2017 F1 Season

[Paris in Flames]

Some reports on Twitter that Kubica is in at Williams next season.

*edit*

Reports have been debunked. He is doing another test though.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Interlagos is a great track, but a terrible fit for these current F1 cars.

I hope the softer compounds next year make a difference, otherwise we're in for another boring year. Every team needs to have at least 3 stops per race.

It's not like I've seen every single race in Brazil, but I've never seen a race day there as clear as it was yesterday. Rain was a non factor all weekend, the rubber stayed in the track and coupled with the first lap SC, that was end of story (mostly) for tire wear.

Speaking of Pirelli:


Could be 6-8 compounds for next year. Also, due to lack of security, Pirelli cancelled this week's last test in Brazil before finalizing 2018 compounds. There's an all team test after Abu Dhabi so hopefully we hear the drivers complain about how much they degrade leading to more stops in 2018.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Tire McTireface would be my vote.

Whoever was manning the Force India account in the comments is doing great though.

 

[Preds Partisan]

 

[SoupyFIN]

It's too bad RB destroyed their relationship with Kvyat, at least he had potential to be a long-term F1 driver.

 

[Kane One]

Surely they'd be in breach of contract and Sainz would end up going back to Toro Rosso, no?

 

[SoupyFIN]

For the European Playstation users here, F1 2017 is 50% off until next Monday on the store.

I'm gonna wait if someone sells the physical version cheaper though.

 

[Smoke]

Haha.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Haha. I love that man.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Uhhh not sure what they're thinking with that new logo.

 

[JoVel]

Uhhh not sure what they're thinking with that new logo.

Why even change it? Nothing was wrong with the old one. Then again, it doesn't really matter in any way.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Newly rebranded Alfa Romeo Sauber have announced Charles LeClerc and Marcus Ericsson as their driver lineup for 2018

 

[Preds Partisan]

Leaves only one Williams seat to confirm.

Also, Pirelli is confidant that with each of the seven compounds being one step softer in 2018 along with the addition of the hyper soft, races should be two stops instead of mostly one stop for next season. The new super hard apparently won't be used in 2018, but is reserved just in case they need it at some point in the season based on actual race performance.

 

[Albatros]

Newly rebranded Alfa Romeo Sauber have announced Charles LeClerc and Marcus Ericsson as their driver lineup for 2018

Pretty sweet that new look too at least by Sauber's standards, even if not final:

 

[Preds Partisan]

Stories floating around that Maserati and Haas may enter into a similar deal as Sauber and Alfa Romeo. Team would be known as Maserati Haas and value would be equal to the dollar amount Haas currently pays for Ferrari parts/technical ($20-23 million USD). This would be effective 2018 according to reports. Maserati and Haas chassis builder Dallara already have a a technical arrangement for production cars, so there is an existing business relationship.

Interestingly (well, to me anyway), Maserati used to use blue and gold as corporate colors (like the current Sauber colors which will be changed with Alfa Romeo), but Maserati now mostly uses black and grey which along with red are Haas colors presently. We'll see in February which colors they use.

Ferrari would still have three votes between Ferrari, Alfa R and Maserati.

Also related to Haas, Antonio Giovinazzi won't be a development driver in 2018. "I don't think it helped us or our drivers...I cannot say how negative it was, but it was not positive" is the quote. Ferrari was pushing for his inclusion, but his ship may have sailed... forever.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Gio was not good in the chances he did get when Wehrlein was out, all I remember him doing is crashing a lot. He will end up going the same way as former Ferrari man Gutierrez, and will be jobbing around in Formula E probably. Leclerc is Ferrari's new toy and is actually good, they've no need for mediocre drivers like Giovinazzi for now.

 

[Albatros]

Off topic I know, but watching this year's F3 Macau Grand Prix gave me a really nostalgic feel. Great stuff sorely missed in the F1:

 

[Kane One]

Stories floating around that Maserati and Haas may enter into a similar deal as Sauber and Alfa Romeo. Team would be known as Maserati Haas and value would be equal to the dollar amount Haas currently pays for Ferrari parts/technical ($20-23 million USD). This would be effective 2018 according to reports. Maserati and Haas chassis builder Dallara already have a a technical arrangement for production cars, so there is an existing business relationship.

Interestingly (well, to me anyway), Maserati used to use blue and gold as corporate colors (like the current Sauber colors which will be changed with Alfa Romeo), but Maserati now mostly uses black and grey which along with red are Haas colors presently. We'll see in February which colors they use.

Ferrari would still have three votes between Ferrari, Alfa R and Maserati.

Also related to Haas, Antonio Giovinazzi won't be a development driver in 2018. "I don't think it helped us or our drivers...I cannot say how negative it was, but it was not positive" is the quote. Ferrari was pushing for his inclusion, but his ship may have sailed... forever.

What are these three votes?

 

[Preds Partisan]

It's important because the current Concorde Agreement (the agreement between teams, the FIA and rights holders and promoters that sets out the terms of F1) expires in 2020, and Ferrari with 3 current teams they supply/support is more than one numerically. Current engines (PUs) will be modified, outside manufacturers are interested in entering F1 and there is a push to cut costs. Ferrari likes the money they are guaranteed under the current agreement and they like the ability to outspend everyone else, so having the Ferrari, Haas and Sauber teams represents a block of votes. Oversimplified, but that's basically it....the more teams they supply, the more say they get.

 

[Preds Partisan]

What are these three votes?

Answer above, it wouldn't let me quote your question for some reason.

 

[SoupyFIN]

It's important because the current Concorde Agreement (the agreement between teams, the FIA and rights holders and promoters that sets out the terms of F1) expires in 2020, and Ferrari with 3 current teams they supply/support is more than one numerically. Current engines (PUs) will be modified, outside manufacturers are interested in entering F1 and there is a push to cut costs. Ferrari likes the money they are guaranteed under the current agreement and they like the ability to outspend everyone else, so having the Ferrari, Haas and Sauber teams represents a block of votes. Oversimplified, but that's basically it....the more teams they supply, the more say they get.

This hasn't been true for the past 5 years though, Mercedes at one point (the very beginning when they started developing the 1.6L turbo, 2011/2012-ish?) was spending double the money Ferrari was putting in IIRC.

Also I think Reb Bull was spending more than Ferrari during the Vettel glory days.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Random F1 news:

 

[Siamese Dream]

It's looking like Sergey Sirotkin will get the Williams drive

Formula 1: Williams finalising Sergey Sirotkin 2018 drive

 

[SoupyFIN]

It's looking like Sergey Sirotkin will get the Williams drive

Formula 1: Williams finalising Sergey Sirotkin 2018 drive

15M euros, Williams is officially a full-on paydriver team.

Sirotkin has been kind of all over the place in GP2. Some weekends he puts on a Vandoorne/Leclerc like performance, then the next weekend he's a complete no show. Very crash happy too.

 

[Preds Partisan]