So here we are at the end of the F1 2013 season. Goodbye to Webber, goodbye to V8 engines and hello to new regulations and opportunities in 2014.

2014, a new year a new start. This upcoming year sees some of the biggest change in regulations ever seen in F1. Here's hoping an end to the RB domination since 2010 and the beginnings of battles and on track (and off!) drama!

Most interesting thing for me is to see how development and production pans out with the new 1.6 V6 turbo engines.

F1 2014 - the best yet? Lets hope so!

 

"the best yet", don't they say that every year?
Someone have them under the trades description act!

Will the new regulations include tyres that last more than 5 minutes?
If not I'll be as interested in F1 2014 as I was in this weekend's Brasilian GP.

 

Well if you believe the blurb they say the new power units engines will have 4 x the torque so we should be getting some wheel-spinning fun!

 

Fixed that for you

 

Forgetting F1 2013 ever happened! Utter rubbish.

Fingers crossed for 2014. Lets hope to see some racing with the new changes and not another 1 horse procession. I don't want to be captivated by watching good battles for 5th and 10th place. Just the top few drivers all battling for 1st place!

Here's hoping Adrian Newey suddenly decides to retire over the winter otherwise we're screwed!

 

 

On a positive note I've always liked Grosjean, he has a good attitude, very little ego and seems to enjoy racing cars not sulking because he doesn't have a rocket ship to win the championship, he's always shown raw talent and he seems to be getting on top of the consistency.

Maybe time at Lotus will do Maldonado good in terms of making him a safer racer but I doubt it. And I can't like the guy, he has the worse attitude on the paddock. Absolutely no contrition or humility, and honestly seems like a complete bully.

I think it's a sign of how absolutely desperate Lotus are for money and I think it's a recipe for disaster. Grosjean is obviously going to be lead driver, but Maldonado will not accept that with any grace. I fully expect him to spend the season running his team mate off the track at any opportunity.

 

Presumably the "will be sorted this week" money didn't come through.

I think Maldanado will do quite well. He's often looked eratic, but then I think he's been trying too hard to make up for a hopelessly underperforming Williams. Certainly in the race he won he was anything but; he looked like he was a regular leader, not making mistakes whilst resisting a lot of pressure from Alonso at the end.

And really Grosjean was the star of the last part of 2013; the only one who was getting at all close to Vettel.

The bigger question is will Lotus be able to continue punching above their weight, which with all the changes next year, I doubt somehow. Probably the gap between the richer teams and the likes of Lotus/Force India/Sauber will increase.

 

From the stories I've read about the main guy involved it seems it was obviously vapourware from the off

I guess we'll meet back in a year and compare notes

I do also remember him not having the skill to get past Hamilton on shot tyres and instead going off track and ramming him out of the race.

The Enstone team has always been there or there abouts. 2011 is the only very poor year I recall, they tried something radical with the exhausts and had fairly average drivers that year though and it hurt them.

 

My brother and his family live in Frome so were out on the streets the other night to watch Jenson switch on the Christmas lights and then drive through the town in his McLaren. My nephew Calum managed to shake Jenson's hand ...