F1 Madness

Tag: 2017

  • F1 2017: Official Testing Day 1 Wrap-Up

    F1 2017: Official Testing Day 1 Wrap-Up

    The first official day of testing commenced at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya on Monday.

    The eagerly awaited first day of testing got off to an expected slow start as the new cars trickled out of their respective garages to set the first installations laps. First out on circuit was Renault’s RS17 but the rest quickly followed suit.

    The first red flag of the testing session was brought out by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who parked his brand-new RB13 at turn 3. Nevertheless, before the stoppage Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas had set a quickest time in the 1:24s with a set of Pirelli’s new medium compound tyre.

    This time was soon eclipsed by Sebastian Vettel who put the Ferrari on top of the timing sheets with a 1:23:560. The Ferrari and Mercedes teams easily set the most number of laps in the opening morning of testing. Meanwhile, gremlins struck in the McLaren garage as Fernando Alonso’s car developed an oil system problem. The team estimated a four to five hour period to get to the bottom of the issue.

    McLaren’s problems with their engine seem like a repeat of last years testing and was summed up by AutoSport’s Gary Anderson rather eloquently.

    “It’s not good news for McLaren-Honda to be sat in the garage chasing some kind of oil system problem. The engines coming to this test should all be test-bench run and where the engine connects up to the system of the car should be bulletproof. Using the excuse that this is testing and things will go wrong is rubbish because you only have eight days and you need to hit the ground running. Losing a big part of a day is time you will never recover, and by the time the McLaren runs again, most of its rivals will have built up a lot of mileage. We’ve seen a lot of finger problems for McLaren and Honda during the past few years, and maybe this is the same again. Not a good start to testing.”

     

    The second half of the day was more productive for the teams that were off to a slow start in the mornings.

    McLaren changed the engine in the MCL32 and sent Alonso out on track for a few laps and to catch on on some running he missed during the morning. Alonso ended his day with 14 laps on the board with a fastest time of 1:24.852.

     

    Ricciardo was the first one to emerge from the pits after the lunch break and Red Bull were able to get going with their testing program and managed to complete 50-laps before the end of the day. Ricciardo’s fastest lap put him 5th fastest on the day with a time of 1:22.926.

    Mercedes topped the time sheets at the end of the day and had the highest tally of completed laps on the day. Lewis Hamilton jumped into the car after lunch and set the fastest time of the day of 1:21.765. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was the second fastest with a 1:21.878. Vettel completed 128 laps and will welcome a day’s rest when Kimi Raikkonen takes over testing duties on Tuesday.

     

    After a brief retirement, Felipe Massa completed 103 laps on his return. He set the 3rd fastest time of the day with a time of 1:22.706.

    With limited running, Sergio Perez completed 39 laps for Force India and finished the day 7th fastest ahead of Carlos Sainz who was 8th fastest on the day. ON his first outing for Renault, Nico Hulkenberg set the 9th fastest time of the day completing 57 laps around the Circuit de Catalunya.

    Compared to last year the times are already much quicker and are set to become faster as testing goes on. The times have almost no meaning at this point. The objective for the teams is to get as much mileage on the cars during these few days as possible and learn as much about the car as they can. Engineers will be pouring over the data and will be ready with new setup parameters tomorrow

     

  • Red Bull, Haas, and Toro Rosso Launch 2017 Challengers

    Red Bull, Haas, and Toro Rosso Launch 2017 Challengers

    No less than three Formula 1 teams launched their 2017 challengers on the 26th of February.

    On the eve of the commencement of official testing in Barcelona, Spain Red Bull Racing, Haas F1, and Scuderia Toro Rosso took the opportunity to launch their new-for-2017 F1 cars.

    Red Bull Racing’s RB13

    Red Bull was first out of the gate with a short and sweet pre-recorded clip released on several social media sites. The premise of Red Bull’s launch video centered on superstition as 2017 car is the 13th built by the Austrian team. The RB13 retains, mostly, the same livery as in 2016 with subtle changes including a bit more red than is normally present. Nevertheless, the matte finish, introduced, in 2016 has been maintained for the new season. Along with the launch of the RB13 the team touted a new hashtag playing up the connotations of the number 13.

    “We are like a swan on the surface and paddling furiously underneath but that is the same as every preseason so generally we are on target,” said Team Principal Christian Horner.

    Chief Engineering Officer Rob Marshall said: “The car is expected to be between three and five seconds a lap faster and most of that gain will come through cornering speeds where the increased downforce on the car will mean the car will go around the corners quicker.”

     

    Haas F1 Launches the VF-17

    VF17_RIGHT_FRONT_TQA day after filming day pictures were leaked on Twitter, the Haas Formula One team launched their 2017 contender the VF-17.

    In their second year in Formula 1 and their first rule change, the Haas F1 team had a monumental task ahead of them in developing their 2017 car.

    After starting very well in 2016 their season tapered off and although picking up some points they did not finish the 2016 season as strongly as they started.

    The 2017 car with some major changes seems promising for the Kanapolis based team in their mid field fight.

    “I think the pedal box is the same, but all the rest is very different from last year’s car,” said Guenther Steiner, Team Principal of Haas F1.

    “You always try to make a faster car, which is normally a lighter car. Now we can put on more ballast and get better weight distribution.

    “The aero is completely new, as are the tires, so we needed to have some built-in adjustability.

    “Aesthetically, the car has a more aggressive look. It’s lighter and more aerodynamically efficient. Everything we learned from our first car has been applied to our new car.”

     


    Scuderia Toro Rosso’s STR12

    Toro Rosso was the last team to launch their car for the 2017 season. The launch took place at the Circuit de Catalunya a day before the first day of the pre-season test.

    Toro Rosso unveiled their new car the STR12 with a striking new blue and chrome livery. We at F1Madness think that this is the best livery from all the teams.

    Speaking about the new car, Technical Director James Key says that the 2017 rule changes are the biggest changes he’s seen on a car that he can remember.

    “In my 20 years in F1 it’s the biggest chassis change I can remember,” said James Key.

    “In ’98 the narrow track had just arrived and there were various tweaks up to 2009, when a larger change occurred, but other than the front wing it was still based around principles that we knew. These rules however, include a track change, significantly different tyres and a new aero regulation as well.

    “From a chassis point of view it’s all encompassing with a lot of new things to learn.”

    Key believes that teams now have more aerodynamic freedom with car development this season.

    “It’s nice to have a bit more freedom. We probably haven’t had as many aerodynamic tools to play with since 2008, But then the rules tightened up in 2009 and even further in 2014. Now, some freedom has returned and that’s a great challenge for the aero department.”

    Toro Rosso are expecting more this year after switching to Renault Power Units and feel that after last years turn around they can finish higher in the points this season.

     

  • F1 2017: Mercedes Launch W08

    F1 2017: Mercedes Launch W08

    The Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team has launched its 2017 challenger, the WO8, ahead of the 2017 Formula 1 season.

    Ahead of the official online launch of Mercedes’ car its drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas put the new car through its paces at the Silverstone racetrack. However, the event was not an official test but rather a filming day for publicity purposes.

    “The car feels wider, the front tires feel huge,” said Hamilton of his first impression. “It’s a big day for me. I’ve been waiting for this moment,” added new signing Valtteri Bottas.

    Immediately noticeable is the streamlined shark fin engine cover that the Merc is sporting. It is believed however that the team will run a larger version of the cover at official testing. Also noticeable are a pair of vents on the front of the car, ahead of the side pods. The nose of the car appears more rounded than its 2016 predecessor with the German team shying away from the snub-nose design already sported by Williams, Sauber, and Renault.

    There is also the addition of more turquoise into the livery of the car. Toto Wolff revealed that it is due to Mercedes’ new brand, Electric Intellegence, which will also be adapted to suit road cars.

    What’s more is that earlier in the day Mercedes customer team Force India’s technical director Andy Green believes that the Mercedes engine has moved even further ahead than it was last year. “Mercedes HPP [High Performance Powertrains] have done a fantastic job over the winter and made another unprecedented step. It is impressive.”

    Before the conclusion of the official online launch Toto Wolff had some words of wisdom for new driver Valtteri Bottas ahead of his first time in the cockpit of a Silver Arrow. “It has an aura, the car stands for a lot of history for Mercedes Benz,” he said.

    Testing officially starts at Spain’s circuit de Catalunya on the 27th of February.

  • Bigger, Faster, Wider in 2017

    Bigger, Faster, Wider in 2017

    With the 2017 field about to head into pre-season testing and with all the cars about to be unveiled the anticipation is building. The narrative for the new 2017 rules is that cars will be wider, bigger and faster with some saying that the cars will be 4-5 seconds a lap faster. Hence, several circuits on the F1 calendar have been advised to beef up their safety measures and increase the layers of armco at some high-speed corners.

    The cars will look very different this year too. The most noticeable changes are the wider and lower rear wings and the wider tyres. The general idea behind these changes is to make racing more exciting for the fans by making the cars faster and tougher to drive which will make it more physically demanding on the drivers.

    The Front Wing

    The front wing is undoubtedly one of the most important aerodynamic pieces on an F1 car. It is the first component to receive airflow and it affects other aerodynamic elements behind it. The front wing channels the air under, over and around the sides of the car to be used by the other components such as the barge boards, side pod wings, diffuser and rear wing.

    For 2017 the width of the front wing has been increased to 1800mm , up from the 1650mm from 2016. The overall shape of the wing will take on a deltoid (swept back) shape with the middle of the wing further forward than the outer most edge.

    The overall width of the car has been increased from 1800mm to 2000mm and further back, the maximum width of the floor and sidepods has been increased to 1600mm, up from 1400mm. The increase in width means an increase in the size of the barge boards to better deal with the tyre wake from the front wheels.

    Tyres

    The 2017 tyres have been drastically changed by the F1 tyre supplier, Pirelli. In order to aid the faster cornering speeds and faster cars, the tyres have been made wider and bigger.

    The front tyre width increases from 245mm to 305mm while the rear tyres increase in width from 325mm to 405mm. The diameter of the front and rear tyres has increased by 10mm. However, the rim size of 13-inches remains unchanged.

    Rear Wing & Diffuser

    The rear wing will look very different this year as well. The rear wing structure for 2017 has been moved 150mm rearwards and 150mm lower, down from 900mm which will give it a swept back look. In addition to the lower rear wing the overall width has also been increased from 750mm to 900mm. The new rules make further provision for the rear wing to start narrow and curve outward to the wider width.

    With the swept back rear wing, the height of the diffuser will be increased from 125mm off the ground to 175mm off the ground. Teams will now be able to start the incline of the diffuser 175mm ahead of the rear wheels compared to right at the rear wheels in 2016.

    The plank length under the car will be reduced by 100mm as well.

    With all the modifications and the wider tyres, the minimum weight of the cars is set at 728kg. This is a considerable increase when considering that in 2016 the minimum weight of the cars was set at 702kg. The increase in weight should mean slower lap times, but the increased mechanical and aerodynamic grip on the cars has effectively cancelled out the loss in time and has actually translated into a gain in lap time.

    Demand on Drivers

    The faster cornering speeds expected this year places a bigger physical demand on the drivers. The cars are expected to be harder to drive and with the added weight of the bigger tyres, harder to steer.

    Ahead of the 2017 drivers have been giving us a sneak peak of their training regimes. The faster cornering speeds expected this year require the neck muscles of the drivers to be much stronger. There have been some interesting exercise techniques being used by drivers to strengthen their neck muscles ahead of the start of the season.

    One thing’s for certain. The drivers this year will be the fittest and the strongest they’ve ever been.

     

  • F1 2017: Williams Steal The March

    F1 2017: Williams Steal The March

    The Williams revival has begun. Late last week the privately owned team revealed the first render of what their 2017 challenger, the FW40, will look like.

    As is always the case the first time a new F1 car is unveiled the team does not want to give away any of the major details until they have to. More of the aerodynamic changes will likely been seen on 27 February, the first day of testing.

    Nevertheless, some of the highly anticipated 2017 changes are clear to see in the computer rendered image of the Williams. The most striking difference in the wider and lower rear wing. From the angle of this image it isn’t easy to distinguish the increase in the width of the car but the smaller, and slightly lower, sidepod air intake are noticeable.

    The wider front and rear tyres are also clear to see. The bigger tyres also mean thicker and stronger suspension arms in order to deal with the increased load. Another notable difference is the engine air intake, above the cockpit, which appears significantly bigger than in 2016 and follows a trend set by engine-supplier Mercedes. In this image it appears as if Williams have opted to maintain a similar nose-design to its 2016 car. The chances are that the nose section in this image is a bluff by the team.

    The overall impression of the FW40, so named for Williams’ 40th anniversary, is a sleek, contained design which doesn’t reveal too much of what’s likely truly up the team’s sleeve.

    The Grove based team dominated the news cycle late last week with several announcements. The first was signing of Dirk De Beer as head aerodynamicist. De Beer’s most recent post was alongside James Alison, now at Mercedes, at both Ferrari and Lotus. De Beer will commence his new position on March 1st.

    “I am extremely pleased to be joining Williams,” said De Beer. “The team has an incredible heritage in Formula One, and I’m proud to now be a part of that. I’m looking forward to working with Dave Wheater and the Williams aero team to help continue driving forward the development of the car throughout the season and beyond.

    Deputy Team Principal, Claire Williams added: “We’re delighted to have someone with Dirk’s vast experience joining us. Having spent several years as a Head of Aerodynamics in Formula One, his knowledge and technical expertise will undoubtedly be a great asset to the team in our continued push to restore Williams to the front of the grid.”

    While it is early days yet for the 2017 season Williams says they’ve put a lot of work into re-structuring the team but stops short of putting any concrete expectations on the 2017 season. “But we have to move up from fifth,” she said.

  • F1 2017: F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 2

    F1 2017: F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 2

    McLaren – Fernando Alonso & Stoffel Vandoorne

    Given the results it’s produced over the last two seasons it’s safe to say that McLaren’s renewed partnership with Honda has been miserable. As proud and prominent a company Honda may be there is no doubt that they underestimated the task of re-entering the sport.

    Fernando Alonso and 24-year-old Stoffel Vandoorne will drive for the team in 2017. In the 2016 Bahrain grand prix Vandoorne made his debut as Alonso sat out with fractured ribs from a crash in Australia. The Belgian driver not only out-qualified teammate Jenson Button but when on to finish in tenth, scoring one point for the team. What was most impressive about Vandoorne’s grand prix debut was the ease with which he slipped into the role of race driver. There were no wild off-track moments and hardly any mistakes. Regardless of the car’s performance in 2017 he’s unlikely to rattle Alonso’s cage but he has already revealed himself as a driver to watch.

    For a driver of Fernando Alonso’s caliber 2017 will be catalyst for his future in the sport. It’s unlikely, if McLaren were to underperform again, that he would stick around for much longer. It’s unlikely that he’ll slip into retirement either given his hunger for success. Come 2018 there is likely to be a plethora of options and all of them would welcome Alonso with open arms.

    Carlos Sainz_Russia 2015Toro Rosso – Carlos Sainz JR & Daniil Kvyat

    The sister Red Bull team should have had a much better 2016 season. But running a year-old Ferrari engine encumbered it. This season they revert back to Renault power and with a good chassis they could, potentially, threaten a team like Force India.

    For one of its drivers, Russian Daniil Kvyat, it’s likely the last chance to make a real impression. His very public demotion from the Red Bull team last year was a spirit breaker and he took months to show some sort of recovery from it. But he did so as he fiercely held off her replacement Max Verstappen at the 2016 Singapore grand prix. On the other side of the garage Carlos Sainz Jr. must underline the enormous talent shown in the previous season. If he does, a better drive at a bigger team is definitely in his future.

    Sauber_RearWing ComparisonSauber – Marcus Ericsson & Pascal Wehrlein

    In the nick of time the Swiss-based team was given a new lease on life from Swedish investment firm, Longbow Finance. Though an independent team Sauber has rich history in the sport. Much credit must go to Monisha Kaltenborn and her team for continuing to fight for a team in a near financial death spiral. Sauber has already stressed the importance of chassis design and development in the new season. Thanks to relatively comfortable financial position the team will be able to maintain a program of development in 2017 unlike in 2016.

    Marcus Ericsson remains as driver and while his performances have been solid an uncompetitive car has dwarfed them. Pascal Wehrlein slots in alongside and has a lot to prove to the paddock and himself. He will feel hard done by for not getting the Force India or Merc drive. But there’s a reason he didn’t get – the powers that be didn’t think him ready to step up. 2017 is his chance of changing that opinion not just on the track but in the garage too.

    Motor Racing - Formula One World Championship - Bahrain Grand Prix - Practice Day - Sakhir, BahrainRenault – Nico Hulkenberg & Jolyon Palmer

    The French team is very much in a re-building phase and wouldn’t expect to make a massive splash in the new season. But their expectation will be to see a steady improvement throughout the season.

    With several crashes and lackluster showings Jolyon Palmer has not impressed in the Renault. And now he’ll be matched up against one of the most highly rated drivers on the grid in Nico Hulkenberg. German-driver Hulkenberg is the sort that fits well into any team but is running short on time to make it into one of the top teams in the sport.

    kevin-magnussen_haas

    Haas F1 – Romain Grosjean & Keven Magnussen

    The American-owned team started the 2016 season like a house on fire. That fire has dampened slightly but it is still a team of immense potential that is run, by Gene Haas, in the best way possible.

    There is a sense of unfulfilled potential when you think about Romain Grosjean. His stint in the Lotus a few seasons ago looked like it would be the springboard to greater things but it hasn’t worked out for the Frenchman. But he’s a quality driver who should easily have the measure of teammate Kevin Magnussen if he can learn how to drive around the issues that may be present in the 2017 Haas car.

     

  • F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 1

    F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 1

    Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton & Valtteri Bottas

    Given their ominous and unbeatable run since the start of the hybrid era Merc automatically start the new year as favourites. However, this ‘theory’ is based solely on what’s gone before. In reality, there is nothing to suggest that the Silver Arrows’ dominance will continue into the vastly different 2017 season. Nevertheless, even if they don’t brandish the same sort of advantage over the rest of the field there is a reasonable expectation that they’ll be mixing it at the front.

    The Silver Arrows enter an interesting period where its driver line-up is concerned too. In Lewis Hamilton they have a three-time world champion who is prodigiously fast and who still seems to have an incredible hunger for winning. However, Hamilton showed his fallibility through several costly errors on track and a few peppery statements off it.

    Red Bull Racing RB12 launchRed Bull – Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen

    With the virtuoso Adrian Newey in the stable the new aero rules could play right into Red Bull’s hands. In 2016 the Austrian team proved that their power unit was the only hindrance to their competitiveness. If the Tag Heuer-branded Renault power unit can match its Merc counterpart the Red Bull will be exceptionally difficult to beat.

    Although Max Verstappen exploded onto the scene and electrified more than a few supporters Daniel Ricciardo still had the measure of the teenaged Dutchman. Verstappen’s biggest test this season will be to, firstly, consistently out-perform his Aussie teammate. What’s more, Verstappen’s biggest challenge will be to deal with the weight of expectation. In 2016 he had near free reign; if he performed well it was a bonus for the team, if he didn’t they would understand that he was dropped into the deep-end. Now he is expected to deliver every time he’s strapped into cockpit.

    Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen Canadian Grand PrixFerrari – Kimi Raikkonen & Sebastian Vettel

    There is such a thing as famous last words but Ferrari’s season could hardly be worse than in 2016. The team failed to win a single race and made several, embarrassing mistakes. Nevertheless, the Maranello-based team is keen to turn things around. They’re reportedly doing so with an innovative new multi-jet system for its internal combustion engine that will limit reliance on the turbocharger.

    It’s unlikely that there is a more harmonious driver pairing in the paddock than Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. The two teammates work in perfect symmetry with the team with little to no ego getting in the way of the task at hand. Rumours of Raikkonen’s future will undoubtedly begin to swirl as soon as he hits the track that but as history has shown it couldn’t bother him any less. There is little question about the Ferrari drivers’ ability to deliver. Rather the question is about what they’ll be given to drive.

    Force India F1 Team Preview QuotesForce India – Sergio Perez & Esteban Ocon

    For a privately-owned team Force India’s likely expectation will be to finish fourth in the constructor’s championship as they did in 2016, perhaps to score a first win if the cards fall their way. They’re a team that regularly punches above its weight but is unlikely to do better than last season.

    It’s a big year for Sergio Perez and his future in F1. Several outstanding performances have proven his ability but he’s yet to translate it into a drive for a top team. With Bottas on a one-year deal at Mercedes a standout season from Perez could catapult him into the seat in 2018. Despite being favoured over Pascal Wehrlein Merc prodigy Esteban Ocon, who is still finding his feet in the sport, is highly unlikely to show Perez the way in 2017.

    Felipe Massa_Brazil 2016Williams – Felipe Massa & Lance Stroll

    The Claire Williams-run operation’s ambition is unlikely to be a title in 2017. However, the aim will be to restore the legendary team’s name to at least fourth in the standings. They’ve already completed a massive coup by snatching Paddy Lowe from Mercedes. While it’s unclear if Lowe will take up his new position immediately the Englishman is one of the most highly regarded leaders in F1.

    Valtteri Bottas’ departure to Merc has cut short Felipe Massa’s retirement and while the Brazilian’s stock in F1 isn’t nearly as high as it was in the mid-2000s his level of experience was attractive enough to Williams. Alongside the one-time runner-up will be Canadian teenager Lance Stroll. It will be a learning curve for Stroll but expect him to take the fight to his veteran teammate in terms of outright speed.

    Part 2 coming soon. 

  • F1 2017: The Case For Valtteri Bottas

    F1 2017: The Case For Valtteri Bottas

    By now the news has spread far and wide that Mercedes have, officially, picked Valtteri Bottas to partner Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2017 season. Instinctively, the dominant question will be how he will shape up against his three-time world champion teammate.

    It wasn’t the electrifying choice many were looking for but Bottas is a known quantity with a solid track record, literally. He isn’t considered as exciting as a Max Verstappen but that has more to do with his circumstances rather than his ability. For an independent mid-field team such as Williams the constructor’s championship is vitally important. Hence, Bottas could not afford to throw caution to the wind as Red Bull drivers often do. Williams needed a consistent driver and one that would convert his points-scoring opportunities and this is what Bottas delivered.

    Since it didn’t include flashy overtakes it’s easy to forget Bottas’ performances in 2014 and 2015 that ensured Williams finished ahead of significantly richer teams Ferrari and Red Bull respectively in the constructor’s standings. His four years at Williams has undoubtedly ensured that is much better prepared to step into the Merc seat, and into the limelight, than any younger driver would be.

    What’s more, over their three years as teammates Bottas regularly out-qualified his veteran teammate Felipe Massa. While Lewis Hamilton will undoubtedly be a much tougher benchmark Bottas has the potential to challenge his new teammate in this arena.

    Bottas_Barcelona 2015 - CopyNevertheless, while the Finnish driver has spent four seasons at Williams he remains somewhat unproven. At Williams his good performance were praised, but they were just that good. Not great, not awesome, never enough to induce a genuine thrill amongst those watching. What he has now is a golden opportunity to unleash all of his talent and show what he is truly capable of without inhibitions.

    There is no doubt that Mercedes’ first choice for Nico Rosberg’s replacement would have been either a Sebastian Vettel, or Fernando Alonso, or even Daniel Ricciardo. Since these drivers were all locked into contracts Valtteri Bottas was the next best option. However, the likes of Vettel and Alonso are only signed up with their respective teams until the end of 2017. Therefore, Bottas has signed a one-year deal with Mercedes and he’ll have twenty-one races to prove that he deserves to be signed ahead of them.

    The other aspect of being a driver in a top team is life outside the car. The media focus on Valtteri Bottas will be intense, unrelenting, with a microscopic level of interest. But he is Finnish and like most of the great Finns in Formula 1 history, like Kimi Raikkonen, Mika Hakkinen, Bottas will likely be unflustered by the pomp and circumstance.

    All this assumes that Mercedes’ 2017 car will be at the sharp-end of the grid. Given the comprehensive rule changes this prediction is impossible. But wherever Merc stack up in the pecking order Bottas’ performance against Hamilton will be one of the most fascinating developing stories of the season.

    Will Bottas beat Hamilton in 2017? Probably not, but he will be closer to Hamilton than many predict.

  • Wehrlein Joins Sauber for 2017

    Wehrlein Joins Sauber for 2017

    The Sauber F1 Team has completed driver line up by announcing Pascal Wehrlein will partner Marcus Ericsson for the 2017 season.

    Wehrlein’s future has been in the balance at the end of the 2016 season. He was in the running for a seat at Force India until Esteban Ocon was announced. A few weeks later Wehrlein’s name was being mentioned with a potential move to Sauber. Mercedes have seen quite a bit of potential in the young German and were keen to keep him in F1. This move to Sauber keeps him in the running for a potential Mercedes drive in the future.

    “I am very delighted at being a part of the Sauber F1 Team for the upcoming Formula One Season. It is a new challenge in a new team, and I am really excited and looking forward to this new adventure,” said Wehrlein.

    “Our objective is to establish ourselves in the mid-field and to score points on a regular basis. That being said, I will do my best to support Sauber.

    “Now I am looking forward to meeting everyone in the team and to tackling the preparations for the 2017 season.

    “I want to say a big thank you to Sauber for trusting in me and giving me this great chance. And surely, a huge thanks also goes to Mercedes for the support.”

    Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal had the following to say about Wehrlein’s move to Sauber:
    “We are very pleased to confirm Pascal Wehrlein as our second race driver for the 2017 Formula One World Championship.

    “Pascal has shown his talent throughout his career – in single seater racing as well as in the DTM.

    “Last year in his rookie Formula One season, he proved his potential by scoring one point in the Austrian GP in Spielberg.

    “There is surely more to come from Pascal, and we want to give him the chance to further grow and learn at the pinnacle of motorsport.

    “I am confident Marcus and Pascal will form a solid combination for 2017.”

  • F1 2016: Williams Driver Announcement

    F1 2016: Williams Driver Announcement

    The Williams Formula 1 team has announced that Lance Stroll will be one of its drivers for the 2017 season.

    In a statement released my the Williams Martini F1 Team it was confirmed that Canadian teenager Lance Stroll will take over the vacant seat of retiring Brazilian driver Felipe Massa at the team for the 2017 season.

    Stroll got his racing start in his native Canada in 2008 and was crowned Canadian Champion in the same year. In 2010 he netted four titles before moving to the Italian Kart Championship in 2011 where he finished eighteenth. In 2015 Stroll became the second youngest driver to be signed by a Formula 1 team as he became a development driver for Scuderia Ferrari. Towards the end of 2015 it was announced that Stroll would move to Williams as a development driver for the 2016 season.

    In addition, the 18 year old driver raced for the Prema Powerteam in the 2016 season of the Euro Formula Three Series. Stroll scored eleven victories and claimed the title in Imola more than one-hundred points clear of his closest rival.

    “To be racing in Formula One in 2017 is incredible, I can’t thank Williams enough for showing faith in my ability,” said the newly appointed Stroll.

    “Racing in F1 was something I dreamt about as a young kid. When I began karting seriously, F1 was then the ultimate goal and especially when I started racing cars in 2014,” he added.

    “2017 is going to be a big learning curve for me, but I’m eager to absorb everything Williams can share with me so that I improve.

    “I’ll be taking things on a race-by-race, lap-by-lap basis and hopefully progress with experience like I did when I entered Formula 4 and then Formula 3.”

    Stroll is under no illusions about the immense task of driving in Formula 1 and he feels that by racing in the European Formula 3 Championship has given him a good base to work off.

    williams-2017-driver-line-up“I believe contesting the FIA European Formula 3 Championship for the past two years has prepared me well for the step up.

    “There are many elements for me to learn and I’m still young. I’ve been experiencing a 2014-spec Williams FW36 since August, which has gone very well.

    It was also confirmed that Valtteri Bottas will remain at the team for the 2017 season providing some stability in the team going into the 2017 rule shake up.

    “Firstly, I am very happy that I will be starting my fifth season racing for Williams in 2017,” commented the Finn.

    “It’s going to be an exciting year with all the regulation changes and a great opportunity for the team to get closer to the front. I’ll be giving 100% as always to the team.

    “Thank you to Frank, Claire and the whole Williams Board for their continued trust in me. Also, thank you to everyone at Williams, as it will be nice to continue working together with everyone both at the factory and the track.

    “I’d also like to extend a very warm welcome from myself to Lance on joining the team. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

    Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, said; “I’m delighted to confirm that Valtteri will be racing for Williams once again next year, and be joined by Lance Stroll.

    “Valtteri is a much-loved member of the team and his talent is unquestionable, so for him to use that experience to help lead the team forward is exciting. He has played a pivotal role in the team’s turnaround since 2014 and we are looking forward to continuing the strong relationship we have with him into the future.

    “Lance joined the Williams Young Driver Programme at the end of 2015 and has impressed our engineers with his maturity, talent and enthusiasm.

    “We are pleased to be able to offer him the opportunity to step up and show what he can do in Formula One, after proving a dominant force in all the categories he has raced in so far.

    “He is still young, and we looking forward to seeing him develop as a driver. Williams has a great record of introducing young drivers to Formula One, who have achieved great results, and we hope this will be the start of a long successful career for Lance as well.

    ““As a team, we continue to push forward in our goal to win races and championships, and believe this exciting fresh combination will put us in a strong position to deliver on our future targets.”