The 2013 season saw a stability in the regulations that we hadn't seen for a long while. Driver changes were to provide the initial intrigue, with Lewis Hamilton's much-anticipated move to Mercedes. The calendar missed the European GP at Valencia, whilst the successful US race in Austin returned for its second outing. Red Bull were searching for a fourth consecutive championship, but McLaren and Ferrari were both fired up to try and stop them.

Season overview

There was plenty of action to behold long before the season itself got going, with team movements (Toto Wolff moving to Mercedes), the long-awaited car launches (to stepped nose, or not to stepped nose), and of course, the pre-season testing (Mercedes having Lotus-style issues). With the significant lack of regulation changes, and the desire of most teams to balance their forward development this year with the need to pool resources for 2014, there weren't a lot of startling differences to be noted upon the cars.

Late signings plus two new drivers saw both Caterham and Marussia with a lot of team-building to do, whilst Force India left it until the very last minute to complete their lineup.

Learn more about the 2013 Formula 1 season with the Pocket F1 Handbook.