4 things to watch out for in 2013 Chinese Grand Prix

The 2013 Chinese Grand Prix is just around the corner and before the weekend gets under way, let’s take a look at some of the themes to watch out for in this year’s Chinese Grand Prix:

1. Mercedes‘s resurgence:

Mercedes have made a very strong start to the 2013 season after a relatively poor 2012 season and they come to China after a very strong performance in the Malaysian Grand Prix. Both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton could have challenged the Red Bulls for the win in Malaysia had their engineers calculated fuel consumption rate properly. But China has been Mercedes’s territory for the past 2 years, so they come here with good sense of optimism and are aiming for a top result.

Last year, Mercedes gained huge advantage by using their DDRS system and were quick in the first and third sectors, but this year they have lost their speed advantage so it’s unlikely that they are going be quickest on the straights. But they have improved the overall aerodynamics and suspension, so expect them to be very quick and challenging for the top positions.

The FRIC (Front rear inter connected) suspension system, which the Mercedes have been trying to master for the past few years, is finally paying dividends on the race track and they seem to have got over their tyre wear issues. Another benefit with the FRIC system is that the team can run very stiff suspension, thus aiding to the aerodynamics of the car while not sacrificing the ease of driving.

2. The Vettel-Webber saga:

Vettel’s controversial Malaysian Gran Prix win is likely to be the talk of the paddock in the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix and the three time world champion may have to face some very big faces. Mark Webber on the other hand has been recuperating from the Malaysian incident by surfing and having a good time in his native Australia, so expect him to be back in full form and he’ll probably be even more pumped up to defeat and outpace his younger team-mate.

Red Bull have never been the class of the field in China and they have usually ended up just outside the podium positions, so a win may be out of their hands in China. The main problem for Red Bull will be their top speed which they have been lacking for past few years. China has got three long straights in Sector 1 and Sector 3, so the Red Bull drivers have to be massively quick through twisty Sector 2 to make up for lost time, plus they will have to control the tyre degradation which seems to be affecting them more than any of the other top teams.

3. Lotus and Ferrari:

Both Lotus and Ferrari made a very strong start to the season in Australia but both the teams seemed to be off pace in Malaysia, so it will be interesting to see whether they regain their Australian Grand Prix form or continue their struggle.

This year, Lotus and Ferrari have been the quickest cars on the straights and are likely to contest for the top positions in the Chinese Grand Prix. Another thing to watch out for will be Felipe Massa‘s qualifying form. Felipe has out-qualified Alonso in the past four races and if he does it for the fifth time, will the tensions increase in the Ferrari camp, as Alonso is not well-known for handling a quicker team mate?

4. Can McLaren bounce back?

McLaren have made a terrible start to their 2013 campaign and they need to get over the problems with their car quickly in order to get back in the championship challenge.

In Malaysia, the McLaren car looked better than what it was in Australia and the team is bringing some upgrades to China, so a lot will be expected from them in the upcoming Grand Prix.

All in all, the 2013 Chinese Grand Prix looks to be the perfect recipe for a hardcore F1 Fan.