Formula1 2017

[Cleoriff]

It's Alive. It's Loud

Mercedes firing up the engine for their 2017 F1 car

Make the most of it. It's only 48 seconds long....

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/18599021/mercedes-fires-w08-first

[Please see related discussion for Formula one 2016 here]

[jonsie]

For me I'm not sure Bottas has that edge about him. He's in a good car so he should be out - qualifying most of the field. If he manages to secure pole he should be fighting like he'll to stay in front. He let Vettel get past him without a fight. You saw Max last week, he had the ambition and once leading, he was determined to stay there. 

I slightly disagree but we don't know enough about team management, sponsors and the politics or planning for next season.In my opinion he did have one job today but that was to win with the WDC and Team championship already assured he should have given it a real go and not playing follow the leader. You need that fighting spirit if you want to be number 1 yourself one day. This is what separates drivers and champions.

I'm sure Mercedes would have loved to have the top two in the WDC and I would have loved to see Bottas fighting it out on the track rather than trying to use pitstop strategy. There again, I would have liked to have seen him take Vettel out completely ....

[Beenherebefore]

---

@jonsie wrote:

we don't know enough about team management, sponsors and the politics or planning for next season.

---

Exactly.....all season he's played it by team instructions....protect LH....ensure LH has the best chance to win WDC and Mercedes the WCC. There's no way VB could have won the WDC, he knew that and so did LH, so he did what he had to do.

He wants to stay with Mercedes, if he'd messed up, there are several drivers Mercedes could afford that would adequately replace him.....he's probably secured a lucrative drive for 2018 just by doing what he's been told to do.

This year has been a learning curve but just watch him next year !

[Cleoriff]

Although Toto.when interviewed post qualy yesterday and pre race today only spoke of Valterri maintaining his lead in order to try and bring the 1 and 2 to Mercedes..

Even you said (post 762) "I think Bottas should have held on to that outside position at the start and forced Vettel to the outside of T2 and by the straight after T3 he would have been away.....perhaps he thought a safe 2nd was better than being taken out by Vettel"

Today there was no talk of him helping Lewis...maybe only with pit stop strategy which failed..

Anyway, all that said, I have no doubt he will make vast improvements next season. He has to.. otherwise he will be gone.

[Cleoriff]

And on that note I am off to bed. Been a busy day. Attempting to hack back stuff in the garden ready for winter....doing some washing....watching F1....and then playing catch up with all the cr@p reality TV after that...

Nite all x

[Cleoriff]

Apparently there have been more F1 staff targeted by criminals in Brazil

Less than 48 hours after Mercedes team members were subject to a terrifying armed robbery, and despite promises of a heightened police presence around the track, a car being driven by Pirelli tyre fitters was targeted by robbers.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/pirelli-targeted-robbers-brazil-attack-978030/.

Over the Brazilian GP event, Mercedes, Williams, and Sauber team members were subject to attacks, while officials from the FIA were also approached by armed robbers before being able to escape.

Security for this week's planned Pirelli tyre test at Interlagos, which is to be conducted by McLaren is now being discussed.

I think the future of F1 in Brazil will be in doubt if security isn't tightened up?

[Cleoriff]

Pirelli have now officially pulled out of tyre testing in Brazil

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/interlagos-f1-tyre-test-cancelled-amid-security-fears-978347/?s=1

[jonsie]

It's getting to the point where they will be taking Brazil 🇧🇷 off the calendar. It's a great track but where it's a question of being unable to guarantee security and safety then I think it's inevitable. 

[Cleoriff]

F1 fixtures for 2018....

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10994217/f1-2018-schedule-and-test-dates

We have 21 races next season compared to 20 this year. 

Germany and France are back. We lose Malaysia as that was their last race this year...

[Beenherebefore]

I know it's not F1 but it made me laugh 

[jonsie]

Thailand 🇹🇭 ? It's how people drive there! 

Hilarious 😂 😂 😂