A BIG question looms as Formula 1 finalises its grid for season 2014: is the party over for Sebastian Vettel?
Sweeping changes to the sport’s technical regulations mean that both punters and teams head into next week’s winter testing with virtually no idea of who will be the favourites come Albert Park in March.
This year will see the introduction of turbocharged V6 engines, while the energy recovery systems have become much more sophisticated. They will now recover both kinetic energy from braking, as well at heat energy from the turbo.
It’s expected the energy boost will now provide double the horsepower over last year, 120kW compared to 60kW. But the kicker is that the cars have to do a full race on only 100kg of fuel, around 35% less than last year.
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With so many changes, we will likely be faced with a few surprises by the time the chequered flag waves on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
So what do we know so far? The driver line-up for season 2014 has just been locked in, while winter testing is about to get underway.
Before the cars hit the track next week, here’s your guide to what the F1 grid will look like in season 2014.
CAR LAUNCH SCHEDULE
Jan 24: McLaren (online)
Jan 25: Ferrari (online)
Jan 26: Sauber (online.
Jan 27: Toro Rosso (Jerez)
Jan 28: Red Bull, Mercedes, Caterham (Jerez)
Feb: Lotus (pre-Bahrain test)
PRE-SEASON TESTING SCHEDULE
Jan 28-31: Jerez, Spain
Feb 19-22: Bahrain, Bahrain
Feb 27-Mar 2: Bahrain, Bahrain
TEAMS AND DRIVERS
RED BULL
Car: Red Bull RB10
Engine: Renault RS34
1 – Sebastian Vettel (GER)
3 – Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)
The four-time world champion driver and his four-time world champion team have the most to lose from this year’s regulation changes. You can bet that, as soon as Vettel started to run away with the 2013 title, several of their rivals turned their focus towards getting their ducks in a row for 2014. But equally, with no serious challengers forcing them to keep developing the RB9 for a title showdown, Red Bull have had plenty of time to focus on getting their new car right.
Daniel Ricciardo has landed the “Eddie Irvine” seat alongside Vettel for 2014. Much like the Irishman when he lobbed at Ferrari to partner Michael Schumacher all those years ago, Ricciardo has little to lose and everything to gain. If Red Bull manage to maintain their advantage, Advance Australia Fair could well ring out over the F1 podium once again.
MERCEDES
Car: Mercedes W05
Engine: Mercedes
6 – Nico Rosberg (GER)
44 – Lewis Hamilton (GBR)
Mercedes is the only team to maintain the same driver lineup for 2014, but the same can’t be said for its management. Former team principal Ross Brawn has left the squad that once bore his name. How much his influence will be missed is yet to be seen.
Despite being a front-running team, Mercedes is one of the few who are poised to benefit from the rule changes. This is, after all, the team that won the 2009 title under the Brawn GP moniker after taking advantage of that season’s new regulations.
Rosberg finally demonstrated his true potential alongside Hamilton last year, and either driver could land Mercedes a world title given a suitable car.
FERRARI
Car: You decide!
Engine: Ferrari 059/3
14 – Fernando Alonso (ESP)
7 – Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
2014 is make or break for Ferrari and Fernando Alonso. They have spent the last few years watching on as Red Bull and Vettel romped to four consecutive titles and, last year, the strain started to show. Cracks appeared in the relationship between the Italian team and their Spanish two-time world champion. That said, a winning car would paper over those cracks quite nicely.
Using a trick out of the Enzo Ferrari play book, the team has welcomed prodigal son Kimi Raikkonen back to Maranello. If Alonso’s motivation had, as Ferrari suspected, been dimming through 2013, the arrival of the ice-cold Finn should light a fire under him.
The big question will be if the new Ferrari – which you can help christen by clicking HERE – is up to the task.
LOTUS
Car: Lotus E22
Engine: Renault RS34
8 – Romain Grosjean (FRA)
13 – Pastor Maldonado (VEN)
Their star driver is gone, but they have a new one on their hands. Romain Grosjean matured immensely in 2013. After a dismal early season that lacked pace – punctuated by four crashes during the Monaco GP weekend – the Frenchman came on strong to be the best-performed driver behind Vettel in the back half of the year.
He will be partnered by similarly crash-prone Pastor Maldonado. Against a driver who, let’s be honest, walloped Kimi Raikkonen in the second half of last year, the Venezuelan has a chance to prove it’s his ability and not his bank balance that’s deserving of an F1 seat.
Lotus have shown they have all the ingredients to threaten the top teams, except one: money. The lack of dollars, and the loss of technical director James Allison mid-last year, could see the black and gold cars fall down the grid. We won’t know until the Bahrain test at the earliest, since they’re skipping the opening hitout at Jerez.
MCLAREN
Car: McLaren MP4-29
Engine: Mercedes
22 – Jenson Button (GBR)
20 – Kevin Magnussen (DEN)
Several big changes have happened down at the McLaren Technology Centre over the winter break. The biggest has come most recently, former chief Ron Dennis seizing back the role of the organisation’s overall CEO from current F1 team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
They will both be hoping that there will be a lot less headscratching and a few more trophies this year, after McLaren endured their worst season since 1980. The new MP4-29 will also be devoid of Vodafone logos this year, the team confirming they won’t be announcing a new title sponsor when they launch this week.
On the driver front, Jenson Button is joined by young Danish prospect Kevin Magnussen. He’s a driver that has been raised in the McLaren mould and should prove a better fit than Sergio Perez. His greatest challenge will be justifying the team’s decision to dump the feisty Mexican.
FORCE INDIA
Car: Force India VJM07
Engine: Mercedes
27 – Nico Hulkenberg
11 – Sergio Perez
This team looked so strong at the start of last year and then tailed off badly, electing to stop developing their 2013 car around the time of the Spanish Grand Prix in order to focus on 2014. It’s a decision that could pay off in spades – if they’ve got their sums right.
They’ve cleaned house with drivers, Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta being bumped for Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. Hulkenberg is highly rated but just hasn’t seemed to crack the big time, while Perez was also highly rated – until he was boned by McLaren. Nevertheless, they sang his praises, and will relish a chance at redemption with a team that could spring a surprise.
SAUBER
Car: Sauber C33
Engine: Ferrari 059/3
99 – Adrian Sutil
21 – Esteban Gutierrez
Another team that has struggled for money in recent years, Sauber has often had to punch above its weight. They continue their close, long-running relationship with engine supplier Ferrari for 2014, which will help ensure the Italian team gets on top of any technical issues with their new engine/electronics/energy recovery package quickly. If the Ferrari engines turn out to be the ones to have this year, expect Sauber to shift up the pecking order.
That’s something that would suit Adrian Sutil down to the ground. His F1 return with Force India started out well last year before the team stopped developing the car, and the German will be hoping Sauber can once again turn in a neat car that can challenge for the top five. Teammate Esteban Gutierrez started to get on top of F1 late in his rookie season, and it will be interesting to see how he compares with known-quantity Sutil.
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO
Car: Toro Rosso STR9
Engine: Renault RS34
25 – Jean-Eric Vergne
26 – Daniil Kvyat
Red Bull’s junior team could well spring a surprise this season. There wasn’t a lot to split Jean-Eric Vergne and Ricciardo last year, while the new STR9 will be the first car to fully benefit from input of technical director James Key. The switch from Ferrari to Renault engines will be another challenge for them, but with so many unknowns generated by the new regulations it could prove to be a masterstroke.
The team’s second car will be piloted by young Russian Daniil Kvyat. He has shown class in lower Formulae, but this is Formula 1. Although he proved solid when turning practice laps on Friday at last year’s final races, skipping the GP2 series could have adverse effects on the 19-year-old when it comes to the races themselves.
WILLIAMS
Car: Williams FW36
Engine: Mercedes
19 – Felipe Massa
77 – Valtteri Bottas
Their popular win at the 2012 Spanish GP must feel a lifetime away for Williams. The team struggled throughout 2013, the one shining light being Valtteri Bottas’s performances. The Finn now has a chance to show he deserves to be considered a star of the future by outshining new teammate Felipe Massa, who lands at Williams fresh from Ferrari.
The team has made several key hires in recent months, while team bosses say their future is secure on the grid and poised to move forwards. Time will tell.
MARUSSIA
Car: Marussia MR03
Engine: Ferrari 059/3
17 – Jules Bianchi
4 – Max Chilton
The winner of last year’s battle of the minnows, Marussia could move further towards the midfield with its switch from Cosworth to Ferrari engines. A tidy, reliable car could see them scoring points in the early races this year.
Ferrari Academy driver Jules Bianchi will want to thoroughly trounce his teammate this year to make himself attractive for any potential vacancies at the factory squad for 2015, while Max Chilton will simply want to make sure he can justify his spot on the F1 grid. One of those scenarios is much more likely than the other.
CATERHAM
Car: Caterham
Engine: Renault RS34
Kamui Kobayashi
Marcus Ericsson
2013 was a struggle for the minnows that was once looked best placed to escape the rear of the grid. They finished bottom of the pile, struggling with a recalcitrant car piloted by two unknown quantities for drivers.
They continue with engine suppliers Renault, but have brought Kamui Kobayashi back to F1 to partner rookie Marcus Ericsson. Kobayashi was solid alongside Perez at Sauber back in 2012, and stood on the podium at his home race that season. He will hopefully shake off the rust of a year’s layoff quickly. His Swedish teammate is a GP2 race winner, and will need to adapt quickly to F1 to stand any chance of lasting more than a season.
2014 FORMULA 1 CALENDAR
R01 – March 16 – Australia, Albert Park
R02 – March 30 – Malaysia, Sepang
R03 – April 6 – Bahrain, Sakhir
R04 – April 20 – China, Shanghai
R05 – May 11 – Spain, Catalunya
R06 – May 25 – Monaco, Monte-Carlo
R07 – June 8 – Canada, Montreal
R08 – June 22 – Austria, Red Bull Ring
R09 – July 6 – Great Britain, Silverstone
R10 – July 20 – Germany, Hockenheim
R11 – July 27 – Hungary, Hungaroring
R12 – August 24 – Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps
R13 – September 7 – Italy, Monza
R14 – September 21 – Singapore, Marina Bay
R15 – October 5 – Japan, Suzuka
R16 – October 12 – Russia, Sochi
R17 – November 2 – USA, Austin
R18 – November 9 – Brazil, Interlagos
R19 – November 23 – Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina
