was far from straightforward. Having given the decision 'great consideration', the 57-year-old businessman said Sutil's experience and knowledge of the team played in his favour, but he is determined to continue working with Bianchi in 2013.
"The decision over our driver line-up has not been an easy one and we have given it great consideration over the last few months," said Mallya. "It was a close call, but ultimately we felt that Adrian’s experience and historic links to the team gave him the edge, and will provide us with the best possible chance of realising our ambitions for the coming season.
"If he can rediscover the exceptional form he showed in the second half of 2011, I’m confident that we can pick up where we left off at the end of 2012. As for Jules Bianchi, he has impressed us enormously with his speed and work ethic. I’m hopeful we can continue working with him this year to help him develop into a future Grand Prix driver." During their sole season as team-mates in 2011, Sutil outscored di Resta by 42 points to 27, with the pair guiding Force India to sixth in the Constructors' standings.

Barcelona F1 test: Mark Webber tops first day for Red Bull on the last 4 days of testing :
Mark Webber put Red Bull on top of the timesheets on the opening day of Formula 1's final pre-season test at Barcelona on Thursday. The Australian's 1m22.693s lap time was set on soft-compound Pirelli tyres with just seven minutes of running remaining and put him 1.655s clear of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.
After the late-morning rain left drivers with a wet track to tackle, rain tyres were the weapons of choice during the early afternoon running, with Webber recording a series of 1m44s laps.
Track conditions soon improved enough for intermediates, with Paul di Resta the first man to try the green-stickered Pirellis in his Force India. Webber having lowered the pace to the 1m38s bracket, it was Felipe Massa who was the first to gamble on a switch to slicks, the Ferrari driver using medium-compound rubber to gradually bring the times down into the 1m30s. By that stage conditions were dry enough to allow a range of tyre strategies to be deployed, with medium, soft and supersoft rubber all being used at various points during the afternoon. A late red flag, caused when Massa's Ferrari stopped at the exit of Turn 9, led to a flurry of fast times during the 12 minutes that remained. Webber and Hamilton initially exchanged the top spot before the Red Bull driver twice went quicker still to end the day on top. Hamilton, who suffered a quick spin at Turn 1 while on pushing hard on slicks, was followed by Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso, the Williams of Valtteri Bottas and McLaren's Sergio Perez. Hamilton completed more laps than anybody else. His total of 113 was one more than Massa. Perez was the only other driver to get into triple figures.

1. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - RB9 : 1:22.693 laps 90
2. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP - W04 : 1:24.348 + 1.655 laps 113
3. Jean-Eric Vergne : Toro Rosso - STR8 : 1:25.017 + 2.324 laps 59
4. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - FW35 : 1:26.458 + 3.765 laps 85
5. Sergio Perez : McLaren - MP4-28 : 1:26.538 + 3.845 laps 100
6. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber - C32 : 1:26.574 + 3.881 laps 92
7. Paul di Resta : Force India - VJM06 : 1:27.107 + 4.414 laps 57
8. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - F138 : 1:27.541 + 4.848 laps 112
9. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 : 1:28.166 + 5.473 laps 78
10. Charles Pic : Caterham - CT03 : 1:28.644 + 5.951 laps 83
11. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - E21 : 1:34.928 + 12.235 laps 52

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Jean-Pierre Wimille
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Born : 26th February 1908 - Died : 28th January 1949

Pedro de la Rosa 24th February 1971
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Happy Birthday to your 42nd anniversary

Short News :

Here are some statistics of the 2nd wintertest done by tyre supplier Pirelli :
Testing Facts:
The teams are allocated 100 sets of tyres per car per year for testing purposes. After an initial contact with the 2013 range for the first time in Jerez, they again concentrated on expanding their knowledge of the new tyre characteristics this year, and how they interact with the new cars: all of which were present for the first time in Barcelona.
Ambient and track temperatures were cool: generally between 10 to 15 degrees centigrade ambient, which was on the whole cooler than the previous Jerez test. This led to some graining, which occurs when a tyre slides if it is not up to temperature, with the friction against the track surface tearing off strips of rubber.
With most of the initial work on new cars already completed in Jerez, the teams were able to also focus on longer runs and race simulations with varying fuel loads. Between two and three pit stops are expected at the first grand prix in Australia: some of the teams that carried out race simulations stopped the equivalent of four times in Barcelona, demonstrating that the ideal target should be met in the more typical conditions of Melbourne.
More Testing Facts:
The time difference between the slick compounds was in the region of 0.5s per lap, but the unusual weather conditions in Barcelona meant that this was not entirely conclusive.
Most laps of Barcelona: V Bottas – 355 laps; F Alonso – 283 laps; M Chilton – 241 laps
The teams sampled the Cinturato Green intermediate and the Cinturato Blue full wet tyre for the first time on Friday. The wet-weather tyres have a new rear construction this year, which improves traction at the rear in particular and reduces snap oversteer.
The fastest overall time of the test set by Fernando Alonso on day three (1m21.875s) comfortably beat the fastest time during testing last year at Barcelona: 1m22.030s (set by Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus).
Barcelona is an extremely technical circuit that tests most aspects of a car’s overall performance. The most stressed tyres at the Circuit de Catalunya are those on the left.
Testing numbers:
Total number of sets brought to Barcelona: 385 sets which equals 1628 tyres
- of which supersoft tyres: 24 sets
- of which soft tyres: 87 sets
- of which medium tyres: 132 sets
- of which hard tyres: 97 sets
- of which intermediate tyres: 40 sets
- of which wet tyres: 27 sets

Total amount of sets used: 303
- of which supersoft tyres: 5 sets
- of which soft tyres: 53 sets
- of which medium tyres: 127 sets
- of which hard tyres: 84 sets
- of which intermediate tyres: 24 sets
- of which wet tyres: 10 sets

Longest run: 24 laps on the hard compound
- 36 laps of the medium compound
- 31 laps on the soft compound
- 16 laps on the supersoft compound
- 29 laps on the intermediate compound
- 22 laps on the wet compound

Highest / lowest ambient temperature over four days: 20 °C (Day 2) / 7 °C (Day 4)
Highest / lowest track temperature over four days: 26 °C (Day 2) / 6 °C (Day 4)

Who was the fastest driver after 4 days of testing tin Barcelona this week :
Fastest lap per driver :
1. Sergio Perez, McLaren, 1:21.848
2. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:21.875
3. Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, 1:22.160
4. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:22.188
5. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:22.197
6. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:22.611
7. Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus, 1:22.623
8. Pastor Maldonado, Williams, 1:22.675
9. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:22.726
10. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:22.826
11. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:22.840
12. Adrian Sutil, Force India, 1:22.877
13. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:23.024
14. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:23.366
15. Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso, 1:23.718
16. Paul di Resta, Force India, 1:23.971
17. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1:25.124
18. Max Chilton, Marussia, 1:25.115
19 Jules Bianchi, Force India, 1:25.732
20. Giedo van der Garde, Caterham, 1:26.177
21. Charles Pic, Caterham, 1:26.243

Number of laps per team :
1. Williams - FW35 : 367 laps
2. Ferrari - F138 : 364 laps
3. Sauber F1 team -C32 : 353 laps
4. Mercedes AMG F1 - W01 : 335 laps
5. Toro Rosso - STR8 : 329 laps
6. Red Bull Racing - RB9 : 322 laps
7. McLaren - MP4-28 : 315 laps
8. Caterham - CT03 : 293 laps
9. Force India - VJM06 : 283 laps
10. Lotus - E21 : 247 laps
11. Marussia F1 Team -MR02 : 241 laps

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

I want to tell u this before the championship begins.

I want to send u this message of what will surely happen this year.

I was just sure 2 months ago but only now i write what you will see in the next november.

THIS YEAR THE WINNER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 WILL BE

KIMI RAIKKONEN !!!!

remember this and you will see..

Short News from at the Circuit de Catalunya , Barcelona-Spain :

Hamilton fastest on rainy day :
Lewis Hamilton went fastest for Mercedes on a rain-hit final day of this week's test at Barcelona.
The Briton had capitalised on a break between showers in the morning session to go top, and his position was assured as the rain returned to further disrupt the afternoon.
On top of the inclement weather teams also had to navigate a series of red flags as a total of eight stoppages punctuated the day. Hamilton himself caused the penultimate red when he stopped between Turns 6 and 7 with little more than 20 minutes to go. The day was then brought to a premature halt as Jules Bianchi, taking over from Adrian Sutil at Force India, also stopped out on track just before the first turn. The sodden afternoon meant there was no change in the morning order. Jenson Button therefore ended the final day second ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne, Bianchi and Esteban Gutierrez. Sauber's rookie was one of the busiest drivers in the afternoon, although he too caused a red when he slid off and into the gravel at Turn 4 early on.
He resumed quickly and eventually clocked up 96 laps, making him the day's busiest man.
Giedo van der Garde put Caterham ahead of Ferrari as he edged out Felipe Massa by just over one tenth of a second. Mark Webber, Max Chilton and Romain Grosjean meanwhile rounded out the top 10.
Williams men Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado - who shared the morning and afternoon respectively - managed a combined 36 laps without setting a time.
Bottas put in the lion's share on a morning he dedicated to pitstop practice, while Maldonado put in 13 laps in the wet afternoon.
1. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP - W04 1:23.282 laps 52
2. Jenson Button : McLaren - MP4-28 1:23.633 + 0.351 laps 70
3. Jean-Eric Vergne : Toro Rosso - STR8 1:24.071 + 0.789 laps 80
4. Jules Bianchi : Force India - VJM06 1:25.732 + 2.450 laps 61
5. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber - C32 1:26.239 + 2.957 laps 96
6. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - CT03 1:27.429 + 4.147 laps 50
7. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - F138 1:27.553 + 4.271 laps 80
8. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - RB9 1:27.616 + 4.334 laps 64
9. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 1:29.902 + 6.620 laps 51
10. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - E21 1:34.800 + 11.518 laps 41
11. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - FW35 : no time : laps 13
12. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - FW35 : no time : laps 23
13. Luiz Razia : Marussia F1 Team -MR02 : no time : laps 0

The third and final winter test of 2013 will take place at Barcelona next week, running from February 28 to March 3.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda 22nd February 1949
[hidden link - please register]
Happy Birthday to your 64th anniversary

Short News from at the Circuit de Catalunya , Barcelona-Spain :

Alonso puts Ferrari on top in Barcelona :
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso set the pace on the penultimate day of the second pre-season test in Barcelona, posting a time of 1:21.875 on a set of Soft tyres to lead Sauber's Nico Hülkenberg by 0.285 seconds. Romain Grosjean finished third for Lotus, recovering most of the team's lost ground with a total of 119 laps.
Even colder air and track temperatures greeted the Formula 1 paddock at the Circuit de Catalunya this morning, with conditions taking a slight turn for the worse. However, this was not on the mind of Adrian Sutil, with the German making his first Formula 1 outing since the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix. He is in a direct fight with Jules Bianchi for the vacany alongside Paul di Resta at Force India, the latter no doubt hoping that the predicted rainfall fails to arrive on Friday.
The fastest times of the day came in the morning session, with Alonso, Hülkenberg and Grosjean all looking rapid on the Soft rubber. Lotus will be particularly pleased with the efforts of its driver, with the Frenchman completing the most mileage of the field after Kimi Räikkönen's technical problems on the opening two days of the test.
Nico Rosberg racked up double the amount of laps he managed on the opening day, touring 108 times in the F1 W04. Just behind the German, Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas occupied fifth and sixth after a shared day in the FW35 chassis. Importantly, Williams is still undecided over the route it is going to take at the front-end of its new car, with the 'stepped nose' making another appearance this morning.
McLaren again suffered a slow start to the day, this time with Jenson Button behind the wheel of the MP4-28 chassis. The 2009 World Champion looked comfortable once out on-track, but was confined to the garage for more than an hour after his initial installation laps. Sutil was next up in eighth place and, although some of his runs were a little erratic, he showed promising form after more than a year on the sidelines.
Mark Webber made his first appearance of the week at Red Bull, taking over from team-mate Sebastian Vettel. After some smaller morning stints he put together a 66-lap run, featuring a total of four pit-stops. Aside from the understandable testing anomalies, the Australian demonstrated consistent pace on the Medium compound tyre.
Jean-Éric Vergne was next up in the Toro Rosso, holding a comfortable margin over Marussia's Max Chilton and Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde. Having returned to the cockpit of the CT03 for the first time since Jerez, the latter signalled the only red flag of the day when he stopped on the exit of Turn 2 with ten minutes remaining.
1. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari - F138 1:21.875 laps 97
2. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - C32 1:22.160 + 0.285 laps 91
3. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - E21 1:22.188 + 0.313 laps 119
4. Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP - W04 1:22.611 + 0.736 laps 108
5. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - FW35 1:22.675 + 0.800 laps 79
6. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - FW35 1:22.826 + 0.951 laps 68
7. Jenson Button : McLaren - MP4-28 1:22.840 + 0.965 laps 71
8. Adrian Sutil : Force India - VJM06 1:22.877 + 1.002 laps 78
9. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - RB9 1:23.024 + 1.149 laps 108
10. Jean-Eric Vergne : Toro Rosso - STR8 1:23.366 + 1.491 laps 106
11. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 1:25.690 + 3.815 laps 58
12. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - CT03 1:26.177 + 4.302 laps 93
13. Luiz Razia : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 :no time : laps 0

Force India not rushing driver decision :
Despite the ongoing delay, Force India is not in a rush to confirm its second driver for the 2013 season, with Deputy Team Principal Bob Fernley explaining that the outfit’s shareholders will move closer to a decision after the first Barcelona test.
The team, which has already confirmed Paul di Resta, is testing former driver Adrian Sutil and Ferrari protégé Jules Bianchi at the Circuit de Catalunya this week. Although it has refuted claims of a so-called shootout, the squad will sign one of the two men.
"We're giving everyone the amount of mileage they need," Fernley explained to Sky Sports as Thursday's track action began. "We'll try and get all the information we have been collecting over to the shareholders this weekend and then it's their decision.
"We want to make sure that it's an even playing field for everybody and that, more importantly, they have got the opportunity to get used to the car. Obviously one of them will come through and we do not want to disadvantage them in any way."
Following on from di Resta's two-day stint in the VJM06 chassis, Sutil has been handed Thursday's running, while Bianchi will get another run in the car on Friday.

I've done everything I can, explains Sutil :
Adrian Sutil says he has done all he can to claim the vacant Force India seat alongside Paul di Resta for the 2013 Formula 1 campaign, with the German being handed one day of testing by the Silverstone-based team at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Returning to the wheel for the first time since the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix, Sutil completed 78 laps and ended the day eighth quickest. The 30-year-old, who is fighting for the seat with Jules Bianchi, says his outing proved his raw pace. " I've done everything I can do to get my comeback, now it's up to them (Force India) to decide," said Sutil. "They know me better than any other team here. I spent six years with the team and they know my performance. I think it was obvious today that I can show I am still quick - that was very important." Sutil believes the decision, which will finalise the grid, must be resting on a financial factor due to the delay, but does not expect to be waiting too much longer.
"It has to be something else otherwise they would have confirmed a driver in plenty of time for the first test," he said. "There is some business behind it. It can't take long anymore as in three weeks there is a race. For me the most important thing was to deliver a performance - I have done my part. I can sleep without any worries."
Bianchi will bring this week's test to a close for Force India on Friday, returning to the cockpit of the VJM06 after his initial outing at the Circuito de Jerez a fortnight ago.

'Very tricky to understand new car' – Button :
Jenson Button says it has been ‘very tricky’ to understand the true performance of McLaren’s new MP4-28 chassis during pre-season testing so far, explaining that at times the car feels comfortable to drive and at other moments it is more of a handful.The Briton, who finished seventh on his first day in Barcelona, says although the issues are slightly disconcerting, it is impossible to judge McLaren's current position.
"It's been very tricky to understand where the car is," Button told reporters in the paddock. "At times the car feels good, but at other times it doesn't. A lot of that is understanding the car and understanding the way it's working to make sure it's working the way we expect it to be. Some of the time that hasn't been the case.
"At Jerez we showed pace, but we also showed that we don't have pace at other times. We don't know where we are and there's no point trying to compare us to others. We've got to sort out our own issues and get the best out of our car."Button added that although simply carrying over the successful MP4-27 with minor tweaks would have ensured instant performance in Australia, a significant design change is required to ensure a strong rate of development throughout the season.
"For us, it's always important to change the car over the winter so we can see a new development direction throughout the year," he said. "It's a long season at 19 races. It's about being strong over the whole season and not just the first couple of races. I’m still hoping that we’re competitive in Melbourne, but there's a possibility that the teams that kept the same car as last year and just developed it could also be strong."

Alonso gains better understanding of tyres :
Fernando Alonso was encouraged by the progress Ferrari made in terms of understanding Pirelli's 2013 tyre compounds in Barcelona on Thursday, with the Spaniard extensively testing both the Soft and Hard compound rubber. After setting the pace with a 1:21.875 on Soft tyres in the morning session, Alonso went on to complete a total of 97 laps. To top off an encouraging day, the double World Champion explained that 'the car reacted as I expected' after each set-up change.
"Today we concentrated on a comparison of the compounds, starting with the Soft and moving on to the Hard," said Alonso. "The track was colder than yesterday, especially in the morning, which made it harder to adapt the car and find the right grip level.
"We tried various aerodynamic configurations and for the first time, we made some set-up changes to get a good understanding of tyre behaviour and degradation. With every change we made, the car reacted as I expected and it was useful to try out the different settings, especially to understand which direction we need to go in next week, when there will be a greater emphasis on performance."
Alonso says the biggest change with Pirelli's new tyre compounds is consistency, explaining that degradation is not only rapid, but it is also difficult to predict.
"The tyres will be one of the crucial aspects," he said. "They are softer and quicker, but also less consistent and they degrade rapidly with every lap. We will have a lot of work to do to understand how best to balance the car, but that applies to all the teams."
Alonso will make way for team-mate Felipe Massa at the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday, with the Brazilian set to complete his first laps since the opening Jerez test.

Teams frustrated by glitches in new software MES :
Pirelli's heavily degrading tyres were not the only 'control' components causing problems for F1 teams in Barcelona this week. The standard electronics used by every team, and supplied by McLaren subsidiary MES according to a FIA tender contract that was recently extended, was also toying with the patience of engineers up and down pitlane as the 'middle' pre-season test in sunny Spain got into gear.
Red Bull - not McLaren's closest friends in the paddock - were being the most vocal at the Circuit de Catalunya, saying the new software supplied by the McLaren company was causing frustration. "But I don't think we were alone in that," said race engineering chief Andy Damerum.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, the problem was so devastating that many teams were operating their cars completely blindly. "It was like the Middle Ages of motor sports," said the German publication.
The background to the glitches is that McLaren has updated its software for the electronic control units - the 'brain' of the F1 cars - in preparation for the turbo V6 rules of 2014. With energy recovery 'ERS' systems to play a much bigger role next year and beyond, more will be asked of the standard electronics and "We have a year to eliminate any weak points", an FIA source said.
Early on in Barcelona this week, however, the new electronics utterly failed. "We could not talk to our car," confirmed Williams' veteran team manager Dickie Stanford.
Because the problems were so widespread, and data so crucial for F1 testing, MES had to revert to the 2012 software, and is now steadily updating the teams with the de-bugged versions. "Every day there are new upgrades," said Ferrari's engine boss Luca Marmorini. "We are sure that everything will work properly in Melbourne."

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Short News from at Circuit de Catalunya , Barcelona- Spain :

Sergio Perez leads Mclaren at day 2 :
Sergio Pérez was the fastest of everyone at the Circuit de Catalunya today, with a lap of 1:21.848. The Mexican set his lap on a one-lap stint on the soft tyres - yellow marking. The closest man to Pérez's time was the reigning world champion, Sebastian Vettel.
Also known as 'Checo', he completed 97 laps of the circuit during the day in order to improve his understanding of the track and car. In the morning the team were trying to understand the relationship between the aerodynamics of the car on track and when in the wind-tunnel. To do this Pérez did lots of short runs. McLaren were also looking at how the car changes with different mechanical set-ups.
When the afternoon session came, he did much longer runs so that he knew some of the key things about his new car - that might have been different on the Sauber C31. These included cockpit switch adjustments and understanding radio messaging.
Vettel was fastest before the teams stopped for lunch, but when the cars returned to the track, the German brought the red flag out and in doing so ended his day of running. This was due to a tyre not being fitted to his RB9 properly - something Red Bull will want to stop by Melbourne.
The 25 year old said, "Obviously we wanted to run a bit longer - and that didn’t work, but better have issues here - after all this is a test - than later on in the season. We’d done several pit stops and obviously at the last one the wheel wasn't fixed properly. That was the reason I couldn't go out again. But again, nothing really to worry about."
Räikkönen continued to show off the Lotus' pace by finishing 3rd fastest, however he also had problems during the day. The Finn had to sit out most of the morning due to a gearbox problem, but his fastest time was set on the medium tyre - white marking.
“If yesterday wasn't an ideal day then today was more of the same. Fortunately, once we were able to get a lap in we could see that the car has good pace. We test to find any problems so in that respect we’re doing a good job, but it’s frustrating.
“It’s no secret that we want to get more laps on the board and that’s the target for the rest of this test and the final sessions next week," said Räikkönen.
Hamilton hit the track for the first time this week, finishing 4th fastest. He completed almost double the length of the Spanish Grand Prix - 121 laps, the most of everyone.
He said, "We had a good day today and it was nice to get so many laps in, we're making continual steps forward in terms of our understanding of the set-up and the tyres. The hard compound work in particular was pretty good today, although all of tyres are showing degradation so looking after them isn't easy.”
The second day for the F138 to be driven with Alonso at the wheel was today, but an exhaust problem prevented him from finishing the team's programme. In the two days of testing so far for the Spaniard, he has completed 176 laps.
Valtteri Bottas was 6th fastest, driving the new FW35 for the first time after it was revealed yesterday. Ricciardo and Paul di Resta weren't far behind either, in 7th and 8th place.
Sauber's Nico Hülkenberg was 9th, with Chilton beating Pic to 10th place.

1. Sergio Perez : McLaren - MP4-28 1:21.848 laps 97
2. Sebastian Vettel : Red Bull Racing - RB9 1:22.197 + 0.349 laps 84
3. Kimi Räikkönen : Lotus - E21 1:22.697 + 0.849 laps 43
4. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP - W04 1:22.726 + 0.878 laps 121
5. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari - F138 1:23.247 + 1.399 laps 76
6. Valtteri Bottas : Williams -1:23.561 + 1.713 laps 98
7. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - STR8 1:23.718 + 1.870 laps 70
8. Paul di Resta : Force India - VJM06 1:23.971 + 2.123 laps 62
9. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - C32 1:24.205 + 2.357 laps 88
10. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 1:25.115 + 3.267 laps 67
11. Charles Pic : Caterham - CT03 1:26.243 + 4.395 laps 102

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

News from at Circuit de Catalunya , Spain :

Nico Rosberg on top on first day of Barcelona F1 testing :
Nico Rosberg narrowly edged out Kimi Raikkonen to put Mercedes on top on the first day of Formula 1 pre-season testing at Barcelona. Both men found improvements after bolting on Pirelli's medium-compound rubber in the final 20 minutes of the day. Rosberg, whose morning had been disrupted by lengthy gearbox checks, was the first to make his move. New overall bests in the final two sectors produced a lap of 1m22.616s and vaulted him to the top of the timesheets.
Minutes later Raikkonen staged his own late rally, but despite bettering Rosberg's sector two time he fell seven thousandths of a second short of putting Lotus on top. Fernando Alonso, again on mediums, was another late improver. On his first day in the Ferrari F138 last year's championship runner-up worked his way down to a 1m22.952s to end the day in third. The flurry of late improvements knocked morning pacesetter and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel down to fourth. The German had gradually improved his lunchtime best and was the first man to dip into the 1m22s bracket, only to be bumped down the order in theclosing stages.
Having launched its FW35 in the morning, Williams ended the day in fifth position courtesy of Pastor Maldonado, a racewinner at Barcelona last year. The Venezuelan spent time at the top of the timesheets in the morning and racked up 85 laps in total, behind only Alonso in 110.
Daniel Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso STR8 shaded McLaren's Sergio Perez in the fight for sixth, while Paul di Resta - the day's third busiest man - was just two hundredths of a second down the road for Force India.
After bringing about the day's first red flag with an early out-of-fuel run, Esteban Gutierrez was ninth fastest and just over 2.5s off the overall pace for Sauber.
Charles Pic was the only other man to cause a stoppage, pulling to the inside of Renault due to a mechanical issue with his Caterham.
He dropped to 11th in the afternoon as Marussia's Max Chilton found improvements with the soft tyre.

1. Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP - W04 1:22.616 laps 54
2. Kimi Räikkönen : Lotus - E21 1:22.623 + 0.007 laps 44
3. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari - F138 1:22.952 + 0.336 laps 110
4. Sebastian Vettel : Red Bull Racing - RB9 1:22.965 + 0.349 laps 66
5. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - FW35 1:23.733 + 1.117 laps 86
6. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - STR8 1:23.884 + 1.268 laps 73
7. Sergio Perez : McLaren - MP4-28 1:24.124 + 1.508 laps 77
8. Paul di Resta : Force India - VJM06 1:24.144 + 1.528 laps 82
9. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber - C32 1:25.124 + 2.508 laps 68
10. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - MR02 1:26.753 + 4.137 laps 65
11. Charles Pic : Caterham - CT03 1:27.534 + 4.918 laps 49

Williams launches FW35 in Barcelona :
Williams pulled the covers off its latest challenger, entitled the FW35, at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday morning. Regular drivers Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas were both present for the short launch presentation in front of the gathered media, an event which directly preceded the start of the second pre-season test. According to the Grove-based squad, the FW35 is '80 percent new', with significant changes being made from front to rear. A modified front wing sets the tone for neatly cut sidepods and a more compact rear end. In addition, the outfit is attempting to take full advantage of the Coandă effect with the help of engine suppliers Renault.
"Given the rule stability over the winter, I’m pleased with the gains that we’ve been able to make with this car," Williams Technical Director Mike Coughlan, who joined the team back in 2011, said of the new FW35 chassis. "It’s a better, more refined Formula 1 car than the FW34 and I think everyone involved in the project can feel proud of the work they’ve done.
"The Coandă effect is going to be a big thing for us. There’s been no rule clarification concerning this area of the car, so we’ll work closely with Renault to maximise the available gains. Use of the DRS is more restricted this year, so we’ll take some resource away from that and focus on other areas."
Maldonado will debut the FW35 today, before handing over to Bottas on Wednesday. The duo will split the morning and afternoon sessions for the rest of the week.

'Caterham and Williams exhausts illegal' :
The exhaust designs on the new Caterham and Williams contenders have been declared illegal by governing body the FIA, according to the BBC. Both teams have pushed the regulations to the limit in a bid to make full use of the Coandă effect, but they have now allegedly been told to modify their cars ahead of the opening race.
"The team spoke with the FIA this morning which is when they gave us their view," a Williams spokeswoman explained in the Barcelona paddock. "The team are now seeking further clarification on this and a decision as to whether this design will be carried forward will be made before the first race."
Meanwhile, a Caterham spokesman explained: "We are continuing to evaluate a range of options at the pre-season tests as per our normal program."
The controversy initially arose after the launch of the Caterham CT03 at Jerez, when Lotus Technical Director James Allison argued that the team's exhaust concept would not make it past pre-season testing. Although most outfits are directing airflow to some extent, Caterham and Williams have exploited the rules more significantly.
In Caterham's situation, a turning vane has been placed inside the exhaust channel to control gases in a specific manner. Williams has come up with a similar solution for the FW35, but its design features a small slot in the middle, something which technical chief Mike Coughlan believes makes it legal - as it is technically in two parts. Unless the FIA's decision is reversed in the coming weeks, it looks likely that both teams will need to change their exhaust exit layouts before the first race in Australia.

Ferrari signs UPS as logistics partner :
Ferrari has joined forces with global package delivery company UPS ahead of the 2013 season, a deal which sees the brand become the team's logistics partner.
The multi-year agreement will not only cover the Formula 1 side of Ferrari's operations, but also the racing activities of the Corse Clienti, including the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Championship.
UPS is set to 'gradually integrate' its services to Ferrari's setup, a process which will result in the company managing the outfit's freight transportation on a global level.

Rosberg targets improved tyre degradation :
Nico Rosberg has pinpointed tyre degradation as one of the main areas for Mercedes to focus on with its new F1 W04 chassis, having gained a better understanding of the car during the opening day of the second pre-season gathering in Barcelona. The German, who led proceedings with a time of 1:22.616, says although he feels comfortable in the team's latest design, 'there is still some work to be done'.
"We had a mixed day today with some laps lost this morning," said Rosberg. "However we were able to work through a good programme this afternoon and, of course, it's always nice to be quickest at the end.
"In general, I feel happy and comfortable in the car and it feels better than the last time we were here at this track. There is still some work to be done on tyre degradation and our programme this afternoon was helpful in understanding that." Rosberg will make way for team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday morning, before returning to the cockpit of the Mercedes on Thursday.

Williams enjoys 'very good' FW35 debut :
The Williams FW35 chassis enjoyed an almost trouble-free debut at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday, with Pastor Maldonado racking up 86 laps in the team's latest design. Despite a minor water leak in the afternoon session, the outfit completed its planned programme and approaches the rest of the week in a positive frame of mind. "It was a very good day for us, with Pastor completing 86 laps, the second-highest of any team today," said Technical Director Mike Coughlan. "Pastor was very comfortable in the car which was shown by his early lap times. We had a small water leak this afternoon on a development part, but we were able to fix it quickly to complete our tyre programme. We feel confident in the core reliability of the FW35 and look forward to continuing with Valtteri (Bottas) tomorrow."
Although Williams enjoyed a successful day on-track, its new car has already caused ructions in the paddock. According to the BBC, governing body the FIA has declared its exhaust layout as an illegal concept which needs to be changed before the first race.

Räikkönen encouraged by Lotus progress :
Kimi Räikkönen believes Lotus has made a significant amount of progress between the first and second pre-season tests, with the former World Champion explaining that he is happy with the general balance and raw pace of the new E21 chassis. Räikkönen at the wheel of the E21 in BarcelonaThe Finn, who was second fastest in Barcelona on Tuesday, says the Enstone-based outfit's latest car 'is definitely a step in the right direction' after testing it at a fully-fledged Formula 1 venue for the first time.
"It wasn't a ideal in terms of the number of laps we completed, but the car feels strong and we've made some good progress," said Räikkönen. "After Jerez it's nice to be at a circuit where we race and the E21 is definitely a step in the right direction. There's lots of work yet to do this week but I'm happy with where we are."
Räikkönen will be back in action at the Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday, before handing over to team-mate Romain Grosjean for the remainder of the week .

Alonso: Ferrari on another planet to 2012 :
Fernando Alonso has echoed team-mate Felipe Massa's sentiments that Ferrari has started the year 'on another planet' compared to the 2012 season, with the Spaniard experiencing no such early handling issues at the wheel of the F138 chassis. Marking his return to the cockpit with the third quickest time at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday, Alonso was left feeling 'reasonably pleased' with his day of driving duties.
"I feel reasonably pleased with this first day and I can say I share Felipe’s opinion that the car is on another planet compared to the one we began with on the first day of testing last year," said Alonso, who led the mileage stakes with a total of 110 laps. "The programme for this first session in Barcelona is aimed mainly at improving reliability, with the target of completing more than a hundred laps every day."
Alonso says performance work will not come until next week's test, which will be the final pre-season gathering before the teams pack up and head for Melbourne.
"At next week’s test we can concentrate on performance," he said. "Tomorrow, we will complete what we were unable to do today and we will focus on car set-up, to adapt it as well as possible to the tyres. I knew from looking at the Jerez data what sort of car I would find here, as in fact we know more or less what we will see at the first race, in terms of what new parts we will have and how many tenths they will produce."
Alonso will remain at the wheel of the F138 until Friday, when Massa takes over. The Spaniard skipped the entire Jerez test to focus on an intensive training regime.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Short News :

b]Barcelona pre-season testing: The line-up :[/b]
The penultimate pre-season gathering of the year gets underway at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday, with all 11 teams using their 2013 contenders. As a preview, here's a list of driver line-ups for the week ahead.
Barcelona's timetable is as follows:
Tuesday: 9am - 5pm
Wednesday: 9am - 5pm
Thursday: 9am - 5pm
Friday: 9am - 5pm

Red Bull Racing
Tuesday: TBC
Wednesday: TBC
Thursday: TBC
Friday: TBC

Scuderia Ferrari
Tuesday: Fernando Alonso
Wednesday: Fernando Alonso
Thursday: Fernando Alonso
Friday: Felipe Massa

McLaren
Tuesday: Sergio Pérez
Wednesday: Sergio Pérez
Thursday: Jenson Button
Friday: Jenson Button

Lotus F1 Team
Tuesday: Kimi Räikkönen
Wednesday: Kimi Räikkönen
Thursday: Romain Grosjean
Friday: Romain Grosjean

Mercedes AMG F1 Team
Tuesday: Nico Rosberg
Wednesday: Lewis Hamilton
Thursday: Nico Rosberg
Friday: Lewis Hamilton

Sauber F1 Team
Tuesday: Esteban Gutiérrez
Wednesday: Nico Hülkenberg
Thursday: Nico Hülkenberg
Friday: Esteban Gutiérrez

Sahara Force India
Tuesday: Paul di Resta
Wednesday: Paul di Resta
Thursday: Adrian Sutil
Friday: Jules Bianchi

Williams F1 Team
Tuesday: Pastor Maldonado
Wednesday: Valtteri Bottas
Thursday morning: Pastor Maldonado
Thursday afternoon: Valtteri Bottas
Friday morning: Valtteri Bottas
Friday afternoon: Pastor Maldonado

Scuderia Toro Rosso
Tuesday: Daniel Ricciardo
Wednesday: TBC
Thursday: TBC
Friday: TBC

Caterham F1 Team
Tuesday: Charles Pic
Wednesday: Giedo van der Garde
Thursday: Giedo van der Garde
Friday: Charles Pic

Marussia F1 Team
Tuesday: Max Chilton
Wednesday: TBC
Thursday: TBC
Friday: TBC

* TBC = To Be Confirmed

Sutil, Bianchi get Force India test outings :
Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi will both test the Force India VJM06 at the Circuit de Catalunya this week, with the pair fighting for the vacancy alongside Paul di Resta. At present, only the Scot has been named as a race driver at the outfit. Sutil, who contested four seasons with the team from 2008-2011 before being replaced, recently had his seat-fitting and will get behind the wheel on Thursday. Bianchi, a Ferrari protege and long-time favourite to seal the drive, will be in the cockpit on Friday. The confirmed di Resta is due to drive on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bianchi enjoyed a test outing for Force India at the opening Jerez gathering earlier this month, posting the second quickest time behind Kimi Räikkönen on the final day.

Pic to drive on opening day in Barcelona :
Charles Pic will get back behind the wheel of the Caterham CT03 chassis on the opening day of the second pre-season gathering at the Circuit de Catalunya. The Frenchman is scheduled to drive on the first and final days of the test, while new team-mate Giedo van der Garde takes to the track on Wednesday and Thursday.
Caterham completed 1408 kilometres (874 miles) of running at the first pre-season test in Jerez, putting them seventh in the overall mileage standings so far this year.

Rosberg handed first day of Barcelona test :
Nico Rosberg is set to drive on days one and three of the second pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya, with Mercedes issuing its full line-up for the gathering. Rosberg's team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, will get behind the wheel of the F1 W04 on Wednesday and Friday - ultimately bringing the test to an end for the German marque.
Despite enduring a troublesome start to its testing programme at Jerez, Mercedes bounced back to cover a grand total of 1425 kilometres (885 miles) over four days.


Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi