Marvelling u pouzdanosti od F1 automobila izravno iz kutije; Povratak Rubens na F1; lukav potez Timo GlockOne stvar koja nikada ne prestaje da me impresionirati je sposobnost formule 1 timova za izgradnju složenih prototip strojeva koji idu na stazu i gotovo odmah mogu dovršiti 100 krugova bez glitch. Neizbježni su neki timovi koji imaju problema s zubi, ali većina od njih trčanje savršeno od samog početka. Čak i dopuštajući za mnoge platforme i dynos koji postoje u F1 tvornice ovih dana, to je još uvijek impresivan uspjeh i počast preciznim inženjerskim vještinama onih koji su umiješani, i dizajneri i oni koji su proizvodnju automobila na najmanji od Tolerancije. Može se tvrditi da je pouzdanost modernih F1 automobila jedna od stvari koje se povlače od spektakla sporta, jer je prije čak 30 godina još uvijek bilo relativno visoke stope povlačenja, s vodeći automobili neočekivano u mirovini i stvarajući potpuno nove Scenarija. To se ne događa ovih dana, barem ne redovito. Broj vozača koji su imali utrku nakon utrke je impresivno visok. Povratak Rubens barikade Kada je Rubens je stigao u F1 u dobi od 20 godina, on se utrkivao protiv 39-godišnjeg veterana Riccardo Patrese, koji je započeo svoju F1 karijeru na dan prije barikade peti rođendan. Do vremena kad je Rubens ostavio F1 na kraju 2011 bio je u istoj situaciji kao i Patrese. Sada 40, barikade proveo 2012 u Americi, nakon što je Williams tim odlučio uzeti vozače s pokroviteljstvo i potencijal, a ne oslanjajući se na poznatu količinu kao što su Rubens. Njegova sezona u IndyCar Series nije bio veliki uspjeh i barikada je odlučio da on preferira učiniti nešto drugo ove godine, a tako je potpisao dogovor za utrku u brazilskoj Stock automobila prvenstva s Maurício Ferreira punom vremenu sporta, koji vodi Peugeot 408s , sponzorira tvrtka Medley Indústria Farmacêutica, koja je izvan snimanja francuskog Sanofi-Aventis. Ironično, došlo je do prilike jer su timovi bivši vozač Marcos Gomes propali na testu droge! Ove godine, ako se vjeruju glasine, Rubens će se vratiti u F1 ponovno sudjeluje u 10 Grands Prix kao televizijski komentator s Brazils Globo TV. On će podijeliti posao sa svojim dugovremenom drug Luciano BURTI. Pad na unosni mač Unatoč odlasku iz F1 Bruno Senna, koji je off za utrku za Aston Martina u GTs, Brazil će imati dva F1 vozača ove godine nakon objave da je Luiz Razia je potpisao za vožnju za ruskog vlasništvu Marje F1 tim. Ući u Marje F1 sjedište u Banbury i početi govoriti ruski i vi ste vjerojatno da će dobiti neki lijep čaj i kekse (jer oni će pretpostaviti da ste netko važan), ali ste vjerojatno da će naći bilo tko bi razumjeli riječ koju kažu, kao naglasak unutar tim je više Sheffieldski nego Schevchenko. To je tim koji ima svoje noge čvrsto na tlu i to je ono što je dovelo do odluke pitati Timo Glock da odstupi kako bi se omogućilo tim da se novac potreban za dovršetak svoj 2013 proračun. Glock je imao ugovor, ali tim nije mogao razumno priuštiti da mu plati kada je bilo puno novca na ponudi od drugdje. Glock se složio da je u najboljem interesu tima da se ne utrkuje za njega i da se slaže s razumnom nagodbom, a zatim je stigao unosni ugovor BMW DTM za sezonu ispred nas. U 30, Timo je bio dovoljno realan da prepozna da njegova karijera s Marje nije stvarno će ga odvesti bilo gdje u Formuli 1 i da je najbolje gledati naprijed za posao koji će potencijalno držati ga zauzet za sljedećih deset godina. Marvelling at the reliability of F1 cars straight out of the box; the return of Rubens to F1; a shrewd move by Timo GlockOne thing that never ceases to impress me is the ability of the Formula 1 teams to build complex prototype machinery that go on track and almost immediately are able to complete 100 laps without a glitch. There are inevitably some teams that do have teething problems, but the majority of them run perfectly from the start. Even allowing for the many rigs and dynos that exist at F1 factories these days, this is still an impressive achievement and a tribute to the precision engineering skills of those involved, both the designers and those who are manufacturing the cars to the tiniest of tolerances. One can argue that the reliability of the modern F1 cars is one of the things that detracts from the spectacle of the sport, because even 30 years ago there were still relatively high attrition rates, with leading cars retiring unexpectedly and creating completely new scenarios. That just does not happen these days, at least not on a regular basis. The number of drivers who score in race after race after race is impressively high. The return of Rubens Barrichello When Rubens Barrichello arrived in F1 at the age of 20, he was racing against 39-year-old veteran Riccardo Patrese, who had begun his F1 career on the day before Barrichello's fifth birthday. By the time Rubens left F1 at the end of 2011 he was in the same situation as Patrese had once been in. Now 40, Barrichello spent 2012 in America, after the Williams team decided to take drivers with sponsorship and potential rather than relying on a known quantity such as Rubens. His season in the IndyCar Series was not a great success and Barrichello has decided that he prefers to do something else this year and so has signed a deal to race in the Brazilian stock car championship with Maurício Ferreira's Full Time Sports, which runs Peugeot 408s, sponsored by the Medley Indústria Farmacêutica company, which is an offshoot of France's Sanofi-Aventis. Ironically, the opportunity came about because the teams former driver Marcos Gomes failed a drugs test! This year, if rumours are to be believed, Rubens will be back in F1 again taking part in 10 grands prix as a television commentator with Brazils Globo TV. He will share the job with his longtime mate Luciano Burti. Falling on a lucrative sword Despite the departure from F1 of Bruno Senna, who is off to race for Aston Martin in GTs, Brazil will have two F1 drivers this year following the announcement that Luiz Razia has signed to drive for the Russian-owned Marussia F1 team. Walk into Marussia F1 headquarters in Banbury and start speaking Russian and you are likely to get some nice tea and biscuits (because they will assume you are someone important), but you are unlikely to find anyone who will understand a word you say, as the accent inside the team is rather more Sheffield than it is Schevchenko. It is a team that has its feet firmly on the ground and it was this that led to the decision to ask Timo Glock to stand down to allow the team to get the money it needed to complete its 2013 budget. Glock had a contract but the team could not sensibly afford to pay him when there was a great deal of money on offer from elsewhere. Glock agreed that it was in the best interests of the team for him NOT to race for it and agreed to a sensible settlement and then landed a lucrative BMW DTM contract for the season ahead. At 30, Timo was realistic enough to recognise that his career with Marussia is not really going to take him anywhere in Formula 1 and that it was best to look ahead for work which will potentially keep him busy for the next ten years.