Motors Bit-Tech F1 2017 thread - Season Complete

Top Gear reporting that Toro Rosso have given Kvyat a time out.

 

Yeah, Gasly was in Kvyat's seat for yesterdays race.

 

Glad Max finally got another win under his belt - biggest injustice this season is the fact he is so far behind even Kimi on points...

Lewis did exactly what he needed to and not 1 percent more, which is a good shout given that we're well and truly into the danger period in terms of engine component life.

Bottas continuing to be completely anonymous, this is why they only gave him a years contract. I still expect him to be in the car for 2018, but he just doesn't seem to have the fire to actually mount a fight for the championship. He's just too Finnish, obviously.

Any podium with Ricciardo on is a happy podium - doubly so if he kept Seb behind while doing so.

Speaking of who, as much as he is keeping up a brave face, it does look like Vettel is unravelling at the seams. Crashing on the cool-down lap (even being in a position to crash) is a rookie error, not a 4 times world champion move.

Awful race for Renault, unless they are full steam ahead for 2018 at this point, they should be worried - will be pretty embarrassing to be finishing behind BOTH customer teams as a works outfit.

Gasly showed more restraint, better wheel to wheel racing and more potential in his first race than Kvyat has shown the past 2 seasons. And all without a working drinks bottle.

Vandoorne finally coming good, taken longer than it should have, but I still think it's a bit early for everyone to be all "Ooooh, Alonso should be worried!".

 

Bottas recently said his driving style doesn't suit the car. It would be interesting to analyse his style, I always assumed he leaned more towards aggressive like Hamilton rather than smooth like Raikkonen.

Vettel has also mange to crash behind the safety car on 2 occasions from memory, once in Dubai and once this season. Say hello to your four time champion. 2 races in a row he has blamed the other driver for crashing and even blamed Hamilton when he drove into the back of him. At what point does it become a pattern for the equivalent of diving in football?

Gasly is arguably driver of the day. He done everything right.

Renault (Hulkenberg) looks to have given up. If they improve the engine slightly more then arguably Red Bull will be in the mix next season. Going back to a struggling Honda the season after is going to be rough

 

What would the point be for him to fight? If he was in front he would just get a radio message to let Lewis pass him.

 

The point would be to prove to Toto and Lauda (as well as everyone else in the paddock) that he can and deserves to be kept on.

 

Do not think there is any chance he is kept on for 2019 onwards, Maybe if Lewis requests a number 2 driver which he has never done before.

The Quali difference since summer suggests Hamilton is out performing the car by a significant margin. With bottas on average 0.6 seconds down according to recent stats from sky. Since the summer break. In the same car that is a ocean of time in a sport that measures time in 0.0001.

It also suggests Nico deserves more credit that he was maybe given for his time at merc. As if it was Lewis bottas the last 3 years it would of been the biggest walk in formula 1 history.

 

I think that will depend on how close he gets to Lewis and what noises Lewis makes about staying or retiring.

If he can be slightly slower than Lewis at all times, that would suit Merc down to the ground. As long as they have Lewis and a fast but not quite as fas tdriver they've got the constructors and probably the drivers chamionships. If it was Lewis and Nico this year would be have been carnage for Merc, I'm not sure they'll want a Ricciardo or a Verstappen in their team unless they think Lewis is leaving. Although if Valtteri doesn't get closer to Lewis I can see Ricciardo in a Merc.

As for Nico, 26 poles positions, 20 race wins and a championship in three years against Lewis Hamilton, it astounds me that he still gets marked as being anything but a fantastic driver. Lewis vs Heikki showed what happens when Lewis is paired with a driver who isn't championship material.

 

Because he was invisible before Merc and their car dominated in those 3 seasons. But, yea, he's a world champ, can't take that away from him.

 

At Merc, pre Hamilton, he was basically 'wosshisname... you know... the one that isn't Schumacher' despite outperforming him consistently for the 3 years they were paired together. And tbh i'd completely forgotten he was at Williams for 4 years before that.

 

Rosberg was always held in high regard kinda like Button before Brawn. A great driver who was just in the wrong team.
The first 2 seasons Merc won the championship it felt more like Hamilton was in complete control. In wheel to wheel racing Hamilton was the better and Rosberg only won if Hamilton had a bad weekend. The third season changed that with Rosberg looking like he controlled the season more and had some say in the championship. Hamiltons reliability eg. malysia did play a part but you still felt that Rosberg had a say rather than relaying on Hamilton having a bad moment.

 

As far as I can tell it's in every Williams driver's contract to bumble around somewhere in the middle without making a fuss.

Which would be why they fired Maldonado.

 

How nice would it be to see 2 genuinely exciting, fast drivers at Williams at the same time? They need to follow Force India's example, instead of Sauber's...

 

Motoya and Schumacher 2001-2004, Heidfeld and Webber 2005, Rosberg and Webber 2006.

Early 00's they looked like recapturing their form but 05 and 06 was a **** car rather than drivers and Its been downhill since, ending up with meh drivers when the car has any potential. That attracts good drivers and the car falls off a cliff in performance rrsulting in a bad season. Good drivers leave, team rebuild with a decent car and the cycle repeats.

 

2018 Riccardo's last season at Red Bull. Marko admits they're looking at replacements for 2019 season.

So who reckons he'll join Vettel at Ferrari or Replace Hamilton/Bottas at Merc?
Bottas seems like next year will be his last as a Merc driver unless he improves. Can't see Ferrari keeping Raikkonen if Riccardo is on the market and who knows what Hamilton will do

 

I see Mallya has been arrested... again...

 

DRS need to stay until the issues that bought it about are solved. The new cars this season has made things faster but made following closely even worse. There has been races this season where it's been so bad that it's been almost impossible to stay within DRS range, let alone pass without it.

Ultimately I agree: Aero regulations that render DRS superfluous would be better. However get rid of it with the current regulations in place and it would be disastrous for F1.

 

Ricciardo has already said he won't be a bridesmaid and he has the talent to challenge anyone in the same machinery, be it Vettel or Hamilton, so I would love to see him in a top car in 2019.

I've said it before but the driver market at the end of next year is going to be epic.

 

I get the impression Red Bull could be fairly competitive next season. Newey has built an awesome car that is getting better and Renault seem to have improved greatly. Reliability is still an issue but that will come too.
I havent been following the Mallya story too closely. What's everyone's verdict on it?

I'm also mixed about DRS. Its a tool to make the cars go faster no different from the energy recovery but has artificial restrictions. I've often wondered would it be better to allow all cars use of it until they get within 1 second then it becomes a catching tool rather than an overtaking. I agree aero needs to be simplified. For the speeds F1 want its needed but I don't think complete focus on floor effect will solve the issue. A lot of down force is generated by the flow over the front wing. Following another car will always affect that. Maybe fan cars are the solution

Edit: extra unaired footage supposedly shows Vettel completely to blame for Stroll crash http://www.news.com.au/sport/motors...e/news-story/6359efbd1aabf0354230183b010e9f4f