Formula One 2017 preview - The teams, the drivers, the rule changesChange 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 driversThe 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 MercedesMassa, who had himself retired, was brought back to Williams and will be partnered with Canadian driver Lance Stroll.
2017 WilliamsFerrari 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 BullWith 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 McLarenKevin 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 IndiaLuckily 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 SauberLast but not least, there's Torro Rosso, which keeps the Russian-Spanish partnership of Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz Jr.
2017 Torro RossoF1 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 rulesF1 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 contendersThe 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.
AChat Forum
