2017 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX: RACE DAY *** SPOILERS ***

After watching the race and then reading all the posts here, the highlight was at the start of the threads with the comments on the F2 short race! Those cars seem to be able to pass and drive aggressively, so we just need more of that in F1! If that helps get LeClerc into a Sauber next year, great!

During the race Alonso was on the radio and asking if they could do anything to help get Vandorne into the points, I thought that was pretty awesome, and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he meant it and didn't just say it on the radio for publicity.

Top three teams, everyone but Kimi had at least one race win. Maybe that's just proof that Ferrari was betting on Vettel all the way, but yeah, you'd expect him to get a win if both Red Bulls won and Bottas had 3.

The F1 logo thing leaves me cold both ways, the old one never did much for me either, but I would guess that any major brand should be very cautious about changing their logo just to change it.

While we're bashing Stroll, I remember reading various articles that have stated how he is off the pace of Massa overall this year, Massa was off the pace of his previous team mates (read: Alonso), so other than millions of dollars there is no good reason for him to be at Williams. Oh well, from what I understand his contract reduces how much money he brings to the team each year, so if Williams can design a better car they'll be able to buy him out eventually.

 

lessons from the weekend are :
1) Abu Dhabi needs to change its track or at least loose its last place in the calendar, they have the cash so why not?
2) Fuel saving ? That needs to go.
3) Ferrari, more horse power ! That need to come.

 

yep....articles out there on the top 2. #2-->Kimi was slow due to fuel saving.

 

Both the GP3 and F2 races where thoroughly exciting so I think the finger should be pointed towards the cars rather than the track.

Tilke dromes get a bad rep, IMO what they're truly guilty of is the extended parking lots instead of gravel traps. Some of his tracks I truly don't like as they have zero character and terrible layout (Korea, India notably) but this is not completely down to him. I do think the Abu Dhabi track is quite good, and as we've seen in the support races, great races can certainly be had there. Tilke Dromes can be dramatically improved by placing gravel traps in places where drivers get punished for mistakes, yet leaving the ''crash zones'' asphalted so the crash happens as safely as possible

On non-tilke tracks we're faced with the same problems...

 

Agree it was awesome!! I recorded the F2 race and watched it after F1....F2 race was so much better! Tons of overtaking, several leads changes AND the engines sound better. After the race was finished, all I could think about was how horrible F1 has become. The pinnacle of racing was absolutely pathetic to watch compared to the "lesser" F2.

 

I give Kimi credit for Monaco and Hungary, two wins that his team gifted to Seb.

 

We are stuck with this ridiculous formula but the aero regs can be addressed immediately. Teams are blowing up their budgets with constant aero testing and the cars are unable follow/pass each other during the race. Strictly limit the number of aero elements allowed, perhaps require each team to homologate 2 or 3 different aero configurations that can used throughout the season.

 

Is it just that simple, that F1 cars are so aerodynamic that it also makes it so difficult to follow? Are NACAR races bumber to bumper traffic jams because the cars have little aero?

 

What a sad way to end the season. TV guys speculating the entire race that Merc engineered and gave the win to Bottas... I guess just to be nice. Ferrari got embarrassed. 25 seconds is a lifetime in F1. If anyone thinks next year will be different than you're mistaken. This was the one year Ferrari could've gotten the WDC but $5 spark plug issues on the grid isn't what champions are about. The race itself was pathetic. As everyone else said, it was a procession.

Couple thoughts on the year... How would you like to be the guy that proves that it's the car that wins is a myth? Here you have Bottas not even really close to Hamilton. I'll give it another year to see if he acclimates to the car, but everyone always says you can put the tire changer guy in the Merc and he'd win every race. Like him or hate him, Lewis extracts every last little bit out of that car. I have to give him credit.

 

It will take a lot more then a logo change to make F1 worth watching

 

Only half the problem is the cars. Some of these tracks are terrible for overtaking oppurtunities, this one was a good example.

 

Yes in a word.

These incredibly complex wings have made it more difficult that ever to follow each other. Cars out in front (with no backmarkers around) enjoy clean air and the car behind needs to be massive amounts faster not only to overtake, but come close...depending on the track it can be up to 2 seconds for the turbulent air to start affecting a driver. Insanity.

Open tyres have something to do with this but there's no elegant fix for this. However, simply making the front wings a) smaller in width b) much less complex will be a big help. Cleaning up the rest of the body and rear wings will help even more. The argument against this is that the cars will be much slower through corners. True. This can be remedied again by having venturi tunnels, they allow for great downforce yet are very little affected by turbulent air. We now have much closer following, yet at the same speeds as now. The tyres will still generate some dirty air but cars will be much fewer affected by this.

F1 attempted to fix the overtaking issues with their delta wing concept. It should have been fixed back in May (when the deadline for 2018 rules have to be finalized) but it was not, since the FIA is inept.

 

Only rarely is it the track, really Hungary and Monaco. Hungary has an easy fix, just make their straight a little longer. Their first corner is perfect but just not enough run up to it.

 

^^^^^ We also get the Paul Ricard circuit in 2018^^^^^^

So who used most power-unit components in 2017 season? Grand total average:

1. #Mercedes 3.6
2. #Ferrari 4.1
3. #Renault 5.1
4. #Honda 9.1

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The teams are spending way to much money on Aero development at the moment. When hammy cant make a move on Bubbles because of the wake created behind the car creates a down force imbalance on the car behind that they cannot get close enough to create a tow or have to resort to DRS there is a fundamental problem. Just look at the photos of the Aero bits with all the scallops and fish gills to redirect the air where it can produce the desired effect (cooling, down force, or power production).

Perhaps it is time to simplify the Aero regulations. Eliminate the flat floor and bring back "Ground Effect" tunnels set X amount of distance from the track with the car bottomed out, Restrict the size and number of elements for the front and rear wings, eliminate turning vanes, barge boards, T wings, S ducts, Etc. Will this slow down the cars? More than likely. Will it make for more passing? More than likely. I hate to say this but look at Indy cars, they can shove there nose up to the car in front of them catch a tow without losing down force.

 

Exactly. With my regulations the teams simply can't spend the money they do now on their aero, so no need for a silly cost cap either (that's impossible to regulate anyways).

On the engine front, next years 3 engines per team is a completely false economy. Mercedes will use in excess of 100 engines (!) on the dyno etc, so it completely negates the whole point of this 3 engines per season rule. there's no money being saved. In fact they spend more and more to get the very very best of the engine as they know it has to last a very long time...

 

So why does Alonso complain having the worst engine in the field???
It simply is not true, it was his team mate

 

2018 Motosport schedule for all you gearheads.....fyi

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Whats happening this week with the Abu Dhabi testing.

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Just an FYI, some of that 2018 schedule is incorrect. In Abu Dhabi, we were trying to finalize the dates and locations of where they need me to be in 2018 and I know that some of those events listed are due to change slightly.

 

Final post race article from Brundle - http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24096/11147328/martin-brundle-f1-in-a-spin-at-end-of-2017-to-leave-questions-for-2018

 

^^^ He doesn't sound particularly enthusiastic about anything in that article...!

 

I think he see's trouble ahead and Liberty not suited to actually make the progress he feels needs to be made. If cars cannot close with superior speed and pass/race. What do we have LOL

 

For those that missed or could not watch the F2 race.

Drivers to point out: LeClerc (obvious) and Rowland. And the track is not boring. This race has more action than an F1 race and sounds better too.



FIA Formula 2 Championship 2017 - Abu Dhabi - FULL RACE [RACE 2]