Rosberg And Hamilton Clash On Last Lap | Austrian Grand Prix 2016

Pit Stop Error Costs Ricciardo | Monaco Grand Prix 2016

Verstappen's Maiden Win | Spanish Grand Prix 2016

Kvyat And Vettel Clash | Russian Grand Prix 2016

Manor is out so here are the F1 drivers of 2017

Last year's drivers

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas

RedBull: Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen 

Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen 

Force India: Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon 

Williams: Felipe Massa, Lance Stroll 

Mclaren: Fernando Alonso, Stoffel Vandoorne

Toro Rosso: Carlos Sainz, Daniil Kvyat

Haas: Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen

Renault: Jolyon Palmer, Nico Hulkenberg 

Sauber: Marcus Ericsson, Pascal Wehrlein

2017 car launch and pre-season testing schedule

FIA tweaks driver penalty rules for 2017

Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, has modified the regulations regarding penalties ahead of the 2017 season, meaning that drivers will now only be punished if it is absolutely clear that they are at fault.

Under the new procedures, race director Charlie Whiting will still report incidents to the stewards as before, but from there the stewards will have the choice as to whether to launch an investigation or not.

"It shall be at the discretion of the stewards to decide if any driver involved in an incident should be penalised,” article 38.2 of the sporting regulations now states.

"Unless it is clear to the stewards that a driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for an incident no penalty will be imposed."

It is hoped that this move will encourage drivers to attempt more overtaking moves, without the fear that they may be punished for minor contact.

In other penalty changes, drivers now unable to serve an imposed time, stop-and-go or drive-through penalty during a race due to retirement may be hit with a grid penalty at the next event.

(source: f1.com)

Alonso and Gutierrez crash | Australia Grand Prix 2016

How It's Made Williams F1 Megafactories 2014

Race of champions results

Winner of race of champions was Juan Pablo Montoya

Nations cup  winner was Sebastian Vettel

...and the rest of the world beat America.

Supercharged Grand Prix Cars 1924-1939 (full version)

Driver fitness

Formula One drivers are some of the most highly conditioned athletes on earth, their bodies specifically adapted to the very exacting requirements of top-flight single-seater motor racing.


All drivers who enter Formula One need to undergo a period of conditioning to cope with the physical demands of the sport: no other race series on earth requires so much of its drivers in terms of stamina and endurance. The vast loadings that Formula One cars are capable of creating, anything up to a sustained 3.5 g of cornering force, for example, means drivers have to be enormously strong to be able to last for full race distances. The extreme heat found in a Formula One cockpit, especially at the hotter rounds of the championship, also puts vast strain on the body: drivers can sweat off anything up to 3kg of their body weight during the course of a race.

In simple terms, the fitter the driver, the less susceptible he is likely to be to fatigue-induced lapses of concentration. Most drivers undergo an intensive period of cardio-vascular training ahead of the season and then taper their exercise regime to maintain their fitness levels throughout the year. Popular training methods include running, swimming and cycling.

F1 drivers also do strength training, though for weight saving reasons they are always mindful of building too much muscle. The unusual loadings experienced by neck and chest muscles mean that these are the most heavily targeted areas. However since the forces experienced in F1 racing are not easily replicated by conventional gym equipment, many drivers use specially designed 'rigs' that enable them to specifically develop the muscles they will need to withstand cornering forces. In fact, the G-forces experienced negotiating a bend can make the head and helmet weigh around five times as much as normal, and the neck must support both.

Although F1 cars have power assisted steering, strong arm muscles and a strong core are also required to enable the car to be controlled during longer races. To improve hand-eye coordination, concentration and reaction time, drivers will often incorporate other activities into their physical training regimes. A popular training aid is the batak reaction board, where the aim is to hit as many randomly-lit lights on a specially designed board in 60 seconds as possible.

In terms of nutrition, F1 drivers tend to have extremely regulated diets. Recent trends have seen drivers trim their weight as much as possible so that they can use carefully positioned ballast to bring their car up to the minimum weight. A typical pre-race meal might include chicken (or another protein like fish) and vegetables, although some drivers still prefer to eat carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta ahead of a race to provide energy.

It is also vitally important that drivers drink large amounts of water before the race, even if they do not feel thirsty, as failure to do so could bring on severe dehydration and possible cramping.

Like athletes in other sports, Formula One drivers are subject to random drug testing.

(source: f1.com)

Inside The F1 Paddock's Motorhomes

Rising star Russell joins Mercedes’ junior programme

Up-and-coming driver George Russell has become the third member of the Mercedes team’s junior programme, joining incumbent F1 racers Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon.

The 18-year-old Briton sealed third place in the 2016 European Formula 3 Championship, with Mercedes-Benz powering him to a total of three pole positions, two wins, ten podium finishes and five fastest race laps along the way.

“George has shown impressive form in the junior categories and we’ve been keeping a close eye on him for a while now,” said Mercedes-Benz motorsport chief Toto Wolff. “It’s still early days in his career but we see great potential in him.”

For 2017, Russell will compete in the GP3 Series with ART Grand Prix, following in the footsteps of Ocon - now with Force India - and newly-announced Mercedes racer Valtteri Bottas - both of whom won this championship en route to F1.

“George’s next challenge in GP3 will provide a good test of his credentials for the future,” continued Wolff. “We have already seen with Esteban how effective this series can be as a training ground and, of course, this is the championship which propelled Valtteri into Formula One, so we will follow George’s progress with great interest.”

Commenting on the news, Russell said: “It’s great to be part of the Junior Programme. It is an incredibly opportunity to have the backing of the Formula One World Champions. I’m proud to have been given this kind of recognition for all the hard work that’s gone into my career over the years so far.”

With the first pre-season test for the 2017 GP3 Series still a number of weeks away, Russell is keen to maximise his time at Mercedes’ UK base in Brackley in the interim.

“I’ve started doing some work with the team in the simulator and it’s already become clear to me that I’m working with people who are the best in the business, who I know will help me develop as a driver and as a person,” concluded Russell.

“Of course, my priority is to get the job done over the coming season in GP3 and I’m fully focused on that. But this opportunity is a huge motivation and I’m looking forward to the challenge. It should be an exciting year ahead.”

Russell, from King’s Lynn in Norfolk, won the BRDC Formula 4 Championship in 2014.

(source: f1.com)

EXCLUSIVE: LIVE FAN Q&A with Valtteri Bottas

Top 10 Overtakes of 2016

McLaren set new car launch date

McLaren have become the latest team to confirm the launch date of their 2017 challenger.

The Woking-based team will unveil the Honda-powered MP4-32 on February 24 - the same day as rivals Ferrari reveal their new car.

McLaren finished sixth in last year’s constructors’ standings, but are hopeful that their new machine - which will be piloted by Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, and powered by a newly laid out Honda power unit - will bring them better fortunes.

2017 car launch calendar:

Renault - February 21
Force India - February 22
Mercedes - February 23
Ferrari - February 24
McLaren - February 24


(source: f1.com)

Valtteri Bottas – My Path

MiniVintage - F1 - 1x02 - 2006 San Marino GP

Pirelli announce tyre choices for Bahrain and Russia

Team principal Vasseur departs Renault

Renault have announced that Frederic Vasseur is leaving his role as team principal with immediate effect.

After a first season spent relaunching and rebuilding its works F1 squad, Renault and Vasseur have agreed by mutual consent to part company as of today.

According to Renault, “both parties remain committed to maintaining the good working relationship they have enjoyed and expect this to take a new form sometime in the future.”

The team will provide full details of plans for their 2017 season when they present their new car next month on February 21.

In the meantime, the team will continue to be managed by Jerome Stoll, its President, and Cyril Abiteboul, its Managing Director.

(source: f1.com)

Best radios of 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOf6ZoNJfbc

Tech boss Lowe to leave Mercedes post

Paddy Lowe is to leave his position as Executive director (technical) at Mercedes, the world champion team confirmed on Tuesday.

Lowe, who joined the Silver Arrows in June 2013, has now begun a period of gardening leave, amid widespread media speculation linking him with an eventual return to Williams, where he began his F1 career in 1987.

“I have had a fantastically successful and enjoyable three and a half years at Mercedes working with an incredible team of people,” said Lowe, who has played a hand in more than 150 Grand Prix wins and multiple world titles with Williams, McLaren and Mercedes.

“I am now looking forward to a new challenge and wish everyone well at Mercedes.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, paid tribute to Lowe’s contribution to the team while also re-iterating his belief that they are well placed to cope in his absence.

“Paddy has played an important part in our success during the past three and a half years and we thank him for his contribution to this significant chapter in Mercedes’ motorsport history,” said Wolff.

“Success in Formula One is not about single individuals but about the strength in depth and technical capability of an organisation.

“We have the talent in place to continue our success of recent years and we plan to build upon it in 2017 and beyond.”

In the short term, Mercedes say their technical organisation will “continue to operate under the proven and established leadership of our senior directors Aldo Costa (Engineering Director), Mark Ellis (Performance Director), Rob Thomas (Chief Operating Officer) and Geoff Willis (Technology Director).”

Lowe's departure leaves another major hole in Mercedes' 2017 line-up as it stands, with the team yet to announce who will drive alongside Lewis Hamilton this season following world champion Nico Rosberg's surprise retirement announcement at the end of last year.
 

Paddy Lowe’s Formula 1 CV

Williams
1987 - Joint-Head of electronics

McLaren
1993 - Head of R&D
2001 - Chief engineer, systems development
2005 - Engineering director
2011 - Technical director

Mercedes
2013 – 2017 - Executive director (technical)

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Hot topics: 10 big questions for 2017

It's the start of a new year and in F1 factories across the world preparations are well underway for the coming season - a season that will bring with it the biggest technical changes in three years. To whet your appetite, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the most intriguing storylines heading into the new F1 campaign…

1. Will other teams come to the fore under the new regulations?

With wider tyres and significantly revised bodywork, F1 cars will look and behave very differently in 2017. But whose interpretation of the new regulations will prove the best, and will we see a change in last year’s pecking order? At this stage, that’s a very difficult question to answer, with most teams reporting big performance gains in their wind tunnels and simulators, but unsure how they stack up against the rest. Mercedes have, of course, been the dominant force since the last change in regulations in 2014, but it’s rivals Red Bull that many predict could kick on the most, given their well-known aerodynamic expertise and tech guru Adrian Newey’s reported increased involvement in the RB13. It’s worth noting that on the evidence of previous regulation changes, the performance gap from the front to the back of the field will likely increase - but who will be at either end of that spectrum? The first indication of how things will play out will come in testing, which gets underway in Barcelona at the end of February.

2. Who partners Hamilton at Mercedes...?

From the moment world champion Nico Rosberg dropped his retirement bombshell, the question of who Mercedes will draft in as Lewis Hamilton’s new team mate has lingered. As we write, it appears to be a two-horse race between Valtteri Bottas (currently scheduled to drive for Williams) and much less experienced Mercedes protege Pascal Wehrlein, with the Finn well in front. Should the Silver Arrows secure Bottas from their Grove-based rivals (who are understandably extremely reluctant to lose him so close to the start of the season and with limited options available) they’d be getting a first-class talent, and proven podium finisher. Would he prove as stiff competition to Hamilton as Rosberg? Only time would tell, although the Briton clearly fears no one.

3. ...and how does that impact the rest of the grid?

If Bottas were to leave Williams for Mercedes, Sir Frank’s team would be left with a big hole to fill in their line-up - especially with teenage rookie Lance Stroll on the other side of the garage. At this stage, where could they find a driver capable of delivering on the same level as Bottas in terms of speed, experience and car development? The answer, if rumours are to be believed, might lie in Williams tempting former driver Felipe Massa out of what would be one of the shortest retirement periods in history…

4. What can we expect from McLaren?

Heading into the third year of their partnership, the pressure is now really on for McLaren and Honda to get things right, with the rules change representing a real chance for the Woking squad to move forwards. Fernando Alonso clearly has high hopes: with rumours of Mercedes interest swirling the Spaniard emphatically confirmed his commitment to the project by saying that his ambition remains to win the world title with the team. But can they be expected to go from the midfield to race winners in one fell swoop? According to Racing Director Eric Boullier (who remains in place after recent management reshuffling), McLaren’s chassis was good enough that it would have won races last year had it been fitted with a Mercedes engine, which suggests that power unit improvements from Honda will still be the biggest area of potential performance gain, regardless of what their talented engineering team come up with. For Alonso, in the final year of his contract, it could be a case of now or never. 

5. Just how much faster will F1 racing be in 2017?

At the tail-end of last season, when teams were busily working on 2017 models in their windtunnels, Williams’ outgoing chief technical officer Pat Symonds described the aerodynamic gains his team had found as ‘staggering’, saying he’d be surprised if others hadn’t made similar progress. But with that in mind, how much will we see lap times drop by in 2017? The initial idea of the wider tyres and revised aero was to make the cars three-to-five seconds per lap faster, which in turn would make them more challenging to drive. But given the fact that many teams are expecting rapid development throughout the season, could we see even bigger performance gains? One thing’s for sure, the drivers won’t be complaining. “Higher corner speeds are always nice,” said Valtteri Bottas after sampling Williams’ 2017 car in the simulator. 

6. How will Stoffel Vandoorne fare in his first season?

After a stunning cameo appearance substituting for Fernando Alonso in Bahrain last year, Stoffel Vandoorne will finally get to prove his worth over a whole season as the Spaniard’s team mate at McLaren. That’s some yardstick for the highly-rated young Belgian to measure up to, but in a sense he has nothing to lose and everything to gain – if he can get close to or even best Alonso, his stock will rise even higher. If he can’t, that’s no real shame for a rookie still learning the ropes. Should the two-time world champion be wary of Vandoorne’s pace? Perhaps - after all, the last time Alonso was paired alongside an uber-talented rookie at McLaren, sparks flew… 

7. Can Force India and Haas repeat 2016's heroics?

In terms of ‘bang for their buck’, two teams outdid themselves in 2016 - Force India (who finished a team-record fourth in the standings) and Haas (who ended their maiden campaign ahead of three well-established rivals). But what chance of either team maintaining or even improving on those positons in 2017? Realistically, both face a stiff challenge, with better funded rivals expected to improve. Force India could also be hurt by the loss of the experienced Nico Hulkenberg, though replacement Esteban Ocon is no slouch. Haas, meanwhile, will be well aware that their lofty finishing position was contingent on their good start to the season - not their disappointing end.

8. Who will line up for Sauber and Manor?

Aside from Mercedes, the only teams heading into 2017 with seats available are last year’s tail-enders Sauber and Manor, and ironically it’s one of the latter team’s drivers that could complete the former’s line-up. If the grapevine is to be believed, Pascal Wehrlein will take up the vacant slot alongside Marcus Ericsson at Sauber if, as expected, he misses out on the Mercedes drive. With Esteban Ocon having already moved on to Force India, that would leave Manor with an entirely new line-up for 2017, though former driver Rio Haryanto remains in the frame for one of the seats, as do current free agents Felipe Nasr and Esteban Gutierrez. 

9. Can Hulkenberg push Renault forwards?

Renault’s return to F1 as a fully-fledged manufacturer last year was distinctly underwhelming, with the Enstone team collecting just three points finishes all season. But with the capture of Nico Hulkenberg from Force India they have secured one of the most highly regarded drivers on the grid, and a man they hope will provide the technical direction they need to move forward. “We're now into the territory where we need an experienced driver, one of his calibre to help us get the most out of that step we will take,” says chief technical officer Bob Bell. "He will help ground us in terms of our understanding of where we are and what we need to do to move forward. He's going to be a very key element in the season for us."

10. Which version of Ferrari will we see in 2017?

In 2015, Ferrari were a growing force, with Sebastian Vettel winning three races and proving a constant thorn in Mercedes’ side. But when a 2016 title challenge failed to materialise, the Prancing Horse seemed to lose its way, with the departure of tech chief James Allison symptomatic of apparent behind-the-scenes instability. The big question now is which Ferrari we’ll see in 2017 - one that has regrouped and regalvanised over the winter and can fight for Grand Prix victories and the title, or the somewhat blunt version we saw in 2016. What’s certain is that another winless season will not be tolerated. 

(source: f1.com)

F1 CHAMPIONS FOREVER

LIKELY 2017 F1 DRIVER LINE-UP

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas

Red Bull: Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen

Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen

Force India: Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon

Williams: Felipe Massa, Lance Stroll

McLaren: Fernando Alonso, Stoffel Vandoorne

Toro Rosso: Carlos Sainz Jr, Daniil Kvyat

Haas: Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen

Renault: Nico Hulkenberg, Jolyon Palmer

Sauber: Pascal Wehrlein, Marcus Ericsson

Manor: tba, tba

MiniVintage - F1 - 1x01 - 2007 European GP