2017 rules / changes

Jenson Button: Return of development race in 2017 will boost F1 - F1 - Autosport

 

Will it be the resurgence of McLaren?

 

I would like to see them make major progress next year!!

 

NOVEMBER 24, 2016

20 races for 2017 as Germany scrapped



F1's race calendar for 2017 is set to shrink from 21 to 20 grands prix.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the German grand prix at Hockenheim will be scratched, with teams informed of the change ahead of Abu Dhabi.

"We cannot subsidise the race in Germany if we do not do the same with the other races in Europe," said F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The change will reportedly be ratified by the next World Motor Sport Council meeting scheduled for 30 November in Vienna.

 

I remember when people were freaking out at too many races on the calendar, and the race count was in the teens. F1 can lose a few GP's. Europe is changing, and F1 doesn't fit with the change. Its been wise to move into other markets.

 

NOVEMBER 29, 2016

New engine deal not awkward says Horner



Christian Horner says Red Bull is now looking confidently into the future with engine supplier Renault.

Actually, the parties fell out spectacularly last year, with only a Tag-Heuer rebranding ensuring that French power units remained in the dark blue cars.

Team boss Horner admits "frustration" boiled over after 2014 and 2015.

"But there was restructuring and personnel changes and new enthusiasm and we hope that will remain for the next two years, as we have already extended the cooperation," he told Speed Week.

But asked if it is now awkward that Tag Heuer is actually getting the credit for Red Bull's 'Renault'-powered wins, Horner insisted: "No, because everyone knows we are using a Renault engine, even if it is called Tag Heuer.

"The Renault people are just proud that their product wins races."

So now, with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen at the wheel, Horner said he is confident they could have a fully competitive car at their disposal in 2017.

But he admitted: "There is a lot of uncertainty about next season. These are the most serious changes since 2008 and at this point no one knows what the others are doing so all you can do is concentrate on yourself.

"It's possible a team will find something like the (Brawn) double diffuser."

Asked if Adrian Newey's RB13 car is on schedule, Horner answered: "As usual, our timetable is very, very tight, but we have to and will be ready for the first test."

As for his own future, Horner played down any claims he might be interested in replacing F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

"I am very, very satisfied with my job at Red Bull Racing," he answered. "I want to make the team world champion again."

 

I don't think the car looks all that much different... an improvement for sure, but until that skinny slopping anteater nose goes away it'll still not be the "angry" car it could be.

I think there is more danger of submarining under a car lifting that car than a driver getting hurt by a higher nose via 2011-12-13.

 

Honestly, i think the width is going to help McLaren. Their tech is very good, they just need to get the engines cold enough to boost the power output. I'm hoping to see them back at the front again.

 

I am looking forward to seeing a physical reset on field as demands will be very different. Drivers who we know to be competitive may very well not be in much more demanding cars. Expect a lot of surprises next season in that regard.

Additionally, the engines will rev higher so I believe reliability and drivability will shock many of us as well.

 

Dale, you're beating a horse that is old and tired. No one has a fight in them because there is not much to fight for.

F1 is not in a good place right now and just about everyone knows it. No reason to argue over a poor product. Not much point in that.

-F

 

Most of the **** stirrers are gone. We've calmed down and went back to a state of understanding and normal debates.

 

DECEMBER 2, 2016

Sauber to be first with 2017 car



Sauber looks set to be first out of the blocks with its 2017 car.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the Swiss team has already booked a date with the FIA to homologate its car for the new regulations -- 19 December.

Prior to an investor bailout, Sauber almost collapsed financially this year, and so the decision to use the 2016 Ferrari engine in 2017 was viewed by some as an act of desperation.

But boss Monisha Kaltenborn insists it is for technical reasons.

"We know there is a big change coming up, so with the size we are the capacity we have, we needed to focus on that change," she said.

However, team driver Felipe Nasr looks set to lose his race cockpit for 2017, after his sponsor Banco do Brasil wound back the value of the deal.

"What I see is that everyone is interested in money," he told Brazil's UOL Esporte. "Unfortunately, this is the reality of formula one -- money talking louder than talent."

 

DECEMBER 2, 2016

F1 stewards vow to improve consistency



F1 stewards are looking to speed up their deliberating and be more consistent in their decisions.

Particularly among the driver camp, the stewards have faced increasing criticism in recent months as some incidents went unnoticed while others attracted penalties.

Amid that climate, the stewards got together in Vienna this week ahead of the World Motor Sport Council meeting.

"We went through a lot of rules and looked at how we can work with the FIA to tidy up the wording, enabling us to take quicker decisions," said Garry Connelly, the stewards chairman.

"We talked a lot about how we can achieve better consistency."

One of the biggest controversies in 2016 was 'track limits', but Connelly said the FIA is doing a good job to fix that problem by modifying the tracks.

"There are now probably only 11 or 12 corners across the whole championship where there is the potential for cutting corners in a very obvious way," he said.

Connelly said one example is Monza, where at turn 1 a driver will get a "natural penalty" by going off because it takes him longer to rejoin the track.

"That makes it a lot easier for the stewards as the penalty is applied on track," he explained.

Still, he said the job of an F1 steward is difficult because of "subjectivity", unlike a tennis umpire deciding if a ball is either in or out.



I hope so, as there have been many controversial / questionable decisions taken this year.

 

At least they are aware of the problem - that is step one.

 

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Ferrari dominance better for F1 says Kaltenborn



Monisha Kaltenborn says it would be better if Ferrari rather than Mercedes was dominating formula one.

"Of course it would be better if several teams were to fight for the title," the Sauber team chief told German radio Deutschlandfunk.

But she said it is not Mercedes' fault that it simply aced the new 'power unit' regulations that began in 2014.

"It was especially thanks to an excellent engine," said Kaltenborn, "but also a good aerodynamic package. But it's not good if there is dominance.

"If Ferrari was dominating, I think that would not hurt the sport as much. Ferrari has so many fans and the number of spectators would still be high."

The bad news, she insisted, is that even though the aerodynamic and tyre rules are changing for 2017, the engine rules are basically staying the same.

"This (2017) is an opportunity for all the teams who have a certain development possibility to approach Mercedes," said Kaltenborn.

"But it will probably take another two years for the manufacturers to get close to the Mercedes engine."

And she also has doubts about whether the 2017 rules, designed to make F1 faster and more spectacular, will achieve those aims.

"I have expressed my doubts from the outset," said the Sauber team boss.

"The fact that the cars will be faster and be harder to drive will not be noticed by the spectator," she said.

"If the difference would be 10 or 15 seconds per lap, they would notice it, but not if it is five or six seconds. So I'm concerned about that."

 

Makes sense.

F1 streaming in the US was up 231% year over year...and that is with basically no effort to promote it here in the states.

 

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Pirelli wants to monitor tyre data in-race



Pirelli sounds determined to keep clamping down on how F1 teams are using their tyres.

The sport's official supplier was unpopular among many teams this year as it demanded controversially high operating tyre pressures.

So now with the tyres getting bigger and grippier for 2017, Pirelli F1 chief Mario Isola confirmed reports the brand is looking to monitor tyre data from F1 teams in real time.

"We need a different way to make sure they are following our prescriptions," he is quoted by Brazil's UOL.

"So far, we have been able to prescribe the initial pressures but not what happens next," said Isola, amid rumours teams have devised clever methods and technology to lower tyre pressures when the cars are actually running.

"Of course we are interested in the pressure of the tyre in the race, so if we find a way to track it in real time, it will be more accurate and better for everyone," he added.

 

Smart move by Pirelli.

At one point the clowns in NASCAR were drilling, yes drilling, these tiny holes into the tires with precision drills so that the pressure would bleed off on track.

Guess who it was?

Yup, Gene Haas' team.

http://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2015/03/31/nascar-finds-ryan-newmans-race-team-manipulated-tires

...and there are of course other ways as well, like modifying the valve, wheel, and probably other things we don't even know about.

 

F1 engine formula needs road relevance rethink - Ross Brawn

Nice warning about Mercedes being strong next year!!

 

Mercedes indeed pulled resources to 2017 very early. That is the only reason Red Bull gave them a fight every now and then. I believe it was easy to see Red Bull were developing their car a significant amount of time longer than Mercedes.

Ross hit the mark regarding engines. While road car relevance is somewhat important, I think a balance must be struck. Ferrari with the LaFerrari powertrain I believe struck that balance most optimally in that it uses hybrid technology only to make the car go faster supplemental the engine rather than specifically going for cleaner or more efficient, which in the case of the LaFerrari are only considered byproducts.

A 2L V12 hybrid formula would be beneficial to both the automotive industry and F1 in that we would have the most exciting engines back on the grid which have a significant amount more going on to go awry than a small V6 which adds to the spectacle and constructors mettle. For road cars the benefit would be the further development of hybrid technology and everything that comes along with that package. Developing an entire package on the F1 grid in its current configuration, while technically interesting, does not benefit road cars in the same capacity the aforementioned would. I doubt we are ever going to see road cars with split turbos integrated to the block with motor driven turbos eliminating turbo lag. They are incredibly expensive to build, difficult to cool, and long-term reliability would be highly questionable minus a significant amount of testing. While we may see similar powertrains in certain small portions of the automotive industry, it's simply too expensive of a technology to be on everyman's motorcar. We may see the occasional prototype, supercar, or diesel with such technology, but I do not view it as a concept for the masses the same as a plain hybrid electric motor and battery pack would.

They have some time to think about this and I hope Libertymedia lobbies for a change the people have been begging itching for.

 

It all comes down to is F1 really a racing sport... or some other marketing or otherwise non-racing focused endeavor. Look at MotoGP. I love it, but I'll admit I know/care less about the PU's and I gravitate and have owned bikes from some of my favorite factory teams. MotoGP is about racing. If F1 decided to be about racing, perhaps manufacturers would leave, but others would fill in the blanks. But it the notion is that winning in F1 does drive sales, it's highly unlikely that those who do purchase cars from the likes of Merc do so because they relate to the PU. They buy Ferrari or Merc or McLaren because they race. What's in the back of the car really doesn't matter to those they're trying to impress. In fact... I think it impresses people a lot less now than it did in the V8 era where you could actually create an emotional and visceral attraction to the cars and the sport itself.

 

I didn't expect less.

They will stay at the front until the end of this formula in 2020.

 

^^^^^^
One of the better posts I have read in some time

 

Bringing this thread back because I was just asked and honestly didn't know the answer.

With the 2017 changes... what did they do with the sound? Anything? Was that part of the changes?

 

I just read they're installing some sort of sound generators? That can't be true.