Motors The Bit-Tech F1 2016 Thread - Season Complete

Current Standings

Drivers' Championship

1. Nico Rosberg - 385 - Winner
2. Lewis Hamilton - 380
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 256

Constructors' Championship

1. Mercedes - 765 - Winners
2. Red Bull-TAG Heuer - 468
3. Ferrari - 398

2016 Calendar

Races shown live by Channel 4 in Blue

22-25 Feb - Pre-Season Test #1 - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona
1-4 Mar - Pre-Season Test #2 - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona

18-20 Mar - Australia - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne - ROS, HAM, VET
1-3 Apr - Bahrain - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir - ROS, RAI, HAM
15-17 Apr - China - Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai - ROS, VET, KVY
29 Apr-1 May - Russia - Sochi Autodrom, Sochi - ROS, HAM, RAI
13-15 May - Spain - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona - VES, RAI, VET
26-29 May - Monaco - Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo - HAM, RIC, PER
10-12 Jun - Canada - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal - HAM, VET, BOT
17-19 Jun - Europe [Azerbaijan] - Baku City Circuit, Baku - ROS, VET, PER
1-3 Jul - Austria - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg - HAM, VES, RAI
8-10 Jul - Great Britain - Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone - HAM, ROS , VES, ROS [Penalty]
22-24 Jul - Hungary - Hungaroring, Budapest - HAM, ROS, RIC
29-31 Jul - Germany - Hockenheimring, Hockenheim - HAM, RIC, VES

Summer Break

26-28 Aug - Belgium - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot - ROS, RIC, HAM
2-4 Sep - Italy - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza - ROS, HAM, VET
16-18 Sep - Singapore - Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore - ROS, RIC, HAM
30 Sep-2 Oct - Malaysia - Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur - RIC, VES, ROS
7-9 Oct - Japan - Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka - ROS, VES, HAM
21-23 Oct - USA - Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas - HAM, ROS, RIC
4-6 Nov - Mexico - Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City - HAM, ROS, VES *, VET **, RIC * - Penalty, Demoted to 4th. ** - Penalty, Demoted to 5th
11-13 Nov - Brazil - Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo - HAM, ROS, VES
25-27 Nov - Abu Dhabi - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi - HAM, ROS, VET


2016 Teams and Drivers

Rookie/New Drivers in Purple, Changes from 2015 in Orange, 2017 status in Green

Scuderia Ferrari [Italy]
Team Principal: Maurizio Arrivabene
Chassis: SF-16H
Engine: Ferrari
5 - Sebastian Vettel [Germany] - Confirmed
7 - Kimi Räikkönen [Finland] - Confirmed

Sahara Force India F1 Team [India]
Team Principal: Vijay Maliya
Chassis: VJM09
Engine: Mercedes
11 - Sergio Perez [Mexico] - Confirmed
27 - Nico Hulkenberg [Germany] - Confirmed, Moves to Renault

Haas F1 Team [USA]
Team Principal: Günther Steiner
Chassis: VF-16
Engine: Ferrari
8 - Romain Grosjean [France] - Confirmed
21 - Esteban Gutiérrez [Mexico]

Manor Racing [UK]
Team Principal: Dave Ryan
Chassis: MRT05
Engine: Mercedes
31 - Esteban Ocon [France] - Round 13-21 - Confirmed, Moves to Force India
88 - Rio Haryanto [Indonesia] - Round 1-12
94 - Pascal Wehrlein [Germany]

McLaren Honda [UK]
Team Principal: Éric Boullier
Chassis: MP4-31
Engine: Honda
14 - Fernando Alonso [Spain] - Round 1, 3-21 - Confirmed
22 - Jenson Button [UK] - Moves to reserve role
47 - Stoffel Vandoorne [Belguim] - Round 2 - Confirmed

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team [Germany]
Team Principals: Paddy Lowe, Toto Wolff
Chassis: F1 W07 Hybrid
Engine: Mercedes
44 - Lewis Hamilton [UK] - Confirmed
6 - Nico Rosberg [Germany] - Confirmed

Red Bull Racing [Austria]
Team Principal: Christian Horner
Chassis: RB12
Engine: TAG Heuer-Renault
3 - Daniel Ricciardo [Australia] - Confirmed
26 - Daniil Kvyat [Russia] - Round 1-4
33 - Max Verstappen [Netherlands] - Round 5-21 - Confirmed

Renault Sport Formula One Team [France]
Team Principal: Frederic Vasseur
Chassis: RS16
Engine: Renault
20 - Kevin Magnussen [Denmark] - Confirmed, Moves to Haas
30 - Jolyon Palmer [UK] - Confirmed

Sauber F1 Team [Switzerland]
Team Principal: Monisha Kaltenborn
Chassis: C35
Engine: Ferrari
9 - Marcus Ericsson [Sweden] - Confirmed
12 - Felipe Nasr [Brazil]

Scuderia Torro Rosso [Italy]
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Chassis: STR11
Engine: Ferrari
26 - Daniil Kvyat [Russia] - Round 5-21 - Confirmed
33 - Max Verstappen [Netherlands] - Round 1-4
55 - Carlos Sainz Jr [Spain] - Confirmed

Williams Martini Racing [UK]
Team Principal: Sir Frank Williams
Chassis: FW38
Engine: Mercedes
19 - Felipe Massa [Brazil] - Retired
77 - Valtteri Bottas [Finland] - Confirmed

 

Now for 2016.
LOAD MUD!
Nico Rosberg, 2016 world champion.
McHonda to score at least one podium, mostly due to luck.
Vettel to put in a realistic stab at the title, but finish 3rd overall again.
Pasta to bankrupt Lotus/Renault.
Manor to beat Haas, but Grosjean to impress.
Kimi retires, Grosjean gets Ferrari seat number 2.
Alonso huffs out pre-season, Stoffel Vandoorne takes up the seat and promptly gets obliterated by Button (Obuttunated?).
Ron signs Button for another 12 months, has to check into hospital days later for muscle relaxant injections to his jaw.

 

For 2016

McHonda finish DFL in the constructors, Ron Dennis rage quits.
Renualt rage quit from F1
Rosberg to further cement his position as the new Barrichello
Despite their rules fudgery and Ferrari parts, Hass are midfield also-rans
Button outscores his teammate [whoever it happens to be]
Maldonado runs up at least £1m worth of damaged bodywork.

 

Rumours are that McHonda are working on Grappling clamps to latch onto the other cars to b̶e̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶p̶e̶t̶i̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ not finish so far behind the rest of the field

 

I heard they're gonna try and sneak into AMG's garage and swap their car for the McHonda and hope no-one notices...

 

Fantastic.

 

...

 

So my predictions:

Merc to win WCC again. - true
Merc Power dominates again. - true
Lotus back fighting in the midfield. - maybe... not that much
Caterham not on the grid. - true
Red Bull fastest non-Merc car. - false. That honour goes to Ferrari
Ferrari (what with the change in management - again) in shambles, but rebuilding, thanks to a driver pairing that can deliver. - they caught up. But I wouldn't say they were "in shambles"
Kimi still unhappy with the brakes, getting solidly beaten by Seb. - not so much the brakes... but beaten by Seb, I'd consider that to be the case.
Hamilton to dominate his teammate and take his third WDC (at least that's what I am hoping for). - truth
McLaren back stronger, but not quite challenging Williams. - big fat WRONG

 

I'll just make some (wildly speculative) predictions for 2016 -

Mercedes 1 + 3 in the WDC. Vettel splitting the pair but Hamilton still wins by a clear margin.
Rosberg takes this as a slight and signs with Ferrari, Kimi retires.

Haas to be a total bust, end up competing with Manor.

McLaren start explosively (hopefully not literally) and get a top 5 finish in the first grand prix. However, tail off over the course of the season.

Manor to cease trading towards the end of the season.

RBR to lose big time. Renault pull out of F1 at the end of the season.

2.2l Engines get the go ahead for 2017 as more and more constructors start stating their intentions to quit.

 

I predict in 2016...

Pastor will crash at least four times
Manor to shuffle into the mid field likely finishing 7/8 in the constructors
Ferrari to be stronger forcing Merc to do some work
RBR to moan about their new engine not being good enough an blame the company who makes it (ie themselves)
Williams to be quick but poor strategy means they loose potential wins
Vettel to carry on trolling the Merc drivers
McHonda to be slightly faster than this season but still maintain they have one of the best chassis on the grid.
Bernie to look more like a Sith lord

 

GP+ has a nice lengthy piece on Graham Hill, among others.

Only skimmed it so far - saving it for this evening.

 

Jesus, aren'ty ou just a picture of optimisim and good cheer?

 

Looks like I had a stroke on that last post

 

Looking forward to 2016. For me, the season goes too quick as i love F1.

I am sure Merc will be dominant again and i am hoping that Hamilton will be superb once again!

I think that Ferrari had a helping hand this year due to allowing others to test and then gaining knowledge!! I know it has been said no but we are not that dull!!

 

You can never say never but a faster Ferrari will help Lewis as Nico will get less default p2s could end with the championship done even earlier unless they can actually contest for Pole and win a lot of races.

Vettel will need to double his race wins to get near either Merc.

Nico needs to show he can perform when it matters.

If Merc are well clear we can all watch another show as they will not differ strat.

Sky and BBC are desperate for Nico to fight Lewis for the show. But as DC said Lewis has dominated the season last 3 races are close to mute point when your team m8 is partying all the time. DC post also makes a lot of sense compared to MBs post which just seems like his usual anti Lewis stuff.

Hamilton , Vettel , Nico my top 3 for next year Championship over with 3-4 races to spare.

 

Nico and Lewis will trade poles, but whoever is ahead stays ahead due to Merc management. Saturday performance will decide the champ.
McHonda continue their shitacular form. Alonso decides to walk away before season testing is finished and VanderD steps in. Button and VanDer are closely matched. Ultimately though VanDer gets shat out at the season end 'because Macca'. Goes to Haas to fill Groj seat.
Ferrari step it up a notch, but yea, a close 3rd
Agree Kimi/Groj
LOL@Ron.
Aston Martin will buy SFI. World ODs on Bond analogies.
Sauber will keep going backwards, Manor will be ahead of them.
Christian Horner continues to blame everyone but his boss. The engine situation remains.
Ric gets pushed out of RB in favor of MaxV. Kyv stays because of Russian$
They'll agree a simpler engine spec for 'next car version' by season end.

 

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