2017 Formula One Sweep

Formula One 2017 preview – The teams, the drivers, the rule changes

Change is good and the 2017 F1 season promises lots of it. Here's our preview of what to expect.

The 2017 Formula 1 season is nearly upon us. Same-old, same-old, you might think. But if 2016 was once again characterised by Mercedes-AMG Petronas dominance, changes to this season's technical regulations mean we could be on the verge of one of F1's shake-up seasons and all the excitment that entails.

Not least because one driver change in particular will have a significant impact at the very top. Just days after lifting the title at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg announced his retirement from F1 – taking Mercedes completely by surprise and triggering a rapid search for another driver.

We've covered all the movements – and the new regulation changes – below. Keep your eyes peeled on this page as we'll be updating it as the 2017 cars are revealed over the coming weeks.

Formula 1 2017 teams and drivers

The big news here is Mercedes AMG Petronas, which didn't exactly see Rosberg's departure coming and suddenly had to find someone to replace him. That someone turned out to be Finn, Valtteri Bottas, who impressed in his previous role as Massa's teammate at Williams.

2017 Mercedes

Massa, who had himself retired, was brought back to Williams and will be partnered with Canadian driver Lance Stroll.

2017 Williams

Ferrari and Red Bull Racing's lineups have remained consistent: Vettel and Raikkonen in the former, Ricciardo and Verstappen in the latter.

2017 Ferrari

2017 Red Bull

With Jenson Button another retiree at the end of 2016, McLaren Honda's lineup has altered slightly, with Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne leaving Japanese single-seater series Super Formula to partner Fernando Alonso.

2017 McLaren

Kevin Magnussen leaves Renault for Haas, driving alongside Romain Grosjean. His space at Renault (which retains Brit, Jolyon Palmer) is filled by Nico Hulkenberg, whose former Force India spot will in turn be filled by Esteban Ocon. Ocon moves from Manor Racing, which went into administration earlier in the year but whose entry remains valid until the third race of the season at Bahrain. Sergio Perez remains at Force India.

2017 Haas

2017 Renault

2017 Force India

Luckily for former Manor driver Pascal Wehrlein (one of the drivers briefly touted as Rosberg's replacement), he replaces Felipe Nasr at Sauber-Ferrari. Nasr exits F1, for the time being at least.

2017 Sauber

Last but not least, there's Torro Rosso, which keeps the Russian-Spanish partnership of Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz Jr.

2017 Torro Rosso

Formula 1 2017 circuits

F1 circuit changes haven't quite been as comprehensive as the driver changes for 2017. Plans to bring back Imola haven't materialised and there will be no Grand Prix in Germany this year, since deals with neither Hockenheim nor the Nurburgring could be finalised.

The only other changes are schedule shifts for China and Bahrain, which swap places, and Baku – which will no longer conflict with Le Mans – is now known as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. A full calendar of this year's Formula One races is below:

Round Event                                                         Location                                 Date
1         Rolex Australian Grand Prix                         Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit           26 March
2         Heineken Chinese Grand Prix                         Shanghai International Circuit     9 April
3         Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix                         Bahrain International Circuit           16 April
4         Russian Grand Prix                                         Sochi Autodrom                           30 April
5         Gran Premio de España                                 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya   14 May
6         Grand Prix de Monaco                                 Circuit de Monaco                           28 May
7         Grand Prix du Canada                                 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve                     11 June
8         Azerbaijan Grand Prix                                 Baku City Circuit                             25 June
9         Grosser Preis von Österreich                         Red Bull Ring                                       9 July
10         British Grand Prix                                         Silverstone Circuit                             16 July
11         Magyar Nagydíj                                         Hungaroring                                     30 July
12         Belgian Grand Prix                                         Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps            27 August
13         Gran Premio Heineken D'Italia                 Autodromo Nazionale Monza               3 September
14         Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix Marina Bay Street Circuit             17 September
15         Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix                         Sepang International Circuit                 1 October
16         Japanese Grand Prix                                 Suzuka International Racing Course 8 October
17         United States Grand Prix                         Circuit of the Americas                       22 October
18         Gran Premio de México                                 Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez       29 October
19         Grande Prêmio do Brazil                                 Autódromo José Carlos Pace               12 November
20         Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix         Yas Marina Circuit                               26 November

Formula 1 2017: technical changes and new rules

F1 will be faster in 2017, thanks to a list of new technical changes aimed largely at improving lap times. It should alter the look of the cars too, as many of the changes herald significant differences in aerodynamic components and tyres.

Those tyres are much wider than before – up from 245mm to 305mm at the front and 325mm to 405mm at the rear for a satisfyingly barrel-like appearance. The latter isn't far off the 420mm maximum rear tyre width allowed in 1992 before slightly narrower tyres were brought in for 1993, which gives you an indication of the visual difference.

That's complemented by a wider track – 2000mm, up from 1800mm, and bodywork that can now be up to 1600mm wide, 200mm wider than before. The front wing can now be 1800mm wide (up from 1650mm) and a rear wing's profile and aspect both change, at 950mm wide and 800mm high, compared to last year's 750mm by 950mm.

The endplates have also changed, the diffuser grows by 50mm in height and 50mm in width and barge boards are larger too. The combined effects of these will mean a sleeker car, and both more mechanical and aerodynamic grip. The addition of 20kg to the minimum weight (now 722kg with driver) will be almost academic, with lap times up to three seconds faster than last year.

The elephant in the room is overtaking. It's commonly known that big aerodynamic devices make it difficult for cars behind to get close enough to those in front to overtake. The FIA tried to fudge a fix with DRS and a boost of energy from KERS but the problem is more fundamental than that.

Giving cars extra aero grip then? It's unlikely to change that situation. Had the new tyres been introduced on their own it might have been a step in the right direction – but we'll have to wait and see when the Australian Grand Prix kicks off in late March.

The 2017 contenders

The 2017 cars have all now been revealed, giving us an idea about how each of the teams have adapted their car based on the new regulations. Large fins above the engine cover and elaborate front wing designs seem to be a couple of trends seen between the teams, although many didn't show or covered up the rear diffusers. We will get our first taste of how the cars perform in pre season testing, but will have to wait till round 1 in Melbourne to see who has come out on top.

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