Formula 1 2013 Season

[alan45]

Lewis Hamilton to leave McLaren after signing Mercedes contract

Lewis Hamilton is to leave McLaren after signing a three-year deal to race for Mercedes from next season.
The move, predicted by BBC Sport's Eddie Jordan earlier this month, was announced on Friday, causing huge repercussions throughout Formula 1.
It has forced Michael Schumacher out of Mercedes but it is not clear whether the German legend will go back into retirement or look for another team.

Sauber driver Sergio Perez has signed as Hamilton's replacement at McLaren.
"It is now time for me to take on a fresh challenge and I am very excited to begin a new chapter," said 2008 world champion Hamilton, who will partner Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.
"Mercedes-Benz has such an incredible heritage in motorsport, along with a passion for winning which I share.
"Together, we can grow and rise to this new challenge. I believe that I can help steer the Silver Arrows to the top and achieve our joint ambitions of winning the world championships."
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said: "I believe that the combination of Lewis and Nico will be the most dynamic and exciting pairing on the grid next year and I am looking forward to what we can achieve together.

"Over the past three years, we have been putting in place the foundations and building blocks that are needed to compete regularly for the world championship. The potential is now there to match any other team on the grid."
Hamilton's decision is a huge blow to McLaren, who will now have to do without the speed and inspirational talent of a man they have nurtured since he was 13 years old.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said the Briton had written "a huge chapter of his life and career with us", adding: "It goes without saying that we all wish him well for the future."
Although Hamilton's salary at Mercedes will be larger than the one he was offered by McLaren - and he has more opportunity to earn money through personal sponsorships and endorsements - sources close to the Englishman insist he has switched teams with a view to long-term performance.
McLaren have the fastest car this season, while Mercedes have slipped backwards after a promising start to the year.
But Mercedes have sold the move to Hamilton on the basis that they are preparing for a huge push in 2014, when new chassis and engine rules are introduced.
"Mercedes-Benz has supported Lewis throughout his career, from karting, to Formula 3, to our successful partnership with McLaren," said Norbert Haug, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.
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Murray Walker on Lewis Hamilton
"It will be a very nice moment for all of us in the team to see him at the wheel of a works Silver Arrow next season, following in the tradition of British Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix drivers Sir Stirling Moss and Richard Seaman."
Schumacher's future is uncertain. Sauber team boss Peter Sauber said a week ago that he would offer the seven-time champion a drive if he became available.
Despite the Swiss team's strong displays this season, that would be seen as a significant comedown for a man who was expected to win on his return.
Instead, Schumacher's comeback after three years in retirement has been a huge disappointment. The 43-year-old German has scored only one podium finish in three years.
In a statement, Schumacher thanked Mercedes for their "trust" and "unconditonal commitment".
"I have had three nice years with the team which unfortunately did not go as well as we all would have wanted on the sporting side," he said.
"I wish Lewis well and for the team to achieve the success we worked so hard for in the build-up. I will now concentrate on the next races."


Shame on you Lewis. You have shown no lyalty to the team that nurtured you since you were a 13 yr old boy. Yes you have had a couple of bad seasons/ races but so what! They werent all the fault of the team or the car. You have to accept some of the blame and not throw your dummy out of the pram. You should show some loyalty to the McLaren Team. They will be great again but will you?

[Siobhan]

I am in two minds about this... I would like to think that he did do it as a challenge, nothing wrong with that and maybe it will do him good. However, I smell Simon Fuller at the back of this deal.. more freedom over personal sponsership.. Really sorry to see Schumacher go and hope Nico is not demoralised by the "no 2." status as Massa is. I would like to see if Lewis is as good a race driver as we are led to believe by sticking him in a midfield car. for the next few years we will hear "we are concentrating on 2014" as his excuse for going backwards.. Good luck to him if this is what he wants.

Wonder if Button will stick by his helping Lewis win WDC now he is going

[Siobhan]

I am in two minds about this... I would like to think that he did do it as a challenge, nothing wrong with that and maybe it will do him good. However, I smell Simon Fuller at the back of this deal.. more freedom over personal sponsership.. Really sorry to see Schumacher go and hope Nico is not demoralised by the "no 2." status as Massa is. I would like to see if Lewis is as good a race driver as we are led to believe by sticking him in a midfield car. for the next few years we will hear "we are concentrating on 2014" as his excuse for going backwards.. Good luck to him if this is what he wants.

Wonder if Button will stick by his helping Lewis win WDC now he is going

[Siobhan]

Uh oh!! Brawn is feeling the wrath of the Germans. He has only gone and dumped the God of Germany for an English man..

[alan45]

Wonder if Button will stick by his helping Lewis win WDC now he is going

Would you???????

He only has an outside chance of winning it now and I can see the pit crews take an extra second or so at the tyre changes etc.

[alan45]

Wonder if Button will stick by his helping Lewis win WDC now he is going

Would you???????

He only has an outside chance of winning it now and I can see the pit crews take an extra second or so at the tyre changes etc.

[Siobhan]

Personally no but Jenson must have know about this move.. He said he would help on Sunday and 5 day later it is announced Lewis is going... I can't see Mclaren letting Jenson help. Taking his no 1 status to Brawn... come on Vettel and keep no 1 at red bull

[alan45]

Ferrari plan for arrival of Sebastian Vettel, but Massa stays for 2013

15 October 12 07:23 GMTBy Andrew BensonChief F1 writerFerrari will retain Felipe Massa next season in what is planned to be a stop-gap deal before the arrival of Sebastian Vettel.Ferrari sources say they already have a deal in place with double world champion Vettel, with an option for the 25-year-old to join them in 2014.But Red Bull team boss Christian Horner insists Vettel will not leave.He told BBC Sport: "Sebastian Vettel, without a shadow of doubt, will be part of the Red Bull Racing team in 2014."Vettel's potential move to Ferrari has been sanctioned by Fernando Alonso, their number one driver.The Spaniard, himself a double world champion, has a say in the identity of his team-mate and vetoed the idea of 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari earlier this year.Alonso, 31, won the world title in 2005 and 2006 with Renault but has not finished higher than second with Ferrari. He currently trails Vettel in the world championship by six points.Should Vettel move to Ferrari, the team's line-up would undoubtedly be the strongest in F1 - but with potential for friction. It is notoriously hard for teams to accommodate two drivers with championship aspirations.Vettel and Red Bull have both denied the driver has any arrangements in place with Ferrari. Red Bull insist the 25-year-old, who won the title in 2010 and 2011, is under contract until the end of 2014.However, Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko - the right-hand man of company boss Dietrich Mateschitz - has already said the contract contains performance clauses and Red Bull could not make Vettel stay if he wanted to leave.Hamilton has recently signed a three-year deal to join Mercedes, Alonso is under contract to Ferrari until the end of 2016, while Jenson Button is under contract to McLaren until the end of 2014.Massa's future had been in doubt during the summer after a shaky start to the year, but Ferrari were determined to retain him as long as he finished the season strongly.The Brazilian, 31, followed up a second-place finish in Japan - his first podium for two years - with another strong race in Korea at the weekend, qualifying sixth and finishing fourth - 6.2 seconds behind Alonso.Vettel's team-mate, Mark Webber, is on a one-year deal until the end of 2013 and could well retire at the end of next season ahead of the introduction of new chassis and engine regulations in 2014.Massa is expected to be confirmed in the Ferrari seat for 2013, his eighth consecutive season with the team, in a matter of days.Team boss Stefano Domenicali said of Massa after the Korean race on Sunday: "Very good, I'm very happy."He did an excellent race and an excellent qualifying. But I have to say he's [been] doing an excellent job since a couple of races, so this is really very promising for the end of the season."And if I want to anticipate the next question that I'm sure someone will ask, very soon you will know what will be our position in that respect."For sure, he's understanding now better the car, he's understanding better the tyres. We believe that he's a very, very strong driver, there's no doubt. Otherwise we would already have taken a different decision."Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said he wanted to avoid a problem with rivalries, regardless of who was driving: "2014 is still to come but I don't want to have two roosters in the same henhouse, rather two drivers who race for Ferrari and not for themselves."I don't want problems and rivalries, which we didn't have between Schumacher and Irvine, between Schumacher and Barrichello, between Alonso and Massa or Massa and Schumi or Massa and Raikkonen."

[alan45]

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[Siobhan]

It is all speculation Alan.. Christian Horner says it is a no go.. nothing coming from Vettel himself and I wonder if Alonso has that much power that he can pick and choose who he wants to drive with. Can you see either Vettel or Alonso wanting to play no.2?? and do you think Ferrari would like them racing head to head?