2013 F1 Australian Grand Prix

RaceDepartment

Administrator
Staff
Once again Melbourne extends its welcome to Formula One as Albert Park prepares to host the Australian Grand Prix – the opening race of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship. Sixteen weeks after storm-lashed Interlagos and the drama-laden climax of the 2012 season, the teams reassemble for what is widely expected to be an incredibly close year of racing.



Stability in the technical regulations leads to a great deal of carryover from 2012 and, several notable exceptions aside, optimising existing designs has been the primary focus in the development of 2013 cars.

While the machinery has a familiar look, the same cannot be said for the driver line-up. Four of 2012’s field have switched teams in the off-season and five rookies will be making their F1 race debut in this weekend.

Albert Park is not the easiest place to make a good impression. Running on public roads through the park, the temporary circuit has a reputation for being slippery with several large bumps known to destabilise cars under braking. Gravel traps wait for the unwary and the unlucky – but being a street circuit there are also plenty of walls. Added to the limited and hazardous nature of overtaking opportunities at Albert Park, it means the safety car is often busy at the Australian Grand Prix.

Another variable to factor in are the new tyres on offer from Pirelli. Reports from winter testing suggest teams are not yet fully on terms with the revised compounds, raising the possibility of early races this year seeing shorter stints (and thus more frequent pitstops) than was usual in 2012.

As ever, winter testing did not provide any reliable evidence of a pecking order but did greatly add to the stock of speculation. Consensus points to a very tight battle ahead but without any hard evidence, this weekend will provide the first real indication of how the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship will unfold.
Australian Grand Prix Data


  • Circuit: Albert Park Circuit
  • Length of lap: 5.303km
  • Lap record: 1:25.125 (Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004)
  • Total number of race laps 58
  • Total race distance 307.574km
  • Pitlane speed limits 60km/h in practice; 100km/h in qualifying and race
  • Track modifications since 2012:
    • Kerbs on the exit of turns 14 and 16, which had subsided prior to last year’s race, have been repaired.
    • Shade cloth will be used again, installed behind the debris fence in the section of track between turns two and three.



Australian Grand Prix Facts


  • This will be the 29th F1 World Championship running of the Australian Grand Prix. It is the 18th consecutive year of the race being run at Albert Park, 16 of which have opened the Formula One season.
  • In 1996, when the race moved to Albert Park, it produced the oddity of Australia hosting back-to-back grands prix, the closing race of 1995 having taken place at Adelaide.
  • Albert Park is a temporary circuit with parts of the track used by general road traffic for the majority of the year. As such, it features unusually high grip-evolution (and thus falling laptimes) over the course of the weekend, as the track ‘rubbers-in’.
  • In common with Abu Dhabi, the Australian Grand Prix has a local start time of 5pm. Unlike the event at Yas Island, this race finishes in daylight – but the low angle of the sun and the lengthening shadows have been known to make the latter stages of the race difficult for drivers.
  • Another perennial problem in tree-lined Albert Park is leaves and twigs being sucked into car radiators.
  • Of the current grid, Jenson Button is the standout performer, having won three times in the last four years. It leaves him one victory short of equalling Michael Schumacher’s F1-era record. Schumacher won the race in 2000, ’01, ’02, ’04.
  • On 11 occasions from 17 starts, the winning driver at Albert Park has gone on to lift the Drivers’ Championship trophy at the end of the season.
  • The race winner has started on pole eight times at Albert Park. The lowest starter to win was Eddie Irvine, who started 11th for Ferrari in 1999.
  • Four drivers start this race for new teams, having moved during the off-season. Lewis Hamilton has moved from McLaren to Mercedes; Sergio Pérez from Sauber to McLaren; Nico Hülkenberg from Force India to Sauber and Charles Pic from Marussia to Caterham. Also, Adrian Sutil is beginning his second stint with Force India.
  • Five rookies will contest the Australian Grand Prix: Esteban Gutiérrez (Sauber); Valtteri Bottas (Williams); Giedo van der Garde (Caterham); Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi (Marussia).
  • Reigning GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi is not among the rookie intake. He instead has signed as a test driver for Lotus in 2013. The only other GP2 champion to not move directly into an F1 race seat was 2008 winner Giorgio Pantano – who raced in F1 before going to GP2.
  • Giedo van der Garde ends a barren spell for Dutch representation in Formula One. The Netherlands hasn’t had a driver in the Championship since Christijan Albers raced for Spyker for the first half of the 2007 season.
  • The demise of HRT returns F1 to a 22-car grid for the first time since the opening rounds of 2008. During that season the withdrawal of Super Aguri after four rounds reduced it to 20. It expanded to 24 in 2010.

Australian Grand Prix Schedule


Friday March 15, 2013
  • Practice Session 1 (12.30-14.00)
  • Practice Session 2 (16.30-18.00)

Saturday March 16, 2013
  • Practice Session 3 (14.00-15.00)
  • Qualifying (17:00)

Sunday March 17, 2013
  • Race (15:30)

Community


During the practice, qualification and race sessions the F1 community contributes to a slow-chat thread here.

Source: Fia | Image: Caterham
View the Post on the Blog
 
I hope the excitement continues where the 2012 season ended. Don't like the track a lot but can't wait to hear the engines again.

Bring it on!
 
I hope the excitement continues where the 2012 season ended. Don't like the track a lot but can't wait to hear the engines again.

Bring it on!
decisions decisions, do i go with my usual approach of watching everything LIVE... but with a Crappy Stream quality, or do i wait for the highlights on BBC1 7 hours later? which means i would have to avoid the internet for that period of time! lol
 
Weather forecasts suggest a wet qualifying session, and cloudy days for practice and the race. Also much cooler tempetratures than normal for this time of the year in Melbourne. I wonder how this will affect the tyres and their wear?
 
I watched the winter testing. They are apparently shorter life. They said 4-5 stops a race at an estimate. However most likely 2-4. Bare in mind it was predicted a 4-5 pit stop race in Australia last year and I think some people where still one stopping. The big change is that I think its the Mediums and Super Softs this year at Australia, instead of the Mediums and the Softs.
 
Nah, the drivers would crap themselves out of anxiety, if they had to roll through the pitlane at 60 km/h during the race :D
 
Man what a short off season. Seems like the last season just ended! Not that I'm complaining. I'm just glad I get the NBC Sports network.
 

Latest News

Online or Offline racing?

  • 100% online racing

    Votes: 105 7.8%
  • 75% online 25% offline

    Votes: 139 10.4%
  • 50% online 50% offline

    Votes: 195 14.5%
  • 25% online 75% offline

    Votes: 380 28.3%
  • 100% offline racing

    Votes: 518 38.6%
  • Something else, explain in comment

    Votes: 5 0.4%
Back
Top