While we have all been enjoying a relaxed winter period, the Formula 1 teams have been hard at work building their 2017 machines, all with the aim of achieving the ultimate prize, the world championship.
For the first time in 2017 we will see the cars altogether, rolling out of the garages and driving around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
2017 is due to be the fastest season to date, with numerous changes to chassis regulations, bigger tyres and unlimited development of the power units.
In what promises to be a new era for the sport, there are many points to look for with only having eight days of running available before the season opener in Australia on March 26.
The first challenge faced by all of the teams is to gain reliability, with just eight days available to test all of the parts, this is going to be the biggest task.
With all new power units, wings, bargeboards and suspension setups with the wider regulations, the cars are going to be put through the paces in an attempt to ensure that every car is able to run without worry.
In 2016 Mercedes managed to run all eight days with just one entire power unit, because of the sheer reliability the W07 was showing, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had to share responsibilities each day to ensure they still had the energy to drive the following day.
Could it be possible we see this level of reliability again?
With higher cornering speeds due to the nature of the new regulations, drivers are not likely to be pushing hard from the start, while teams seek reliability, the drivers will be looking to acclimatise themselves in the car.
Despite numerous days and weeks of training their bodies to cope with the new forces that await them, slowly building up to speed will be the main aim of the game, so don’t go looking for sheer pace right out of the gates by anyone.
Another huge factor for the 2017 season is the new tyres Pirelli has brought to the table, the sizes will take many by surprise, especially if you’re new to the sport in recent years.
The Italian manufacturer has been hard at work in the development of these tyres in order to ensure they are ready for the season ahead.
Drivers requests about degradation have also been taken into account, so Pirelli has created a tyre that should have a bigger operating window, this should help drivers be able to push harder for longer, especially if trapped behind the dirty air of a car in front.
The question of teams sandbagging their pace is one that has been asked by many, will the teams fill the cars with fuel to mask their true pace?
With so many questions hanging over the new season, the time has come for all of the talking to stop and for the stopwatch to give us some of the answers we’re looking for.
Be sure to stick with Read Motorsport throughout both pre-season tests for reports on each day’s running and all of the reaction from the teams.
The first test takes place between February 27 – March 2.
Comments.
Loading comments…