Up-to-date with the 2013 race season
By Aidan Mouellic, Staff Writer
The 2013 Formula One season is well underway with four races already wrapped up. The season, which started in Australia March 17, has already had its fair share of drama. Leading the race series so far is the reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel with 77 points, who has an 11-point lead over second place Kimi Raikkonen. Rounding off the point’s podium is Lewis Hamilton who has 50 points so far this season.
The largest bit of drama this year occurred during Vettel’s win in the second Grand Prix of the season in Malaysia. Vettel’s Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, was leading the race when Red Bull team managers told Vettel not to overtake Webber. Vettel didn’t follow orders and overtook Webber to secure his first victory of the season. Vettel apologized to his team afterwards for being disobedient, but he was unapologetic about winning.
With two victories already thanks to Vettel and another podium, Red Bull-Renault is currently comfortably on top of the standings in the constructor’s championship with 109 points. Lotus-Renault sits behind with 93 points and Ferrari rounds off the top three with only 77 points.
Lewis Hamilton has made his long-awaited debut for Mercedes-AMG. The lifelong McLaren driver has replaced Michael Schumacher as the top driver for the German Mercedes team. Hamilton’s season thus far has been a success; he already has two podiums and a pole position to his name, leaving him already in the mix for the championship title awaiting someone at the end of the season.
On the technical side of the sport, this is the final season of the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V8 engines currently in use in all Formula One cars. Next season, all of the cars will be powered by turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engines. Though that may not sound very impressive (the current Ford Fiesta has a 1.6-liter engine), the engines gracing the Formula One cars next season will be mounted in cars that weigh half of what a Toyota Prius does and will propel the cars to 100 km/hr in under two seconds.
The 2013 Formula One season will touch down in Spain on May 12 for the Spanish Grand Prix. The qualifying rounds to determine pole position will be on May 11, along with the final race of the season, which will crown the World Champion, at the Brazilian Grand Prix on November24.
