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Life In The 'Not So Fast' Lane

Formula One has reinvented itself this winter as new regulations have turned the sport upside down. With many of the team's party tricks taken away from them this season, cars were always set to be markedly slower. However, with harder tyre compounds and heavier weight slowing the cars down yet further, Jenson Button has suggested that this seasons cars could be close to their GP2 counterparts. This estimation might not be far from the truth, all things considered.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcw/12254503433/
Image Credit: p_c_w (via flickr)

Caterham Academy's Latest Recruit

You may have heard the name Seb Morris before. He has been a key player in British motorsport in the past few years, earning the BRDC Rising Star accolade and claiming the 2012 Ginetta Junior Championship - a series which runs alongside the BTCC. After moving to single seaters in 2013, Morris is certainly one to watch for the future, as he has earned a place in Caterham's Racing Academy. His career goes from strength to strength. Could we see him in Formula One in the future? He is certainly a talented prospect.

Seb Morris finished runner up in last year's BRDC F4 Championship.
Image Credit: Alfer van Rossum (via flickr)

Renault Running Hot

After such a dismal Jerez test for the Renault powered cars, suggestions are surfacing as to what the causes of the issues are. It seems as though the Renault engine has required more cooling than the likes of the Mercedes or Ferrari equivalents which has caused significant issues for both Red Bull and Toro Rosso. The plot thickened on the final day, when the Renault powered Caterham managed to record 30 laps without engine issues. So, how have Caterham minimized the problems?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcw/
Image Credit: p_c_w (via flickr)

Jerez Test: Day 4

The fourth and final day in Jerez was filled with first's. Fernando Alonso became the first driver to exceed a century of laps in just one day as he clocked 115, closely followed by Kevin Magnussen on 110, despite him having his first accident in a Formula One car. Nico Rosberg became the first man to complete a full race simulation run and Felipe Massa topped the timesheet for the first time behind the wheel of a Williams. Caterham became the first Renault powered team to rack up more than 50 laps in a day, while Red Bull's woes showed no signs of relenting as they could only manage another seven laps before the team put an end to the misery and began the pack-up before lunch.

Check out Sky Sports F1's image gallery for day four at Jerez

Jerez Test: Day 3

It was a bright and sunny day in southern Spain as day three of the first pre-season test took place. However, the day was another dismal affair from Red Bull, with Daniel Ricciardo managing just three laps and seven corners in the RB10 after yet more electrical issues. Meanwhile, Toro Rosso completed 30 laps suggesting that the ERS issues are seemingly exaggerated by the Red Bull package. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Kevin Magnussen has enjoyed a magnificent start to his F1 career, finishing top of the timesheet with just the afternoon to acclimatise to the MP4-29. After only completing 680 miles of F1 testing prior to today, that is no mean feat for the young Dane.

Check out Sky Sports F1's gallery for day three at Jerez

Jerez Test: Day 2

After less than 100 laps were completed yesterday, Wednesday at Jerez were far more productive for the majority of the teams. After a light shower just prior to the start of running, Pirelli decided that this morning would be the ideal opportunity to schedule wet weather running and so the circuit was soaked and the wet tyres emerged from their blankets. On a dry surface, the afternoon saw most teams jump into their programme, with Nico Rosberg recording 97 laps for the day, despite missing the entire morning as the team looked to investigate the technical issues which halted their running yesterday. Meanwhile, it was a dismal day for Caterham, Toro Rosso and Red Bull as the Renault powertrain is coming under scrutiny...

Check out Sky Sports F1's gallery featuring the best images of the day...

Jerez Test: Day 1

The 2014 season finally got the green light today as the first pre-season test in Jerez commenced this morning. With Force India, Mercedes and reigning champions Red Bull unveiling their 2014 challengers in the minutes leading up to the start of the session, the pit-lane was a hive of activity from early on in the morning. Unfortunately from a spectator perspective, running was limited today as teams are still adding the finishing touches to their machinery. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was the first man out onto the track in the morning, yet suffered a front wing failure midway through the day which sent him heavily into the barriers. That was the end of Mercedes' running. Kimi Raikkonen finished at the top of the frankly redundant timesheet.

Check out the Sky Sports F1 photo gallery

Toro Rosso STR9 Unveiling

As excitement for the first test grows with the hours ticking down until the first green light of 2014, Toro Rosso became the first team to unveil their new machinery in Jerez, revealing the STR9. Again, it is a story of hideous nose designs, with this one standing out as being particularly aesthetically concerning. Jean Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat will have to develop keen spacial awareness to avoid damaging the outstretched tip of the front wing. Its certainly not a 'looker', but Toro Rosso will hope the STR9 can be a step forward from a innocuous campaign.

Toro Rosso have the most radical nose design yet, but will it point them to glory?

Check out Sky Sports F1's gallery picturing Toro Rosso's 2014 challenger. 

Sauber C33 Unveiling

The third team to officially launch their 2014 challenger is Sauber, who unveiled their C33 this afternoon. The new machinery looks similar to its predecessor through the untrained eye, due to an almost identical livery being maintained by the team, but 2014 is a season of change. Sauber have adopted the same front wing design as McLaren and the same rear wing support pillar as Ferrari. The best looking car released so far? Sauber have a strong case...

The Sauber C33 features the same livery as its predecessor, but don't let that fool you...
(c) Sauber F1 Team

Ferrari F14 T Unveiling

Ferrari became only the second team to complete an online launch this season, as Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen took the wraps off of the latest product of Maranello yesterday afternoon. The F14T was named by the fans yet has split the community in two, with some suggesting that it is the best looking car to be unveiled so far, while others feel that its unbalanced look negatively impacts from an aesthetic standpoint. However, if it is quick when it hits the tarmac, Ferrari fans will quickly forget any aesthetic downsides.

The F14T features a more conventional nose - at least in terms of this season so far
(c) Ferrari

Lotus E22 Render Released

Lotus fans were disappointed when their team stated that they would not be attending the first pre-season test in Jerez and consequently delaying the launch of their 2014 challenger. The team who were the first to unveil their 2013 car were looking to spend more time developing the package at Enstone. However, in conjunction with the corporate launch season, Lotus have released three renderings of their new car and it has certainly sparked some discussion.

The images released are merely a concept, but the Lotus E22's odd design is certainly sparking debate
(c) Lotus F1 Team

McLaren MP4-29 Unveiling

Sleek, silver and shocking, the new McLaren MP4-29 has certainly divided opinion. The car features the most radical nose design yet - the 'anteater' extension which was noticeable on the Williams is supported by two vertical spars on either side. It is certainly a peculiar design which will take some getting used to. Meanwhile, the main talking point of the day was Martin Whitmarsh's absence from the launch, with McLaren Managing Director, Jonathan Neale, taking the reigns. With Eric Boullier turning his back on Lotus this morning, it seems as though he could be on his way to McLaren. Coincidences are decidedly rare in Formula One...

The MP4-29 features one of the most radical nose designs we are likely to see
(c) McLaren Mercedes

Williams FW36 Unveiling

The first of several articles this evening is an analysis of yesterday's main event - The online reveal of the FW36, which answered many of the questions still remaining after Force India's canny launch. The FW36 features the anticipated nose structure, in compliance with the lower chassis height requirements this season, which seems to have been dubbed the 'anteater nose,' . Meanwhile, the images show a rather peculiar rear wing structure which is certainly not what was expected.

The Williams FW36, featuring the aesthetically questionable 'anteater' nose.
(c) Williams F1 Team

Force India VJM07 Unveiling

Not so much an unveiling as a highly anticipated online reveal, the first 2014 machinery was shown today, with Force India posting a picture of the VJM07, which will of course be driven by Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. The main talking point as a result of the release is Force India's radical new livery, as the team have swapped the white paint for black, giving the car a decidedly "fierce new look." It shows how the team are evolving and progressing as they head into their seventh season in the sport.

The VJM07, featuring an attractive new livery, swapping white for a "fierce" black
(c) Sahara Force India

Caterham Sign Kobayashi and Ericsson

Following several weeks of speculation, the popular announcement came today, that Kamui Kobayashi will be returning to competitive action this season after being signed by Caterham. Kobayashi became a popular paddock personality during his career where he made his debut at Toyota in 2009 before obtaining a permanent race seat at Sauber, where he remained for three seasons. His third place finish in Japan in 2012 was the highlight of his career. Meanwhile, Swedish youngster Marcus Ericsson becomes the only GP2 graduate ahead of 2014, as he claims the second Caterham drive. However, are Kobayashi and Ericsson right for Caterham and is Caterham right for them?

Kamui Kobayashi enjoyed three successful season at Sauber
Will he find more success at Caterham and beyond?

Vettel Not Afraid Of Ferrari

The talk of this winter has been the sure-to-be-explosive partnership between Ferrari's returning champion Kimi Raikkonen and long term servant Fernando Alonso. The strength of the line-up has already led to many analysts suggesting Ferrari constructors title success in 2014, with many suggesting that the signing of Raikkonen is a last ditched attempt from the Scuderia to reclaim the title which they last won in 2007. The last roll of the dice before the chosen one, Sebastian Vettel, arrives at Maranello? Regardless, Sebastian Vettel is unfazed by the partnership or the possibility of driving alongside either of them in the future.

Sebastian Vettel is very much open to driving alongside either Ferrari driver in the future

A New Beginning

"Where have all the old posts gone" I hear you say. Well, today marks the first day of the new and improved KGibbsF1 blog, as I look to reinvigorate the site which has unfortunately gone stale in recent times. Despite changing designs and the style and format of articles, I was unable to find the right formula. Therefore, I have decided to take a radical approach and wipe the proverbial slate clean.
It is best described as a new beginning. With the 2014 season just around the corner, I want to right the wrongs of my previous 18 months of blogging. No longer will I make promises that I cannot keep, with posts being posted regularly and in line with schedules. The infamous double uploads and triple uploads will return and race weekend's will follow the desired approach.
Please let me know if you have any ideas for this fresh start, either through Twitter or my contact page. As always, your support is greatly appreciated.
While the blog retains the same URL, it is very much a blank page. I am restarting my blogging adventure and this time I am going to do it right!

Ferrari's Pre-Season Plans

While I rarely post individual articles when team's announce their pre-season schedules, I have made a special exception in this case, as Ferrari's plans are uniquely intriguing. Today, they announced that their new car will be unveiled on Saturday 25th January, at 1:30pm (GMT) and the name of the latest product of Maranello will be decided by the fans. Ferrari are setting a precedent ahead of 2014...

Williams Bolster Technical Team

After yet another disappointing campaign, Williams seem as determined as ever to turn their fortunes around. After making two technical signings before Christmas, the team have added three more engineers to their ever growing technical team. They seem to be conducting a Mercedes-esque overhaul and with Pat Symonds at the helm, Williams are a remarkably stronger outfit than they were just 12 months ago.

2013 Team Reviews: Red Bull

The Team Review series draws to a close, but not before the World Champions, Infiniti Red Bull Racing are placed under the microscope. 2013 was an incredible year for the Milton Keynes based team, as the now four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, notched up 13 victories, wrapping up the title in India and claiming an unprecedented nine consecutive wins. With long-time servant of the team Mark Webber announcing his retirement and a dramatic team orders fiasco, 2013 was a year to remember for the Red Bull juggernaut.

Chilton Retains Seat At Marussia

After several weeks of waiting, Marussia have finally announced that Max Chilton has retained his seat alongside Jules Bianchi for the up-coming campaign, as the team look for driver continuity heading into such a revolutionary year. Chilton became the only driver in history to finish every race of his rookie season in 2013 and will hope to repeat this consistency in 2014.

2013 Team Reviews: Mercedes

2013 for Mercedes has been tale of trials and tribulations, but the sprinkling of success has softened the blow of the damaging tyre-test gate and the brake down of relationships in the team's hierarchy. With Ross Brawn departing the team, you could suggest that the future could look bleak for the team from Brackley, however, with the likes of Paddy Lowe, Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton successfully integrating themselves into the team over the course of 2013, this coming season could be even better than the last. The three victories in 2013 somewhat made up for the turmoil faced off the circuit.

2013 Team Reviews: Ferrari

A team with the prestige and history of Ferrari always have high hopes of success when heading into any season. Unfortunately for the passionate Tifosi, 2013 was yet another trophy-less season - the last championship success came courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. Appropriately dubbed, "The Bull Fighter" Fernando Alonso once again finished second to Sebastian Vettel in the Drivers Championship, yet the Spaniard was once again Mr.Dependable, picking up two victories and a further seven podium finishes. Meanwhile, teammate Felipe Massa suffered another disappointing season claiming just one season. However, Maranello will be a hive of excitement as their Finnish son returns to partner the chosen one. It could be explosive!

2013 Team Reviews: Lotus

Next to come under the microscope is Lotus and what a crazy season it has been for the team from Enstone. Kimi Raikkonen has proved to be a highly valuable asset to the team - too valuable in fact, while Romain Grosjean enjoyed a magnificent turn in form after the summer break as he claimed four podiums post Hungary to add to his two prior to the shutdown. While Lotus were at times, the closest challengers to Red Bull, the team struggled with inconsistencies during the early part of the year which meant that they were unable to catch Ferrari and Mercedes, despite their better form at the end of the year.

2013 Team Reviews: McLaren

The 2013 Team Review series has run into 2014 and there is still plenty more to come. Today it is McLaren who are up for examination after a year of disappointment and despair for the team as they suffered their first season without a podium finish since 1980. Despite the best efforts of Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, the season was condemned to failure from the start as McLaren were yet another team to take the wrong approach to what should have been an evolutionary winter.